"So What Do You Mean By 'Evangelical'?"

I am ordained in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, so when people use the term “evangelical” I listen up and get a bit particular.  Depending on the circles you run in, the word “evangelical” can have a variety of associations and meanings.  Let’s dig into that a bit.

National Association of Evangelicals

Who should know better what “evangelical” means than the National Association of Evangelicals?  CLICK HERE for their website.  This organization, founded in 1942, now represents 45,000 local churches in the United States from nearly 40 different denomination, including the Christian Reformed Church of North America to which Harderwyk belongs, and the EPC where I am ordained.

From the NAE website:

Historian David Bebbington also provides a helpful summary of evangelical distinctives, identifying four primary characteristics of evangelicalism:

• Conversionism: the belief that lives need to be transformed through a “born-again” experience and a life long process of following Jesus
• Activism: the expression and demonstration of the gospel in missionary and social reform efforts
• Biblicism: a high regard for and obedience to the Bible as the ultimate authority
• Crucicentrism: a stress on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross as making possible the redemption of humanity

For more information:

CLICK HERE for a 2 minute NAE video

CLICK HERE for the NAE webpage “What Is An Evangelical?”

Historically, these convictions can be seen as a distinct segment within in many denominations and traditions through centuries: Charles Spurgeon – a 19th century English Baptist, John Newton, William Wilberforce and the Wesley brothers in the 18th century.

Our Current Confusion

I call them “Political Evangelicals.”  As it turns out, there are people who identify their religious conviction as “evangelical” when they are surveyed in an exit poll during an election.  Unfortunately, it is well-known though rarely talked about that upwards of 40-60% - actual research is fairly rare and varies in findings – of people who choose “evangelical” in an exit poll have not been to a church gathering of any sort in over one year – and this is pre-COVID!  If pressed to respond to Bebbington’s “Four Points,” these people will not hold to one OR MORE of those core convictions.  

Suffice it to say that conclusions about “evangelicals” based on exit polls are worth doubting if you want to know what people who regularly worship in churches with those four convictions are thinking.

There is A LOT of background on this question of "political evangelicals" and the confusion with exit polls.  As always, I'm happy to talk more with anyone about this.  Simple contact me through Harderwyk Ministries and we can make arrangements.  As a start, here are three resources:

• "What Is An Evangelical?" - Christianity Today, Nov 2015 - CLICK HERE
• "Defining Evangelical" - The Atlantic, Nov 2015 - CLICK HERE
• "Where is Trump's Evangelical Base?  Not in Church" - The Washington Post, March 2016 - CLICK HERE

Look at the dates and sources and you will see why I said this question has been around for a while.  It continues.

Marching With Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

From the 1963 book Why We Can't Wait by Dr. Martin Luther, Jr. - p. 64

Every volunteer was required to sign a Commitment Card that read:

I hereby Pledge Myself - My Person and Body - to the nonviolent movement.  Therefore I will keep the following Ten Commandments:

1. Meditate daily on the teachings and life of Jesus. 
2. Remember always that the nonviolent movement in Birmingham seeks justice and reconciliation — not victory. 
3. Walk and talk in the manner of love, for God is love. 
4. Pray daily to be used by God in order that all men might be free. 
5. Sacrifice personal wishes in order that all men might be free. 
6. Observe with both friend and foe the ordinary rules of courtesy. 
7. Seek to perform regular service for others and for the world. 
8. Refrain from the violence of fist, tongue or heart. 
9. Strive to be in good spiritual and bodily health. 
10. Follow the directions of the movement and of the captain of a demonstration.”

I sign this pledge, having seriously considered what I do and with the determination and will to persevere.

 

This Commitment Card speaks for itself in reflecting the influence of the Gospel and a biblical worldview on Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in their Civil Rights work.

It also begs the question: How different is this from the commitments driving the leaders and participants of all the various expressions of social unrest over this past year?

Heavenward - Daily Prayers With Scotty Smith

I often refer to and use portions of the daily prayers by Scotty Smith in our Celebration Worship Services here at Harderwyk.  Here are linked instructions on how you can make these prayers a part of your daily life - receiving them either by email or as a feed in the PrayerMate app for smartphone or tablet.

Receiving Daily Emails

1. Open Web Browser and go to: www.TheGospelCoalition.Com
2. Click “Explore” in the top left corner of the webpage
3. Scroll down the list on the left and click “Blogs”
4. Scroll down the list on the left and click  “Scotty Smith – Heavenward”
5. On the right of that page, look for “Subscribe to Scotty’s Blog”
6. Enter your email address in the box above that and press Enter on your keyboard
7. That will clear as it registers your address and now you should receive each morning into your email inbox an email from addressee “Scotty Smith” with the title of the prayer for that day in the subject line.  If you do not see it within a day or two, you may want to check your filters or spam folder before trying the process again.

As a Daily Feed in the PrayerMate app on your smartphone or tablet

This is Pastor Bill’s favorite method.  The PrayerMate app is a central part of my daily prayer routine and I highly recommend it.

1. Install the PrayerMate app by Discipleship Technologies from your Apple or Android App Store.
2. There are a number of learning helps when you first open the app and even more on their website: CLICK HERE.  Check out this intro from YouTube: CLICK HERE  as well as this step-by-step start-up: CLICK HERE
3. Once you have installed the PrayerMate app:
1. Tap “Add Subject” from the menu at the bottom of the page
2. Type “Heavenward” in the field below “What would you like to pray for?”
3. This should bring up the Suggested Resource  “Heavenward by Scotty Smith.”
4. Tap “Subscribe To This Feed” and follow instructions.
4. Call Pastor Bill at the church or email him at Bill@Harderwyk.com to let him know that you are interested in using PrayerMate in your own prayer life.  You may also be interested in knowing about some ways that Harderwyk may begin sharing prayer requests using PrayerMate.

If You Prefer a Book Format

Everyday Prayers: 365 Days To A Gospel-Centered Faith by Scotty Smith – CLICK HERE

Every Season Prayers: Gospel-Centered Prayers for the Whole of Life by Scotty Smith – CLICK HERE

Vaccines and Total Depravity

For the record: I can hardly wait to get vaccinated for COVID-19.  I’ll be happy to develop what immunity I can that way, so that I don’t get sick – or perhaps just “as sick as I otherwise would” – or even more importantly, pass it on to others.

But I also know that things happen in life.  And not all of them are good things.

People mean well.  They do their best.  They have good intentions.  They take precautions.  But then something unexpected results.  We call it the “Law of Unexpected Consequences.”

For me as a Christ-follower – of the “Calvinist” stripe, to be more specific – I understand that “Law of Unexpected Consequences” to sometimes be the result of sin in our world.  The Canons of Dordt called it Total Depravity.  Sin – and its brokenness – touch everything that humans are and everything that humans create.  Of course, not everything we do or make is bad, evil or dangerous.  I’m thankful for modern plumbing, modern medicine and big-screen TV’s – to name just a few.  But each of these have “unintended consequences” and not all of them are beneficial to everyone all the time.  We are broken people living in a broken world who create things. That is a reflection of being made in the “image of God.” We usually intend those things for good, but they are touched by our brokenness.  Unintended consequences can result, even with pure motives.

Including with vaccines.

So let us be honest about that:  The anxiously awaited COVID-19 vaccine will have some unintended consequences.  I expect most to be minor for most people.  Some consequences will be more problematic for some people.  I fear – and expect – that for a small fraction of people, the vaccine might even be fatal.

The question is not “Are there risks?”  The question is: “To the best of our knowledge, what are the risks?  And are they worth the benefits? And what is the risk/benefit of doing nothing?”  And then, there is the Law of Unintended Consequences.

So I am ready to be vaccinated, even as I understand the risks and the Law of Unintended Consequences.

All this comes to mind as the United Kingdom has approved and begun to administer a COVID-19 vaccine by Pfizer.  Meanwhile, here in the United States, we will be waiting at least another two weeks for FDA approval.  Am I upset that the US is “in second place”?  Not really, and here’s why.

Part of this process is evaluating risk and potential consequences.  Our FDA has a history of being more thorough in this part of the process and as a result, taking longer getting medications to market than other countries.  I am willing to live with that though because I remember the drug thalidomide.  Let me point you to two references:

British doctors prescribed thalidomide for expectant mothers from 1958 to 1962 to control the symptoms of morning sickness. The drug, developed by a German firm, was used internationally as a sedative and hailed because overdose simply caused prolonged sleep, not death. – CLICK HERE

Thalidomide was first marketed in 1957 in West Germany, where it was available over the counter. When first released, thalidomide was promoted for anxiety, trouble sleeping, "tension", and morning sickness. While initially thought to be safe in pregnancy, concerns regarding birth defects arose in 1961 and the medication was removed from the market in Europe that year. The total number of people affected by use during pregnancy is estimated at 10,000, of whom about 40% died around the time of birth. Those who survived had limb, eye, urinary tract, and heart problems. Its initial entry into the US market was prevented by Frances Kelsey at the FDA.  (Emphasis mine.) The birth defects caused by thalidomide led to the development of greater drug regulation and monitoring in many countries. – CLICK HERE

Though I am anxious to get vaccinated so I can eventually shake hands with people, sing hymns without a mask and go to a restaurant, I’m willing to move slowly on this one and better evaluate risks and consequences.  I’ll keep my mask on, keep my distance and stay home for another two weeks.  Even three if that helps.

Until then, we are broken people living as best we can in a broken world, but aware of the Law of Unintended Consequences.  We’re sinners, who long for a Savior.  Come, Lord Jesus.

Donkeys, Carrots, and Sticks - Excerpt From Give Them Grace

Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids With The Love of Jesus by Elyse Fitzpatrick and Jessica Thompson is a GREAT book on gospel-centered parenting.  I can't recommend it enough, and boy!, don't I wish I had read it before my oldest was born.  Just to give you a taste, here is a story I often used when preaching.  CLICK HERE to purchase the book.

Donkeys, Carrots, and Sticks 

Everyone struggles with obedience no matter how old they are. Little children want to touch what Daddy has said no to; older children refuse to share their toys even though they know they should; teens sneak their cell phones out to text their friends when they should be studying; adults know they are commanded to love their neighbor but gossip about him anyway. No matter what our age or our maturity in Christ, everyone has a problem with sin, even the apostle Paul. He said, “I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Rom. 7: 19).

Every parent also has a theory of training and motivation, an underlying belief of how to get kids to do what they want, whether it’s clearly stated or not. During the 1800s one theory based on promises of reward and threats of punishment was developed. Basically, this theory proposed that there were two ways to get a donkey to move a cart. First, you could dangle a carrot in front of the donkey, fooling the donkey into thinking that if he pulls the cart far enough, he’ll get to eat the carrot. The second is to prod the donkey along the road by hitting him with a stick. If the donkey is motivated by the ultimate reward of a carrot, the stick won’t be necessary, but if he’s not really all that interested in carrots, then the stick will be employed. Either way, through reward or through punishment, the cart driver gets what he wants. 

I learned this motivational paradigm when I taught in a Christian school in the 1970s and early 1980s. I remember a cartoon of a silly-looking donkey moseying down the road with a carrot dangling in front of his dim eyes and a farmer seated behind him with a whip. It seemed logical to me. Motivate the kids with a reward or motivate them with punishment; either way was fine, as long as they got down the road. 

I’m sorry to say that I carried this philosophy over into my home with my own children. When they behaved, they got to put beans in a jar to earn a trip to the ice cream shop. When they failed to behave, beans were removed. If one child disobeyed, the others suffered for it and would pressure the rebel to fall into line. I really believed that the carrots and the sticks were working well with my little donkeys. But there were several significant problems: my children weren’t donkeys; they were image-bearers of the incarnate God; I wasn’t ultimately in charge— he was— and, of course, we had completely overlooked the gospel. 

How would the gospel transform the motivational paradigm above? Quite simply, by turning the entire model on its head. Because both parents and children obstinately refuse to pull the cart of God’s glory down the road, the Father broke the stick of punishment on his obedient Son’s back. Rather than trying to entice us by dangling an unattainable carrot of perfect welcome and forgiveness incessantly in front of our faces, God the Father freely feeds the carrot to us, his enemies. He simply moves outside all our categories for reward and punishment, for human motivation, and gives us all the reward and takes upon himself all the punishment. He lavishes grace upon grace on us and bears in his own person all the wrath that we deserve. Then he tells us, in light of all that he’s done, “Obey.” 

Yes, we do have promises of rewards in heaven, but these are not earned by us through our merit. Yes, there are promises of punishment, but not for those who are “in Christ.” All our punishment has been borne by him. The carrot is ours. The stick is his. Manage them with beans in a jar if you must, but be sure to tell them that it isn’t the gospel. And perhaps, once in a while, just fill the jar up with beans and take everyone out for ice cream, and when your son asks you, “Daddy, why do we get ice cream? How did the jar get to be full?” you’ll know what to say, won’t you?

Fitzpatrick, Elyse M.; Thompson, Jessica. Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus (p. 107-108). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

Giving Thanks Like The Pilgrims

Several years ago, Mary Lynn and I had the opportunity to take a three day "American History" tour for college credit through Massachusetts.  That kindled a deep respect and ongoing appreciation for the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620.

Since then, Thanksgiving has become my favorite national holiday.  No surprise there!  I love to eat, gather with family, nap through football games, and watch advertisers attempt to commercialize a holiday meant to focus on giving thanks, not acquiring more.  And I always love to review the history of those Pilgrims and their Plymouth Colony.

Thanksgiving Day Service 2020 at Harderwyk

God’s people – from Passover to Plymouth Colony to right here and now – have made a practice of gratitude, hospitality and a meal during hard times.  We need not give that up, even if we do it differently in 2020.

For this year, our annual Thanksgiving Day Worship Service will be online only.  Harderwyk will have no onsite gathering on Thanksgiving Day as we have done in the past.  Instead, we are encouraging households, both large and small, to take a pause from the challenges of life, and join together online for a time of Scripture, prayer and music focused on gratitude and thanksgiving.  Watch for links in email from Harderwyk both Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving and Thursday, Thanksgiving Day.  

We plan to include a simple "Forward To A Friend" button that should make it easy to "invite" someone to view the service where ever they are.

When you have viewed the service, show hospitality by making a phone call who has been isolated.  Or safely deliver some food or a gift card to a neighbor rather than having them join around your table indoors.  Or make a holiday gift donation online to Neighbors Plus or another food ministry.  However you choose to express it, plan to give thanks to God and extend kindness to a family member or neighbor.

Pandemics, with the needed distancing and masks and protocols, are not pleasant.  Let’s just be honest about that.  But for Christ-followers, gratitude is a response to the Gospel of God’s Grace.  How we express that gratitude may need to be different this year for health reasons, but no external circumstance should have place to rob our hearts of what Jesus has done on the cross.

Grace Abounding!,
Pastor Bill