Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - Oct/72

Contributor - Peter J. Yff

Title - Reformation Today

Topic - Reformation

OCTOBER 29 WILL BE OBSERVED AS REFORMATION SUNDAY, AND OCTOBER 31 AS REFORMATION DAY. THE RESPONSE OF MANY TO THIS WILL BE MASSIVE INDIFFERENCE. SOME WILL BE STIRRED, TO BE SURE, AS THEY CONTEMPLATE THE HERITAGE OF THE PAST. STILL OTHERS - NOT NEARLY ENOUGH WILL TRY TO RE-APPLY, RE-EVALUATE, THE PRINCIPLES OF THE REFORMATION IN THE LIGHT OF TODAY'S NEEDS AND DESIRES.

The Church today is frequently scorned, or attacked - depending on the source - for living in the past. Her glory has departed, her numbers are declining, her influence is waning. Now, here we are in 1972, looking back to an event in 1517, an event marking the beginning of a Reformation. The observance marks the posting of ninety-five theses, or propositions for debate. And, say the critics, isn't this what you do in the church? Talk, and talk, and talk?

Ah, no ... not if we are true to the central principle of our Reformation heritage.

For the spirit of the Reformation to live at all in the Reformed Churches today, a current knowledge, and application, of Scripture is absolutely essential. Think for a moment of the name of our church as first proclaimed: The Church of Jesus Christ, Reformed According to the Word of God. There is a current thrust in this title. The fact of being Reformed according to the Word of God insists on current activity, current study, current development. If we only glory in the past, we shall be passed over, disregarded, and deservedly so.

The Reformation brought to light, in its time, some basic principles long obscured. The way one comes to God, for example, the way one feels made right with God through faith in Christ is the most essential area of faith. One does not earn this, one accepts it, gladly and gratefully, by faith. And the way one learns about it is through God's self-revelation in the Bible.

It may well be said that the central discovery, or more accurately, recovery, of the Reformation was that of Scripture. The Bible in that time had become virtually a closed book. It was a book closed by authority, for the church then felt that it was not suitable or understandable for the common man. I was a book closed by ignorance, for the masses could not read, and no one felt that this was a desirable skill. It was a book closed by the simple fact of nonpossession. Hardly anybody then had a Bible, or any book, for that matter. Books then could not be mass produced, had, in fact, to be copied by hand. Any volume, virtually, was worth its weight in whatever currency one would wish to name. Bibles were chained to reading desks, and the chains extended to men's souls. Superstition, fear, error, and half-truth conspired to bring about an eclipse of faith. Small wonder that this period of history is known as the Dark Ages. In God's providence the emergence of a man, with courage enough to post theses for debate, which questioned the state of affairs then, was but the beginning of a great movement. Many other people, and several other factors came into play. The introduction of printing presses, making possible cheap Bibles and books, the rise of nationalism, so that Rome's throttle hold on Europe was lessened, the rising opportunities to learn of faith, the rise of scientific information, all these and more were involved in bringing about change.

And change is what the Reformation is all about. Not merely change for its own sake, but change on the basis of faith understood and applied. Back of the Reformation, as we have said, was the discovery, and the application of a living faith in a God who reveals Himself. The current application of the principles of that faith created the Reformation. Herein lies the clue for us. The Reformation was not based only on what had gone before, but on what was current. Part of our problem today is that we focus too much on the past, nor nearly enough on the present, and scarcely at all on the future. Yet, if we are a church of the Reformation, we should be busy applying the word of God to our day, and to our needs.

Think again of the historic name of our church: THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST, REFORMED ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF GOD. There is both its authority and its focus. It appreciates the Past, but it lives in the present, in that is, it is loyal to such a challenging name.

The Reformation in history was a power for change. Reformation today must also continue to be a- changing power. There are many in our world who would change things by way of revolution. They have become impatient, frustrated, and sometimes violent. Some feel that only by application of force will change come. The Reformation does not advocate violent means. It does, however, insist on change. Change for good, change in attitude, change in life style, change in all that pertains to the human.

This power for change the Apostle Paul indicates: "I am not ashamed of the gospel," wrote Paul. "It is the power of God for salvation......... It is God's power for effecting saving change in both individual, and in society' All too often the so-callecl conservative churches have concentrated on change in and for the individual. They stressed the spiritual, and rightly, but neglected the social. Man lives in society, however; man is a social being. Hence the gospel speaks and must speak, to his surroundings as well as to his heart. The gospel has a message that pertains to man's environment, to ecology (which is no more than a wise stewardship of the earth), to relationships between groups and even nations, to attitudes between man and man. The gospel has something to say about race relationships, about the treatment of minorities, about the exploitation of the poor, in short, it addresses itself to all of the human sphere and condition. As such the gospel becomes a reforming power. Reformation today must be the application of this reforming, uplifting power of God on man's behalf.

Many in our world feel that religion belongs to the past. The only correct aspect to this charge is that religion has so often lived in the past. If, however, the reforming power of God is applied to the present, if it serves as foundation for the future, we have something entirely different.

Reformation today celebrates not just an event, but points to a process. God works out his will through his people, in large measure. They are, as it were, his hands, his feet, his tools and instruments. Which is simply to say that his people need to be continually applying the principles of the Reformation, to be consistently, and constantly, working for change.

And what kind of change ? This is obviously important. The communist works for change, and turns either to plotting -or violence, or distortion, or whatever seems expedient for the moment. His goal is an earthly utopia, with no regard for the spiritual or the eternal, except to condemn and deny both. The extremist - whether he be nationalist or guerilla fighter - similarly uses any means at his command, including the use of terror, to accomplish his ends. Folk recoil in horror and shock, while he hopes that such response in sufficient measure will immobilize or weaken the will to resist him. Still others seek change only in terms of environment, and feel no more is necessary. The change we seek, as part of a reformed movement (please note the use of the word "movement" in distinction from "tradition") will include social and environmental factors, but will address itself also to man himself, both individual and in society. We will witness to God's transforming power, having discovered this to be internal, but with external manifestation and application. Earlier we quoted from the apostle Paul's credo "(1 am not ashamed of the gospel . . ."), and now note the result of it, from the same letter (Romans). "With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him. Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God remold your minds from within, so that you may in practice prove that the plan of God for you is, good, meets all his demands and moves toward the goal of true maturity." Romans 12 :1, 2 - Phillips.

To prove in practice - there is a reforming principle. Such a mind then turns to the needs of the world. The Christian does indeed try to change his world, using all of the peaceful, and possible, means at his command: his influence at his job, his voice in government where possible, and certainly at least at the ballot box, his choice of and patronage of amusement, the character of his home, his style of life, in short, everything involved with living.

The change which we seek, that involved in reformation today, is an unselfish change. Virtually everybody would agree that some change is necessary and desirable; and would then seek to benefit from it. The Christian tries to benefit his neighbour just as much as himself. John F. Kennedy caught something of the spirit of this when he challenged the American nation in an acceptance speech, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask rather what you can do for your country." There was something about it which rose above partisan politics, that spoke to the responsibility and privilege of being human. Reformation today should insist, in other words, that the followers of Jesus try to be part of the answer, not of the problem.

In all of this, consider again, if you will, what the name "reformed" implies. It should not merely express an identity, but rather describe a character, a process, and ,a life.

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