Hymns Of Resurrection & Life - From Tim Keller's Memorial Service

I've posted some thoughts about the recent Memorial Service for Tim Keller - CLICK HERE.  One aspect of that service that really captured my mind and heart was the choice of hymns - made by Tim himself - for congeregational singing.  I was happy to discover that he included his reasons and reflections on each of the for the service in the service bulletin, which you can read in full by CLICK HERE.

Update on August 18:  It looks like I was not the only one taken by Tim Keller's chioce of hymns.  CLICK HERE for a post on ChristianityToday.com by Dr Francis Collins - former head of National Institutes of Health and personal friend of Tim - entitled: The 6 Hymns Tim Keller Picked For His Memorial Service.

Otherwise, I have pulled out those statements for you to read below.  I've included references to the hymns from the Lift Up Your Hearts hymnal that we use at Celebration-Harderwyk with the LUYH # reference and page references to the bulletin itself.

Ponder and be encouraged in the gospel.  All that follows is written by Timothy J Keller and taken from the service bulletin:

A Service of Praise to God 

In Gratitude for the Life and Service of Timothy J. Keller

August 15, 2023

Introduction to Music - p. 3

The hymns sung in today’s service were chosen by Tim Keller and he spoke about why he chose each one during a worship service held at the National Institutes of Health during his treatment in April. His words of introduction from that time of worship have been transcribed and added before each hymn in today’s program.

Hymn — Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise - p. 4 - LUYH # 579

I chose each hymn and there’s an order to them. So the first one: Immortal invisible God Only Wise is a tremendous depiction of who God is and his attributes. It’s really all about God. Who is he? And what’s really interesting is some of the lines in here summarizing the most important Christian ideas, I’ve never seen it summarized better. 

So for example. We’re here at a cancer hospital, and sometimes you want to say: God, what in the world, are you up to? What’s wrong with you? And the last line [in the hymn] is this—“Tis only the splendor of light hideth Thee.” There’s a tendency for us to think there’s a darkness in God and we’re smart instead of saying, well, wait a minute, no, He’s more light than we can handle. And the darkness is in us. ‘Tis only the splendor of light hideth thee.

Hymn — Amazing Love, How Can It Be? - p. 6 - LUYH # 695

How do you connect with God? Do you actually have a personal relationship with Him? This hymn is by Charles Wesley and this is the key to the Great Awakenings, and to personal awakening as well.

Hymn — How Firm a Foundation - p. 10 - LUYH # 427

The next three hymns are resources that God gives you. So you’ve met him (in the first two hymns). This next hymn, How Firm a Foundation, connects you to the first resource, which is God’s word. 

We learned to love this hymn because Elisabeth Elliott loved it. It was a favorite hymn of hers and you’ll see why. Betty was our teacher at the time of our wedding and she just said expect suffering. Since she had had two husbands die we took her seriously. 

By the way, this is also Isaiah 40. In fact you should read Isaiah 40 afterwards. We had it as the recessional in our wedding because we expected suffering. Because we expected to be helping people in suffering. It’s a paraphrase obviously, but basically it’s what God is saying to Israel. But I’ll tell you, Kathy and I memorized it and used it on each other over the years. We gave a vow to each other from Psalm 34, verses 1-3 and it is engraved inside our wedding rings.

It says: I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me: let us exalt his name together. So, we wanted to praise God in the way that afflicted people were helped.

Hymn — Jesus Lives and So Shall I - p. 14

This hymn gives us the hope for life after death. It should not be sung at too slow a pace, or it will sound like a dirge. So keep it brisk, and remember it’s describing our hope for the future. There’s nothing that can happen here that can’t make you better. It says at the beginning of the last verse: Jesus lives, and death is now but my entrance into glory. 

Hymn — For All the Saints, Who from their Labor Rest - p. 18 - LUYH # 254

This last one is talking about the saints, for all the saints. It’s really wonderful in talking about how we’re all going to be gathered together. Verse 5 is interesting because the idea is that, when you’re here, you’re in the middle of a battle. But the distant triumph song is at the end. We know that there’s a new heavens and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. And that there will be perfect justice. Are you in the middle of the battle? And it’s like, “when the fight is fierce, the warfare is long, steals on the ear, the distant triumph song; and hearts are braving and arms are strong.” That’s made for you.

Hymn - There is A Redeemer - p. 21 - LUYH # 883

Digging Deeper: Tim Keller's Memorial Service

Kathy, David, and Jonathan Keller
Courtesy of City to City livestream

I've made no secret of my appreciation for the life and ministry of Tim Keller.  Folks at Celebration-Hardewryk have heard me say that he is my "Gospel Yoda."  If you want to see what life would look like if you were deeply shaped by the Gospel of God's Grace, you would do better looking at him - read his books, listen to his sermons, scour YouTube, whatever - than at me.

So it would be no surprise that I watched with interest as much of his recent - Wed, August 15, 2023 - memorial service as I had time for.  It was moving certainly, but even more, it was insightful.  Like everything else I ever saw Dr Keller do, he modeled Gospel-Centered Living - even from the grave in this instance!   Turned out that he planned the entire service months in advance of his death.

It would be easy - even natural - to watch the recorded service and see a moving memorial in a fairly formal setting.  Friends, there was SOOOOOOO much more that we could learn from in this service.  In an effort to let others benefit from that "more," I have gathered some resources and comments in hopes of mining the riches of the Gospel from this final memorial.

A Worship Service of Praise To God: In Gratitude for the Life and Service of Tim Keller

CLICK HERE for a link to the recorded service.  But first, consider the name.  This is a service about God and His work through His servant Tim.  And because it is long, here are some timed reference points of particular highlights.

• The Prelude begins about 7:00 into the video.
• Wife Kathy speaks at 52:00
• Homily by Sam Allberry - 1:10:00
• CLICK HERE to peruse or download the 28 page service program.

A Catholic Cardinal’s Appreciation of Pastor Tim Keller - I didn't recognize it while I watched, but I learned later that the memorial service was held in St Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.  A conservative Presbyterian is memoralized in the Cathedral connected with one of the officials who will help choose the next pope?!?  Friends, that is something unique and worth looking into, hence the article by that name.  CLICK HERE

Sam Allberry - Preaching - Listen to the "homily" and you will hear a marvelous, witty, insightful and compelling reflection on the gospel with a British accent, no less.  As a friend of Tim and his family - and a seasoned and gifted preacher - Sam was a natural choice to serve at that point.  But Sam himself has a story and ministry that I have followed and benefited from for years now.  CLICK HERE for a three-minute video that will connect you to that.  It is a compelling testimony and reflection on the Gospel, Same-Sex attraction and marriage that includes 6 links to additional helpful resources.

All About Jesus: Tim Keller’s Memorial Service is a walk-thru by TheGospelCoalition.com - an organization that Tim co-founded - similar to this post that gives helpful background into the service as well.  CLICK HERE

Finally, A Sad Memory And Gracious Response

As I watched a service set at St Patrick's Cathedral that included the preaching of Sam Allberry I couldn't help be be drawn back to an incident in 2017 that Tim was drawn in to.  It took some time and the Gospel that Tim lived before I could move beyond my own self-righteousness and anger, but as I watched how Tim conducted himself in the midst of this real-lfe and real-time situation, I was inspired and transformed - at least a bit.

To summarize, Tim was awarded the annual Kuyper Prize for Excellence in Reformed Theology and Public Witness by Princeton Semariy's Kuyper Center for Public Theology.  There followed protests and resistance from seminary students, alumni and various others because the denomination Tim is a part of does not ordain women or LGBTQ+ persons.  In closed door conversations that Tim was a part of, Princeton eventually "compromised" by withdrawing the prize, but continueing with Tim's lecture that is a usual part of the award.  Tim rejected grievance, virtue signaling and simply served with an insightful presentation for those who would listen.

His response in the midst of the circumstances was the lesson for me in all that.  

For Further Information on the "Princeton Incident" and Tim's Response:

• What I Learned From Our Seminary's Conflict About Hosting Tim Keller by M. Craig Barnes the President of Princeton Seminary at this time. - CLICK HERE
• Princeton Theological Seminary Reverses Decision To Honor Redeemer’s Tim Keller - From the Religion New Service - CLICK HERE
• Princeton Seminary Reforms Its Views on Honoring Tim Keller by Christianity Today - CLICK HERE

Content & Delivery at CRCNA General Synod 2023

I am just an outsider*, but it appears to that this summer's General Synod of the CRC was marked by such ongoing tension that it may well have left the church with more confusion than clarity given the issues, the interaction and the things left unresolved.

I won't get into the details of the entire meeting and all the discussions and decisions in this post.  I think you can - and should! - get that from the CRC denomination news website TheBanner.org.  CLICK HERE for that.  

But when I read statements like .  .  .

"What grieves me is that we make decision here, and then we leave - and some decide to be ogres and jerks about it.  If you are going to vote for this majority report, please don't leave here and be a jerk about it.  .  .  Yes, I want to believe, if we're not jerks about it, we can find a place to converse."  

I'm seeing pretty significant tension, especially when the parties fail to reconcile or resolve.  CLICK HERE for the specifics. 

In this particular case,  I understand what the speaker is upset about, and have spoken to it myself, though I used different language.  CLICK HERE for the first and CLICK HERE for the second of two seperate blog posts.

It seems to me that when we speak as the church to our surrounding world, we need to be gospel-centered with BOTH our "content" AND our "delivery."  

There is in fact a "faith that was once for all entrusted to God's holy people" - Jude 3.  That is the "content" side of our message.  Though applied and communincated to each generation and setting, this "content" is not ours to be altered.  Neither the world nor the church can add to or subract from that content - though admittedly, we may all vary in what we include.

But there is also the "delivery" side of our responsibility.  I would say directly that it contradicts the gospel of God's grace when we communicate it with self-righteousness.  It is all too possible to say the "right" thing in the "wrong" way.  Sadly, I have experience in doing that and NO interest in repeating my mistake.  Even when we get the content correct - or as correct as humans can get God's truth - we can miscommunicate it because of our delivery.

Speaking only for myself-the-outsider* here: It looks to me like the CRC has gotten the content mostly correct with regard to the matter of human sexuality in our time; both with the full report and the modification made to QandA #108 of the catechism.  But I am also feeling a strong undercurrent of "missing it" on the delivery side of things.  The exhortation to "don't leave here and be a jerk about it" is a call to be just as concerned and Christ-like in our delivery as we must be with our content.  It's a BOTH/AND matter.

*Full Disclosure: I am not ordained in the Christian Reformed Church.  Instead, I have been a Teaching Elder in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church for over 35 years. (Learn more at EPC.org) I am currently serving in a congregation - Harderwyk Ministries - with over a century of connection to the CRC.  As a result, I have participated in Holland Classis meetings and observed General Synod meetings as something of an outsider, but one who wants to be respectful and appreciative of the CRC's history while also being supportive and involved in it's future.

Sorting Through CRCNA General Synod 2023

Pastor Bill, what is your read on the General Synod of the CRCNA this summer?

Even though I am ordained in a different denomination, I get asked that question because I am serving at Harderwyk Ministries, a congregation here in Holland, MI with over a century of connection with the CRC.  So I try to stay informed by observing with appreciation.  

My answer:

"Well, I don't think we (the CRC) slashed our throat, but it seems we shot ourselves in the foot."  Not very positive I know, but it seems to be descriptive of the situation.

Fair warning: I'm going to switch into some "Church Jargon" from here on that assumes the reader is at least somewhat conversant in the issues, discussions and decisions of General Synod of 2023.  If you are not, I'd suggest reading TheBanner.org reporting.  CLICK HERE

"Slashing our throat" would have been a serious turning from the historic faith of the church - the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people as Jude 3 puts it.  A turning from the authority of or clear message of the Bible with regard to the nature of humanity or marriage for example.  For me, at this Synod that would have looked like overturning the Human Sexuality Report altogether or sanctioning same-sex marriage or ordaining non-celibate, same-sex-attracted persons.  Nothing on that order was done that would put the CRC on a dramatic death spiral like other main-line denominations.

There were some things being considered that could have helped us stay true to the faith and communicate the gospel in our time though.  For example: I am inclined to alter Confessions and Catechisms as little as possible.  "Settled and Binding" status for the modifications of QandA # 108 rather than "Confessional Status" seemed reasonable to me.  Given the creativity of broken humans when it comes to new ways to sin, it seemed unwise to specifically list behaviors that comprise "unchastity."  We will proabably have some things to add in a few decades.  These and other things may not have really been crippling or fatal, but they were perhaps opportunities for good health missed.

"Shooting Ourselves In The Foot" - And then there were times it looks to me like the Synod "shot ourselves in the foot."  Not fatal.  At least not right now.  Still, there is real blood on the floor.  There is a need for surgery, physical therapy and probably a lifetime limp.  Pretty serious stuff, even if not immediately fatal.

Cutting important and difficult discussion short because of time?? Yikes!!  Reaching a healthy conclusion is simply worth the time.  CLICK HERE 

Tense discussions about Confessional Status for changes made last year to the Heidelberg Catechsim QandA #108 - CLICK HERE But where do those tensions get resolved?  CLICK HERE for more of my own reflections on this very matter.

Who in the world ever thought up this "gravamina process" for dealing with confessional difficulties?  I'm presbyterian and we've been willing to state exceptions and let them be considered as acceptable or not, but gravamina?? Huh?!?  And what is the status or options for office holders and professors who do not support the confessional standards as now stated?  

All these and others are conversations that will need to be had and decisions that have real outcomes will need to be made, not put off or swept under the rug.

I'm sure it was a hard week on nearly everyone and I don't want to come off snarky, unsympathetic or even unappreciative of the challenge they faced.  But we will need to be honest: there is still hard territory to cross ahead for the CRC.

Don't Miss This Example! - After posting this blog, I stumbled across a VERY interesting post by an ethnic Korean delegate at the CRC General Synod this summer that illustrates in real life a "prat of the body that has been wounded."  CLICK HERE for the post.  I understand that The Abide Project that gives him platform is an advocacy group on the matter of Human Sexuality in the CRC.  Still, they are giving voice to someone who felt ignored in this summer's deliberations.  In my estimation, the "progeressive side" of the human sexuality controversy has a good deal of access and voice in the debate even though their conviction is in the minority.  Apparently, they are not the "party" without a voice in this controversy and everyone should take that into account.