Blessed, not Stressed, Psalm 80

I'll continue my series on Christians in the arts later, but today I'm thinking a lot about how I view my life. God has impressed on me the need to think about my life differently.

I often find myself thinking, "I wish my life were simpler." A friend and I are praying that God will show us the way to make our lives simpler and she let me borrow 100 Ways to Simplify Your Life by Joyce Meyer. I've barely begun reading it, but I was convicted already by what Meyer wrote in her introduction:

"I spent many years hoping life would change and things would calm down until I finally realized life itself doesn't change; in fact, it has the potential to get worse. I understood that my only real option was to change my approach to life" (ix).

"I discovered it wasn't really life or circumstances or other people as much as it was me that needed to change. ... When you spend your life in frustration trying to change the world and everyone in it, you fail to realize it could be you just need to change your approach to life" (x).

God used those words to convict me. I realized that instead of thinking of my life as complicated and stressed, I need to think of it as rich and blessed.

Sometimes the chronic character of our concerns can be extremely discouraging. We pray and pray about the same situation, but nothing seems to change. It seems as if our prayers are bouncing back down from the ceiling.

Asaph and the people of Israel felt the same way at times. He writes in Psalm 80:

O LORD God of hosts,
how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
You have fed them with the bread of tears
and given them tears to drink in full measure.
You make us an object of contention for our neighbors,
and our enemies laugh among themselves (4-6).

When our prayers appear to go unanswered, we feel as if God is angry with them. Chronic problems make us feel as if God has given us only tears to eat and drink. It is terribly depressing when other people fail to respect us and treat us scornfully.

Psalm 80 compares God’s people to a vine that God planted and protected, but now the “boar from the forest ravages it, and all that move in the field feed on it” (13).

I can't read that verse without recalling the imagery from the movie "Luther" that contrasts scenes of the Pope hunting and spearing a boar in the forest with scenes of Luther. During these constrasting scenes, a voiceover reads the Pope's letter comparing Luther to a wild boar with words that reflect this text.

Just as the Pope felt that Luther was assailing the church, we often feel that people or events are assailing our faith.

The Psalmist begs:

Turn again, O God of hosts!
Look down from heaven, and see;
have regard for this vine,
the stock that your right hand planted,
and for the sons whom you made strong for yourself (14-15).

God is the one who planted the vine of the church and planted each one of us in it. He is the one who made the vine grow and who has strengthened each one of us to saving faith.

The Psalm continues:

But let your hand be on the man of your right hand,
the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!
Then we shall not turn back from you;
give us life, and we will call upon your name! (17-18)

Christ called himself the Son of Man. Through him, each of us—sons and daughters of men—will be made strong and equipped to the tasks God places before us. God is the one who strengthened us to saving faith for himself, and he is the one who will enable us to persevere. He will equip us to stay the course. He gives each of us this particular life, with all its complications and circumstances, and he wants us to seek his face and praise him for his good gifts.

It’s easy to wish God would remove us from difficult situations, even to wish God would just take us home and deliver us from all these chronic cares. (“Beam me up, Scotty!”)

But we are called to find our strength in Christ and by his strength to persevere in our calling.

May God help each of us to stop viewing life as complex and stressed, but rather to think of it as rich and blessed.

Artist G. Carol Bomer: Presenting Word and Image to the World

On a teaching trip to China in 2006, artist Grace Carol Bomer instructed students in mixed media techniques at the country’s third largest university. This might not be so unusual except that Carol is a Christian and her work is, in her own words, “blatantly biblical.”

Carol is a member of Covenant Reformed Church (PCA) in Asheville, NC. Her mixed media paintings literally incorporate word and image, as she paints images on paper backgrounds—such as blueprints—that include text. Some of her work is in encaustics, a technique in which she melts beeswax and adds paint pigment before applying it to the painting.

Through the integration of words and images, Carol’s work testifies to the Word and the Image: Christ, the Word made Flesh.

“There is an inter-connectedness between words and images,” writes Carol. “Dorothy Sayers said, ‘…for man is so made that he has no way to think except in pictures.’ Thus I often juxtapose image and text to create connections and metaphors that may not be predictable or seen immediately. But the image becomes the subtext that interacts with its foundational text and allows the viewer to consider story, a story that is transcendent and eternally relevant, and that reveals One who is both Word and Image.”

The titles of Carol’s paintings are straight from scripture, text in her work often quotes scripture, and the content of her work is scriptural.

That is why it is surprising that, in God’s providence, she was one of three artists invited to China by the printmaking department of the Luxan Fine Arts Academy, a university with over 3,000 art students.

“It was an amazing opportunity,” says Carol. “The amazing thing is that they let me show my biblically based paintings.”

When they first arrived, Carol and the other visitors were given a tour of the printmaking department and treated to a Chinese dinner of delicacies such as duck tongue and tree fungus. The instructors taught for three days, with their lectures videotaped for use by the entire student body.

Carol’s PowerPoint presentation included examples of her biblically based work. She spoke about her integration of words and images, and explained several of her paintings.

“I used my images to explain the gospel!” says Carol. “Images that dealt with Christ as the Seed, Christ as the One who came into darkness like a fulcrum from heaven rending the veil, and Christ as the Living Word.”

She explains that Christ as the Living Word is the theme of her Global City Babel series, which centers on God as the Word made flesh and the Creator of language.

“This God will take into account every word we speak,” she says. “He lived among us and came to ‘Purify our lips that we may serve Him shoulder to shoulder' (Zephaniah 3:9).”

Each of the paintings in the Global City Babel series includes an appropriated image of Pieter Bruegel’s Tower of Babel (1567). Carol explains that this image represents the “anti-foundational” postmodernism of contemporary culture, which promotes relativistic language where the meanings of words become mere social constructs.

“The mystery of Word becoming Image will always have its reference in Christ,” she says, “who is not only the transcendent Logos, but also the Word Incarnate and the Creator of language, who communicates through language to bring His global image bearers into community.”

“When God poured out His Spirit at Pentecost, thousands of people—each speaking in his own tongue—understood each other,” she continues. “The Old Testament prophet, Joel, prophesied this amazing reversal of Babel.”

At one point while Carol was explaining her paintings, her translator said, “That is too Christian for me to translate.” But much of what Carol said was communicated to the students, and she was able to convey some important truths. She relates one specific experience: “I showed them a Rembrandt etching and told them, ‘Like the great Dutch artist Rembrandt, I want my work to point to the Word of God, who is Christ.’”

Before Carol left her home in Asheville, NC, to travel to China, she picked up a bird band from the floor of her studio. She had been impressed with Suzanne U. Clark’s poem, “Banding,” and had been incorporating bird bands into an encaustic image that was part of a series called, “The Nets of God.” She put the band in her pocket as a reminder of God’s omnipresent power and care.

“Wherever I go in His world,” she says, “I am ‘banded’ and ‘known intimately in the mind of One who flies,’” referring to the text of the poem.

Carol saw “The Nets of God” theme inadvertently repeated when she chose a man’s head from images in a Chinese newspaper during her class in mixed media.

“As I cut around the man’s head I had glued to my support,” she says, “a bird shape appeared behind him, confirming to me the poem about bird banding and my theme of God’s sovereignty.”

In addition to the extraordinary opportunity to share her words and images with Chinese students, Carol has been offered more stateside venues to exhibit and speak about her theme of Christ as the Living Word.

Since 2006 she has had increasing opportunities to showcase her art and communicate the gospel. Current information regarding her shows and speaking engagements can be found at her website.

“The people of our culture are longing for transcendence,” she says, “but transcendence or seeking to reach God on their own terms, and not God’s terms. Babel is in the heart of every man.”

In her painting, her speaking, and her instruction, Carol focuses on glorifying God. Her website (http://www.carolbomer.com/) and her studio in the Ashville River Arts District are called “Soli Deo Gloria” to reflect that desire.

“My faith and my Reformed biblical perspective, the authority of the Scriptures, inspire my work and life for the glory of God,” she says. “I am only a vessel and a servant. I have the freedom to paint wonder and imagination, the mystery that points to Christ (Col. 1:15ff). I want my work to be relevant culturally, but to be founded not on the wisdom of men but the power of God!”

The above post is an edited version of my article that appeared in the June 21, 2006 issue of Christian Renewal.

© Glenda Mathes 2006, 2010

Reforming Perspectives on the Arts

“You shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother,

for glory and for beauty.”

Exodus 28:2 (ESV)

My mother and I once sat at my kitchen table, reading the biblical directives found in Exodus 28 for the construction of the priestly garments.

“It’s easy to see how people got the idea of wearing their Sunday best to church,” my mother said.

It is indeed. The priestly garments were literally works of art. Among the descriptions of the beautiful tent of meeting, the ark, the altar and all the articles for worship, the garments of the priests are noteworthy.

The garments were “skillfully worked” of beautiful textiles (“gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen” Ex 28:6), and adorned with “chains of pure gold, twisted like cords” (Ex 28:14) and engraved stones of different colors, including the brilliant yellow topaz, red carbuncle, green emerald, blue sapphire, white diamond, purple amethyst, and aquamarine beryl. Gold bells hung between pomegranates woven from blue, purple and scarlet yarns on the hem of the priest’s robe. In the directions for the garments for Aaron’s sons, the purpose is reiterated as “for glory and for beauty” (Ex 28:40).

Clearly, the Lord did not design the tabernacle, its articles and the priestly garments merely for function. These things were weighted with the symbolism of God’s covenant with His people. They were intended to bring glory to Him. But God’s own words make it clear that these garments were also designed for the enjoyment of their beauty.

God’s love for beauty is apparent not only in His Word, but also in His world. Who can observe the glories of creation without marveling at their variety and beauty? The ruby throat of the hummingbird throbbing at the feeder while its iridescent green back gleams in the sun, the brilliant purple of the first crocus splashing color onto a drab landscape, the rugged majesty of a snow-capped mountain soaring into the sky, these all direct our thoughts toward God and fill our minds with doxologies to His glory.

As imagebearers of the Creator God, we dimly reflect His creativity in our creative endeavors. In The Mind of the Maker, Dorothy Sayers draws an interesting analogy between the Triune nature of the Creator God and human creativity. She writes, “…the artist’s experience proves that the Trinitarian doctrine of Idea, Energy and Power is, quite literally, what it purports to be: a doctrine of the Creative Mind.” Sayers identifies the Idea as the artist’s concept, the Energy as the artist’s creation, and the Power as the impact of the art.

Sayers continues, “To the human maker…it will also be natural to look beyond himself for the external archetype and pattern of his own creative personality—the threefold Person in whose image he is made….”

The threefold Creator God is the source of all that is good and true and beautiful. As His image bearers, we are called to reflect God’s goodness, truth and beauty in our creative expressions.

God called those who crafted the priestly garments “the skillful,” whom He had “filled” with “a spirit of skill” (Ex 28:3). God obviously ordains certain persons to be blessed with specific artistic skill that should be developed and implemented.

We read about one of the first skillful in Exodus 31. God “called by name” Bezalel and “filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.” Bezalel was a man of many talents, and a master of them all!

From His earliest dealings with His covenant people, God promotes artistic expression. In the introduction to his book, State of the Arts: From Bezalel to Mapplethorpe, Gene Edward Veith, Jr. writes, “The Bible itself sanctions the arts, describing the gifts God has given to artists and recounting in loving detail works of art that were ordained by God to manifest His glory and to enrich His people.”

Throughout the history of Western civilization, Christians have contributed significantly to culture’s music, art and literature. But Reformed Christians sometimes fail to appreciate yesterday’s contributors or encourage today’s “skillful.”

Christians are called to think about that which is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent and praiseworthy (Phil 4:8). In the books we read, in our choice of clothing, in the furnishings of our homes, in the architecture of our churches, we are all surrounded by art, whether we recognize it or not. Our task is to develop discernment and learn to recognize the true, the excellent, and the beautiful.

How do Reformed Christians respond to God’s call regarding the beautiful? How do we view artistic expression? Do we think of art as the domain of secularists? Do we consider the fine arts a legitimate vocation? What can we, as individuals and churches, do to promote and support the creative expressions of artists who work within the context of a biblical worldview?

Makoto Fujimura, a New York City artist and one of today’s most visible Christians in the arts, posts thoughtful questions and reflections about art on his “Refractions” blog (http://makotofujimura.blogspot.com). His entry dated 3/4/2006 asks what he calls the “500 year” question.

He defines the “500 year” question as “a historical look at the reality of our cultures, and asking what ideas, what art, what vision affects humanity for over five hundred years.”

Then he asks: Would we see another Renaissance in the days to come? Would we have another chance to steward our culture, without losing our identity and faith in the process?

***
The above is excerpted from my article "The Arts: A Reformed Perspective" that appeared in the June 21, 2006 issue of Christian Renewal. It was the first is a series on Christians in the Arts, which examined questions related to the fine arts while presenting the perspectives of Christian artists, authors, poets and musicians. I hope to reproduce some of those articles here with the prayer that these articles will promote a more biblical perspective of God’s intent for the arts to be for His glory and “for beauty.”

© Glenda Mathes 2006

URCNA Synod-16, Emeritation of Ministers

The September 15, 2010 issue of Christian Renewal carried my final report about the actions of the URCNA's Synod London 2010. This report deals with the appointment of a committee to study ministers' retirement. I'm numbering this post to follow the last Synod report I posted on August 9.

URCNA Synod London 2010:
Committee to study Emeritation of Ministers

by Glenda Mathes


In addition to forming a study committee on missions, Synod London 2010 established a study committee regarding the emeritation (or retirement) of ministers.

The study committee was appointed in response to an overture from Classis Southern Ontario. That overture requested changes to Article 10 of the Church Order, which requires each church to provide adequately for its minister and family and to contribute toward his retirement needs.

The overture suggested one wording change and an addition. The proposed amendment was in a sentence stating that these men should retain the title and dignity of their office and suggested changing Those who have retired from active ministry to Ministers Emeritus. The additional sentences were: The emeritation of a minister shall take place with the approval of his Consistory and with the concurring advice of Classis. The ministerial credentials of a minister emeritus will ordinarily remain with the church which granted his emeritation.

Grounds for the overture explained that the Church Order does not currently address the matter of ministerial credentials relating to emeritus ministers. The overture additionally argued that Classis ought to be involved in the process and that a standard procedure that would avoid confusion within the federation, particularly in cases of Article 11 dissolutions or geographical moves.

The advisory committee’s initial recommendation was determined to constitute a substantial change to the overture, and the matter was recommitted to the advisory committee.

The advisory committee later presented a recommendation that an ad hoc committee be formed to study and report on the emeritation of ministers. The suggested study committee’s mandate consisted of seven parts: the status of ministerial credentials, the status of membership upon emeritation, the roles of Consistory, Classis, and Synod, the financial support of emeriti ministers, the bearing on these matters of a potential Article 11 dissolution or a geographical move, review of previous synodical decisions and the Church Order, and how all these matter related to each other.

Synod approved the formation of the committee with that seven-fold mandate. Synod then approved the following as members of the committee: Rev. Harold Miller (chairman), Elder Mark Van Der Molen, Rev. Hank Van der Woerd, Rev. Joel Dykstra, Elder Art Miedema, and Rev. Dennis Royall.

Rev. Miller notes that although the URCNA federation currently has a “preponderance of younger ministers,” it also has a “fair number of men nearing the age of emeritation.”

“Eventually we could have a significant number of men nearing that milestone,” he says, “and it will be helpful to know soon what are the parameters of the shared responsibilities for such a change for the particular man, his family, and his congregation.”

“It should be noted,” he adds, “that this line of questioning does not necessarily imply that the URCNA is considering the implementation of a federation directed ‘retirement system.’ Since this ground is already significantly covered in Article 10 of the Church Order substantive change to our current system would likely have to be suggested from a discovery in the realm of principal rather than a pragmatic concern.”
A budget was not set for the committee since it is anticipated that most of its work can be conducted via telephone and email. The committee is to report to Synod 2012.

Two New URCNA Pastors

This is the second of my two articles about Classis Michigan that appeared in the September 15, 2010 Christian Renewal.

URCNA Classis Michigan: Two new pastors


by Glenda Mathes



Two pastors, formerly in the Protestant Reformed Churches in America (PRCA), have affiliated with United Reformed congregations in Classis Michigan and are seeking calls within the URCNA.

Rev. Mitchell Dick and Rev. Nathan Brummel each successfully sustained his Colloquium Doctum at the February meeting of Classis Michigan. Rev. Dick and his family are members of Bethel URC in Jenison, MI, while Rev. Brummel and his family belong to Trinity URC in Caledonia, MI. Their respective consistories hold the pastors’ ministerial credentials and are recommending them for calls to United Reformed congregations.

Since it is hoped that both men will receive calls to URCNA congregations in the near future, they are not considered as associate pastors and have not been assigned specific responsibilities within their churches. Each minister does, however, participate in the life of his congregation and preaches when the opportunity arises.

Christian Renewal readers may recall that Rev. Dick was at the center of a controversy within the Protestant Reformed Churches regarding a minister’s right to home school his children. After a lengthy debate that included many appeals (most in favor of the minister’s right to home school) at multiple PRCA Classes and Synods, the Protestant Reformed Synod of 2009 ruled that although home schooling may be an option that falls “within the area of Christian liberty” for “some parents” and may even be the “best option” in “some instances,” it is not an option for office bearers (see “Church Order rules in PRC vs. homeschool clash” by John Van Dyk in the February 24, 2010 issue of Christian Renewal).

The PRC Synod decision was based on its interpretation of Article 21 of the denomination’s Church Order, which states: “The consistories shall see to it that there are good Christian schools in which the parents have their children instructed according to the demands of the covenant.”

Synod and those supporting the decision view attendance at the “good Christian schools” maintained by the Protestant Reformed churches to be a part of the covenant community’s responsibility. Officebearers are to encourage this by the example of sending their own children to those schools and not educating them at home.

Those opposing the decision objected to this interpretation. Their view was that the article was written simply to encourage good Christian education, and not to endorse or prescribe one particular form of Christian education over another. Appellants argued convincingly from scripture that it cannot have been meant to disparage or prohibit home schooling. They noted the lack of scriptural grounds for Synod’s narrow interpretation of Church Order Article 21, and criticized it as an extra-confessional statement of a binding nature. They also affirmed that parents have the primary responsibility to educate their children, which should be in a way they deem best according to the dictates of conscience.

Although Rev. Dick had been released from his pastoral position at Grace Protestant Reformed Church in Standale, MI, he remained a minister in good standing in the PRCA. But the decision of Synod of 2009 made it clear that he could no longer educate his children according to his conscience and remain an officebearer in the PRCA. In October of 2009, he requested that Bethel URC, where he had been leading a Bible study, begin the process of making him eligible for call within the URCNA.

“We understood that he was leaving a church that he had lovingly and faithfully served for many years as a diligent servant,” says Rev. Wm. Jason Tuinstra, Minister of Word and Sacraments at Bethel URC. “We knew this was hard for him. He had no ill-will toward the PRC and never sought to denigrate their churches or members.”

Rev. Tuinstra relates that Bethel URC formed an ad hoc committee to investigate the matters leading to Rev. Dick’s removal from Grace PRC as well as his theological and confessional commitments.

“Rev. Dick willingly submitted to our process of examination and submitted his answers to be reviewed by the ad hoc committee,” he explains. “After reviewing Rev. Dick’s answers and witnessing his teaching and preaching among us, the committee was glad for the opportunity to sponsor him into the URCNA.”

The consistory of Bethel voted unanimously in favor of sponsoring Rev. Dick for a Colloquium Doctum in the URCNA. But the homeschool issue was not the only reason that the Dicks affiliated with the URCNA.

“We joined the URCNA for a number of reasons,” he says. “One, it is a biblical, conservative, confessionally Reformed Denomination. Two, it is no more than that. In other words, the URC does not go beyond either Scripture or the creeds in its positions, practices, and pronouncements—something for which we are extremely grateful. Third, the URC stresses the autonomy of the local church. It is on guard against any form of synodocracy, tyranny, and hierarchy. We appreciate this freedom! Fourth, we see the fruit of God’s Spirit and grace in the URC—among clergy and laypersons. Fifth, we appreciate the URC’s true ecumenicity—its own appreciation of and desire to manifest the unity of the body of Christ among true believers and churches also outside of the federation of the URC. There are many other reasons, but one more we mention: our reception at Bethel URC in Jenison, MI, just down the street from us, has been very warm and gracious.”

Rev. Brummel was intimately aware of Rev. Dick’s situation since these two ministers are married to sisters (nee Faber). Rev. Brummel’s wife, Paula, taught at a Christian school for 12 years. Rev. Dick’s wife, Grace Kay, taught at Protestant Reformed schools for 12 years. Rev. Brummel was one of many bringing appeals to Synod of 2009. But, like Rev. Dick, the homeschool issue was not the only factor influencing Rev. Brummel’s decision to move from the PRCA to the URCNA.

“Over the years, it became evident that there was not freedom to do covenant theology or pursue the mission of the church within the context of the PRCA,” he says. “I became convinced that we must not allow a desire to protect non-confessional denominational distinctives to function as a barrier to outreach with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I’ve been working on developing the contours of a confessionally Reformed missionary theology in line with the thought of J.H. Bavinck, Roger Greenway, and Herman Hoeksema.”

Just as Bethel URC welcomed the Dick family with open arms, Trinity URC has welcomed the Brummel family.

“Rev. Brummel and his family have been well received by our congregation,” says Rev. Brian Vos, pastor of Trinity URC. “His preaching has been a great blessing to us. We are confident that both his preaching as well as his pastoral experience and wisdom will be a great blessing to any church that calls him. He and his family have exhibited much godliness, love, humility, and kindness in the midst of our congregation. We recommend him to the churches without reservation.”

Rev. Brummel and his wife, Paula, have four adopted children (from Russia and Ukraine) and two biological children, ranging in age from one year to 18 years old. After Rev. Brummel requested that his ministerial credentials be transferred to Trinity URC, he and his family vacated the parsonage of his former charge in Dyer, IN, and moved to the Grand Rapids area. He is supporting his family by painting and preaching at local churches. He also is engaged in research for a dissertation on the “nexuses between covenant and justification” in the thought of Herman Bavinck.

Rev. Dick and his wife, Grace Kay, have six children between the ages of seven and eighteen. He is preaching in URCNA churches as well as in RPCNA, PCA, OPC, and independent Reformed and Presbyterian churches. He also directs Grace Home Ministries, a ministry serving nearly 50 area rest homes.

Rev. Travis Grassmid, Minister of Congregational Life at Bethel URC in Jenison, is a member of the Grace Home Ministries board and works closely with Rev. Dick.

“Rev. Dick is a wonderful asset, both to the Bethel congregation and to the federation at large,” says Rev. Grassmid. “He is theologically astute, tempered with winsome humility; a powerful preacher, and a sensitive counselor. He is firm in conviction, yet willing to discuss and consider differing opinions; driven in his ministry, yet patient with others. In short, Rev. Mitch Dick is a servant of God, who diligently strives to serve his Master in all spheres of life.”

Rev. Dick may be reached at gracelife@att.net or 616-662-4338.

Rev. Brummel may be reached at NathanBrummel@att.net or 616-822-2397.

New Church Plant in Grand Rapids

The following article appeared in the September 15, 2010 issue of Christian Renewal, and is one of two reports of news from Classis Michigan of the United Reformed Churches in North America (URCNA).

URCNA Classis Michigan: One new church plant

by Glenda Mathes


God’s grace and His sovereignty are reflected in the name of a new URCNA church plant on the northeast side of Grand Rapids: Sovereign Grace URC.

About 200 people attended the group’s first worship service on August 15 in the Vos Chapel at Kuyper College. Trinity URC in Caledonia, MI, supervises the church plant, and its pastor, Rev. Brian Vos, led the inaugural worship service.

Rev. Vos preached on “The Acts of Jesus Christ” from Acts 1:1-3, pointing out Luke’s understanding of Christ’s ascension as the pivotal point between his gospel and his book of church history.

“In Luke’s gospel, the ascension of Jesus is the culmination of His earthly work,” says Rev. Vos. “In Acts, the ascension of Jesus in the beginning of His heavenly work. I sought to emphasize the theme that Jesus is alive and active. Machen put it this way: ‘The church is founded not upon the memory of a dead teacher, but upon the presence of a living Lord.’”

The church plant began when some families saw the need for a committed Reformed witness on the northeast side of Grand Rapids and began meeting last March.

Brad Baker, one of the organizers, explains: “A group of committed Reformed families believed the need was real for witness on the northeast side of Grand Rapids and possessed a desire to work toward planting a confessionally Reformed church.”

He elaborates that while the new URCNA plant will fill a geographical gap for many believers, it is also the group’s desire to go beyond merely maintaining a Reformed witness to reach unbelievers with the riches of the Reformed faith.

Toward that end, the group sought the spiritual oversight of Trinity URC, which was granted by the council early in May and approved by the congregation early in June.

Also in June, a Bible study began meeting in the homes of some members of the core group. Five to seven families are represented at each Bible study, which is led by that evening’s host. Mr. Baker explains that some of the core group are already members of Trinity and others will be become members soon.

From the start, the group’s goal was to begin holding worship services by the end of the summer.

“Since we believe the official preaching of the gospel is the primary tool God uses to build His Church,” says Mr. Baker, “we believe it is necessary to have that official proclamation as we—under God’s blessing—seek to build His church in northeast Grand Rapids. From a more human perspective, it is much easier to invite folks to become a member of something that is official and tangible.”

Continuing worship services are scheduled for 9:30 am and 5:30 pm at the Vos Chapel. Trinity URC will continue to supervise the preaching of the Word by sending an elder to each worship service. Pastors scheduled to lead the services come from the URCNA, the OPC, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Westminster Seminary (PA), Mid-America Reformed Seminary, and the Church of Scotland. Plans are for sermons to be available for listening or downloading at SermonAudio.com.

For more information, check out the group’s website at www.sgurc.org or the blog at trinitychurchplant.blogspot.com. Contact information for Sovereign Grace URC is info@sgurc.org or 616-676-6075.

“We are excited to be moving forward,” says Mr. Baker, “and cannot adequately express our wonder at the doors the Lord has opened and the blessing He has poured down to this point. It would be easy to complicate this work and over-humanize it. Pray that God will keep us in reliance upon Him and His Word. Out ultimate end is not men or numbers; our ultimate end is the glory of God.”

Bret McAtee Interview: The True Scoop

I interviewed Rev. Bret McAtee after the CRC Synod 2010 in order to provide an opportunity for him to state clearly opinions that were not always reflected so clearly in the official CRC press releases. Several releases include "quotations" from Rev. McAtee, some of which were taken out of context and some of which he does not recall ever saying. Here's the true (if somewhat tame) scoop, which appeared on pages 16-17 of the September 15, 2010 Christian Renewal (for readers' convenience, I'm inserting hyperlinks below):

Reflections on CRC Synod 2010: An Interview with Bret McAtee

by Glenda Mathes



Rev. Bret McAtee is a CRC minister in Charlotte, MI, the author of the “Iron Ink” blog (http://ironink.org), a vocal participant in internet discussion groups, and the subject of “The Rev. Bret McAtee Appreciation Society” on Facebook. He was active on the floor of the recent CRC Synod 2010.

GM: Rev. McAtee, how long have you been a CRC pastor and was this your first time as a delegate to the CRC Synod?

BMA: I have been a pastor at Charlotte CRC for nearly 16 years now and this was my first time as a delegate to the big show.

GM: It seems that there were four important issues facing the delegates at this year’s CRC Synod: the admission of children to the Lord’s Table, the foray into climate change, the illegal immigration issue, and the requests to transfer to another classis. Let’s look at each of these issues.

Children at the Lord’s Table

GM: The Faith Formation Committee of the CRC, which for the past few years has been studying the issue of participation in the Lord's Supper, is scheduled to bring its full report to Synod 2012. Synod 2010 agreed, however, to "fast-track" the question of children partaking of Communion by addressing it next year. Is that an accurate summary of Synod 2010's action on this issue and what do you anticipate will happen in 2011?

BMA: I do think that is an accurate summary of the action of synod 2010. Of course it is possible that 2011 will say that they are not comfortable with the fast tracking work of 2010, but were I a gambling man I would wager that 2011 will pass the necessary work to find children coming to the table in the CRC.

Now, I believe this is a decentralizing kind of pursuit that will find different churches handling children at the table in different ways, and so it will be interesting to see how that works itself out concretely. The fact that it is a decentralizing move can be seen in the report, which states that the committee's approach “allows for diversity of local practice within a standard principle.”

The language for children to come to the table is that they make an “age and ability appropriate obedience to biblical commands about participation.” Now, by necessity, what one church believes to be “an age and ability appropriate obedience to biblical commands about participation,” will vary from what another church believes to be “an age and ability appropriate obedience to biblical commands about participation.”

Creation Care (Climate Change)

GM: Synod 2010 voted to establish a task force to write a report on the CRC position of
“creation stewardship, including climate change.” In a related action, Synod voted to delete 1991's "Declaration F": The church declares, moreover, that the clear teaching of Scripture and of our confessions on the uniqueness of human beings as imagebearers of God rules out the espousing of all theorizing that posits the reality of evolutionary forebears of the human race.

You were quoted as saying: "No one here challenges our need to care for creation. But I question the need for a task force to identify a biblical and Reformed perspective on climate change.”

Would you like to expand or clarify what you expressed on the floor of Synod? What do you view as the implications of these actions?

BMA: I did say that “no one here challenges our need to care for creation.” This is a basic Christian stewardship idea with which no Christian should disagree. Man was given dominion over creation and he remains responsible to care for creation. So, I stand by how I was quoted in the first sentence.

I do believe that there could be such a thing as a Biblical and Reformed perspective on climate change. There were some delegates at Synod who wondered if there was a “need for a task force to identify a biblical and Reformed perspective on climate change,” but I was not one of them.

In terms of clarifying how I spoke on the floor of synod regarding anthropogenic climate change, my overall emphasis was that the report should not be received because it assumed that anthropogenic climate change is true when in fact the science is far from settled on this issue.

Implications of these actions:

A. Implications of deletion of declaration “F”

1. There have been, through the decades, reputable Christian men who believed in theistic evolution. I think such a belief is a contradiction to the Christian faith, but no one can deny that reputable Christian men have believed it. Having stipulated that, however, I think one implication of this deletion could be that a theory yet to be substantiated (theistic evolution) will gain revived credibility.

2. I also fear that the implication of deleting declaration “F” could be that children in Christian schools could be more easily taught that theistic evolution is true. Deleting declaration “F” does not require teachers to teach theistic evolution, but it does give them allowance to do so. Since evolution remains the dominant worldview myth for our culture's cosmology, I am concerned that deleting declaration “F” will make it all the easier for Christian school teachers to follow that mythology, while adding some theistic flavoring, as opposed to teaching the Christian cosmology that an unconstrained reading of Genesis gives. In short, I fear Christian children, who are yet ill equipped to see the problems with theistic evolution will be taught that theory as true.

B. Implications of receiving report on anthropogenic climate change

My concern is that even the mere receiving of this report could set the denomination on a trajectory where science that many consider “junk” and is at best yet “unsettled” could be, in the future, more formally embraced.

Illegal Immigration (Migration of Workers)

GM: Synod 2010 gave a standing ovation to a report on “Migration of Workers” that is to be used as a guideline for “wide-ranging educational and advocacy materials and efforts” by the CRC to address “challenges faced by undocumented persons” in the US and Canada. The report urges CRC assemblies and agencies to “reach out in hospitality and compassion to immigrant people” and encourages churches to display “ministry concern through actions.”

You were quoted as stating that compassion is important, but asking “...what about the others who are touched by this issue of immigration? People wonder how this issue will or won't impact jobs for persons who are in this country legally.”

In what ways would you like to expand or clarify that quotation? How will the adoption of this report affect the churches?

BMA: First, it is difficult to speak authoritatively on how the adoption of the report will affect the churches since the word “compassion,” while used a great deal in the report, is seldom concretely defined. It is at least theoretically possible that one church’s definition of compassion could be quite different than another church’s definition of compassion.

Second, it could affect the churches by its subtle support for civil disobedience on the matter of illegal immigration laws.

Third, it could affect the churches by nudging some churches in a particular political direction in terms of the problem of illegal immigration. Some people might believe that, in terms of compassion as viewed in a macro sense, the particular political direction in which the report nudges people is not felicitous.

In terms of how I was quoted, there is no doubt that I said something like that. But I said it in the broader context of making the argument that when illegal immigration is considered there has to be consideration of compassion not only for those who are not here legally, but also for those who are here legally and for those who are following the rules to come here legally. The way I was quoted made it sound as if my concerns were only economic.

Classis Transfers

GM: Synod 2010 denied the requests of two congregations to move to a classis that does not allow women to serve as ministers, elders, or ministry associates. Although the majority report recommended a peaceful resolution by permitting the two congregations to change classes, Synod adopted the minority report, which recommended denying the request “for the sake of unity” in the church. You were indirectly quoted on this subject as having said “he was pleased by the way in which the CRC allowed in-depth discussion on this issue. Although his church is one that is not in favor of women in office, it decided to remain in its classis, which has a more open stance on the topic.”

Is that an accurate summary of your address to delegates on this subject? What is your response to the adoption of the minority report?

BMA: Unless I see the tape, I will not believe that I said I “was pleased by the way in which the CRC allowed in-depth discussion on this issue.”

I did concede, on the floor of Synod, that the Charlotte Church had been in discussion with the churches that were talking about trying to form a theological classis of identity that would be comparatively local. When this discussion turned to traveling to Minnesota for Classis meetings, however, the Charlotte Church dropped out of discussions believing that such an approach was not practical. And so we decided to remain in our Classis. Classis Lake Erie does have, what they would consider, a “more open stance,” but that is not the language I used to characterize Lake Erie's stance on the issue.

The important thing to note though is that I spoke strongly against the minority report, which blocked the transfer of those two churches. I observed that as the denomination has decided to embrace two positions on women in office while also encouraging the need to respect both positions, allowing churches to transfer is one concrete way in which a denomination demonstrates the embracing of both positions while respecting those who hold to one of the two positions. I also argued that this transfer should be allowed since the cultural differences that arise in local churches with different positions on women in office should allow them to seek an ecclesiastical culture (Classis) that is more amenable to their theological and cultural expressions.

My problem with the way I was quoted is that it made it sound like I was arguing, “Charlotte doesn't accept women in office and yet we found peace in our Classis,” with the implication being “those churches that want to transfer should be able to find peace as well.”

GM: What other issues or actions did you feel were significant at Synod 2010?

BMA: I believe that the soft gender inclusivsm for the Confessions that is being pursued is well intentioned, but misguided. I also believe it was most unfortunate that Synod refused to take a second look at argumentation that has the Greek words "kephale" and "authentein" being appealed to in a improper manner to support women in office.

GM: What was your overall impression of Synod?

BMA: The CRC does a great job of taking care of delegates and looking after their every need while at Synod. It was a delight to get to meet many genuinely nice people while establishing relational bonds with kindred spirits. I was also impressed at the patience of both the committee and on the floor of Synod for the way the process works.

GM: What are your thoughts now that Synod is past and you have had some time to reflect on it?

BMA: I have my concerns concerning the direction in which the denomination is tilting. One of the delegates on the floor of Synod described the CRC as a bridge between evangelical churches and the mainline churches. I am convinced that bridge is a bridge too far. Given the disrepair that evangelicalism is in, and given much of what is found in mainline churches, I find myself reflecting a great deal on whether or not that is a bridge we really want to build.

Living Echoes

Dear Reader,

I apologize for the length of time since my last post. Demanding deadlines and increasing commitments have made my time prime. When my schedule is so full, I don't feel I can spare time for blogging. I also tend to avoid blogging when I feel discouraged because I don't want my negative attitude to leak into my writing and darken it like black dye permeating a bucket of clear water.

When my outlook seemed its bleakest, a remarkable opportunity for a private retreat appeared possible and I was able to fit it into my schedule. I left on Monday morning and returned on Wednesday afternoon.

Before I even packed, I found myself praying:

Lord, speak to me that I may speak in living echoes of Thy love...

A dear friend who knew I was going sent an email saying she was praying:

That God would speak to me...

Almost as an afterthought, I placed a Psalter Hymnal into my suitcase beside my Literary Study Bible, thinking that I might want to look up a hymn if it related to anything I might write.

The "Lord, speak to me" refrain went through my mind as I praised and prayed on the drive. I prayed that God would speak to me and that I would be able to speak to others in "living echoes" of His love. I prayed that I might somehow reach the lost as well as encourage believers. The refrain went through my mind so often on the drive and after my arrival that I looked up the hymn on my second day at the retreat. These are the lyrics:

Lord, speak to me, that I may speak
In living echoes of Thy tone;
As Thou hast sought, so let me seek
Thine erring children lost and lone.

O teach me, Lord, that I may teach
The precious things Thou dost impart;
And wing my words that they may reach
The hidden depths of many a heart.

O lead me, Lord, that I may lead
The wandering and the wavering feet;
O feed me, Lord, that I may feed
The hungering ones with manna sweet.

O strengthen me, that while I stand
Firm on the Rock and strong in Thee,
I may stretch out a loving hand
To wrestlers with the troubled sea.

O use me, Lord, use even me,
Just as Thou wilt, and when, and where;
Until Thy blessed face I see,
Thy rest, Thy joy, Thy glory share.

As I read the words of the first stanza of this hymn, it seemed to me that God was encouraging me that He will make me speak in "living echoes" of His tone (or love, as I had been thinking and praying) and that He will provide ways for me to reach His lost and lonely children.

Every subsequent stanza of the hymn seemed to apply specifically to me and my situation.

I've been developing speaking presentations and the second stanza seemed to be God telling me that He will teach me and provide opportunities for me to teach others His precious biblical truths. The second part of the stanza encourages me to believe that God will "wing my words" through my current oral and written communications--including this and other internet avenues that allow my words to fly through cyberspace--and perhaps even through book publications. And He will "wing my words" in such a way that they will touch the deeply hidden emotions in the hearts of many people.

While reading the third stanza, I was impressed that God will lead me and equip me to minister to the wandering and the wavering. He will equip me to provide sweet manna for their hungry souls.

I have been feeling particularly weak all spring and summer and God encouraged me through the fourth stanza that He will strengthen me so that I stand firmly and strongly on Him and His Word. With that firm footing, I will be equipped to reach out to those who wrestle with the turbulence and trials of living in cultures that rebel against God (the sea is a frequent biblical analogy for rebellious nations).

Through the last stanza, God assured me that He can use even sinful, weak me for His purposes. I was convicted of my need to submit unreservedly to the entirety of whatever God calls me to do, whenever and wherever He calls me to do it. God also assured me that He will see that I continue serving Him in whatever capacity I am able until He calls me home. Then I will see His blessed face and I will share in His rest, His joy, and His glory.

This song wasn't the only way God spoke to me over the last few days; He refreshed and encouraged me with the kindness of others, with brisk walks in His beautiful creation, with long periods of uninterrupted prayer, and with solitary meditation on His Word. But He spoke specifically to me through the words of this hymn. My prayer now is that God will enable me to speak in "living echoes" of His great love.

One more (minor) thing: "Living Echoes" will be the title of a book I hope to write some day, Lord willing. I am going on record here and now because I was working on a manuscript titled "This Side of Heaven" when Karen Kingsbury came out with a book by that name. That was a disappointment I hope to avoid this time!