Mennonite Lifestyle: A Simple Yet Meaningful Way of Living.

Introduction

A curious probe into the Mennonite Lifestyle will get you this small answer in a nut shell: they just beg to pick simplicity, religion and community over the madness of living in the modern world. You can also get mugs by figuring out how Mennonites live and you can pit yourself some easy lessons in life: slow down, build relationships, live on purpose.

This style may vary by group of Mennonite Lifestyle, but essentially, it is a methodology of faith and daily choices to a midpoint. This time around, we shall take a stint to see what this actually looks like in real life.

The Fundamentals of the Mennonite Lifestyle.

It is actually impossible to experience the Mennonite Lifestyle vibe without knowing its origin. They date far back to the 1500s in Europe when the Protestant Reformation happened which was a good part of the Anabaptist movement which also believed in adult baptism, religion freedom and peaceful living.

History may sound far-flung material but in fact it determines how they live in the present. The initial members were persecuted, therefore, they formed close-knit groups and had faith as a core to save their lives. With that history, they were taught to be together, keep things low-profile and avoid unnecessary conflict. Today Mennonite Lifestyle are still governed by those lessons.

Personally, this is an encouraging part of their story to me. It demonstrates that it is not simply a clothing or a farming way of living but a strength and faith in making daily decisions.

Community at the Heart of Mennonite Lifestyle.

An aspect that is quite remarkable when reading the information about Mennonite Lifestyle is how serious their community is to them. Traders are aware of one another in most Mennonite towns or villages, share farm labor and eat communally. They take care of each other during times when they need but they believe that they are all to be burdened handling those who are weak or having their families to take care of.

It is that feeling of connection that is gained through their religious teachings. They perceive life to be shared and not to be lived alone. It is also a good survival and thrive method. And that great emphasis of community is refreshing in a fast-paced and individualistic culture today.

It is in my opinion a lesson to be applied in the contemporary life. It does not even have to be your time of the year to act as if being a Mennonite with the ability to check on your neighbors, to spend less time staring at a screen, and spending more time engaged in conversations with people who matter.

Simple Living and Daily Mennonite Lifestyle.

Mennonite Lifestyle are said to live a simple life, however, this does not imply plain. Rather, it entails making wise decisions and staying prepared so that none of the things can distract you and make you forget about faith and relationships.

Some Mennonite Lifestyle can wear plain in order to demonstrate humility and modesty. Other are modern dress permitting, although tilted towards modest. Most of them, in their everyday life, spend more time growing food, preparing faith based meals, and do not use as much time on entertainment as mainstream culture does.

Another decision that the Mennonites make wisely is in technology. Conservative groups can avoid electricity, cars or smart phones whereas more modern groups use them though do not over rely on them. It is not about ignoring what progress is bringing to faith and family life, but being sensitive with it.

Personally, this depicts a type of freedom that most of us feel deprived of. They do not stick to fads and life gadgets, but rather, Mennonites dwell on purposeful living.

Faith and Worship.

The key element in the Mennonite Lifestyle way of life is faith. Their religion of Christianity influences their way of worshipping, work and their interactions with others. The worship services are very simple and remain centered in prayer and scripture and singing. The traditional hymns are used in some of the congregations and contemporary music in others.

Religion is not only on Sundays, but it is in the day-to-day life. Mennonites are characterized by peace, non-violence and service to others. They consider the teaching of Jesus of loving your neighbor.

This is among the aspects that I love most. Mennonites do not distinctly separate religion and daily living, however; they view every event, such as cooking, farming, or teaching, as a part of religion. It is a message that spirituality may be incorporated into our regular activities that may be valuable.

Work and Education.

Mennonite Lifestyle have high respect in regard to work. Historically, most of them were farmers, carpenters or artisans. Farming is still relevant today, though Mennonites also are teachers, nurses, business people and professionals. They think that hardworking is a virtue and they take it as service.

Another form is education. Among conservative groups especially, there are Mennonites who operate their schools. These are schools that accommodate the role of faith in their teaching as well as simple schooling. Further liberal Mennonites send their children to schools and colleges, where they balance between school and their maxims.

By my perspective, this is a good balance. Mennonites have no fear of learning and they desire the education to be beneficial to mind, as well as whether to the soul. That is a tenet that just about anyone can learn to take advantage of, and that is selecting knowledge that can not only contribute to career achievement but has an influence on character.

Family and Relationships.

The Mennonite Lifestyle have the family life in the focus of their lifestyle. Tradition and faith determine family roles in most societies. The parents are regarded as a guide to education as well as moral and spiritual development. Most of the Mennonite families share food and pray within a group and work quality time around the homestead or farm.

Children will develop under a good support system. They learn to be responsible at a tender age, most of the time being assisted with the chores, gardening or looking after younger ones. The elders are respected and grandparents have active role in family life.

In my personal opinion, this attention to family is an asset. Mennonites, in a world where many consider themselves to have lost touch with their families, point to the loveliness of attending to their close and loving relationships. Some of this richness can be infused even into modern life by small gestures, such as having family dinners.

Food and Traditions.

Food is one of the most cordial elements about Mennonite. Mennonite Lifestyle cuisine is traditional and represents a farming origin and hospitability. Food tends to be wholesome, plain and home cooked. The typical food items are home-cooked bread, soups, stews and pickles. Local influences do also influence Mennonite recipes in some locales, such as the Latin American flavor in communities in Mexico or Paraguay.

Food is not just food it is a community life. Meals are usually shared during church meetings, weddings and celebrations with families. Hospitality is considered one of the services and guests are ensure they treat the guest generously.

I like this aspect of Mennonite life best. Food brings people together and in the Mennonite society, food is a source of bonding faith, family and community. It is also an indication of how they value using their hands and also valuing the land.

Contemporary Adoptions and Problems.

All Mennonite Lifestyle do not lead a similar lifestyle. There are conservative groups that hold traditions in clothes, farming, horse pulled buggies, whilst on the other end are progressive Mennonites who inhabit urban areas, use automobiles and modernized technologies. The common factor is that they are all chartered by the same ambition of staying within their religion but at the same time making prudent decisions as to prevent what influences they would like to affect their lives.

Nevertheless this balance is not always so simple. Contemporary culture is in a conflict with traditional values. All these problems such as an education problem and the use of technology and issues spent in choosing a career can be problematic within communities. Simultaneously, Mennonites are on the rise all over the world, without losing their identities.

This is very human to me. Of us all is the choice concerning the extent of accommodative attitude toward change and the degree of tradition bound. This is because the Mennonites only publicize those decisions by their way of life that defies the contemporary behavior.

The Importance of the Mennonite Lifestyle to our time today.

Now you may ask why that Mennonite way of life would be of any use to you since you yourself are not in that religion. The fact of the matter is there is some learning here that can be learnt by anyone. Their interest in being simple reminds us of taking things at a slower pace and walking against consumer culture. The worth of handing in forms we see in their powerful enclaves. Life as family organization is an important lesson to them that relationships matter more than busyness.

Although you could never live like a Mennonite there could be some sense in how they go about their faith, work, and balance. Today when a lot of people are overwhelmed, the Mennonite lifestyle presents an alternative: a life with a lesser, more significant beat, in which people take priority over things.

On a personal level, I can suggest to listen to how Mennonites lead their lives not to follow them to the letter, but to adopt insignificant practices and adapt them to your own lifestyle. Cooking a lot more, spending quality moments with your family, avoiding excessive screen usage among other things are just a few of the easy ways to add meaning to normal living.

FAQs

Q1. Are the Amish of Mennonite Lifestyle?

Ans: No, but the Mennonites are heterogeneous. Others are conventional, although most of them are urban, i.e. in cities.

Q2. Are Mennonite Lifestyle electrical and automatized?

Ans: Yes, many do. The more conservative groups only avoid them.

Q3. What do Mennonite Lifestyle believe?

Ans: They are the Christians, who stress on peace, service, and simple way of living.

Conclusion

Mennonite Lifestyle way of life is not only a boring dress or rural agriculture. It is a lifestyle based on religion, plainness, and unity which survived hundreds of years. Although Mennonites have diverse attributes regarding how these values are practiced, the essence of them does not change, as they comprise living purposefully, helping one another, and keeping faith the highest rank in their lives. This subject is important to write about since it is not only history, but is about asking ourselves to take a look back at our own decisions. I think everyone can be taught a lesson by the Mennonites Lifestyle, be it the bravery to live this other way, the greatness of family bonds, the happiness of community. That is why I would ask to think about their lifestyle in terms of what is not so distant, but is rather something to emulate when creating the life that really counts.

Want to explore more? Head over to FineGlob