This weekend, some of our local congregations are spending Saturday celebrating 500 years of Anabaptism. I’m grateful for my journey to Anabaptism and a community that yearns to live faithfully. I am excited to celebrate with people that seek to love me, challenge me, and welcome all who are on the way.

I am also positively haunted by a notion I have heard a few times from church historians: that every few hundred years, followers of Jesus respond to the Holy Spirit’s promptings and re-envision a more faithful movement. They discard the add-ons, in-app-purchases, expansion packs, sequels, etc. and seek a more rooted (i.e. radical) faith that is inspired by the testimony of the early church and the actions & teachings of Jesus. They reject the idea that the power and longevity of an institution (or perhaps more accurately: it’s clergy) is more important than faithfulness. They try to embrace a loving, countercultural community that cares for the marginalized.

So it makes me wonder, are we due for the next movement? And if so, what will it look like?

Send your thoughts or hatemail to: todd at low dot church.