Del VanDenBerg

Interesting thought on one of the first pages of the Agenda...a preface or an epitaph:

May we together experience “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3) as we strive to know and to do the will of the Lord.   -Gerard L. Dykstra, Executive Director of the CRCNA; Agenda for Synod 2011, p7

One blessing I will most certainly cherish is the opportunity to have known "aged" pastors.

There is a peace that is reflected in their speech, often sprinkled with a little dry humor or sadness, but mostly wisdom gained from years of wearing the knees out of their pants in prayer…priceless.

Peterson is one of those individuals.

In his quiet delivery there is strength of character built on years of trusting "in the Father:” The cadence of his voice and life is now slower- but the assurance of the years of service ring most clearly and directly.

The opportunity to sit at the feet of a pastor who matures through the years is a humbling experience- my father demonstrated that to me.

While his body aged, his voice and delivery remained strong…but at times not without fear.

Dad comforted so many at death's door, but in the end that “necessary step” faced by all left him with a little apprehension- not for the eternity that would surely follow, but the resulting break with others...especially those dear to him.

God was good and gathered him quickly without a prolonged illness adventure, but he allowed me to listen and watch Dad minister to others (and me) right up to the end.

Peterson's book, The Pastor, took me on that journey again- a pleasant trip that allowed me to receive a blessing all over again.

We have a family reunion scheduled for March.  All the members will come together for a meeting, this time in a neutral place in order to feature a friend of one of the members who wrote "The Message" and “The Pastor.”

It will be a wonderful gathering for a short time, we will pray together, feast together, deliberate together, fellowship together and perhaps even shed a tear together.  Oh, we will argue- can’t avoid that among family members with what to do with outreach- and programing that feature; or what to figure we truly believe in and subscribe to; and who will represent us at a larger gathering of an extended family group. 

There will be others there who represent groups and programs we believe in; non- family members, but we will accept their words graciously and encourage them.

How will we leave after that two day get-together?  Well, for the most part tired with information over-load, but really refreshed by the sense that we are not alone out here on the frontier, near the edge of nowhere.  We will travel apart yet with a promise to return together again in 6 months at yet another location to share joy, problems, sorrow, and anticipation.

As clerk of this bunch, I share a particular joy in the upcoming gathering- if not weariness of all the preparation; but is it worth it- you bet.  It confirms who we are as a family...different in many ways, yet joined in common belief, history, and dreams.

While some members perhaps chafe under the thought of investing time in this meeting, most seem to come away with a blessing knowing they perhaps were a blessing to others.  A frequent comment is how blessed they were from the time of prayer together.

Yes, we are a family- separated by hours of driving, oceans apart by culture between urban and rural, perhaps even on how to present the word – yet we are joined together in in identity…and by grace. 

Bishops or Barnabas?  Sure there are those who are employed formally or informally, embraced graciously or accepted reluctantly for their work and ideas within the Classis.   Actually, effective leadership in a Classis perhaps reflects a type of  “Barnabas,"  they are the encouragers- these are the people are the enablers.   If we are discussing appropriate titles for those who are positive in pro-active in leadership- why not think of an "Office of Barnabas." 

Classis Yellowstone has a unique place in the geography of the North American continent- it shares this uniqueness with Classes Alberta South, Columbia, and Arizona; they all are located in the heart of LDS or Mormon geography.

Classis Yellowstone has somewhere between 17, either planned or operating, temples of the LDS church within it; the oldest- St. George, Utah (1877), and perhaps one of the newest if ground is broken Southwest Salt Lake Valley (TBA).

It is interesting that the establishment of the CRCNA and LDS Church in Classis Yellowstone's region share a common historical timeline- CRCNA in Montana mid 1890's while the Salt Lake Temple was dedicated in 1893.

One of the founders of the CRCNA communities in Montana was a Reformed minister on loan to the Presbyterian Church- Rev. Andreas Wormser.  A. Wormser (as he was called) was no stranger to Mormonism- he visited and studied the Mormon immigrants to the Salt Lake region, particularly their irrigation practices.  He then set out to find a location where he could establish a "colony" of Dutch immigrants in much the same way the Mormons established themselves in the Salt Lake Basin.  As a result, the Gallatin Valley CRCNA churches had their beginning in the late 1890's, and Manhattan CRC in 1903.

Today the bulk of the LDS membership in the US, or NA (worldwide approx. 14 million) live in the Idaho/Montana/Utah and adjacent areas- made up of the aforementioned Classes (approx. 5000 souls).

Pastor Brian Tebbin is new to Classis Yellowstone (Banner News article- Salt Lake Pastor Talks Ministry to Mormons)working in one of the oldest home mission fields of the CRCNA church- Utah; while new to the ministry and Utah, he seems to have discovered a key to reaching the people of his region, it is not about "rocket science"- it’s "all about grace."  We need more witnesses for Christ- the fields are ripening to harvest.

My father who once served as a minister in MT, often talked about his seminary professors and their influence on him- it was apparent that influence was great.  Today, Classis Yellowstone has 3 newly ordained pastors- Tebbin, Hofman, DenOudsten.  Each one is unique in his talents, and all have sat at the feet of Seminary professors in the likes of DeMoor, Cooper, and Bosma- to mention just a couple.

It is fascinating that one of those professors challenged the CRCNA recently whether it was going into the business of "Church Planting or Undertaking."  From what I can gather with these newly minted pastors- they have "a bag of seeds in one hand and a hoe in the other."

Today I am thankful for Brian, Mark, and George- their youthful spiritual leadership and courage; and for that matter all those who labor in that harvest who came before me, that are beside me...and who will come behind me. 

Nathanial, a name that in Hebrew means- God has given!  Strikingly enough, while he has...so have you as an encourager!

If I have the story correct, when Helen Keller was asked if she had a choice in the matter- and had the opportunity to decide, which would she have given up, sight or hearing? She replied she would give up sight rather than hearing- because sight only separates us from "things," while hearing separates us from people.  Actually the loss of any sense has its consequences that only the individual who is experiencing it really understands.  So given the chance for rebuttal, she may have said neither because both complement each other so well- by design of our wonderful creator!

However, disabilities are real; they close doors, produce pain- physical and mental.

As a bilateral, post-lingual Cochlear Implant recipient, I too know the fear, the anticipation, and the reality of hearing loss.  Yet, it is in that loss I find gain.

While the world has been turned upside down in my life, I seek opportunities to be a blessing in other ways.  Has much changed, well yes...I am dependent on my wife and others to be my "ears" in many situations.  However, all that was given to me and not taken away is still there most abundantly; and by creativity I seek to share those blessings with kindness, gentleness, and love.

The Lord, like any commander in the field, sends out scouts- or point soldiers to help provide an easier journey for those that follow.

While the analogy may be a stretch or even simplistic, Nathan- you are such a person.  By your testimony, others will be able to find a blessing in this wonderful creation that was "gifted" to us- quiet as it may be. 

In Classis Yellowstone we are blessed with an interesting combination. Whereas Montana is something like 97.8% Caucasian, we have Utah- primarily the Salt Lake region that is overflowing with a highly diverse "spectrum of color."

Most recently one of our member churches, Cambodian CRC now called West Valley CRC, underwent a significant change.  The first part of that change was precipitated by a "hate crime;" some hooligans burned down a building the Cambodians were restoring to become their church.  Then through an outpouring of love and grace, God enabled many volunteers from all over the continent to co-opt with the church members and rebuild that church into a functionally beautiful structure for worship and ministry.  On Sunday, June 19, a celebratory service will take place to dedicate that facility. Praise God for this event- yes, even the fire.

Not only did the fire enable a "re-structure" of the building, but the members- those original Cambodians, underwent a transformation too.  On June 19, West Valley is opening its doors officially to all ethnic groups. While that may have been the unspoken rule before, the congregation is attempting to intentionally "re-structure" its cultural make up.  This will not come without a paradigm shift on the part of its members- but God's "grace" will enable them and see them through.

Not only did a church in the Classis undergo a change, but so did a regional seminary- Salt Lake Theological Seminary.  SLTS was the offspring of 1st Salt Lake CRC Christian Education movement, and financial and prayer support of Classis Yellowstone.   When 1st Salt Lake CRC closed the doors of its Christian School, those who supported Christian Education saw the value of "reforming" the movement into one which trained adults in Christian ministry opportunities in a highly diverse city- ethnic and Mormon.  Partnering with other churches- Presbyterian and the like, they started a Bible College that was transformed into the only Seminary of its kind in the Intermountain area.  It’s library was a unique research facility that was built from the gifts of books from the ministers of Classis and many others across the country.

However, a couple of years ago a faltering economy along with failed gift giving forced the Seminary to close. The professors worked the last year without pay to help the last Senior class graduate.  Christianity Today reported SLTS as perhaps the only casualty of its kind during the Great Recession.

Yet, once again the mercy of the Lord was at work.  The Board of the Seminary and those who once supported SLTS, being highly gifted and creative, opened the doors of "the Vine Institute."  This newly planted institution is working, along with Classis Yellowstone's Home Missions Committee, to reach and train the immigrant and ethnic groups of the Salt Lake region for Christian ministry opportunities.

Together, West Valley CRC, "the Vine," and Classis Yellowstone are being transformed into a colorful mosaic which demonstrates God's unique plan for his church.

Perfect...not really yet; Classis Yellowstone still sends three or four "white guys" to Synod- it is tough for working ethnics of color to find away to leave their work and family responsibilities.  However, God will enable a change soon perhaps...maybe not through fire or economic difficulty- but he knows the way!

To learn more, see these sites:  "the Vine"- http://vine-institute.org/   ;  West Valley CRC- http://www.cambodiancrc.org/ 

I empathize with the need to write out their motions- after 11yrs as Classis Stated Clerk I have come to know how misunderstood/represented/recorded motions can "come back to bite you!"

Perhaps the motion can be written out exactly as stated and delivered by the "mover" and handed to the chair before the end of the day's session would clarify(I know you loath that word George:-), I do that at our Classis.

Yes, the motion must be stated by the Chair prior to vote- but my experience everyone by that time is nodding their heads on what they have heard and not what was said.

Perhaps allowing a little latitude on delivery of the written document would take away a little of the "hostility" as you call it for "prior intent." When it is written down no one can say, "That was not my motion or intent." 

Paul, you were correct in indicating Synod will most likely be discussing the Belhar- that will take place informally and formally (there is an Overture regarding the Belhar-#12).

Your plea to the readers is perhaps correct in that we as a denomination need to continue to look carefully at this document, and make some decisions- best place to start is by reading the document so that as all the information, pro and con, comes out we can make an informed decision.  Overture 12's call for a "balanced discussion" will probably find fertile ground throughout the denomination.

I particularly like your sentence:  "I’m far less concerned about whether or not the Belhar is an official confession of a church, and far more interested in seeing it lived out by the Church. "

Really your comment is where the "rubber hits the road."  Does our current battery of confessions give us enough to "live out" the spirit of the Belhar, or must we have a document that will spell it out better- or perhaps more clearly than what we already have?

Couple of questions:

(1) Is it that youth and others are drawn out to the Belhar in such "passion" because we as a church have not "with equal passion" promoted our confessional documents that we have; or are those documents severely lacking in "justice and humanity?"

(2) I keep thinking we have 3 beautiful confessions, and a "testimony," that few people know perhaps little about- so just how will accepting yet a 4th "standard of unity" lead us forward in such passion where the others have failed?

Your observation: "It supplements our existing creeds and confessions, it’s Biblical, and it’s an outward expression of the love, patience and forgiveness of Jesus to our lost and broken world"- strikes me as perhaps exactly what the Belhar does- supplements; and it's call for "justice" actually needs the other three Confessions to help us understand how to carry out that Biblical mandate.

We are not actually the only ones discussing the Belhar.  I find it fascinating that even Baptists are "throwing their hats in the ring" with opinions regarding the RCA and CRCNA's move to embrace the document as a confession.

Read what Thabiti Anyabwile, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman in the Grand Cayman Islands, wrote regarding the Belhar(http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/thabitianyabwile/2010/07/27/bringing-up-belhar-again/ ): 

"...(the)Belhar must stand together with the other confessions of the faith, and why it must stand in second place to those confessions.  It’s not as though the other confessions define “justice” for every generation.  But they at least provide the necessary framework and raw munitions for doing so.  They teach us about the inspiration, authority, and sufficiency of the Scripture.  If those confessions provide serious boundaries for Belhar, then Belhar’s sweeping language actually calls the church out of sloth and into the fray while honoring the roles assigned to the church in the Scripture itself.  But should the RCA or any other body lose its grip on the Scripture, then Belhar’s broad, undefined language includes a host of issues as “must” justice issues that contradict the Bible’s teaching.  That’s no small threat or concern."

Syn - od 

n.

1. A council or an assembly of church officials or churches; an ecclesiastical council. 2. A council or an assembly.[Middle English, from Latin synodus, from Greek sunodos, meeting, assembly : sun-, syn- + hodos, way, course.]

Of course...if we continue to "dummy" down every word in our spoken language, it will take away from the art of language; if we continue to seek the "lowest common denominator" in our communication skills something is going to be lost.

Perhaps no one cares.

Don't get me wrong, I am all for making our spoken exchange understandable for clarity's sake...it's just you loose some of the beauty of the spoken and written word. Interestingly the recent reemergence of an interest in the "king's English" as used in the King James Bible.  

Be it as it may- GOOD JOB Sunrise Community!  Synod always delivers some unique humor to us each year, and you have a good, NO GREAT start on it:-)

George, you know, I'm looking at my collection of Psalter (Hymnals) and it sort of struck me that for the average person in the pew those books are a little more than just about singing, they are about "access" to knowledge also.

Since the earliest one, the "black one," the denomination has always included its "important papers."

At first you could find the Church Order, then that was dumped with the second "blue one." Now I can understand that from the stand point some would argue that our Church Order is revised more often now- wasn’t fashionable for a long time at first; but there is nothing in that document really that can’t be changed to meet our changing needs. Even the most conservative gatekeeper would have little argument with that.

However, no matter what edition: black-red-blue-gray (silver of course if you want to be more elegant:-), our denomination's important documents have always been just an arm length away, and no matter who was looking your fingers could eventually find what you were looking for.

I know we are becoming savvier electronically, and can just about find anything in a paperless environment. I am wondering if there is still merit to keeping those items in the new "rainbow colored" (perhaps) edition?

Sure the size of the book is important, the "gray one" is a monster compared to the others in terms of weight. I still chuckle at some of the folks who complained that when the "gray one" came out it took two hands to hold the book and not one. Still, perhaps we can beat the size problem.

Is making the book accommodating to other denominations such a plus financially that we cheapen the use in our own churches?

Change is not bad...I suppose I could get some argument on that; but will we be missing something, and will some churches just not fill the void? Face it- churches like most organizations often generally pick the "path of least resistance" when it comes to pocketbooks, and will not buy another book that supplies the "important" papers? 

Elizabeth, at one time in our denomination's authority flowed per an "upside down pyramid" scheme with the local Council at the "wider top", and Synod at the "narrower bottom"- demonstrating a version of church polity that was in contrast to a Catholic Church style with all power concentrated in a select few.

This "reformed" version modeled and provided a decentralized form of authority, allowing the Classis- closer to the local council, to give approval to one becoming "minister of the word."  It still exists today per Church Order.

Today our denomination's model is inching closer to a "centralized" business model leaving the local congregation less and less involved, tipping the pyramid back upright with authority flowing from a narrower, more centralized and less personal place.

More efficient- perhaps; less connected with the churches of the denomination- definitely.

"Redundant"-only if you see the "centralized model" as the correct standard.

"Approved by those who may not know the candidate...", you must have missed the celebratory activity of a Classis Exam where those entrusting their innermost personal and spiritual lives to one becoming their pastor, rejoice together often family and church.

The Classis exam perhaps re-inverses that pyramid model back to where it should belong- the Classis, with the local churches putting a stamp of approval, along with its representatives (Synodical Deputies) who ensure Church Order is properly followed.

We have just completed three classical exams in our Classis, and from the feedback from the members of the congregation and Classis that attended- it was awesome, an unforgettable event celebrated together with the candidate (now minister) and the church receiving this pastor.

This step is an important bonding event for the church that calls the candidate; not merely a redundant step in an impersonal academic process.

In my humble opinion, here is the question: Where should the authority reside for declaring a candidate minister of the word- someplace far and impersonal from the church, or where the candidate will be embraced by those served?