Thursday, October 13, 2011

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  Organs have been replaced by guitars and drums.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. 

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