I appreciated the improvements. I would like you to keep the daily Synod Notebook on line - so I can look at Wednesday's when it is Thursday, for example.
Is there a way that we could running feedback posted for delegates - We have pastors that take questions after their messages via text-messaging. I'd like to text-message questions in - or news - like the fact that the PCUSA has failed to ratify the Belhar (was that mentioned at Synod at all) - or that the ARP denomination voted to break all fraternal ties with the CRC this year (any note of that anywhere - any grief over broken relations?). I wonder whether Synod delegates are kept in the dark about such developments until after Synod.
Thanks, Elizabeth, for letting us know that the Bolt-Chong discussion is posted on the Classis Toronto website (more than the Dr. Borgdorff was willing to do on the CRC Behar page). Part of the problem with the Belhar isn't just the Belhar's ambiguities, but the way in which it is being "forced" upon us from "above." A CRC church in Holland, MI, is also hosting a Belhar Resource page - http://www.centralavecrc.org/Belhar%20Resouces.pdf -
The "fears" that are there are not irrational. The Belhar is being used by gay-ordination advocates in South Africa and in the US as a "wedge" to get their viewpoint accepted.
Context and Confusion: What Does the Belhar Confess?
by John Cooper 12
The Belhar Speaks Today by Ronald J. Feenstra
Departments
Formation for Ministry 14
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
From biblical times till the present, Christians have united the church, fought heresy, testified to outsiders, defied persecution, taught newcomers, and worshiped God—all by the use of creeds and confessions. Also by the use of catechisms, canons, and testimonies. These documents are of immense value, especially when people care deeply about them.
So it is with the Belhar Confession. Forged in the fires of racial injustice in South Africa in 1986, the Belhar Confession speaks eloquently to the need for unity, reconciliation, and justice in the church. The church should witness to these great realities, model them to the world, and become an agent for spreading them. All because of the costly work of Jesus Christ—the one through whom God was reconciling the world to himself.
In 2009, the Synod of the CRCNA, in an unprecedented move, proposed to Synod 2012 “the adoption of the Belhar Confession as a fourth confession of the Christian Reformed Church in North America.”
Response to Synod’s proposal has varied, including among the members of our faculty. In this issue we expose some of our own thinking. Professor Mariano Avila writes movingly of how the Belhar is a cry from the heart “that we will never understand unless we hear it with our hearts.” Professor Lyle Bierma writes of the purposes of confessions and applauds the Belhar as an apt instrument for these purposes. Professor John Bolt provides a sobering review of global “blood sins” and commends the Belhar for its “powerful and necessary testimony” against such sins. But he observes that the Belhar lacks a gospel emphasis on repentance and forgiveness as the heart of reconciliation—and, really, the only real hope for it. Professor John Cooper frames his discussion of the Belhar Confession ecumenically: the CRCNA belongs to the World Communion of Reformed Churches, an organization big enough to include confessional churches, like our own, but also churches with progressive agendas and universalist tendencies. The problem with the Belhar is that it is ambiguous enough to be claimed as a friend by both kinds of churches. Professor Ronald Feenstra finds in the Belhar a compelling call to American Christians to embody the gospel message—which, like that of the prophets, does make God “in a special way the God of the destitute, the poor and the wronged.”
The 6th and final segment has also been posted. I could wish that every delegate to Synod would read this before attending. I think that Synod Office would only be fair to have made this resource available to delegates - link it on the CRC's Belhar resources site, etc. Everything else 2850 has done is far too one-sided.
Dr. Richard Mouw (former Calvin College prof, President of Fuller Seminary, and Calvin College commencement speaker this year, has written several musings on the Belhar
Well, Nick, I wish the Network well, and I have participated - but I will say again that you are missing out if you don't participate on CRC-Voices - with its 189 members (many of who are lurkers)- and its history of 16 years or so. It's a community. We've been averaging about 50 posts a day lately. Maybe one day the Network will be become like Voices, but I have my misgivings about a denominationally-run forum.
You don't have to receive all those messages in your Inbox (I don't). I joined but there is an option of just viewing messages in the "Archives" and responding to those. Voices is "the" place to go to to be informed about the CRC (unless you're a "mole" working in "The Pentagon" at 2850 Kalamazoo)
You folks might want to check out this article - which also touches on the Calvin College duo. Richard Ostling, formerly Time Magazine religion editor, was/is a member of the Ridgewood CRC, New Jersey. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/june/historicaladam.html Cover StoryThe Search for the Historical AdamThe center of the evolution debate has shifted from asking whether we came from earlier animals to whether we could have come from one man and one woman.Richard N. Ostling | posted 6/03/2011 12:00AM
Posted in: The CRC Mentioned on Prime-Time TV
The Banner has an article on-line about this already
http://thebanner.org/news/article/?id=3912
Posted in: Ideas for Next Year? Webcast, News, Etc.
Hi Tim
I appreciated the improvements. I would like you to keep the daily Synod Notebook on line - so I can look at Wednesday's when it is Thursday, for example.
Is there a way that we could running feedback posted for delegates - We have pastors that take questions after their messages via text-messaging. I'd like to text-message questions in - or news - like the fact that the PCUSA has failed to ratify the Belhar (was that mentioned at Synod at all) - or that the ARP denomination voted to break all fraternal ties with the CRC this year (any note of that anywhere - any grief over broken relations?). I wonder whether Synod delegates are kept in the dark about such developments until after Synod.
Posted in: Ideas for Next Year? Webcast, News, Etc.
Got another idea for you - try something like the RCA does with Synod blogs - help facilitate this
http://heraldblog.squarespace.com/general-synod-blogs/
Posted in: CRC Pamphlet on Theological Streams in CRC
Richard Mouw also mentions a similar concern as JKA Smith with this three streams (and Kuyper) approach
http://www.cardus.ca/comment/article/2839/
Posted in: [CLOSED] General discussion moved over from Synodical Reports discussion area
Thanks, Elizabeth, for letting us know that the Bolt-Chong discussion is posted on the Classis Toronto website (more than the Dr. Borgdorff was willing to do on the CRC Behar page). Part of the problem with the Belhar isn't just the Belhar's ambiguities, but the way in which it is being "forced" upon us from "above." A CRC church in Holland, MI, is also hosting a Belhar Resource page - http://www.centralavecrc.org/Belhar%20Resouces.pdf -
The "fears" that are there are not irrational. The Belhar is being used by gay-ordination advocates in South Africa and in the US as a "wedge" to get their viewpoint accepted.
Posted in: [CLOSED] General discussion moved over from Synodical Reports discussion area
I encourage you to check out the latest issue of the Calvin Seminary Forum for a more balanced presentation on The Belhar.
http://www.calvinseminary.edu/pubs/forum/10fall.pdf
Reflections on The Belhar Confession 3
Confession of Belhar 5
Making Shalom: The Belhar Confession
by Mariano Avila 6
Adopting the Belhar:Confession or Testimony?
by Lyle D. Bierma 8
Necessary Testimony—Flawed Confession?
by John Bolt 10
Context and Confusion: What Does the Belhar Confess?
by John Cooper 12
The Belhar Speaks Today by Ronald J. Feenstra
Departments
Formation for Ministry 14
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
From biblical times till the present, Christians have united the church, fought heresy, testified to outsiders, defied persecution, taught newcomers, and worshiped God—all by the use of creeds and confessions. Also by the use of catechisms, canons, and testimonies. These documents are of immense value, especially when people care deeply about them.
So it is with the Belhar Confession. Forged in the fires of racial injustice in South Africa in 1986, the Belhar Confession speaks eloquently to the need for unity, reconciliation, and justice in the church. The church should witness to these great realities, model them to the world, and become an agent for spreading them. All because of the costly work of Jesus Christ—the one through whom God was reconciling the world to himself.
In 2009, the Synod of the CRCNA, in an unprecedented move, proposed to Synod 2012 “the adoption of the Belhar Confession as a fourth confession of the Christian Reformed Church in North America.”
Response to Synod’s proposal has varied, including among the members of our faculty. In this issue we expose some of our own thinking. Professor Mariano Avila writes movingly of how the Belhar is a cry from the heart “that we will never understand unless we hear it with our hearts.” Professor Lyle Bierma writes of the purposes of confessions and applauds the Belhar as an apt instrument for these purposes. Professor John Bolt provides a sobering review of global “blood sins” and commends the Belhar for its “powerful and necessary testimony” against such sins. But he observes that the Belhar lacks a gospel emphasis on repentance and forgiveness as the heart of reconciliation—and, really, the only real hope for it. Professor John Cooper frames his discussion of the Belhar Confession ecumenically: the CRCNA belongs to the World Communion of Reformed Churches, an organization big enough to include confessional churches, like our own, but also churches with progressive agendas and universalist tendencies. The problem with the Belhar is that it is ambiguous enough to be claimed as a friend by both kinds of churches. Professor Ronald Feenstra finds in the Belhar a compelling call to American Christians to embody the gospel message—which, like that of the prophets, does make God “in a special way the God of the destitute, the poor and the wronged.”
President Plantinga
Posted in: [CLOSED] General discussion moved over from Synodical Reports discussion area
http://www.christiancourier.ca/Belhar.html
The 6th and final segment has also been posted. I could wish that every delegate to Synod would read this before attending. I think that Synod Office would only be fair to have made this resource available to delegates - link it on the CRC's Belhar resources site, etc. Everything else 2850 has done is far too one-sided.
IMHO
Dave in Kent, WA
Posted in: [CLOSED] General discussion moved over from Synodical Reports discussion area
http://www.netbloghost.com/mouw/
Dr. Richard Mouw (former Calvin College prof, President of Fuller Seminary, and Calvin College commencement speaker this year, has written several musings on the Belhar
http://www.faithwebsites.com/centralavecrc/Belhar%20Overture%20from%20Riverside%20CRC.htm
A good overture from Riverside CRC in Canada is before Synod - to adopt the Belhar as a Testimony rather than as a Confession
Posted in: Discussions Elsewhere
Well, Nick, I wish the Network well, and I have participated - but I will say again that you are missing out if you don't participate on CRC-Voices - with its 189 members (many of who are lurkers)- and its history of 16 years or so. It's a community. We've been averaging about 50 posts a day lately. Maybe one day the Network will be become like Voices, but I have my misgivings about a denominationally-run forum.
Posted in: Discussions Elsewhere
You don't have to receive all those messages in your Inbox (I don't). I joined but there is an option of just viewing messages in the "Archives" and responding to those. Voices is "the" place to go to to be informed about the CRC (unless you're a "mole" working in "The Pentagon" at 2850 Kalamazoo)
Posted in: Genesis - Again!
You folks might want to check out this article - which also touches on the Calvin College duo. Richard Ostling, formerly Time Magazine religion editor, was/is a member of the Ridgewood CRC, New Jersey. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/june/historicaladam.html Cover StoryThe Search for the Historical AdamThe center of the evolution debate has shifted from asking whether we came from earlier animals to whether we could have come from one man and one woman.Richard N. Ostling | posted 6/03/2011 12:00AM
Posted in: Getting Rid of a Minister
Thanks for this article. I think Peacemaker Ministries has good materials to help with such conflicts too
http://www.peacemaker.net/site/c.aqKFLTOBIpH/b.958123/k.CB70/Home.htm