This is, of course, a familiar predicament to a significant number of Christians who move to different parts of the country at one time in their lives or another. They will not always find a CRC there. When that happens, what are the options?
Some elect to drive great distances on Sunday to be able to attend the nearest CRC. While there is a certain comfort in maintaining familiar traditions and upholding teachings that are consistent with things we learned in our family of origin, there is also a price. Undoubtedly, the opportunity to fully engage in the life of the congregation will be greatly hindered by the physical distance from where most of the other church people live. No joining a midweek Bible study. No serving on committees or task forces that require regular physical contact. Hopefully, the CRC pastor appreciates his Reformed heritage, or else you would do a lot of driving for something you could find a lot closer.
I am familiar with at least one couple who elected to worship closer to home, and join a different denomination, in fact, one where adult baptism was a requirement for full membership. The husband had been CRC all his life, and an elder many times. He did not take the transition lightly. I remember him telling me that he could relate a bit to Ruth when she told Naomi: “Your people will be my people, and your way of serving God will be my way” (TPV) He saw his re-baptism as a symbolic gesture to respond graciously to the warm welcome he and his wife had received in the new non-CRC church. He eventually served on the elder board in the new church as well, and was able to engage other members in fascinating conversations about theological differences they never would have had otherwise.
A key issue is what you value most about your church membership. If you need the regular face time with real live people who share your love for the Lord and can encourage you on your journey with God, you may be able to get past some theological differences, especially if there still is significant agreement on the things that matter. John Calvin himself distinguished between essential and nonessential points of doctrine.
If, on the other hand, your faith is particularly nurtured by your study of the finer points of Reformed theology, it may be harder for you to listen to a pastor preach weekly from a non-Reformed perspective. If your Reformed world-and-life view has taught you to see Christ, and Christians, as agents of God transforming culture, you would be less comfortable being told from the pulpit that Christians must separate themselves from culture and live as far away from the temptations of this evil world as possible, as is the view of many Anabaptist congregations.
I trust you are aware that these days you can have the best of both worlds. Worship and fellowship with Christians who love Jesus, close to your home. And study God’s word to your hearts content with fellow Reformed believers on the internet. When opportunities arise to compare notes with non-Reformed fellow worshipers at your non-CRC church, you may be able to contribute new insights for their understanding of their faith, even as you may be able to see some things in ways you never saw them before. And God will smile on both of you!
Upon re-reading the question I would like to add the following:
And a man went up to New York from McBain and upon arriving in that great city he entered into a famous 5 star restaurant. It being Tuesday he ordered what he always ordered back in McBain on Tuesday: a hamburger with fries.
A teacher of the law happened to see him ordering the hamburger with fries at the 5 star restaurant, and said unto the man: Do you not know what great delicacies are available here for the asking, prepared by the great masters of culinary art?
And the man replied: If they are anything like the liver and onions they serve at the diner back in McBain, I’ll pass. Besides, it’s Tuesday, and on Tuesday I always eat a hamburger with fries.
In the same spirit, I wonder if our churches, and synod, would be well served if, prior to any discussion about potentially divisive subjects, we all commit to an exhaustive study of Philippians 2, the familiar kenosis passage, which Paul (the other Paul) introduces by saying: Have this mind amongst yourselves...
Would that be helpful?
PS Doing justice to the depth of that passage should take at least two years, no?
Thanks for this excellent exposition of what may well be a common problem. And the suggestions for how to change this make sense.
But I have one question: Who decides that the problem needs attention? How does this issue end up on any church agenda? Who initiates an intervention? What if the problem is glaring to some, but invisible to others, particularly to those higher in the church hierarchy? What then?
If it had been this easy back then we might have had more than 4 gospels...
...which we might have had anyway, were it not for some inspired boundary-setting.
Perhaps that is what is most called for today: inspired boundary setting. Come Lord Jesus, come quickly, before we kill eachother with content overdose.
Of course, you could always start a Meetup group for similar effect. Check out https://youtu.be/XDRExfv9Hic to hear Paul VanderKlay discuss this topic.
Cool use of the Jonah story. But what of those among us who more readily identify with Hosea than with Jonah? When God calls us into peculiar life circumstances to make a point? When it is not so much about our prophetic words as about our prophetic lives?
I believe that the bigger challenge for today's prophets is knowing when God actually tells us to speak out on His behalf. Today, God's voice, embedded as it is within the pages of our Bible, does not offer the kind of clarity individual prophets received, presumably directly from God, in the course of history. To have one "prophet" tell a number of "prophet" wannabes what to say does not a prophecy make. Is it possible that God today is less interested in addressing the worldly powers that be, than He is in speaking, with a still small voice, to individual hearts, about love, and justice, in our own, albeit small, world of personal relationships, in our own small, and seemingly insignificant communities? Just because something is on the nightly news doesn't mean God demands an answer. Sometimes it just means that we should turn off the TV.
Posted in: Why Does Theology Matter?
This is, of course, a familiar predicament to a significant number of Christians who move to different parts of the country at one time in their lives or another. They will not always find a CRC there. When that happens, what are the options?
Some elect to drive great distances on Sunday to be able to attend the nearest CRC. While there is a certain comfort in maintaining familiar traditions and upholding teachings that are consistent with things we learned in our family of origin, there is also a price. Undoubtedly, the opportunity to fully engage in the life of the congregation will be greatly hindered by the physical distance from where most of the other church people live. No joining a midweek Bible study. No serving on committees or task forces that require regular physical contact. Hopefully, the CRC pastor appreciates his Reformed heritage, or else you would do a lot of driving for something you could find a lot closer.
I am familiar with at least one couple who elected to worship closer to home, and join a different denomination, in fact, one where adult baptism was a requirement for full membership. The husband had been CRC all his life, and an elder many times. He did not take the transition lightly. I remember him telling me that he could relate a bit to Ruth when she told Naomi: “Your people will be my people, and your way of serving God will be my way” (TPV) He saw his re-baptism as a symbolic gesture to respond graciously to the warm welcome he and his wife had received in the new non-CRC church. He eventually served on the elder board in the new church as well, and was able to engage other members in fascinating conversations about theological differences they never would have had otherwise.
A key issue is what you value most about your church membership. If you need the regular face time with real live people who share your love for the Lord and can encourage you on your journey with God, you may be able to get past some theological differences, especially if there still is significant agreement on the things that matter. John Calvin himself distinguished between essential and nonessential points of doctrine.
If, on the other hand, your faith is particularly nurtured by your study of the finer points of Reformed theology, it may be harder for you to listen to a pastor preach weekly from a non-Reformed perspective. If your Reformed world-and-life view has taught you to see Christ, and Christians, as agents of God transforming culture, you would be less comfortable being told from the pulpit that Christians must separate themselves from culture and live as far away from the temptations of this evil world as possible, as is the view of many Anabaptist congregations.
I trust you are aware that these days you can have the best of both worlds. Worship and fellowship with Christians who love Jesus, close to your home. And study God’s word to your hearts content with fellow Reformed believers on the internet. When opportunities arise to compare notes with non-Reformed fellow worshipers at your non-CRC church, you may be able to contribute new insights for their understanding of their faith, even as you may be able to see some things in ways you never saw them before. And God will smile on both of you!
Posted in: Why Does Theology Matter?
Upon re-reading the question I would like to add the following:
And a man went up to New York from McBain and upon arriving in that great city he entered into a famous 5 star restaurant. It being Tuesday he ordered what he always ordered back in McBain on Tuesday: a hamburger with fries.
A teacher of the law happened to see him ordering the hamburger with fries at the 5 star restaurant, and said unto the man: Do you not know what great delicacies are available here for the asking, prepared by the great masters of culinary art?
And the man replied: If they are anything like the liver and onions they serve at the diner back in McBain, I’ll pass. Besides, it’s Tuesday, and on Tuesday I always eat a hamburger with fries.
Posted in: #CRClistens: Our Disagreements are Nothing New
Thanks Paul, for this important reminder.
In the same spirit, I wonder if our churches, and synod, would be well served if, prior to any discussion about potentially divisive subjects, we all commit to an exhaustive study of Philippians 2, the familiar kenosis passage, which Paul (the other Paul) introduces by saying: Have this mind amongst yourselves...
Would that be helpful?
PS Doing justice to the depth of that passage should take at least two years, no?
Posted in: Using Only 3 Words, How Do You Currently Feel About Church?
Leaders, pay attention! (To the preponderance of pathos in these posts)
Posted in: How to Create an Environment of Honest Communication Among Your Staff
Thanks for this excellent exposition of what may well be a common problem. And the suggestions for how to change this make sense.
But I have one question: Who decides that the problem needs attention? How does this issue end up on any church agenda? Who initiates an intervention? What if the problem is glaring to some, but invisible to others, particularly to those higher in the church hierarchy? What then?
Posted in: Consumerism is Obsolete
Very thoughtful.
If it had been this easy back then we might have had more than 4 gospels...
...which we might have had anyway, were it not for some inspired boundary-setting.
Perhaps that is what is most called for today: inspired boundary setting. Come Lord Jesus, come quickly, before we kill eachother with content overdose.
Posted in: One of the Most Political Acts Christians Can Do: Pray for President-Elect Biden
Had it occurred to anyone to pray for our current, actual, president?
Posted in: Meet Winston Visser: Newly-Appointed Catalyzer, Outreach Ministry Developer for Classis Eastern Canada
Never mind your albeit fine poem...
Post picture of truck!
John
Posted in: Where is God When Your World Falls Apart
Good words, Rob...
Posted in: "I'll Push You" Accessible Camino
I walked the 500 miles from SJPDP to SDC in Sept/ Oct of 2016. I clearly remember the hill depicted here
https://network.crcna.org/sites/default/files/documents/72189072_1413012052207557_7155894803421462528_n.jpg
It was a killer for me without anyone to push but myself! And I was in pretty good shape by then!
Hats off to you and your team for not calling for a taxi here!
Posted in: Get Out!
Of course, you could always start a Meetup group for similar effect. Check out https://youtu.be/XDRExfv9Hic to hear Paul VanderKlay discuss this topic.
Posted in: Preaching in Public
Cool use of the Jonah story. But what of those among us who more readily identify with Hosea than with Jonah? When God calls us into peculiar life circumstances to make a point? When it is not so much about our prophetic words as about our prophetic lives?
I believe that the bigger challenge for today's prophets is knowing when God actually tells us to speak out on His behalf. Today, God's voice, embedded as it is within the pages of our Bible, does not offer the kind of clarity individual prophets received, presumably directly from God, in the course of history. To have one "prophet" tell a number of "prophet" wannabes what to say does not a prophecy make. Is it possible that God today is less interested in addressing the worldly powers that be, than He is in speaking, with a still small voice, to individual hearts, about love, and justice, in our own, albeit small, world of personal relationships, in our own small, and seemingly insignificant communities? Just because something is on the nightly news doesn't mean God demands an answer. Sometimes it just means that we should turn off the TV.