Paul, couldn't agree more that the "transformational regional associations" are a necessary part of revitalized congretations. Having just returned from Toronto, a huge frustration is that classical renewal did not seem to be on the radar of this year's synod. There was lots of talk about the health of CRC agencies, but very little about the role of the classes in our denominational life. Looking forward to your comments regarding a "Trinitarian" model for classes.
I am sitting here at the Three Trees with our missionary to downtown Bellingham, Mitch, discussing unity and reading your blog. What timing. Two quick thoughts, on the nature of confessional identity (or, as Rich frames the issue, which issues are core) and on question of unity.
First, I am in the "as few as possible" camp when it comes to core issues. Especially when it comes to practices. What we do agree on is, IMHO, a way of approaching Scripture (the Reformed hermeneutic we received from our fore-mothers and fore-fathers) and a covenental way of working together to be the church. The recent blow up over creation/atonement issues is a symptom of disagreement in the former. Our difficulties in getting church visiting done reflects the value we actually place in our peculiar way of working together. These questions may be more important than whether the confessions are static or dynamic, or whether we adopt the new covenant or stay with the FOS. This also makes the role of classes very important, modeling covenant living in their positive discipline (church visiting and
Second, I think there are a lot of ways of being that covenant body (what Rich calls the "corporate entity") without being merely a corporation. It may be that the next generation will hold to the authority of Scripture reflected in our Reformed hermeneutic while developing a very different way of life together. In that case confessinal identity will have little to do with the uniformity of practice and much to do with commitment to each other. Don't think church visiting could every be done by facebook or twitter, but I'm sure it will be different.
Thanks for thinking with us on these important questions.
Posted in: The Church as a Community of Dissatisfaction?
Paul, couldn't agree more that the "transformational regional associations" are a necessary part of revitalized congretations. Having just returned from Toronto, a huge frustration is that classical renewal did not seem to be on the radar of this year's synod. There was lots of talk about the health of CRC agencies, but very little about the role of the classes in our denominational life. Looking forward to your comments regarding a "Trinitarian" model for classes.
Posted in: Individualism and the Confessional Church
Paul and Rich,
I am sitting here at the Three Trees with our missionary to downtown Bellingham, Mitch, discussing unity and reading your blog. What timing. Two quick thoughts, on the nature of confessional identity (or, as Rich frames the issue, which issues are core) and on question of unity.
First, I am in the "as few as possible" camp when it comes to core issues. Especially when it comes to practices. What we do agree on is, IMHO, a way of approaching Scripture (the Reformed hermeneutic we received from our fore-mothers and fore-fathers) and a covenental way of working together to be the church. The recent blow up over creation/atonement issues is a symptom of disagreement in the former. Our difficulties in getting church visiting done reflects the value we actually place in our peculiar way of working together. These questions may be more important than whether the confessions are static or dynamic, or whether we adopt the new covenant or stay with the FOS. This also makes the role of classes very important, modeling covenant living in their positive discipline (church visiting and
Second, I think there are a lot of ways of being that covenant body (what Rich calls the "corporate entity") without being merely a corporation. It may be that the next generation will hold to the authority of Scripture reflected in our Reformed hermeneutic while developing a very different way of life together. In that case confessinal identity will have little to do with the uniformity of practice and much to do with commitment to each other. Don't think church visiting could every be done by facebook or twitter, but I'm sure it will be different.
Thanks for thinking with us on these important questions.