Prayer for Synod; Be Like Minded
Seeds Sown Deep
I grew up in Pella, Iowa, a small
town with Dutch Heritage and amazing downtown eateries. Pella is not just known
or its heritage but also the bitter rivalry of the Reformed Church in America
(RCA) and the Christian Reformed Church of North America (CRCNA). This
bitterness has been felt through familial bonds, repeating jokes about loose or
strict rules, and dating relationships between me (RCA) and a couple high
school girlfriends (CRC). As a person whose hometown is Pella, college town was
Orange City, and seminary education in Holland, Michigan, I have been immersed
in discussions of “right thinking.” I was even scared to meet my in-laws where
my father in-law is a CRC pastor, when I first started dating my wife.
I eventually made a discovery when I
left my hometown. People from the CRC were not any worse, or better, than us
RCA folks. I had friends at Northwestern who went to Pella Christian, and
people went to Dordt from Pella. Amazingly enough, hell did not freeze over,
even with a few of us crossing the divide to marry the enemy.
As autobiographical as this may
sound, I think there are bigger things at work in our denominations. During this
time both the RCA and the CRC are holding their General Synods in Grand Rapids
and will join at various times for joint sessions.
This is an amazing step with how we
cooperate in various things, but I can’t help but think it is largely in part
that we both have realized that our similarities outnumber the things we
disagree on. In a world that constantly grows more divisive, is this an
egotistical strategy to find people who at least agree with each other on
various levels, or actual harmony?
I’ve heard so much hate speech from
my grandparents, who used to be CRC back in the day, and have lived in a
polarized religious environment for many years to know what language is spat
back and forth. I am young, and what I know of divisiveness comes from
secondary sources and history books, but the wounds were cut deep, and they get
passed on.
Turmoil Within
The homosexuality debate is not
unique to the RCA and has been a topic of discussion in many denominations here
in the U.S. and around the world. Being
an RCA minister, I hear more about what is going on in the RCA. There is a
major divide on what we disagree on, and the voices that seem to be the loudest
are the ones who are on opposite ends of the battlefield. I hear people give a prooftext
argument against sexual sin but they fail to remember that many things are listed
when it comes to what constitutes as the defilement of sexual sin. “According to the National Association of
Evangelicals, 80 percent of unmarried evangelical Christians between ages 18-29
admit to having had premarital sex.”[1]
Do we get outraged at this too? Where do we draw our own line in the sands that
then reflect how we read scripture? I hear of various groups trying to jockey
for positions to manipulate situations, to groups meeting early or late to
outline a plan of attack and grabbing any leverage that can be used to push
their agenda.
Divisiveness, that leads to this kind
of backbiting, is at its root, a failure to see the humanity in one another,
and failing to see the humanity is losing sight of their imago dei. We live in a nation that demonizes other of differing
opinions, but we fail to realize that we all simply want what is best.
Americans, want the best America we can possibly have, and the stances we stand
on, on both sides, are just our beliefs on what we think will make us great. We
all want the same things, but this has been overlooked. We have come to want
what we think is best for us, rather than simply what is best for the whole,
and that selfish mentality goes against scripture.[2]
I believe I preach a missional gospel
that envisions the nations coming to the Kingdom of Heaven.[3]
So when I hear about all the infighting going on, I mourn because I know that
our witness is damaged in the eyes of the nations. We do not become
like-minded, recognizing our mutual love, and being united by one spirit. [4]
I pray that during synod, and during the years ahead, we can start our
discussions with the recognition that we are all made in the image of God,
because if we cannot, then we will never have unity again, with each other or
the nations.
Joining Forces
I have heard, “Why don’t the CRC and
RCA just come together,” and I have heard many reasons why that isn’t being
seriously considered. The homosexuality debate being one of them, “Let us see
how this plays out.” I have heard that we disagree on fundamental beliefs,
“some RCA churches don’t even believe in the gospel or the Trinity.” My
personal favorite response, “They split from us, we cannot forgive them for
that.”
I can’t help but think that we are
simply forgetting that we are supposed
to be united with the Spirit, marked alike with the waters of baptism, washed
clean together in the blood, and welcomed together at a table that has no
limited or reserved seating. Do we forget this when we go to discuss issues? Do
we lose sight of Christian identity when we disagree? Have we passed judgment
on those we condemn for not believing in the gospel? Or do we forget that grace
has been given to us when we refuse to forgive? Have we been told that we are
so different for so long that we have forgotten how we are supposed to interact
with fellow believers?
Grace
The way I conclude a sermon I will
conclude here with grace. Who deserves grace? I think that is a fitting
question when we come to the table, whether that is the communion or discussion
table. If I live into my Reformed identity, I firmly believe that no one
deserves grace, but I thoroughly believe in the beauty of it.[5]
Through the debates, through the divisiveness that will come to light, and
through our years ahead, I pray that grace is seen through the lens of humility
rather than pride. As the measuring stick is not our own righteousness but is
in fact the perfectness of Christ. We are not the bar we judge others, but we
see ourselves against the same measure of distance that is created between our
sin and God. If we are not united by grace, then we are divided by pride.
[1] Graham, Chanel. "Why Unmarried
Christians Are Having Sex." Urban Faith. November 20, 2016. Accessed June
07, 2018.
https://urbanfaith.com/2012/07/why-unmarried-christians-are-having-sex.html/.
[2]
Philippians 2:3-4
[3]
Matt 28:16-20; Isaiah 60
[4]
Phil. 2; Eph. 4:3
[5]
John 3:16
Comments
Post a Comment