Vol. 80; No. 3; November 1, 2003
Table of Contents
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Table of Contents:
Meditation – Rev. James Slopsema
Editorial – Prof. David J. Engelsma
Feature Article – Prof. David J. Engelsma
Understanding the Times – Mr.
Calvin Kalsbeek
That They May Teach Them to Their Children – Miss Agatha Lubbers
Go Ye Into All the World – Rev. Jason Kortering
All Around Us – Rev. Kenneth Koole
Special Article – Rev. G. Van Baren
· The Debate: “Is the
Doctrine of Common Grace Reformed?”
Special Article – Rev. Rodney Kleyn
·
Progress in Pittsburgh
Report of Classis East
– Mr. Jon Huisken
· The Report
News From Our Churches
– Mr. Benjamin Wigger
· Varia
Meditation:
Rev. James Slopsema
Rev.
Slopsema is pastor of First Protestant Reformed
Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Godly Sorrow
For
godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the
world worketh death.
II
Corinthians 7:10
There was a great deal of trouble in the church of Corinth.
There was division among the members, immorality the likes of which was not even
found in the pagan community, abuse of the Lord’s Supper, as well as false doctrine
touching the resurrection.
The apostle Paul had dealt with
these problems very firmly in his first epistle to the Corinthians, giving necessary and
appropriate rebukes. Paul rejoiced when he
learned that this letter made the Corinthians grieve.
He rejoiced not simply because they were made sorry but because they were made
sorry after a godly manner. They sorrowed
unto repentance. Paul rejoiced at this kind
of sorrow in Corinth because “godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be
repented of.”
It is very well possible that
this was a proverb often used in the New Testament church.
There is a very important truth expressed in this proverb. On the one hand, godly sorrow works repentance,
which results in salvation. And those who
attain this salvation will never repent (regret) their repentance. On the other hand, the sorrow of the world works
death. The truth of this proverb made Paul
rejoice in the sorrow of the Corinthians.
And what of our sorrow? We all sorrow.
Is it the godly sorrow that works repentance to salvation? Or is it the sorrow of the world that works death?
There is much sorrow in life. The creation is under the curse because of sin. This results in much pain and suffering. There is the pain of sickness, poverty, war,
broken relationships, loneliness, death … and the list goes on. This suffering comes on the righteous as well as
on the wicked. And with that pain comes
sorrow, both for the righteous and for the wicked. Such,
however, is not the focus of this passage.
The focus is rather on the
sorrow connected with sin. Sin clings to
every one of us. The world without Jesus
Christ is totally depraved, so that all it can do is sin.
And these sins are becoming increasingly more abominable. But even the saints of God, who are redeemed in
the blood of Christ, sin. The work of grace
is not finished in them. They have still a
sinful nature. The result is that they daily
stumble into sin, sometimes into great sin. And
in connection with that sin, there is sorrow. Certainly
born again children of God sorrow over their sin. Their
sorrow is the godly sorrow mentioned in this passage.
But this passage also speaks of the sorrow of the world, i.e., a sorrow that the
world has in connection with sin.
What is this godly sorrow of the
saint? And what is this godly sorrow in
contrast to the sorrow of the world?
The term “godly
sorrow” is literally “sorrow according to God.” This speaks of a sorrow
that is according to a certain standard. And
that standard is God. There are several
things we can say about God in this regard. God
is the God of all perfection and virtue. For
that reason He hates all sin and delights in all righteousness. In fact, He grieves over the sin of His people. For this reason we are admonished in Ephesians
4:30, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day
of redemption.” Now a sorrow that is
according to God is a sorrow that reflects God’s perfections and His attitude toward
sin. It is a sorrow that reflects His hatred
of sin and grief of sin. In short, it is a
deep sorrow over sin itself.
To understand this more clearly,
we must bear in mind that this sorrow according to God results from God’s renewing
grace. Those who are renewed in Jesus Christ
by the grace of God have the beginnings of God’s perfections, so that with God they
delight in all righteousness and hate all sin. For
that reason they also grieve over sin. They
grieve when they see sin around them – in the world, in the church, in their
children. But especially do they grieve when
they find sin in themselves. By their sin
they have offended the God whom they have come to love.
They have brought shame to Him, rather than glory.
And by their sin they have hurt their neighbor, whom they in Christ love for
God’s sake. What grief this brings to
them.
The sorrow of the world is quite
different. The term “sorrow of the
world” speaks of a sorrow that arises out of the world. For that reason it is also a sorrow that is
characterized by the wickedness of this world. This
is a sorrow that grieves not over the fact of sin but only over the evil consequences of
sin.
Sin has consequences. Every sin has consequences. This is because God judges sin. Sometimes these consequences are terrible. Under the judgment of God sin has ruined
marriages, destroyed families, brought disease, inflicted penalties…. And all sin leads to hell. The sorrow of the world is a sorrow over these
terrible consequences of sin. Because of its
depravity, the world hates all righteousness and delights in sin. This remains true even under the most severe
judgment of God. So long as the wicked
remains in his depravity, he will delight in his sin.
But over the devastating consequences of his sin he grieves.
Godly sorrow worketh repentance.
Repentance is a change of mind,
a change of heart. It presupposes that you
once considered sin to be a good thing. For
that reason you desired sin and delighted in it. But
now, after the sin is committed, you have a change of mind.
What you once thought was so good, you now see as horrible. What once seemed so wise, you now see as terribly
foolish. And you wish you hadn’t done
it.
There are two elements in true
repentance. First, there is the seeking of
forgiveness and reconciliation with God. One
who is repentant wants to be forgiven by God and reconciled to Him. This leads him to confess his sins and to flee to
the cross in prayer to find the covering of Christ’s atoning blood. But true repentance is also a turning away from
sin. One who is repentant doesn’t want
to continue in his sin. He wants more than
ever to turn way from it in order to walk in righteousness.
This leads him to the cross to find the power of Jesus Christ to turn from his sin
back to God.
Obviously you will not find this
repentance in the world. The world in
its depravity sorrows not over sin but only over the consequences of sin. The world delights in sin. For that reason the world is without repentance. It does not seek forgiveness and reconciliation
with God. You will not find the world on its
knees at the cross. Nor does the world seek
to turn from its sin unto righteousness in the power of Jesus Christ. It is true that when the evil consequences of sin
become unacceptable, the world will turn from its sinful behavior. This, however, is not a genuine repentance. It is not a turning away from sin to God in
righteousness. It is a mere avoidance of a
particular sin in order to enjoy other sins in which the world delights.
Godly sorrow, however, works
repentance. Where there is godly sorrow there
is hatred of sin. Where there is godly
sorrow, there is tremendous grief of soul that one has offended God and hurt his neighbor. This sorrow leads one to the cross to find
forgiveness in the blood of Jesus Christ and to find the power to turn from sin unto God
in righteousness.
Godly sorrow works repentance to
salvation not to be repented of. The sorrow
of the world, however, works death.
Notice the contrast between
salvation and death. Death is obviously the
eternal death of hell. Salvation, then, is
the salvation of final glory in heaven.
Godly sorrow works repentance to
salvation. This indicates that godly sorrow
results in salvation. The reason is obvious. Godly sorrow leads one to the cross to find
reconciliation and the power to live a new life. This
is the one and only way to the salvation of heaven. Another
way there is not. However, the sorrow of the
world works death. The world in its sorrow
has only remorse over the evil consequences of sin. Its
sorrow leads not to the cross but to an avoidance of certain sins whose judgments become
unacceptable, in order that it may indulge in other sins.
This is the way that surely leads to hell.
Godly sorrow works repentance to
salvation not to be repented of. This
means that there will be no regrets on the part of those who in godly sorrow repent of
their sins. How many sinful pleasures must be
given up for those who walk the way of repentance! How
many responsibilities and burdens true repentance adds to those who are given to godly
sorrow! Yet the joys of salvation are so
great that the repentant sinner never has any regrets.
When one day he walks the streets of the New Jerusalem, there will be no regrets. The way of repentance put him on a narrow way less
trod. There were may sacrifices and hardship. But it leads him to the glory of heaven. And it was worth it all.
Regret will be known only by the
world. Their delight in sin led them to a
life of impenitence. They would not give up
the pleasures of sin, except in those cases where the judgment of God became too severe. They sorrowed after the consequences of sin, but
continued in their sin for the sake of sin’s pleasure.
When one day they receive their just reward in hell, there will be only regrets. The torments of hell will overshadow all the good
times of sin. All there will be left will be
eternal regrets.
What is the nature of your
sorrow?
Sorrow with a godly sorrow that
works repentance to salvation!
You will never regret it!
Editorial:
Prof. David J. Engelsma
Labor Union Membership in the Light of
Scripture (4)
Calling
of the Christian Workingman
The previous editorial in this series (Oct. 1, 2003) gave the biblical testimony calling
the Christian workingman to submit to the authority of the employer as the authority of
Christ. In light of this testimony, the
Christian workingman—every Christian workingman—must refuse membership in the
union, or, if presently a member, must get out. He
must do this willingly. He must do this in
obedience to the Word. He must do this out
of respect for the authority of God. He must
do this as an act of discipleship after Jesus Christ.
He must do this in gratitude for gracious salvation.
He must do this as he values his eternal salvation.
In carrying out this holy
calling, the Christian workingman must be willing to suffer loss.
Servants [men working for wages], be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to
the good and gentle, but also to the froward. For
this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering
wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye
be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently?
but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is
acceptable with God. For even hereunto were
ye called: because Christ also suffered for
us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps (I Pet.
2:18-21).
Against the testimony of
Scripture, which is clear and compelling, there are two arguments in favor of a
Christian’s joining a labor union. These
arguments are powerful. Both of these
arguments come down to this: “If I do
not join the union, I will suffer.”
One argument is that the owner,
the employer, the boss, management, the capitalist is a greedy, cruel, blood-sucking
monster. Without unions, workers have
suffered, and will suffer.
The other argument is the
visceral one: “I have to eat.” If a man is unwilling to join a union, work is
denied him, and then he and his family starve to death.
The Bible refutes both these
arguments.
As regards the first, concerning
the unjust employer, there are indeed wicked employers who take advantage of the worker. Their only concern is profits for themselves. Workers are merely disposable means to that end. Scripture recognizes such employers and damns
them: “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and
howl for your miseries that shall come upon you” (James 5:1). These were the farmers for whom the Christian
laborers of James
5 were working. These farmers kept back
the hire of the laborers, thus killing the righteous workingmen. “The hire of the laborers who have reaped
down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth ... Ye have condemned and
killed the just” (James 5:4, 6).
This injustice and cruelty,
however, do not warrant resistance on the part of the workers—a general strike. Rather, the laborer “doth not resist
you” (James
5:6). Radically different is the
activity to which the gospel of Christ calls the defrauded workingman: “Be patient, therefore, brethren, unto the
coming of the Lord” (James 5:7). Christ the judge will punish the greedy capitalist
who has defrauded his workers. Such a
businessman “has heaped treasure together for the last days” (James 5:3). The millions he gave to charity in his old age, to
soothe his conscience and get a name for himself, will not mitigate his punishment in the
least. Christ will also reward the suffering,
patient workingman. “The end of the Lord
(is) that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy” (James 5:11).
As regards the second argument,
namely, that we must eat, the biblical refutation is exactly that we do not have to eat. Eating is not the “bottom line” in the
life of Christians. For the Christian, what
is absolutely necessary—that to which all in life must give way—is obeying God. When eating conflicts with obeying, as it often
has in history, eating is given up.
Karl Marx and his disciples in
the labor union movement are wrong in their teaching that the material is everything.
The man who makes eating the
main thing in human life, to which all else, even the Word of God, must give way, is an
idolater. His god is his belly. Some god!
Whoever takes the position,
“I must eat,” will, on this basis, soon also take the mark of the beast, for
without that mark in the kingdom of Antichrist one will not be permitted to buy or sell (Rev. 13:17).
Whoever takes the mark will be permitted to
eat. He will also drink. He will “drink of the wine of the wrath of
God” forever (Rev. 14:9-11).
“Pillar
and Ground of the Truth”
If the Christian workingman is
to carry out his calling, the church must take a stand—the biblical stand—and
instruct the workingman, as well as discipline him, if he should join a union. The church is “pillar and ground of the
truth” (I
Tim. 3:15). She is pillar and ground of
the truth of the godly life of her members. For
the widespread disobedience to the will of God on the part of professing Christians in the
sphere of labor today, the unfaithful churches are to be blamed more than the workers.
The Protestant Reformed Churches
take a stand. Their stand is avowedly and
undeniably biblical. This stand against labor
union membership is not something about which they should be embarrassed. Rather, it is a significant part of their honor as
true churches of Christ by the grace of God. True
churches of Christ are identified by their confession of the truth of the Word of God. This confession includes more than only the great
doctrines of the faith. It includes as well
the churches’ teaching the nations “to observe all things whatsoever I [Jesus
Christ] have commanded you” (Matt. 28:20).
As these editorials have shown, the Lord
Jesus has commanded His disciples in all nations to honor the authority of the
“master” in the sphere of labor. Therefore,
the Protestant Reformed Churches may not hide, or downplay, their stand against labor
union membership. Christ calls them to teach
and proclaim this stand.
Exactly because of the stand of
the Churches from their very beginning, Protestant Reformed workingmen can still get
exemption from union membership, including the requirement to pay dues to the union, under
the law of the land as “conscientious objectors.”
The stand of the Churches,
faithfully preached and taught, guides the members of these Churches in a holy life. This is true love on the part of the Churches for
their workingmen.
The Churches’ stand is also
an important part of their witness to the outside. It
leaves impenitent rebels against the authority of Christ in the ordinance of labor without
excuse. It gains others to truth, holiness,
and Christ.
The encouragement both to
suffering workingman and embattled church is James’ exhortation:
Be
patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth
for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the
early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh. ...behold, the judge standeth before the door. Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken
in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have
seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy (James 5:7-10).
Come, O Christ, and judge on
behalf of your defrauded, but patient workingmen and on behalf of your reproached, but
faithful church. Amen.
—
DJE
Feature Article:
Prof. David J. Engelsma
Prof.
Engelsma is professor of Dogmatics and Old Testament in the Protestant Reformed Seminary.
Calvin’s Doctrine of the Christian Life
(conclusion)
The
previous article on John Calvin’s doctrine of the Christian life showed that, in
addition to the law as the rule of the Christian life, Calvin found in the New Testament
an important pattern of the life of every true Christian (Standard Bearer, Oct. 15,
2003). With specific reference to Romans 12:1,
“Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,” Calvin
defined this New Testament pattern as the believer’s belonging to God. The entire life of the Christian is formed by his
conviction that he is not his own, but belongs entirely to God.
A life formed by this conviction
and conforming to this pattern has certain characteristics.
Three of these characteristics are service of God, self-denial, and bearing the
cross. The previous article mentioned these
characteristics, briefly explained them, and demonstrated that Calvin taught them as
fundamental to the Christian life.
A fourth characteristic of the
life of every Christian, according to Calvin, is contempt for this present earthly life
and hopeful meditation upon the future heavenly life—the life that the Christian will
enjoy after death and especially upon the return of Christ. This characteristic is related to the
preceding—bearing the cross—inasmuch as tribulation—the cross in one’s
life—has the unavoidable and salutary effect on the Christian that he learns to
despise this life and hope with ardent longing for the coming life.
In urging this characteristic as
part of the pattern of the Christian life, Calvin used vigorous language. He used language that is much too strong for our
age, but language that our age, particularly Reformed saints in our age, very much needs
to hear. If we were to address Reformed and
Presbyterian people with Calvin’s statements on the necessity of holding this earthly
life in contempt, without informing them that the statements were those of Calvin, most
would respond by screaming, “World-flight!”
“Anabaptist!” They would
charge, with the sublimest, unwitting irony, that we lack a “Calvinistic”
world-view.
Listen.
“(We must) despise the
present, and . . . aspire to the future life.”
“This life, estimated in
itself, is restless, troubled, in numberless ways wretched, and plainly in no respect
happy.”
“All we have to seek or
hope for here is contest.”
“When we think of the crown
we must raise our eyes to heaven.”
“Our mind never rises
seriously to desire and aspire after the future, until it has learned to despise the
present life” (Inst., 3.9.1).
“There is no medium between
the two things: the earth must either be
worthless in our estimation, or keep us enslaved by an intemperate love of it.”
“We (must) hasten to
despise the world, and aspire with our whole heart to the future life” (Inst.,
3.9.2).
Calvin exercised some sharp
spiritual/psychological examination of every one of us.
Every one of us, indeed, would be thought to aspire and aim at heavenly immortality during
the whole course of his life. For we would be
ashamed in no respect to excel the lower animals; whose condition would not be at all
inferior to ours, had we not a hope of immortality beyond the grave. But when you attend to the plans, wishes, and
actions of each, you see nothing in them but the earth.
Hence our stupidity; our minds being so dazzled with the glare of wealth, power,
and honors, that they can see no farther. The
heart also, engrossed with avarice, ambition, and lust, is weighed down and cannot rise
above them. In short, the whole soul,
ensnared by the allurements of the flesh, seeks its happiness on the earth (Inst.,
3.9.1).
Calvin went on to explain that
he intended that we view this life as preparation for the glory of the heavenly kingdom
and, therefore, do not make this life the end, or goal, or main thing. He guarded against misunderstanding of his
exhortation that we despise this life by warning that “contempt” is not hatred
of earthly life, or ingratitude to God for it. “This
life, though abounding in all kinds of wretchedness, is justly classed among divine
blessings which are not to be despised” (Inst., 3.9.3).
Viewing earthly life as
preparation for the better, heavenly life, the Christian does not tremble in terror of
approaching death. Rather, he desires death. “No man has made much progress in the school
of Christ who does not look forward with joy to the day of death and final resurrection (II Tim. 4:18;
Titus 2:13)
” (Inst., 3.9.5).
In his explanation of the
Christian life as cross bearing and, therefore, a despising of earthly life in hope of the
heavenly, Calvin made plain that he saw no “golden age” of carnal millennial
ease and glory in store for the church in history.
Thus, indeed, it is; the whole body of the faithful, so long as they live on the earth,
must be like sheep for the slaughter, in order that they may be conformed to Christ their
head (Rom.
8:36). Most deplorable, therefore, would
their situation be did they not, by raising their mind to heaven, become superior to all
that is in the world, and rise above the present aspect of affairs (I Cor. 15:19)
(Inst., 3.9.6).
As he suggested when he
explained that contempt for earthly life is not ingratitude to God for it, Calvin saw in
the New Testament as a fifth characteristic of the Christian life that the Christian use
the benefits of earthly life rightly. In
general, this will consist of using “its [the earth’s] blessings only in so far
as they assist our progress [to the heavenly kingdom], rather than retard it” (Inst.,
3.10.1). Following the pattern of the New
Testament, Calvin warned against two dangers. One
is the binding of the conscience, whether by oneself or by others, with the unbiblical
restriction that the Christian may use earthly things only if they are absolutely
necessary. In his treatment of Christian
liberty, later in the Institutes, Calvin expressed the spiritual danger of this
ascetic view of the Christian life in a classic statement.
Many think us absurd in raising a question as to the free eating of flesh, the free use of
dress and holidays, and similar frivolous trifles, as they think them; but they are of
more importance than is commonly supposed. For
when once the conscience is entangled in the net, it enters a long and inextricable
labyrinth, from which it is afterwards most difficult to escape. When a man begins to doubt whether it is lawful
for him to use linen for sheets, shirts, napkins, and handkerchiefs, he will not long be
secure as to hemp, and will at last have doubts as to tow; for he will revolve in his mind
whether he cannot sup without napkins, or dispense with handkerchiefs. Should he deem a daintier food unlawful, he will
afterwards feel uneasy for using loaf-bread and common eatables, because he will think
that the body might possibly be supported on a still meaner food. If he hesitates as to a more genial wine, he will
scarcely drink the worst with a good conscience; at last he will not dare to touch water
if more than usually sweet and pure. In
fine, he will come to this, that he will deem it criminal to trample on a straw lying in
his way (Inst., 3.19.7).
The second danger is an
immoderate use of earthly things amounting to licentious self-indulgence. “Many are so devoted to luxury in all their
senses, that their mind lies buried: many are
so delighted with marble, gold, and pictures, that they become marble-hearted—are
changed as it were into metal, and made like painted figures. The kitchen, with its savory smells, so engrosses
them that they have no spiritual savor” (Inst., 3.10.3).
Positively, although “the
liberty of the Christian in external matters is not to be tied down to a strict
rule,” there are two laws governing the Christian’s use and enjoyment of earthly
things. One is that he use the world as not
abusing it, as I
Corinthians 7:29-31 teaches. This is a
use that does not involve making too much of the world, so that the world and its things
divert the Christian from seeking the heavenly life.
The Christian will avoid gluttony, excessive drinking, ostentatious dress, pride,
and luxury.
Calvin was especially fearful of
luxury in the life of one professing to be a disciple of Christ. Although advocating the middle way between ascetic
self-denial and licentious self-indulgence, Calvin exhorted a moderation that sins more on
the side of the former than of the latter: “We
wish men would follow a moderation closer to abstinence than to luxury” (John Calvin,
“Concerning Luxury,” in Ford Lewis Battles, Interpreting John Calvin,
Baker, 1996, p. 329).
The second law directing the
Christian’s use of earthly things is that he bear poverty peaceably and patiently.
Implied by these two laws is a
third law: Live earthly life using and
enjoying the creatures in the consciousness that we are stewards of these things. For our use of earthly things, we must one day
give account. “We must, therefore,
administer them [earthly things] as if we constantly heard the words sounding in our ears,
‘Give an account of your stewardship’” (Inst., 3.10.5).
Sixth, and finally, the New
Testament patterns the Christian life by requiring that the Christian view and occupy his
place in everyday life as a divine calling—a “vocation.” Calvin spoke of one’s “mode of
life.” He referred to one’s earthly station, or job. Viewing his job as a calling, the Christian will
not rashly and restlessly abandon it for another. He
will patiently bear whatever “inconveniences, cares, uneasiness, and anxiety”
attend his “mode of life,” “persuaded that God has laid on the
burden.”
Viewing your station, no matter
how lowly, as a divine calling “will afford admirable consolation, that in following
your proper calling, no work will be so mean and sordid as not to have a splendor and
value in the eye of God” (Inst., 3.10.6).
Understanding the Times:
Mr. Calvin Kalsbeek
Mr.
Kalsbeek is a teacher in Covenant Christian High School and a member of Hope Protestant
Reformed Church, Walker, Michigan. (Preceding
article in series: May 15, 2003, p. 367.)
Eastern
Ideas (3) Their Influence on the West
“And of the children of
Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to
do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their
commandment.”
(I
Chronicles 12:32)
Eastern
influence on Hollywood
Not only is the East having a significant influence on education and politics, its ideas
are also endorsed by many on the cutting edge of Western culture: Hollywood. About this,
Don Feder writes:
From spirits and
reincarnation to telekinesis and the occult, the movie industry is in the grip of a new
Age mania.
Consider the
re-released Star Wars trilogy ... there’s the Force, “an energy field created by
all living things” that humans can connect with to accomplish incredible feats of
valor — karma-coated popcorn.
...today it
(Hollywood, ck) rolls out one piece of New Age schlock after another — Phenomenon,
Powder, Dragonheart, Little Buddha, The Craft and the Frighteners, in the past year (1993,
ck) alone.
Hollywood loves
religion, as long as it’s non-Western. Richard
Gere (who meditates with Tibetan masters) and Oliver Stone are Buddhists. Travolta and Cruise, disciples of L. Ron Humbug. Shirley MacLaine clones, like Oscar-winner Jon
Voight, are practically tripping over each other.[1]
Concerning Hollywood’s
influence, Johanna Michaelsen adds:
Saturday-morning
cartoons are proving to toddlers that “I AM THE POWER!” They are told that there are “good”
sorceresses and Witches and shamans and wizards who have access to untold power, and the
telepathy and telekinesis (and those words are the exact ones used) are normal and useful
abilities to cultivate.[2] (Welcome to the wacky world of Harry Potter. ck)
Eastern
influence on business
The New Age Movement is not
content with the capture of our children, it would even rule the way we do business. In a lengthy article in Christianity Today,
Jeff Sellers provides the following insights:
Visualizing the
future, several businesspersons at a Manhattan hotel are acting out what the ideal
corporate board meeting will look like in 2012. “May
all the decisions we make today be guided by values and by love,” the board chairman
says. “Let’s meditate on it. Tune in to your intuition on all levels.”
It’s the Spirit
in Business World Conference, where more than 500 business people and assorted
“change agents” have come to unleash each other’s inner powers. They will spend three days spurring each other on
to positive thoughts at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers, a sanctuary from the grit
and litter outside. Then they will go to the
ends of the earth as part of a fledgling movement to transform the world.
Yes, they’re
believers — in human potential. They
believe in the power of enlightened business to imbue life with meaning. Many of them, especially their leaders, believe
business will help usher in a universal shift in consciousness.
They mean many things
by the term shift in consciousness, including the notion that business people
should rely less on rational thought and more on intuitive “inner wisdom.” On a less esoteric level, the envisioned business
revolution would affirm values—rather than shareholder value—as the driving
force of business.[3]
In the rest of his article
Sellers makes the case that New Age influence in the business world has gone from a fringe
movement to being mainstream. He bases this
contention on the growing number of books on the subject of spirituality in the workplace,
the proliferation of conferences on spirituality in business and the workplace, and the
increasing (up to 10%) number of management consultants that include spiritual emphases.
Eastern
Influence on
Western
society in general
Further, the widespread
influence of the New Age on the West is so prevalent in our everyday life that it simply
cannot be ignored. Consider just a few
examples:
· An
article in the Grand Rapids Press: “Pagan Pride.” This article describes a recent celebration of New
Age pagans who in their activities show respect for life and the earth. “The goal of Sunday’s event was to
foster pride in pagan identity through education, activism, charity and community, and to
show others that pagans are just normal people.”[4]
· An
article in Healthy Living: The use of
yoga is promoted as a means for staying healthy. Instead
of being used only by the fringes of society, the article states: “These days, the
art of yoga — a centuries-old health program of stretching and breathing exercises,
often accompanied by meditation techniques — has gone thoroughly mainstream.”[5]
· An
article in Reader’s Digest: “Give
Peace a Chance: Meditation for busy, normal people.”
This article attempts to give a scientific validation to meditation, and even
presents a detailed explanation of how one is to do it.[6]
· Another
article from the Grand Rapids Press: “Eastern
religions inspire wisdom in two books.” The
reviewer of these two children’s books (Stone Soup, by Jon J. Muth, and What
about Me, by Ed Young) tells us, “Eastern religions are the source of wisdom in
two folktales.” We are further informed: “Both these tales have been told before, but
not in their eastern context with such beautiful illustrations. They are indeed teaching tales with wise words for
children. But they are so palatable
they’ll feel more like a treat than a lesson.”[7]
Many other examples of Eastern
influence on our society could be cited. One
of the more interesting is the connection some are making of the recent craze in the West
of tattooing and body piercing to the pagan influences of the East. Gene Edward Veith in World
magazine observes that while third world dictators seek what the West has to offer in
business suits, weapons, industry, health care, etc…
Ironically, at the
very same time, many Westerners — despising or ignorant of their own civilization
— are tattooing their bodies like Maoris, piercing their bodies, and cultivating a
“new primitivism.” Already,
“advanced nations” have brought back into vogue practices associated with the
worst barbarism — sexual license, recreational violence, and infanticide.
Civilization requires vigilance both from without and from within.[8]
While on the subject of body
piercing and tattooing, it is interesting to note some current development of these
practices throughout the United States:
...tattooing
and piercing are evolving in ever more radical ways, including mutilation, branding,
scarification, and implants under the skin. There
is an Association of Professional Piercers, who place steel balls or other shapes under
the skin to create a variety of looks, including devil’s horns poking out of the
forehead; branding the skin with hot metal; and ritual scarification using a scalpel to
slice the face or body. Eric Sprague has
undergone intensive procedures in an attempt to look like a lizard. He has implants over each eye for a “horned
ridge effect,” teeth filed to sharp points, and even a split tongue. He said the tongue “is the culmination of
childhood daydreams and fantasies.”[9]
Issachar’s
response
How must Issachar respond to
these things? Are they just passing fads or
do they constitute a real threat to the spiritual well-being of Israel? If one piercing
per ear for boys, two per ear for girls, and one “small” tattoo for each is
acceptable today, why not three piercings, a large tattoo, filed teeth, and steel balls
tomorrow? One person responded to the above
mentioned quote of Gene Edward Veith this way: “The
most troubling thing to me, however, is the ‘new primitivism’ found among
professing Christians who dismiss tattooing, piercings of unusual body parts, and the
wearing of less and less clothing (even to church) as just being
‘fashionable.’”
In contrast to this concern a
New Age apologist, Dick Sutphen, brags about the strategies that New Agers have employed
to make their ideas acceptable to American society.
One of the biggest advantages we have as New Agers is, once the occult, metaphysical and
New Age terminology is removed, we have concepts and techniques that are very acceptable
to the general public. So we can change the
names and demonstrate the power. In so doing,
we open the New
Age door to millions who would not be receptive.[10]
What is so ironic is the almost
fanatic concern by our increasingly pagan society with anything that even remotely
symbolizes Western Christianity (manger scenes, Christmas trees, prayer, etc.) contrasted
with the West’s ready acceptance of the pagan symbols of our time because they are
“cool” or just another passing fad.
Modern-day Issachar should
recognize that essentially nothing has changed since the Lord warned Israel of the dangers
posed by the pagan Canaanites. As then, so
today, “Israel then shall dwell in safety alone…” (Deut. 33:28).
Israel has nothing to gain and everything
to lose! By accepting the symbols (ying and yang, crystals, etc.) and practices (yoga,
tattoos, piercings, etc.) of New Age paganism, Israel places herself and her future
generations at risk. Rather than stand with
our children as close as possible to the altar of the Baals and Molochs of our day, we
would do well to keep our distance. At the
same time, by adopting the symbols and practices of the New Age, she mutes her response to
those who are caught up in the hopelessness of the New Age Movement. After all, why would a pagan ask an Israelite who
looked and acted no different than he “…a reason of the hope that is in
you” (I
Pet. 3:15)?
Sons of Issachar, let us
continue to grow in our understanding of the times and live!
1. Don Feder, “Hollywood’s New Age love affair,” AFA
Journal, April 1994: 19
That They May
Teach Them to Their Children:
Miss Agatha Lubbers
Miss
Lubbers is a member of First Protestant Reformed Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan and
administrator of Eastside Christian School. (Preceding
article in series: June 2003, p. 398.)
The
Christian Story and the Christian School (5) A Defense of the Narrative Approach in
Reformed Christian Education
With this article we bring to a
conclusion the discussion of the narrative approach in Reformed Christian education. The defense and development of an understanding
of the narrative approach is the burden of the book The Christian Story and the
Christian School, Christian Schools International, 1993, by Dr. John Bolt. In this book Dr. Bolt contends that the problems
in Christian schools arising from contemporary education and our culture could be
addressed best and solved by the narrative approach.
We have previously described the narrative approach as one in which the Christian
school tells a specific and distinctive story that reflects the truth of the inspired
Scriptures and the Christian creeds in every area of the curriculum.
Dr. Bolt contends that the
narrative approach can be a possibility and reality because our Christian schools exist in
what can be called communities of memory. These
communities of memory are repositories of stories that will be most helpful in the
employment of the narrative approach. In the
final chapters of the book Dr. Bolt considers the idea of “story” or
“narrative” as a method to discover the content of Christian education. He argues that narrative provides an enrichment of
our understanding of human experiences and that it is a constructive way of understanding
the reason for Christian schools and the goal of Christian education.
The
Story of God and His People
Dr. Bolt asserts that the
Christian faith is first and foremost a story—a story of the triune God and His
people. Often Christian testimonies will
take the form of a story. The believer will
tell how the Lord has taken him from the bondage of sin and has changed his life. He may recount his sinful past, his present
redeemed state, and his hope for future glory. The
Christian confession of faith results in a confession that becomes a narrative, and
therefore it can be called one’s spiritual autobiography.
Bolt notes that the Christian
faith takes on a narrative form that is used in worship and liturgy. The Apostles’ Creed can serve as an example
because it covers the entire narrative history of the universe from creation to the
consummation of all things. The second
article of the Apostles’ Creed is a simple summary narrative of the life of Jesus,
the Savior—the God-man—from His conception by the Holy Spirit to His rule at the
Father’s right hand and His return in glory.
Dr. Bolt cites Deuteronomy
26:5-9 as an example of an Old Testament narrative form that serves as a communal
confession of faith and a summary salvation history.
A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there
with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous: and the Egyptians evil
entreated us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage: And when we cried unto the
Lord God of our fathers, the Lord heard our voice, and looked on our affliction,
and our labor, and our oppression: And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a
mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs,
and with wonders: And He hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this
land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.
The Christian story, according
to Bolt, is not merely our story, our narrative of discovery and imagination.
The Christian story is the story of God and His people.
From creation through redemption unto the consummation the Christian story is a
covenantal narrative, a narrative about a relationship between the triune God and His
people. John Calvin begins his Institutes
of the Christian Religion by underscoring this inseparable covenantal duality: “Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is
to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of
ourselves” ( Bolt, p. 186).
Dr. Bolt asserts that the
covenantal relationship between God and His people does not involve “equal
partners.”
God is the sovereign who initiates and governs the relationship. He created the world for His glory and He breathed
life into human beings…. We are children
of God, not by human will or decision. Rather
we are ‘born of God’ (John 1:13)
…. God’s people respond to His
initiative, and their story is a recital of what God has done for them, in them, and
through them (Bolt, p. 186-187).
Bolt continues by stating that
the story that relates what God has done, and is doing, and will do, cannot be told apart
from the community of faith. New Testament
metaphors such as the body of Christ and temple of the Spirit remind us that the locus of
God’s presence and the manifest sign of Christ’s kingly rule in the world are
the people of God (cf. I Cor. 12:27
and I Cor.
3:16).
Since the people of God are so
important in the story God is telling, Bolt insists that it is important to know the
context of God’s story today. This means
that we must know the influence of ideologies like modernism, secularism, and paganism and
the pervasive influence of the media as these affect and shape the story of the people of
God today. We should remember that the world
in which we live was created perfect but is now a world that has fallen. It is a world in which men serve the creature
rather than the Creator, who is God blessed forever (cf. Rom. 1:25). It is a world that serves the god of this world
(Satan), who has blinded the minds of those that do not believe (cf. II Cor. 4:4).
It is a world in which the redeemed of the
Lord are called to live as those who look for the new heavens and new earth. Christian students must be taught to see that
God’s purpose is “to bring all things in heaven and earth together under one
head, even Christ” (cf. Eph. 1:10).
Christian education that
Christian parents promise to provide for their children must fit into the story of God and
His people and must serve the mission of God. The
story of God and His people is the story of the triune God’s mission that is
commissioned by the Father, accomplished by Christ, applied by the Holy Spirit, and is in
process until the end comes and God is “all in all” (I Cor. 15:28).
The
Christian School:A Visionary Community of Memory
Dr. Bolt also argues that the
Christian school must be a community of memory. We
must think of the Christian school as a visionary community of memory. This is another formulation of a narrative
framework because all narratives are temporal in nature, joining characters and events in
a plot over time. A narrative joins past to
present in memory and then joins both to the future in anticipation or hope. A narrative understanding of the school therefore
situates it between the past and the future, between memory and vision.
The very nature of the school as
an educational institution qualifies it and defines it by the special task of remembering,
says Bolt. He writes: “The school is the place where the broader
community seeks to pass on to the next generation its civilizational memory, its cultural
wisdom” (Bolt, p. 189).
The school’s task according
to Dr. Bolt is
to prepare its students for citizenship in a specific community, to mold character, and to
encourage virtues consonant with the historic values and traditions of that community. Teachers are to be custodians of a civilization
and students are to be its heirs. The school
is a specialized community in which the larger community preserves and passes on its
cultural memory. Education is a matter of
passing on and of nurturing students in a shared memory, incorporating them into a shared
story (Bolt, p. 189).
Dr. Bolt views the Christian
School as one that is concerned with the story and symbols of the national community, but
more broadly with the story and symbols of God’s kingdom and mission in the world.
The wisdom that the student must
learn is rooted in memory and tradition, says Bolt, that are passed on from generation to
generation. To educate students is to
civilize them, to make them wise. Bolt states
that we are wise “to the degree we share traditional memories and live by traditional
wisdom. We are educated to the degree that we
know and begin to participate in the community’s story” (Bolt, p. 190).
Bolt asserts that a good
Christian school curriculum must draw significantly from the wisdom of the ages. This requires good teachers who drink deeply from
wells of tradition, so that their students are incorporated into a story of the past, the
present, and the future of God and His people. Students
incorporated into this story are given a memory, a vision, and in this way a mission.
Teaching
As Storytelling
Dr. Bolt believes that when one
thinks of the school and teaching in narrative terms this has implications for the
identity of the teacher, the shape of the curriculum, and even the structure of specific
lessons.
Concerning the identity of the
teacher, we should note that when the school is viewed in narrative terms, one thinks of
the teacher as the community’s storyteller. The
Christian school must be rooted self-consciously in the grand narrative of the acts of the
triune God in creation, redemption, and the renewal of all things.
The curriculum is the story the
teachers are to tell. We must recognize that
stories are the preeminent means by which we make sense out of our experience. We also must recognize that, because of divine
revelation, Christians have access to the story that must be employed to judge all the
stories that teachers tell. The Christian
school curriculum that tells the Great True Story and all derived and supporting stories
is the way that Christian education helps students make sense of their experience.
The narrative of Scripture will
play a foundational role in the curriculum of the Christian school. A good Bible curriculum that introduces students
to the grand narrative plot of Scripture and explores its vast and rich imagery is the
cornerstone of a solid Christian education. Basic
biblical literacy is important to shape the Christian identity and character of students. It also provides students with an essential
cultural vocabulary for understanding Western civilization.
The second great building block
of a rich curriculum is church history. To be
taught correctly and effectively church history must be more than data and information
about God and His people. Students who are
going to become the kind of Christians that will courageously resist the encroachments of
the pagan world must hear stories of men like Moses, Daniel, Stephen, Polycarp, John Huss,
Martin Luther, John Calvin, Abraham Kuyper, Herman Hoeksema, George Ophoff, and many
others. Dr. Bolt states that the
Christian school curriculum must provide students with a good measure of biography so that
they will learn the story of God and His people, identify with it, and develop the habits
and character that are consistent with the mission of God’s people in the world
(Bolt, p. 194).
History is an obvious candidate
for the narrative approach. Because of the
concern of social studies for events, values, places, intentions, individual people, and
groups, history comes shaped for a story. The
challenge for the Christian teacher is to frame these stories in the content of the story
of God and His people.
Bolt suggests that we should
extend the narrative approach beyond Bible, literature, and social studies to courses like
mathematics and science. Quoting from Teaching
as Story Telling, by Kieran Egan, Bolt asserts that the narrative model helps a
teacher “to use the power of the story form in order to teach any content more
engagingly and meaningfully” (Bolt, p. 198).
Bolt argues that the entire
spectrum of the school curriculum can be viewed as story.
The schoolteacher in every area of the curriculum can be viewed as a storyteller
because the narrative approach encourages one to see lessons or units as good stories to
be told rather than sets of objectives to be attained!
The
Narrative Payoff
Dr. Bolt concludes his
presentation of the narrative method exactly where I should like to conclude, viz., in a
discussion of the benefits of the narrative method.
Dr. Bolt states that telling the
Christian story and telling it well is an invitation to students to join the mission of
God and His people. Bolt writes that stories
draw us in by calling us to identify with their characters and drawing us in as
participants in the plot. Bolt continues by
stating that without indoctrinating and without treating the school as a place for
evangelism, a compellingly told account of the Christian story as it is actually practiced
in history by real individuals and groups will convict students about the demands of
Christian discipleship. A focus on narrative
does not simply pass on information but it models and invites participation in God’s
mission. The narrative form of God’s
mission provides the context for reflection and action and also provides the
counter-cultural alternative to the influential story told by modern mass media.
The narrative approach passes on
the memory of Christian reflection and action and provides a vision for Christian living.
The narrative approach is a
fashionable topic in educational circles but it is not merely a passing fad. Storytelling is a way for people to give order and
meaning to their experience. It is at the
heart of the Christian method of instruction and the Christian faith.
The Christian story is the only
foundation, content, and goal of the Christian school.
Go
Ye Into All the World:
Rev. Jason Kortering
Rev.
Kortering is a minister emeritus in the Protestant Reformed Churches. (Preceding article in series: August 2003, p. 452.)
Mission Preaching in the Established Church
(5)
The Gospel Service
Some of our readers may not be comfortable with designating a special worship service in
the established churches as a gospel service. This
designation is intended to distinguish such a service from the regular worship services
that take place twice every Lord’s Day. But,
one might ask, if every worship service ought to include gospel preaching, and if the
gospel is the good news of salvation that the pastor is commanded to bring every time he
mounts the pulpit, why would we speak of a special gospel service?
Actually, the idea is not
foreign to us. We just make use of it in a
different way.
Many of our congregations
designate an occasional evening service as an opportunity for our members to take
neighbors, relatives, colleagues, or friends who may be members of various other
denominations or who may be nominally Reformed but have not thought through the
distinctives that we have come to appreciate as churches.
Usually, the Evangelism Committee puts forth special effort to promote this service
by advertising it in the local newspaper, and special tracts are prepared so that the
members can hand them out as invitations to others to attend this service. The pastor picks a passage from the Bible that is
conducive to achieve this goal and more than likely takes into consideration that he must
watch his vocabulary and not use “theological jargon,” which may not be commonly
understood in today’s society.
I do not use “jargon”
in a disparaging way. We preachers can easily
use theological terms much as a doctor uses medical ones.
When we visit the doctor, he describes what ails us, and we have to stop him and
say, “Wait a minute; I don’t understand a thing you are saying.” We must not ourselves err in this regard when we
speak to non-Christians or to those who are not familiar with specialized terms. We must, certainly, use precise terms, but we must
be careful to explain what they mean. This is
helpful both in our conversation and in our preaching.
A gospel service is the same
idea as it relates to “mission preaching” in the established church. The focus of this service is upon those who may
never before have heard the gospel or who may have been exposed to Christianity but not
made any commitment to the gospel of grace. Preparations
are put forth by the Evangelism Committee to promote this service, and the members are
encouraged to invite those who cross their paths who are not Christians to come with them
and hear the Word of God preached. The pastor
takes this into account as well, and he chooses a text that is appropriate for this
purpose and puts forth special effort to make the call of the gospel simple and
understandable, including a call to respond by repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ.
The point that we have been
making in this series of articles is that such special services are really not necessary
if the pastor has the right view of his congregation and preaches regularly with the
passion that any faithful servant of God does. This
is important to maintain, because special gospel services must be just that, special. They have a very limited but definite place in the
life of the church. But they must never be
taken as an alternative to regular “mission preaching” or gospel preaching,
which preaching is incumbent on every faithful minister of the Word of God on a regular
basis.
The place of such gospel
services is limited and special.
The only way that we can
appreciate the need for such services is by maintaining a focus as a congregation on
non-Christians that surround us. If our only
focus is upon “other Christians,” then our only special service will be one that
sets forth our Reformed distinctives. Though
it is very right and proper for a Reformed church to do that, we need more, and that is
that we also direct our attention to non-Christians who are upon our pathway. Christ, the Lord of the church, commissions us to
include a ministry for them.
This forces us to examine a
deeper issue, whether we as an established church have this focus in our ministry? It is obvious that the churches in Singapore have
such a focus of ministry. The members of the
congregation have a great interest in reaching out with the gospel to their non-Christian
family members, colleagues, schoolmates, and neighbors.
They carry this burden in their heart and expect the church to include in the
church calendar special opportunities for them to take their acquaintances along so they
can hear the gospel. There are other ways in
which opportunity is given, some more informal, some even social, allowing non-Christians
to come to fellowship in a less formal and less “intimidating” setting. It takes a great deal of courage and spiritual
willingness for a non-Christian to come to church and be involved in the worship service. Usually this follows other efforts, which have
been accepted, and the person is “comfortable” to enter into a Christian house
of worship.
Now we are speaking of the
established church in America. Do our
congregations have some focus upon non-Christians? Is
this only in other countries and not here in the USA?
The purpose of this article is
not to belabor a point or try to prove that our congregations ought to include in their
outreach ministry one for non-Christians. We
can understand clearly that America is not Singapore, nor are we blind to the differences. We understand clearly our history and the
different circumstances of the Reformed churches in America today. We appreciate our place in the development of the
truths of the gospel and our Reformed distinctives. All
of this is reason for thanksgiving to God. The
bottom line before God is that our outreach ministry must always include those who are
outside the kingdom and who know not the Lord Jesus as their Savior and Lord. This might lead us to a futile debate whether
Arminians are lost or saved, a judgment that is not ours to make. We must only discern whether Arminianism is the
lie or not, and we must do that without compromise. Our
purpose here, however, is to address the question, are there around us those who openly
and without any reservation show no interest in the gospel of grace and are deluded in
their unbelief? These people are unchurched, adhere to cults, or hold to strange
religions. Such people are non-Christians,
clear and simple. There are plenty of these people around us here in America.
Mission work has these people in
view. They are without Christ. “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that
hath not the Son of God hath not life” (I John 5:12).
Our evangelism work must be directed to such
as well. Our members must know how to relate
to non-Christians. This is not a matter of
choice; this comes under the divine mandate of Christ to His church. No matter how we may judge the ecclesiastical
world today, no matter how we view our place in the church world today, we must include in
our mission or evangelism work, whatever we call it, outreach to the non-Christian. This relates to the outreach ministry in our local
congregations. It also relates to our
domestic and foreign mission work. The real
burden of every one of us is to bring the gospel to those who are without Christ and
without God in the world.
Understanding this, we also
appreciate the need for gospel services from time to time.
The advantages of such services
can be identified.
First, the scheduling of such
services will help the entire congregation to focus on the importance of bringing the
gospel to those who are lost in sin and unbelief. Obviously,
the success of such efforts will depend on the members of the congregation taking such
persons to the service. Hardly ever do
non-Christians walk into the church service apart from honest effort and invitations by
the members themselves. The same is true for
any effort to advertise our existence and the gospel we represent by radio, TV, or
literature. It is understandable that these
media hardly ever draw guests into the church worship service. Much preparatory work has to be done before a
member of the congregation can even give such an invitation and reasonably expect a
positive answer. When the members know that
such a gospel service is going to be forthcoming, they are encouraged to pursue their
efforts to prepare a family member, a colleague, a schoolmate, a neighbor, or anyone with
whom they come into contact, for such an invitation.
Just knowing that the church is interested in such persons encourages every member
to be sensitive to the opportunities to take them along to church. It stimulates this activity. In this way we are
faithful to Christ’s mandate to do it.
Second, as the members respond
to their duty to reach out to non-Christians and actually put forth such efforts, they are
much encouraged when a special gospel service is held.
True enough, they are able to take such a person to any service and be assured that
they will hear “mission preaching,” the gospel which is so necessary for this
non-Christian to hear. But it does not take
much awareness to appreciate that a special gospel service can meet this need in a better
way. Part of the planning for such a gospel
service is that the pastor will choose a text that is appropriate. It does no good to say,
the entire Bible is the gospel, so why make such a distinction. There is truth to that, of course, but if the
purpose of the message is to be certain that the listener will hear God’s call to
repent and believe in the God of the Bible and to understand why he ought to give serious
consideration to becoming a Christian, certain specific texts of the Bible are very
helpful in this regard. Anyone who has put
forth effort to speak of the gospel to a non-Christian is well aware that he has to know
his Bible and be ready to make use of certain passages as they are helpful in teaching
what it means to become a Christian. Non-Christians
ask certain questions and have certain problems with Christianity, and these have to be
addressed to some extent in such a gospel message.
Thirdly, as we mentioned before,
the blessing of a special gospel service is that the message can be simplified to make it
especially adaptable to those who do not know the Bible or Reformed doctrine. This means that the pastor will put forth effort
to present the gospel message in as clear and forthright a manner as he is gifted to do. This takes practice and much effort. I quickly learned when we were requested to
conduct such gospel services in Singapore that it took the most effort and longest amount
of time just to get that message ready. Pastors
probably get some experience with this when they have to prepare chapel talks for children
in grade school. To be effective in such an
endeavor, we have to forsake much of our “pastoral posture” and prepare a
message geared for children. This also
includes doing it in a shorter time than a sermon. Preparing
gospel messages is even more difficult because you cannot assume that the listener knows
anything about the Bible or theological terms. Concepts
must be presented clearly, and complete thoughts must be expressed in as succinct a manner
as possible. All pastors benefit from such
exercise, and if we have special gospel services from time to time, it would give them
opportunity to develop this skill.
Fourthly, as we indicated in
previous articles, there are among our own members those who are not truly converted to
God for various reasons. Holding such gospel
services will give the pastor opportunity to speak directly to them and bring the gospel
to them. Yes, this is done throughout the
preaching in a regular manner, yet the message at a gospel service may be helpful and be
used by God to bring the call of the gospel to such persons with greater force and
emphasis.
Finally, you might ask, what if
no non-Christians come to such a church service, is it then a failure, and should the
effort then be abandoned? This is an
important point to address because it is not certain that even with the best efforts God
may work sufficiently in a non-Christian’s heart that he is willing to accompany one
of our members to the worship service. You
may discover that if you are able to instruct your congregation in this important and
necessary work, the response will be very small. Suppose
that happens, should we then abandon the scheduling of gospel services and settle for
other means to minister to the unchurched? Let
me answer that question this way: in addition
to holding before the congregation the necessity of their daily awareness to reach out to
non-Christians, by conducting gospel services, there is the advantage that the
congregation learns from the pastor how to speak to non-Christians. The gospel service is an excellent opportunity to
teach the congregation how to speak to non-Christians.
The cumulative effect of such services is that the congregation learns how to
witness to those who are without. This is
very important and a great blessing.
If these articles may accomplish
something positive among us, my prayer is that they will help us focus on the object of
missions. All too readily we look about us
and decide to build the church by those who are already Christians and, even more
pointedly, those who are closest to us in their faith and practice. This is relevant and important for our outreach. But if we do not get beyond this viewpoint, we
fail our Lord really to carry out His mandate to us to make disciples of all nations. Jesus had in mind lost souls, those who were
without the church, non-Christians. We ought
also to have such souls in view as we seek to be obedient to our Master in the established
church.
All Around Us:
Rev. Kenneth Koole
Rev.
Koole is pastor of Grandville Protestant Reformed Church in Grandville, Michigan.
Australian Muslims Take Pastors to Court over
“Vilification”
Religious
vilification. At least that is the charge. As Patrick Goodenough, a Bureau Chief for the
Pacific Rim news network, reports:
Two Christian pastors
in Australia will appear in court next month to face complaints brought by Muslims who
accuse them of vilifying Islam.
Their appearance in a
legal tribunal in the state of Victoria is the culmination of an 18-month dispute between
a Christian group that organized a seminar on Islam and three Muslims who attended it.
The three claimed a
speaker at the seminar had incited “fear and hatred” against Muslims and, backed
by the state’s Islamic Council, took their case to a special state commission
operating under controversial new hate legislation.
The Christian group,
Catch the Fire Ministries, denied the vilification claims, saying the seminar had merely
informed Christians about Islam and its teachings, as set out in the Quran and other
religious texts.
Acting under
Victoria’s new Racial and Religious Tolerance Act, the complainants took their case
to the state commission, but attempts to resolve it through conciliation failed.
This is a case that bears
watching. It is what one might call a
landmark or test case. Notice the reference
to “controversial new hate legislation.” (This,
of course, is legislation that covers what we in the States now know as “hate
crimes,” a whole new category of law in Western jurisprudence.) The Muslim accusers are taking advantage of this
recently passed legislation to see how broadly it can be interpreted. Can it be used to suppress what heretofore in
Western democracies has fallen under religious liberty and freedom of speech? These Muslims intend to find out.
The case is now before the
Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, a body which operates like a court and not
only can impose various fines, but also, by implication, should the defendants be found
guilty, declare all propagation of similar views towards the Muslim religion and teaching
as “hate language” and hence illegal and punishable. This would mean that, in time, you can forget
about exposing the errors and evils of the Muslim religion throughout Australia. It will be contrary to civil law.
What is of interest, first of
all, is how unprovoked the complaint and accusation was, and second, who it is these
Muslims are bringing the accusation against, namely, a certain Daniel Scot, who, irony of
ironies, had to flee Pakistan less than two decades ago because the Muslim leaders there
threatened violence against him. He was
charged with blasphemy and threatened with imprisonment and possible execution for
preaching Christ Jesus and then daring to call Mohammed a false prophet. This is the man they are charging with
misrepresenting the Muslim religion. And it
is Christianity that is the religion that promotes hatred and violence against other
religions, not the Muslim religion. Such
accusations are being given serious hearing by those who are now in charge of Western law. Unbelievable.
I am tempted to say, “Only in America!”
But I guess it is true in Australia as well these days.
Mr. Goodenough goes on to
report:
Facing the complaint
is Catch the Fire pastor Danny Nalliah, who has worked with the underground Christian
church in Saudi Arabia, and seminar speaker Daniel Scot, an expert in Islamic studies who
migrated from Pakistan to Australia to escape religious persecution….
Nalliah said in an
earlier interview the three Muslims attended the obviously Christian seminar uninvited,
and evidently took offense at what they heard.
“We will not bow
down to any pressure, as we have the right to stand for what we believe, in a free and
democratic country,” he said in a statement this week….
In its written
response to the complaint, Catch the Fire ministries rejected allegations that its
teaching incited hatred. “It cannot be
regarded as controversial that there are passages in the Quran...[and other important
religious texts] which could and do incite believers in Islam to violence and hatred of
non-Muslims. These passages are well-known,
and widely cited by terrorist groups,” it said.
“Exposing the
roots of this problem within Islam is not the same thing as inciting hatred. Since Christians are one of the named targets of
jihad fighting in the Quran, they have a right and a duty to be well informed about this
aspect of Islam.”
The Barnabas Fund,
UK-based Christian charity working in Islamic societies, is closely watching the Australia
case. In a briefing, it said the fact that
Scot was one of the defendants was “bitterly ironic,” as he was forced to flee
to Australia after he became “one of the first victims of Pakistan’s notorious
blasphemy laws.”
In 1986, the college
he worked for threatened to bring a charge of insulting the prophet Mohammed — an
offense carrying the death penalty — unless he converted to Islam. “The charge was brought after he refused to
do so and explained his belief that his spiritual salvation could come only from Jesus
Christ, and not Mohammad,” the Barnabas Fund said.
“Having fled
religious discrimination in Pakistan, Scot again finds himself accused of a similar crime
in Australia, the country in which he originally found refuge. This is an indication of the growing trend to
place Islamic teaching and Muslim actions beyond the bounds of criticism, not only in the
Islamic world, but also, as a result of misguided ideas of political correctness, in the
West as well.”
What is taking place in
Australia is alarming. It is possible that
the charges will be dismissed this time (with warnings, in the interests of appearing
evenhanded, that Christians watch their language from now on). Regardless, the die is cast. Law is in place to bring charges about matters
that once were protected under freedom of speech, same as is taking place here in the
States. The forces of Antichrist have been
given a large club to wield against the sharp truths of the gospel. And sooner or later the charges now being made in
Australia will stick, precedent will have been set, and anything that unbelievers find
offensive about a Christian statement will be declared unlawful and worthy of legal
action.
The specter of the “thought
police” that raised its ugly head in Nazi Germany (with its bureaucrats and laws) and
then in Communist China now raises its head in Western democracy, and all in the name of
equality under law, and of toleration, and civil peace, and freedom from fear, and who
knows what else.
It all sounds nice on paper. In reality we know what it is. It is the spirit of Antichrist gathering momentum
as it gallops along.
Meantime,
Just to the North of US
One
wonders of late whether there is any headline social news that does not have to do with
homosexuality in some shape or form. Worthy
of note (and in connection with the above mentioned proceedings in Australia) is
legislation passed in Canada September 17. Lawrence
Morahan, staff writer for Crosswalk news, in an article entitled “Canada Votes to
Include ‘Sexual Orientation’ in Hate Crimes Laws,” reports:
The Canadian
Parliament’s approval of legislation to extend hate crimes protection to homosexuals
will likely give impetus to calls for similar legislation in the United States, family
groups told CNSNews.com Thursday [Sept. 18].
Brian Rushfeldt,
executive director of the Canada Family Action Coalition, said the Canadian Parliament had
taken a detrimental turn Wednesday when it passed C-250 a day after it voted against a
motion to affirm marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
C-250 amends the hate
propaganda section of the Criminal Code to add homosexuals to a list of groups legally
protected from incitement of hatred. Rushfeldt
said C-250 was “ill-defined” and could be used to silence free speech and even
make it illegal to quote verses from the Bible.
Despite claims by the supporters
of this bill to the contrary, the simple fact is that the implications of this bill are
far reaching, both in regards to freedom of speech and basic morality. You can be sure it will not be long before
homosexuals, like the Muslims, will be lining up in courts claiming that Christians who
quote Bible texts condemning their “beliefs” and practices and then teaching
their children that, apart from repentance, such are under the judgment of God, are guilty
of hate crimes. Sooner than we may think,
Protestant Reformed parents and ministers, along with others, are going to be warned to
watch what they say about such groups and their practices.
There will be another special species protected by law.
And the criticism that the bill,
due to its ambiguous (“ill-defined”) language in key sections, has dangerous and
far-reaching implications is valid as well. Significant
is the (protective) bill’s use of the term “sexual-orientation” in key
sections. This means that the bill in time
can be understood and extended to protect not just homosexuality, but every defiled
“sexual orientation” and practice known to man, as, for instance, pedophilia,
sadism, bestiality, and all the rest. The
assurances of the supporters of the bill that this simply is not so, and that such is
“fear-mongering” of the worst sort, has about as much weight as Hitler’s
assurances that he had no intention of invading Poland at any foreseeable date.
Let the neighbors south of
Canada’s borders beware. As Rushfeldt
asserts
…homosexual
advocacy groups and their supporters will use the passing of C-250 to push for federal
hate crimes legislation in the United States. “Of
course [Sen.] Ted Kennedy, who has been pushing this for a while … will use this no
doubt to try and further his hate crime legislation,” Rushfeldt said.
Alan Spears, president
of the Alliance Defense Fund, said laws passed in Canada influence Americans more than
Americans realize. The U.S. Supreme Court
cited foreign law as a guiding light in its June ruling on sodomy laws, Sears pointed
out….
Robert Bork, a former
federal court of appeals judge, warned in a Sept 8 speech at the American Enterprise
Institute that the internationalization of law was further along than many Americans
believed.
It is obvious that the
pro-homosexual movement (and its silencing of all opposition) continues to gather alarming
influence.
In this connection, the injury
the Roman Catholic church has done to itself as any kind of creditable critic and opponent
of such practices is significant.
The official, public stand of
the Roman Catholic Church against homosexual practices and its condemnation of such unions
has long been one of the main hindrances to legislation approving of and legalizing this
immorality. Rome has been a political power
to contend with. Once when Rome spoke,
politicians and lawmakers listened. One would
think that would be true today. According to
the website — yourcongress.com, presently 24 members of the US Senate and 120 members
of the US House are Roman Catholic. That’s
influence and clout.
A few months back the Vatican
had some stern things to say against the lawfulness of homosexual unions. It uttered strongly worded warnings to Roman
Catholic lawmakers when it came to voting to legalize such unions. The trouble is that Rome, by its own recently
exposed behavior both in the immoral behavior of its priests and the cover-up by its
bishops, has done itself incalculable damage in being any creditable voice of rectitude in
this area of life.
In
a report entitled “Vatican Raises Political/Moral Stakes on Homosexual Marriage
Issue,” Steve Brown, of Crosswalk News Service, writes:
[Late August], the
Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith released a 12-page document
reiterating its stance on homosexual marriage and directed in part to Catholic
politicians.
The Vatican document
stated: “When legislation in favour of
the recognition of homosexual unions is proposed for the first time in a legislative
assembly, the Catholic law-maker has a moral duty to express his opposition clearly and
publicly and to vote against it. To vote in
favour of a law so harmful to the common good is gravely immoral.”
The document also
emphasized that there are “absolutely no grounds for considering homosexual unions to
be in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and
family.” It goes on to say: “Marriage is holy, while homosexual acts go
against the natural moral law.”
…The Vatican also
weighed in on the issue of adoption by same-sex couples, stating that such actions create
“obstacles” in the ‘normal’ development of children. “They would be deprived of the experience of
either fatherhood or motherhood,” the document stated.
“Allowing children to be adopted by persons living in such unions would
actually mean doing violence to these children, in the sense that their condition of
dependency would be used to place them in an environment that is not conducive to their
full human development. This is gravely
immoral and in open contradiction to the principle, recognized also in the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of the Child, that the best interests of the child, as the weaker
and more vulnerable party, are to be the paramount consideration in every case.”
But the Vatican’s
rebuke prompted one political activist to respond by including the Catholic Church’s
priest sex scandals in the discussion.
“The Catholic
Church needs to get its own house in order before it starts admonishing Congress or
elected officials on what proper behavior is,” Mark Mead, Log Cabin Republicans
director of public affairs, told CNSNews.com.
Marianne Duddy [a
representative of lesbian Catholics] agreed, calling the Vatican’s position on
homosexual marriage “absolutely appalling” given the recent clergy sex scandals.
“The Vatican made
clear that its priorities were the reputation of the Church, its priests, and maintaining
its finances,” Duddy said. “Children
were not the greatest concern there. The
Vatican has no credibility on this issue whatsoever.”
With Rome’s ability to
influence its “own” lawmakers’ stand on the legalization of same sex unions
all but gone, the floodgates appear about to open. And
with that inevitably will come the right to adopt children.
What that will mean, one does not even care to think about.
Talk about handwriting on the
wall.
Special Articles:
The Debate: “Is the Doctrine of
Common Grace Reformed?”
Rev. Gise VanBaren
It was, by virtually any standard, a
remarkable evening. There was the remarkable
debate between Dr. Richard Mouw and Prof. David Engelsma on the subject of common grace.
Dr. Mouw himself had generated some
renewed interest in the subject when he lectured on the subject at Calvin College. Later the lectures were placed in book form and
titled: He Shines in All That’s Fair. Likely
the book would not have attracted much attention—except that Prof. David Engelsma examined the book
and answered its arguments in a series of editorials (“He Shines in All That’s
Fair—and Curses All That’s Foul.”) in the Standard Bearer. More recently, these editorials also were
published in book form, Common Grace Revisited.
The Evangelism Committee of
Southeast Protestant Reformed Church contacted these two men and asked them to debate
publicly on the subject. Both agreed. A time and place were determined: September 12 at
Sunshine Community (Christian Reformed) Church.
The committee announced this
debate in church bulletins for an extended length of time.
They advertised it in the Grand Rapids Press. And the Press itself had a lengthy write-up
of the coming event. The debate was
advertised as well on the Reformed Witness Hour radio broadcast.
Surely, it would seem, the
evangelism committee was aiming far too high. The
subject, though of great importance, is not one that commonly generates much interest,
except perhaps in Protestant Reformed circles. The
generation that went through the period of controversy in 1924 has almost entirely
departed this earthly scene. A second
generation, which has heard of the controversy directly from their parents, is also aging
and many have departed to glory. The current
generation views the issue as a matter of ancient history and often cannot get too
enthusiastic about that sort of subject. Within
the Christian Reformed Church mention is made of the controversy in their church history
books, but most hardly know about the subject or of that ancient debate. So possibly a few of the older, gray heads, would
attend—but hardly would one expect the youth or middle-aged individuals to show much
interest.
The format of debate also would
hardly seem the way to generate interest. Debates
have gone out of style many years ago. Who
would come out to hear an old-fashioned debate?
The selected location, Sunshine
Community Church, also seemed to be an unwise choice.
That church seats 2,291 people! Surely
in the whole of Grand Rapids one could not find sufficient interested people to begin
filling an auditorium of that size! Then
there were also other gatherings of that evening: sporting
events, weddings, and more that would further reduce the size of the audience.
What a surprise, then, it was to
see the auditorium first filling rather slowly—then ever more rapidly until it was
filled to overflowing. Chairs had to be
brought in to accommodate the last arrivals!
If any came believing that the
subject was “dated” and really irrelevant for our own time, the two speakers
convincingly showed that this was not true. It
is a relevant subject, worthy of debate and further discussion. The attention of those assembled demonstrated that
the subject was truly interesting and deserving of study.
At the conclusion of the evening
the moderator pointed out that there were a large number of young people present. This, too, was encouraging. It showed that even the youth considered it
profitable to assemble to hear what the debaters had to say about the subject.
It was pleasant, too, to see the
number of people from Calvin College and from the Christian Reformed Church (and other
denominations as well). Certainly the debate
gave them opportunity to examine anew this subject for themselves. Perhaps, just perhaps, the evening will generate
an interest that will lead to further study and discussion.
The format for the evening was
nicely designed. Each debater was given 30
minutes to present his case on the subject. After
the intermission, each speaker was given 15 minutes’ time for rebuttal. This was followed by three questions each
(presented in advance) submitted to the opposing speaker.
Finally, questions from the audience were answered.
From the many questions submitted, each debater was allowed to select those that
would be given to the opposing debater. Significant
questions were asked and answered. Though the
program lasted about three hours, none seemed bored or impatient. It was truly a fascinating evening.
The moderator, Mr. Rick Noorman,
did an excellent job mixing a little humor as he introduced speakers and subject. And he carefully adhered to the announced format.
The debaters commendably
presented their differing positions on the subject. Dr.
Richard Mouw mentioned at the outset, as he also did in his book, that the subject of
common grace deserved continued study and discussion.
He acknowledged that the subject had been largely ignored in Christian Reformed
circles in past years. He, both in his book
and through this debate, intended to bring up this significant subject for further
consideration.
Prof. David Engelsma, on his
part, expressed great appreciation that Dr. Mouw in his book and in the debate was willing
to treat this subject publicly. Because of
this willingness of Dr. Mouw to write and speak on the subject, it was being brought again
to the attention of those outside of the Protestant Reformed Churches.
A frequently asked question
after this remarkable evening was, “Who won the debate?” It would be difficult to answer that question. What standards would one use to judge? And who would do the judging? I would assume that those who came to listen, and
were already convinced of the error of common grace, would insist that Prof. Engelsma was
clearly the “winner.” On the other
hand, some of those who held to the teaching of a common grace of God were heard saying
(quietly) “Amen” to the arguments of Dr. Mouw.
Briefly, I would personally
judge that Dr. Mouw eloquently defended the teaching of a common grace of God on the basis
of “feeling.” He mentioned examples
of horrific crimes of rape and murder of Muslims. He
emphasized that he, and any Christian, felt deep pity toward such people and great
revulsion toward the perpetrators of this violence. He
spoke of his (and any normal person’s) admiration towards the skill of a Tiger Woods
in executing a perfect putt in a golf tournament. He
could admire a skilled baseball team that became world champions. He mentioned the great musical compositions of
the unbeliever that are enjoyed also by many believers—Protestant Reformed believers
too. Our feelings towards those who suffer,
as well as feelings of pleasure because of those who have great talents, must be a
reflection of God’s good feelings towards these unbelievers. How can God condemn those who have such great
talent? How can He not pity those unbelievers
who often are treated so shamefully?
Dr. Mouw indicated that the
Protestant Reformed denial of common grace leads to a separation from the affairs of
society and an isolationism contrary to the mandates of Scripture.
Though Dr. Mouw did mention a
few portions from the confessions and Scripture, it seemed to this listener that these
references did not defend the proposition of the debate:
“Is Common Grace Reformed?”
Prof. Engelsma adhered to the
subject of the debate. He pointed out from
the Reformed creeds those passages that contradict the idea of a “common grace.” He showed that the one reference in the creeds to
a “common grace” was when it was condemned as used by the Arminians. He pointed to relevant passages of Scripture upon
which the teachings of the confessions rest. He
reminded Dr. Mouw that common grace leads to the destruction of the antithesis and
ultimately to universalism.
But each ought to evaluate the
arguments on his own—and in light of Scripture and the confessions. Audiocassettes and videos are available ($3.00 for
a cassette and $12.50 for a video). As of
September 25 there were 201 audiocassettes ordered and 213 videos. Doubtless that number will have increased by the
time the reader sees this report. Those who
would still wish to obtain cassettes or videos should write: Evangelism Committee, Southeast Protestant
Reformed Church, 1535 Cambridge Ave., SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506. Or one can order from Joel Dykstra at 616-878-1218
or e-mail: joelykstra1210@msn.com.
Rev. Rodney Kleyn
Sunday,
September 21, 2003 was an exciting and joyful day for the saints on the field in
Pittsburgh. It was also an important day for
our churches in the work of missions. On this
Sunday, ten members of the core group in Pittsburgh made confession of faith. This is a significant development in the work of
our churches on the Pittsburgh field, another step towards the organization of a
Protestant Reformed congregation in this city.
Because the Domestic Mission
Committee (DMC) understood how important this occasion was, they asked me to go as a
representative of the DMC to witness the confessions of faith. Besides my wife and me, there were many other
visitors at the mission to share in this joyous occasion.
There were representatives (two elders and a deacon with their families) from the
calling church for Eastern Home Missions (Southwest PRC).
There was also a group of about ten young adults from the Grand Rapids and Chicago
areas that made the trip. Besides this there
were other visitors from our Protestant Reformed congregations.
Because the members of the
mission and Rev. Mahtani (our missionary in Pittsburgh) also understood the importance of
the event, they had made an extra effort to invite visitors to the service at which the
confessions took place. School teachers from
the Christian school in which they worship, friends and family members of those making
confession of faith, as well as former members of the mission group were in attendance. In all, there were around 120 people at the
service.
I preached for Rev. Mahtani in
the morning to a full house (chairs are set up for worship in the library of Trinity
Christian School), and the confessions of faith took place in the evening service. The ten who made confession of faith were made up
of an older man with a Presbyterian background, two couples and a single man who are a
part of the original group, another couple that joined soon after the beginning, and Rev.
Mahtani’s two oldest sons (Jonathan and David).
The weekend spent in Pittsburgh
was exciting. God has blessed the work of our
churches in Pittsburgh very much. The ten who
made confession of faith under Rev. Mahtani’s preaching have grown in their knowledge
of and love for the Reformed faith, and particularly our Protestant Reformed distinctives. Their confession of faith is their saying,
“We want to be Protestant Reformed because we love the same truth that you hold to
and preach.” What an answer to prayers!
The weekend was exciting because
in these confessions of faith we witnessed the truth that God gathers a catholic church,
from all sorts of people (different ethnic groups, ages, backgrounds, etc.). Our missionary is himself a Singaporean-Indian. There was a black couple with eight children who
made confession of faith. Many of the others
who made confession are from a Roman Catholic background.
There was an older man, in his 70s, who made public confession.
The excitement of the weekend
also came out in the enthusiasm of both the missionary and the group. Rev. Mahtani makes mission work look like exciting
work. Enthusiasm flows from him, so much so,
that it is contagious. This comes out
especially in his preaching, but also in the way he relates to the people, mixes with
visitors, and speaks of his work. The group
is filled with this same enthusiasm, and it not just empty feelings. There is a real first love on the field. One man, who was Roman Catholic, speaks of when he
first heard Protestant Reformed preaching. He
wanted, he said, to stand on the housetop and tell the whole world he had found the truth,
wanted to go knocking on doors, wanted to tell all his family and friends about it. Another man tells of how when he first heard of
the PRC mission, he wanted to come to the worship services but stayed away because he
didn’t have a good pair of shoes. So he
saved hard and got his shoes, and has never stopped coming in the four years since. You see and hear this first love in all your
interaction there. In the worship services
— big nods of agreement, even a reverently spoken “Amen” here and there
during the sermons and at the end of prayers. In
the singing — an enthusiasm that cannot wait for the organ to get started with the
first stanza so that they can sing the “psalms” rather than empty and fluffy
Pentecostal hymns.
Part of the excitement of the
weekend was also the contacts that the
mission has. The number of visitors on that
Sunday showed that this work is prospering, that contacts are being made, that people are
coming in to hear the preaching and to be instructed.
God is giving fruit to this work. There
were, in my estimation, twice as many visitors on Sunday as there were members of the core
group (this is not counting the visitors from our churches).
However, in all this excitement
— and we should be excited about this too! — we must remember that mission work
is not all roses. Mission work can be lonely
work — you are on your own, miles away from the churches. Mission work can be tedious and slow work —
people with lots of questions, and slow in their grasp of the truth. Mission work can be discouraging work — lack
of fruit.
Here, we as members of the
churches can play an important role in encouraging the missionaries and those gathered by
the work of missions. It is not hard to find
the missionaries’ addresses. Let’s
use them by writing them notes of encouragement.
Also, if possible, we should pay
a visit to the mission fields. The visit of
many PR church members and officebearers to Pittsburgh on the weekend of the confessions
of faith was a great encouragement to the saints being gathered there. They want to be one with us. That means not only that they desire to be one
with us in truth and faith, but also that they get to know us and know our support and
care and love for them, and that they get to know our names and faces.
If you live in the Grand Rapids
or Chicago area, Pittsburgh is the ideal field to visit.
It is only seven hours away. A weekend
spent there will be profitable. A visit to
the field shows your interest in this work, will be an encouragement to the missionary and
the group, and will also be of great benefit to you personally.
Anyone visiting the field can be
sure he will be met with abounding hospitality. Rev.
Mahtani has a special hotel rate organized for all visitors to the mission ($49.95/night
at the Holiday Inn). Besides, Pittsburgh is a
beautiful city. For more information one can
refer to Rev. Mahtani’s monthly newsletters or call him at (412) 371-2299.
I encourage you to spend a
weekend in Pittsburgh and share in the churches’ exciting work of missions!
May God continue to bless this
work.
Report of
Classis East
September
10, 2003
Byron
Center
Protestant
Reformed Church
Classis
East met in regular session on Wednesday, September 10, at the Byron Center PRC. Each congregation was represented by two
delegates. Also in attendance were the
synodical deputies from Classis West and two representatives from the Wingham, Ontario
OCRC. Rev. Rodney Kleyn served his initial
stint as chair of this classis.
The main item of business on the
agenda was the examination of Pastor-Elect William Langerak, who had accepted the call to
Southeast PRC. Pastor-Elect Langerak preached
a specimen sermon and then endured several hours of oral examination. Classis approved his examination and authorized
Southeast to proceed with his ordination and installation.
Congratulations were expressed to Pastor-Elect Langerak and his wife, and
thanksgiving was given to God who, in His grace, supplied our churches with another
undershepherd.
Classis also considered the
overture to synod from two members of the Cornerstone PRC requesting that synod appoint a
committee to study the matter of proper Bible translation and to advise synod regarding
the adoption of a modern Bible translation for use in public worship. This overture was declared to be illegally before
the classis on the ground that the requirements of Article 46 of the Church Order had not
been met. Those who present overtures must
take into account and address previous decisions of a classis or synod in order for the
overture to be considered legally before an ecclesiastical body. In this case, for example, the decision(s)
recorded in the Acts of Synod 1960 regarding Bible translations needed to be
addressed but, in the judgment of classis, was not.
Classis also received
information via the Contact Committee of the PRC that the congregation at Wingham, Ontario
would be petitioning the January 2004 Classis for membership in the PRC.
In other business, classical
appointments were given to Byron Center and Hudsonville.
Classis appointed its church visitors to investigate the viability of the Covenant
PRC and to inquire particularly about its evangelism activity. The church visitors are to report on this matter
at the January 2004 meeting of classis.
The expenses of classis amounted
to $1,225.83. Classis will meet next at the
Grandville PRC on January 14, 2004.
Respectfully
submitted,
Jon
J. Huisken,
Stated
Clerk
News From Our Churches:
Mr. Benjamin Wigger
Mr.
Wigger is a member of the Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville,
Michigan.
Mission
Activities
The
council of the Hull, Iowa PRC, the calling church for our denomination’s mission work
in Ghana, and our Foreign Mission Committee have approved the service of Mr. and Mrs.
Justin (Cathie) Koole as missionary assistants to that country. Justin is the oldest son of Rev. and Mrs. Kenneth
Koole, and Cathie is a daughter of Gary and Judy Kaptein of Faith PRC. We are thankful that God has opened the way for
them to serve our churches in this capacity. They
will relieve Doug Bekkering on the field as soon as it is possible for them to make the
temporary move to Ghana.
Our churches’ missionary to
Pittsburgh, PA, Rev. J. Mahtani, and Rev. D. Overway, pastor of Covenant PRC in Wyckoff,
N.J., visited the saints in Allentown, PA the first weekend of October. Plans were made for a Bible study Friday evening,
house visits on Saturday, and two worship services on Sunday.
In harmony with the decision of
Synod 2002 regarding confession of faith on the mission field, the consistory of Southwest
PRC in Grandville, MI, our denomination’s calling church for the mission work in
Pittsburgh, approved the confession of faith of ten individuals of the Pittsburgh Mission. This confession took place Sunday evening,
September 21, in Pittsburgh. The
representatives from the council of Southwest reported that this service was a blessed and
joyful event. What a joy to see the fruit of
Christ’s Spirit and the preaching of His Word manifested in this way. It was also very encouraging to see
Pittsburgh’s place of worship packed with visitors from the area and from our
churches. We rejoice with the saints in
Pittsburgh over their confession of faith and are thankful to God for this blessed
development of our mission work there.
The Covenant PR Fellowship of
Northern Ireland in Ballymena, along with their missionary pastor, Rev. A. Stewart,
sponsored a lecture in Ballymena Protestant Hall on September 26 entitled, “Why Did
God Create the World?— A Tercentenary Appreciation of Jonathon Edwards.”
Young
Adult Activities
The
young adults from our Trinity PRC in Hudsonville, MI were among the many visitors who
helped pack the worship place of the Pittsburgh Mission.
They arranged a weekend trip there to fellowship with the saints on the mission
field and to witness the confession of faith that took place Sunday, September 21.
The Young Adults of Grace PRC in
Standale, MI were invited to their pastor’s home after a recent Sunday evening
service for discussion, song, and fellowship. The
topic for discussion was “The Late Great Common Grace Debate.” Rev. M. Dick hoped to consider things like
“Who won, really?” and “How does proper understanding of these issues help
us live out our calling?”
The Lord willing, the Immanuel
PRC of Lacombe, Alberta, Canada is again planning a Young Adults Retreat to be held July
27-30, 2004 at the Goldeye Conference Center in the beautiful Canadian Rockies. Activities will begin the weekend before, on July
24. The theme for the retreat will be
“The Speech of God in Creation.” The
retreat is open to all single young adults 19 and older.
For more information contact Rev. R. Miersma at (403)782-5444 or e-mail rgmiersma@cs.com. You can also look up the Goldeye Conference
Center’s web page at www.goldeye.org.
Congregation
Activities
This
year, beginning September 22, a special class called “Through the Bible” began
meeting at Grace PRC in Standale, MI. This
class was first for the members of Grace, but special invitation was also extended to the
community around Grace, including students from Grand Valley State University, to attend
as well.
In October the members of
Georgetown PRC in Hudsonville, MI could take advantage of two Bible studies offered on
Wednesday nights. One class meets on the
first and third Wednesdays of the month and continues in the Essentials of Reformed
Doctrine catechism book. The other class
meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month and continues its study of
Paul’s missionary journeys. There are no
age requirements to these classes, and everyone was invited to attend the class of
greatest interest to them.
Rev. W. Langerak, newly
installed pastor of Southeast PRC in Grand Rapids, MI, preached his inaugural sermon on
Sunday morning, September 21. He chose for
his text Joshua
1:6-9 and preached a sermon under the theme, “The Courage Required of the Gospel
Minister.” That same week Rev. Langerak
was able to join his elders in fall family visitation, and on the following Lord’s
Day he was also privileged, for the first time, to administer the sacrament of baptism to
two infant children of the congregation.
In connection with their
congregation’s 75th
anniversary next year, and the 50th
anniversary of the controversy of 1953 this year, the elders of the First PRC in Holland,
MI chose the theme “Standing Fast and Holding the Traditions Taught Us,” based
primarily on II
Thessalonians 2:15, for this fall’s family visitation theme.
Denomination
Activities
The
annual RFPA meeting was held on September 25 at Trinity PRC in Hudsonville, MI. Rev. B.
Woudenberg spoke on the theme, “Our Continuing Heritage,” outlining,
particularly, the basic currents of thought that ran through Rev. H. Hoeksema’s
theology.
Minister
Activities
The
Hudsonville, MI PRC has extended a call to Rev. W. Bruinsma, presently serving our
churches in the Kalamazoo, MI PRC, to come over and help them. Rev. R. Miersma received the call from the Hull,
IA PRC to serve as our denomination’s second missionary to Ghana, West Africa. Rev. R. Cammenga declined the call he had been
considering to serve as next pastor of the Faith PRC in Jenison, MI. Sunday, October 5, Rev. J. Slopsema declined the
call he had received from the Byron Center, MI PRC to be their pastor.
Reformed
Witness Hour
Topics
for November
Date
Topic
Text
November
2
“Blessings of a Godly Marriage (1)”
Psalm 128
November
9
“Blessings of a Godly Marriage (2)”
Psalm 128
November
16
“Whose I Am”
Acts
27:23
November
23
“All of God, None of Self”
I
Chronicles 29:13-15
November
30
“Appearance of God’s Grace (1)”
Titus 2:11
Last modified: 30-Oct-2003
