To Be Reformed

What does it mean to be Reformed? 

In recent years, many churches in America have faced drastic changes, which can cause church members to question the identity of their church.  Organs have been replaced by guitars and drums.  Songs that were once familiar have had their lyrics changed.  We don’t recite the Apostle’s Creed as often as we once did.

Occasionally, I will hear someone comment that they don’t recognize their church anymore.  They question how many changes we can endure and still be truly “Reformed.”

One of the reasons we face that question is because we have identified the idea of being “Reformed” with certain practices, rather than the truths we embrace.  Traditionally, Christian Reformed Churches have had many common practices.  We worshipped twice every Sunday.  The Ten Commandments were read every Sunday morning.  The Apostle’s Creed was recited every Sunday evening.  The pastor prayed a long prayer before his sermon.  We expected parents to send their children to Christian Day schools.  High School students memorized the Heidelberg Catechism and went to class on Wednesday nights.  We celebrated the Lord’s Supper exactly four times a year.

As time passes, many of these practices have changed.  Attendance at the evening worship service has dwindled.  We don’t use the Apostle’s Creed and the Ten Commandments as often as we once did.  The long prayer is shorter than it used to be.  High School students go on service projects and attend conventions.  Parents send their children to the public schools.  We have communion more frequently than we once did.

Sometimes we like the changes we see in our churches, and sometimes we wonder if the church is changing too much and losing its identity.

While practices in our church may change, the truth we proclaim is unchanging.  Every Sunday we gather to be reminded that Jesus is Lord.  We hold onto the claim that we are saved by God’s grace because of the work of Jesus.  We believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – even if we do not use the words of the Apostle’s Creed every week to confess that belief.  Our practices for proclaiming these truths may have changed, but the truths are constant.

Maybe it would be helpful if we thought of our “Reformed” identity in terms of the truth we believe, rather that our traditional practices.  That truth can have a lasting influence on each of us personally, and on our world.

We believe that God is working to reclaim His people, to renew and “re-form” us into His likeness.  We believe that God uses the people He is “re-forming” to have a transforming influence in the world for His Kingdom. 

The End Times

On Sunday Evening (September 11), our worship service is going to have a slightly different format.  We are going to begin a series of sermons on the book of Revelation.  Before we start, I want to spend an evening giving an overview of the Bible’s teachings about the End Times, and help us understand the general story that is told in the book of Revelation.

If most Christians are asked about the book of Revelation, they can probably tell you two things.  First, it has a lot to say about the end times; and second, it is very difficult to understand.  In Revelation, we read of signs and seals, beasts and horses, trumpet calls and bowls of wrath…it can become a pretty confusing picture.  On Sunday night, we are going to put those pictures into a single framework to get the overall picture of Revelation’s message.

While we do that, we also want to acknowledge that Revelation speaks about the End Times, which can also be a confusing picture.  We know about Judgment Day, the Millenium, tribulations, the antichrist, and other images that the Bible mentions about the final days, but we aren’t sure how they all fit together.

Even if you don’t normally come to the evening worship service, you might find this time helpful.  Bring your best questions about the book of Revelation and the End Times, and we will spend time helping each other grasp the Bible’s picture of God’s plans.

Using the Bible

I have to admit I cringe a little bit when I hear people boldly proclaim that the Bible has the answers to all of life’s questions.

I don’t cringe because I think the statement is false – I do believe the Bible offers insights that affect every aspect of our lives.  I cringe because I am concerned about the way Christians utilize the Bible.

Many people treat the bible like the owner’s manual to their vehicle.  When I have a problem setting the radio stations on my stereo, I get out the manual, look up stereo system, and find the appropriate section to learn how to program the radio buttons.

If I am having trouble as a parent, where do I turn in the Bible to find insights that will affect my parenting techniques?  Should I leave my kids at the temple like Hannah and Elkanah (1 Samuel 1)?  Should I give them their inheritance and send them on their way like the Prodigal Son (Luke 15)?  Do I think that David or Noah or Abraham set a good example for me to follow as a father?

The problem with this approach is that the Bible was not written to be a “life fix-it” manual.  Although God’s Word will affect our parenting, financial management, career choices, political preferences, and just about every other area of our lives, it is not a reference guide to give us quick advice.  It was intended to teach us about God, and to draw us into a life-giving relationship with Him.

Hospitality

 In the Old Testament, the word “hospitality” never appears.  The people of Israel had an identity of being former slaves, wanderers, and people who had to fight to establish and maintain a home in Canaan.  Because they viewed themselves as strangers, there may not have been much thought given to the concept of hospitality.

In the New Testament, the word for hospitality makes a few more appearances.  Paul writes of his appreciation for the hospitality that others have shown him, and both Peter and Paul encourage Christ’s followers to practice showing hospitality to others.

Hospitality is probably an underappreciated art.  We don’t think too much about how we will welcome people into our homes, or how we will make room or time to focus our attention on someone else.  We meet friends in restaurants or malls.  We go someplace together.  Even when we worship, we go to a common place, a church building, to spend time with others.

On Sunday, August 7, our church hosted an event following the Share the Rock basketball camp.  We planned an outdoor worship service, a barbecue lunch, and a recognition ceremony for those who participated in the basketball camp.  When I arrived at church that Sunday morning, I was overwhelmed when I saw all of the people who were working to make this day special.  People were testing the sound equipment, adjusting tents, setting up tables and chairs, preparing food, and carrying beverages to make our church a welcoming environment for our anticipated visitors.  If that wasn’t enough, once the rain rolled in, and interrupted our plans, people stepped up to move the food downstairs, set up more tables and chairs,  cover the sound equipment, and work to adjust our plans to the weather. 

It is easy to take these kinds of efforts for granted.  When you go to an event that runs smoothly, you probably don’t pay a lot of attention to the work that has been done to set up and plan the details, but the work is almost essential in order to make people feel welcomed.

The work of hospitality is an effort to make outsiders feel welcome.  It can happen very simply when you are standing in a circle, and intentionally move so that someone else can join the conversation.  It happens when you set an extra plate at your table to welcome a last minute visitor to supper.  It happened last Sunday when many worked so that visitors to our church would know that they are welcomed and valued by God’s people.

God’s work of salvation is largely the work of hospitality.  Jesus told His disciples that he was going to prepare a place for them.  His sacrifice allows us to enter God’s presence.  Even when we remember His death for our sins, we symbolize this by gathering at a table.  All of this reminds us that God is one who goes to great lengths to welcome us to Himself.

One final thought about hospitality:  When Jesus tells his disciples about the last days in Matthew 24, one of the criteria for separating the sheep from the goats is evidence of practicing hospitality.  He indicates that those he knows have welcomed strangers, fed the hungry, given clothes to those who were naked, and showed kindness to those who were imprisoned.  It seems as though when we follow and love Christ, the act of hospitality becomes a natural overflow of loving Him.

     
I want to thank those who volunteered to make the worship service on August 7 a special event.  I was thrilled to see so many serving to welcome others to our church family.

Healthy Self-Assessment

Did you know that our church was infiltrated by spies last fall?

As she began her work in our church as Director of Community Outreach, Liz Fledderjohann asked some people who were not members of our church to visit a worship service, and then meet with her to discuss their initial impressions. She informed the Elders that there would be some. She used an inquiry approach to help us determine how visitors might perceive our church.
At our Council Meeting on February 16, Liz presented the results of her research to the Council. We were pleased to discover that many of the visitors had positive comments about the worship service, singing, and the sanctuary. One person said that “it really felt like church.” Another added, “the liturgy was refreshing.”

Along with positive comments about the friendliness of our church, we also noticed comments that reveal the need to be prepared to welcome people who are not familiar with our church customs. Some visitors pointed out that it was too noisy and crowded to visit after the worship service. Others said that they would have liked to stay for Adult Education while their kids were in Sunday School. One visitor struggled to find our nursery, and wished there had been a more convenient place to change her child’s diaper.

In the coming months, Council will continue to discuss the comments from this informal study, so that we truly are prepared to welcome people into our church fellowship.

Safe Child Policy

In 2004, the Council approved a policy that was intended to protect children from harm while they were participating in the children’s ministries at our church. Included in this policy are guidelines for any leader in a children’s ministry (eg. Sunday School, Jr. or Sr. High Youth Group, Cadets, GEMS, Story Hour, Nursery, etc.), qualifications for serving in a children’s ministry, rules for responding to allegations of abuse, recommendations for safe classrooms and nursery, and the requirement that anyone who serves as a leader or helper in the children’s ministries at our church should fill out an application which allows the church to run a background check on all who volunteer in our church’s children’s ministries.

Although that policy was approved in 2004, it was never fully implemented. As we strive to have a greater influence in our community, and as we hope to effectively enfold new members in to our church family, it is important that parents of young children have a high level of confidence in the children’s ministries at our church.

This year, we are planning to implement the child safety policy that was approved in 2004. This means that we will be asking all children’s ministry volunteers to fill out an application that will allow a police background check. Although the policy originally allowed people who had served in children’s ministry prior to 2004 to forego the application, we will be asking all who serve in these ministries to participate in this process, so that we can let people know that we have worked to ensure the safety of children who participate in our church ministries. The staff members of our church have all filled out their applications, and we will be asking volunteers to fill them out prior to the beginning of the 2011-12 school year.

Choir Loft Pews

In the fall of 2010, the Worship Planning Committee had a discussion about how we utilize our worship space. We noticed that during our worship services, we often have people standing between the pulpit and the first row of pews in the sanctuary. Whenever the bell ringers play, the praise team sings, or children are dismissed for worship center; the front of the sanctuary can feel crowded. During that discussion, we also noted that the choir loft is not used too often. The choir will often sing while standing around the piano, or on the steps by the pulpit, and the space that is filled with the choir loft pews is rarely utilized.


The committee first discussed the possibility of remodeling the front of the sanctuary. After discussion and research, they decided the cost of such a project was prohibitive at this time. As an alternative, the committee explored the possibility of removing the choir loft pews, and utilizing that space for our worship services.


In January, the Worship Planning Committee submitted a motion to council asking them to remove the pews from the choir loft. The Council approved this motion, and asked the Building and Grounds Committee to see if there are aesthetic considerations that have been overlooked, and to schedule a time to remove the pews. We anticipate the Building and Grounds Committee will report back at the February Council meeting, and that the pews should be removed from the choir loft sometime in the next few weeks.