{"id":75,"date":"2018-09-25T23:19:02","date_gmt":"2018-09-25T23:19:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new.brethren.org\/about\/?page_id=75"},"modified":"2022-04-14T12:21:31","modified_gmt":"2022-04-14T12:21:31","slug":"practices","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/about\/practices\/","title":{"rendered":"Practices"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Brethren have a long tradition of \u201cgathering around the Word.\u201d Taking the New Testament as our guide, we discuss what Jesus did\u2014and why. Then we try to pattern our own lives after his.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere two or three are gathered together in my name,\u201d Jesus promised, \u201cthere am I in the midst of them.\u201d Through the practices described here, Brethren come together\u2014as small groups or larger ones\u2014in loving imitation of Jesus\u2019 actions. At these times, we\u2019re especially aware of God\u2019s presence. We call these practices our ordinances, because we think of them as instructions from God.<\/p>\n

Learn about Baptism<\/a> * Love feast and communion<\/a> *  Feetwashing<\/a> * Anointing<\/a><\/p>\n

Find printable resources on baptism, anointing, and love feast<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Photo by Regina Holmes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/a>Baptism<\/h2>\n

Before making any serious commitment\u2014to marry, to accept a responsible office, to practice healthier living\u2014a person considers the meaning and consequences of that choice. Often, he or she undergoes a public ceremony to acknowledge the momentous personal decision. For Brethren, the ordinance of \u201cbelievers baptism\u201d marks just such a deliberate, thoughtful commitment.<\/p>\n

Choosing to follow the example of Jesus begins with repenting, or humbly re-examining one\u2019s relationship with God. Jesus himself showed us the way: He asked to be baptized by John, and he instructed his disciples to baptize others who wanted to be symbolically \u201creborn\u201d through God\u2019s grace, into a new life of mature belief and service.<\/p>\n

Three hundred years ago, the first Brethren chose adult baptism as their ceremonial response to God\u2019s saving act\u2014the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Today, in the presence of the congregation, a newly committed person kneels in the water of the baptistry, publicly acknowledges his or her decision, and is immersed three times forward, \u201cin the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through this symbolic cleansing and rebirth, the person becomes a full member of the Brethren congregation and of the larger body of Christ. The decision to be baptized indicates a willingness to take on both the joy and the responsibility of living Jesus\u2019 teachings.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/a>Love feast and communion<\/h2>\n

In an act of great love, Jesus gave his life for ours. The Brethren, as Jesus\u2019 followers, love God and each other\u2014and take that love into the world. Once or twice a year, Brethren celebrate what the earliest Christians called agape: the outflowing love that seeks not to receive but to give.<\/p>\n

Jesus taught us this practice, sharing with his disciples a last, loving meal the night before he died. He washed the disciples\u2019 feet, ate supper with them, sought to draw them closer into the fold of his love, and offered them the symbolic bread and cup.<\/p>\n

During love feast, we repeat these simple, meaningful acts. After reconciling any discord among ourselves, we lovingly wash each other\u2019s feet, then enjoy a meal together. Quietly we share communion, the bread and the cup that remind us of Jesus\u2019 great gift; we renew our commitment to follow his example of sacrificial love. Congregations may also observe the eucharist, or bread-and-cup communion, at other times and in other settings.<\/p>\n

Love feast closes with a hymn; then follows the humble task of cleaning up, in which all are invited to participate. When we leave the feast, reunited in our dedication to Christ and to each other, the deep, nourishing love goes with us.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Feetwashing<\/h2>\n

Jesus knew that this evening, this meal, was the last time he and his twelve disciples would gather as a group. He wanted his followers to remember, in the difficult days ahead, why he had come and what he had taught them. When the disciples began to argue about which of them was more important, Jesus decided to make his lesson plain: Taking a towel and a basin of water, this great teacher knelt beside the first disciple\u2014and did not stop until, like a lowly servant, he had washed the feet of each one there.<\/p>\n

By including the service of feetwashing in our love feast, Brethren imitate Jesus\u2019 actions and honor his lessons. No person ought to be greater than another, Jesus taught. Love has no need to prove status or position; love simply gives\u2014and keeps on giving.<\/p>\n

A symbolic, cleansing act, feetwashing prepares us for the meal and communion that follow. It reminds us that, in God\u2019s sight, everyone needs loving attention, and everyone can offer that service to others. First we humbly accept attention and care from the one who washes our feet. Then we in turn wash someone else\u2019s feet. After each act of feetwashing, the two people embrace and share a simple phrase of blessing.<\/p>\n

In receiving this emblem of God\u2019s cleansing grace, we remember that as followers of Jesus, we can help distribute God\u2019s blessing to others\u2014through steady, loving service, symbolically washing the feet of the world.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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<\/a>Anointing<\/h2>\n

At some time, almost every person\u2014even the most devout\u2014may become anxious, despairing, or ill. Following instructions given in the New Testament, the Brethren practice an ordinance called anointing: the prayerful, loving application of oil to the forehead of someone in physical or spiritual need.<\/p>\n

Most of the time, members take initiative to request anointing for themselves or for members of their family. Recently more and more people have discovered anointing as a powerful symbol for the full range of renewal and healing. People ask for anointing before surgery or during serious illness, and they also request it in times of grief, emotional turmoil, or brokenness in relationships.<\/p>\n

The anointing service is usually conducted in a home or small-group setting, although some congregations use it in public worship. A time is provided for confession. Then the minister or other representative of the church applies oil three times to the forehead, symbolizing forgiveness of sin, strengthening of faith, and healing of body, mind, and spirit.<\/p>\n

Finally the minister lays hands on the one to be anointed, sometimes inviting others present to do the same, and prays specifically for this person’s expressed concern. The laying on of hands is a reminder that the whole congregation, whether present or not, joins in prayer and support.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Brethren have a long tradition of \u201cgathering around the Word.\u201d Taking the New Testament as our guide, we discuss what Jesus did\u2014and why. Then we try to pattern our own lives after his. \u201cWhere two or three are gathered together in my name,\u201d Jesus promised, \u201cthere am I in the midst of them.\u201d Through the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/fullwidthpage.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"class_list":["post-75","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/75","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/75\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":943,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/75\/revisions\/943"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.brethren.org\/about\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}