Some Baptism Reflections

We are preparing for several people to make Profession of Faith and be baptized this Sunday.   Because several have requested to be baptized by immersion, it seemed like a good time for me to gather some thoughts and history.

Typically in the Christian Reformed Church denomination, people are baptized as children by believing parents who stand in the covenant promise of Genesis 17:7 first given to Abraham. "I will be your God and your children's God," the LORD said to Abraham and his wife Sara; a promise to them regarding their houshold.

With the death and resurrection of Jesus, baptism became the sign of covenant relationship both for the new believers as well their households.  See Acts 16:15 as one of many examples.

That the covenant sign extended to children based on God's promise to their believing parents, was never meant to preclude or replace a child's own coming to a personal faith - "owning" those promises to their parents for themselves.  Hence, the practice of "Profession of Faith" in the CRC.

On Sunday, everyone will be doing both Baptism and Profession of Faith in the same step of faith.  Because they are adults and it is summer, it works well for us to do these baptisms at a nearby lake.

So it is good to remember that our deepest committment is to believing faith, not a form; the faith that we express with baptism, and not the form which the baptism may take.  With that in mind, here's three Scriptures follwed by two historic statements that shine light on our worship this Sunday.

Baptism as Covenant Sign – Colossians 2:11-12

In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 

Baptism as Washing Away of Sin - Acts 22:16

And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name. 

Baptism as Death and Resurrection – Romans 6:3-4

Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

John Calvin in his Institutes of the Christian Religion writes:

But whether the person being baptized should be wholly immersed, and whether thrice or once, whether he should only be sprinkled with poured water—these details are of no importance, but ought to be optional to churches according to the diversity of countries. Yet the word “baptize” means to immerse, and it is clear that the rite of immersion was observed in the ancient church.   IV, xv, 19

And a particular favorite of mine because of his passion, eloquence and surprise,

Martin Luther in his book The Babylonian Captivity of the Church, 3:23, written in 1520 writes:

Hence it is indeed correct to say that baptism washes sins away, but that expression is too weak and mild to bring out the full significance of baptism, which is rather a symbol of death and resurrection. For this reason I would have the candidates for baptism completely immersed in the water, as the word says and as the sacrament signifies. Not that I deem this necessary, but it would be well to give to so perfect and complete a thing a perfect and complete sign. Thus it was also doubtless instituted by Christ. The sinner does not so much need to be washed as he needs to die, in order to be wholly renewed and made another creature, and to be conformed to the death and resurrection of Christ, with Whom, through baptism, he dies and rises again. Although you may properly say that Christ was washed clean of mortality when He died and rose again, yet that is a weaker way of putting it than if you said He was completely changed and renewed. In the same way it is far more forceful to say that baptism signifies that we die completely and rising to eternal life, than to say that it signifies merely our being washed clean from sins.

John Calvin: The Human Heart Is A Factory of Idols - The Context

You have heard me mention that statement attributed to John Calvin.  It is important enough and I point to it often enough that I wanted to provide ore context.

It is a statement from Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion found in:

• BOOK ONE - The Knowledge of God the Creator 
• CHAPTER XI - It It Unlawful To Attribute a Visible Form To God, And Generally Whoever Sets Up Idols Revolts Against The True God 
• SECTION 8 -  The Origin of Images: Man’s Desire for a Tangible Deity

  and here is the statement with surrounding context:

   .  .  .  From this we may gather that man’s nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols. .  .  . 

.  .  .  Man’s mind, full as it is of pride and boldness, dares to imagine a god according to its own capacity; as it sluggishly plods, indeed is overwhelmed with the crassest ignorance, it conceives an unreality and an empty appearance as God.

To these evils a new wickedness joins itself, that man tries to express in his work the sort of God he has inwardly conceived. Therefore the mind begets an idol; the hand gives it birth. The example of the Israelites shows the origin of idolatry to be that men do not believe God is with them unless he shows himself physically present. .  .  .

.  .  .  Daily experience teaches that flesh is always uneasy until it has obtained some figment like itself in which it may fondly find solace as in an image of God. In almost every age since the beginning of the world, men, in order that they might obey this blind desire, have set up symbols in which they believed God appeared before their bodily eyes.

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion & 2, ed. John T. McNeill, trans. Ford Lewis Battles, vol. 1, The Library of Christian Classics (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011), 108–109.

Classic Christian Writers For FREE!

That is correct: Free in the Kindle digital format.  Don't have or use Kindle?  There is a free answer to that: The Kindle app is FREE for computer (Mac and Windows), iPad and tablets and smartphones of all sorts (Appled iPhone, Samsung with Android, Google phones and more).  Get the app and you can get the books free - and read them at no cost on your computer, tablet or phone.  One chapter a day of a classic Christian writer for FREE?!?  At that price, I got over my yearning to "have a physical book in my hand."  Try it.  CLICK HERE to learn more and download the Kindle app.

Of course, all the books I link below are also available in paperback, so there is that option as well.  It's just not free.

My Initial Suggestions

As a start, you will find below links to 5 different classics that I would recommend for personal growth from a favorite author of mine: Andrew Murray, the 19th century South African Dutch Reformed writer.  

Note: many older books are available in "new and updated versions" that I typically advise.  A case in point are my recommendations from Andrew Murray.  Murray has shaped my prayer life probably more than any other single writer.  I did my doctoral dissertatin on him in fact!  But he was educated in Scotland and the Netherlands.  Pastored in South Africa, preaching in their dialect of English, Dutch, Afrikaans and several tribal languages.  Frankly, my usual language is pretty different than his language - even his English.  The "new and updated" versions that I am recommend will alter vocabulary, syntax and a few phrases to make that bridge easier to cross.

CLICK each image for the Amazon Link.

The Prayer Life

With Christ in the School of Prayer

Humility

Divine Healing

Absolute Surrender

Just So You Know: Lakeshore Little People's Place Closing

What does Harderwyk have to do with the closing of the Lakeshore Little People's Place (LLPP) childcare center on our property?  Actually, not much.

I was away at the beach when I first heard about the sudden closing of the childcare center called Lakeshore Little People's Place. I pass by it every day as I come to my office.  It stands between Harderwyk's Red Brick Building where our offices are and the Anchor Gym across the parking lot.  Since hearing about the closure, I have followed the events as reported in The Holland Sentinel and been suprised to read the center consistently referred to as "Lakeshore Little People's Place Harderwyk" or "Harderwyk location."

So what does Harderwyk Ministries have to do with this unfortunate and disruptive series of events?  As I said, not much.

Lakeshore Little People's Place is an independent business with it's own governing board that leases building space from Harderwyk Ministries.  They had four - now only three - different locations in Holland and Hamilton, all of them using building space connected with churches.  Here is what I learned from their website:

How We Started

In 1993, a group of community members noticed a need for local Christian childcare. To ask for help, they contacted the Holland Deacons’ Conference, a coalition of Christian Reformed churches. After exploring many options, it was suggested that churches could partner to provide childcare for the community. In 1997, Lakeshore Little People’s Place opened its doors for the first time, serving twenty preschool children at Maplewood Reformed Church. Our program continued to grow and by August of 1997, we were able to open two additional centers. Today, we serve more than 400 children and families across four locations in the Holland and Hamilton areas. - CLICK HERE for link to site.

Some Observations

Two things stand out to me as I've followed this situation:

This Is Hard For Families of the Children

Wow!  I can only imagine the disruption for the parents of the children served - married couples, single parents, grand-parents helping out.  Less than 48 ours before starting work on Monday, you find out that your pre-school child/ren are without the care that they have been accustomed to!  Hard on parents and disrupting on the children themselves.

Staffing Continues To Be A Challenge For Local Businesses

Harderwyk Ministries has one liaison on the board of LLPP.  They explained to me how that unexpected and sudden resignations by multiple staff made it impossible to open and meet both the safe expectations of families and mandatory state staffing ratios.  While I can't know what led to that situation, I can see the consequences that we all have to deal with.  Ouch all around.

At present, we at Harderwyk have no plans regarding what might be next for the building that we leased to Lakeshore Little People's Place all these past years.  Things happened as unexpectedly for us as it did for the managers of LLPP and families of the children served.  We are gathering facts, generating options and researching costs.  We will see where the Lord leads in the months to come.

For now, our hearts go out to all affected by this sudden turn of events, most of all the children and their families and then the staff and leaders of LLPP. 

Holland Sentinel Articles

May 24 - Lakeshore Little People's Place closes Harderwyk location amid staffing struggles

• CLICK HERE for article.

June 2 - Parents: Sudden childcare center closure was ‘disappointing,’ ‘heartbreaking’

• CLICK HERE for article.

June 6 - Staff, families come together for student celebration after LLPP daycare closure

CLICK HERE for article.

2023 Harderwyk Council Election Information

 

2023 Council Slate: The following members have agreed to serve on the Council of Harderwyk Ministries. An electronic affirmation vote will take place from June 1 through June 4.

Peter de Vries  - Celebration Elder Peter lives on the south side with his wife of 50+ years, Barbara. Their clan includes four grown children, and grandchildren who are having children. Pete grew up in Grand Haven (2nd CRC) and GHCS); wandered off to attend the US Naval Academy and retired after 25 years as a carrier aviator and oceanographer. He pursued several additional mini-careers prior to coming home to West Michigan in 2019.  He has previously served God’s family in numerous leadership positions, including 15 years as ruling elder. He now feels called into service again and eagerly anticipates the opportunity to establish relationships that collectively glorify God and advance the Kingdom, while being found in, formed by, and following the Lord Jesus Christ.

Leanne Halma - Clerk Leanne lives on the south side of Holland with her husband, Wade, and their children, Ashton, Ella and Adelyn.  She is a graduate of Dordt University where she earned her BA in Communications with a minor in Psychology.  The Halma family lived in Sioux Center, Iowa; Pella, Iowa; and Cincinnati, Ohio before moving to Holland, Leanne’s hometown, in 2017.  They have been attending Harderwyk Fusion since then, and more recently became members. Leanne works as the Director of Advancement for Holland Christian Schools, and serves on the HC Foundation Board, Investment Committee, Stewardship Committee and Ditto Resale Store Board.  She notes that Harderwyk was the first church they visited when they moved to Michigan, and were continually drawn back due its gospel-rooted teaching, welcoming community and opportunity to connect with a small group. She feels called to serve on Harderwyk’s Council and is eager to more deeply engage in the church and greater community, as we extend the invitation to join in the journey of being found in, formed by and following Jesus.

Jessica Lynch - Deacon of Social Justice & Reconciliation Jessica lives in Holland. She is originally from the greater Chicago suburbs but has lived in the area since 2002 and considers Holland home. Jessica works at the Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce as the Director of Membership. She graduated from Holland Christian High School and went on to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in public and Nonprofit Administration from Grand Valley State University. Jessica’s first interaction with Harderwyk Ministries was as a middle schooler attending youth group. She has been volunteering/on staff with Harderwyk Student Ministries since 2008. Jessica has a passion for working with youth as they are the future leaders of the church. Through her job at the Chamber, she has the opportunity to engage with the community in a variety of capacities. Jessica currently serves on the Holland/Zeeland Young Professional Board, the Principal Shopping District Board, the Scholarship Committee for the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area, the Ability Award Selection Committee for Disability Network Lakeshore, and the Honorary Campaign Cabinet for the Holland Community Ice Skating Park. Jessica cares deeply about Harderwyk Ministries and our community! She feels called and is eager to serve the Harderwyk community as the Deacon of Social Justice and Reconciliation.

Jill Vander Bent - Elder of Congregational Care, Prayer and Missions Jill Vander Bent lives in Holland with her husband, Phil and her children, Hadley and Hudson. Jill has a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and a Master of Social Work degree, both from Grand Valley State University.  Jill has been a counselor and family therapist since 2003. She served and helped families and children at Bethany Christian Services since the beginning of her career until 2017 when she decided to open her own private practice where she continues to counsel children and families. Jill specializes in providing services to children, adolescents, individuals, couples, and families with a  wide range of needs. Those experiencing anxiety, depression, loss, trauma, abuse, sexual abuse, relationship issues, behavioral issues, family and parenting challenges.​ Because of her work at Bethany, Jill also has expertise working with individuals, families, and children who have experienced trauma, been adopted, are in the process of being adopted, and families with children who are or have been in foster care. Jill and her husband Phil have been attending Harderwyk Ministries since 2000. Jill has gone on Harderwyk mission trips to Ireland and Honduras. She has also been a part of the adoption team at Harderwyk, providing support and care to families and children have been adopted. Jill has enjoyed being a part of several small groups and Bible studies. The Vander Bents also support Neighbors Plus as Jill’s husband Phil currently serves as the treasurer and has been on the Neighbors Plus Board for several years.

So Pastor Bill, What About Mark 16:9-20?

This a fair question and an interesting one as well.  I chose not to engage it in this morning’s Easter sermon only because of time constraints, so I’m glad to post some thoughts and resources.

First of all, among the pastors and scholars who hold to a “high view of inspiration,” I am one of many – perhaps most? – that do not consider this “longer ending of Mark” – Mark 16:9-20 – to be part of Mark’s original gospel.

This is a matter of “text history,” and simply means that this passage is NOT included in what we believe are the earliest physical copies of Mark’s Gospel found so far.  I say “so far” because matters of archaeology are always only as certain as the last thing unearthed and analyzed.  For an example, CLICK HERE to read my post “Freshman Humanities Class and the Book of Daniel.” There are resources below that get deeper into this question for you to pursue as well.

With regard to this specific passage in Mark, it helpful to realize that one our best manuscripts – the Codex Sinaiticus – was not available for study until it was “discovered” by Constantin Tischendorf in 1844, over 200 years AFTER the King James Version translation of the Bible.  Irony alert: our “newer” Bible translations are now based on “older” manuscripts than our traditional translations!

Secondly, it is important to be clear about our understanding of “inspiration”– “our” meaning the body of believers and churches across centuries and multiple cultures, especially as articulated by various Reformed branches of Protestant movement where I would identify myself.  Namely, what is intended by calling the words of the Bible “inspired by God.”

What is NOT meant by “inspired” is that we have golden tablets of divinely chiseled and unchanging words dropped into the world untouched by any human agency.  That is essentially what our Mormon and Muslim neighbors believe about their books, but it is not the historic Christian view.

Christians – and our Jewish “cousins-in-the-faith” – have always believed that the LORD communicated THROUGH humans to the world.  Another name for the Pentateuch, for example. is the “Books of Moses.”  The LORD spoke through the prophets rather than give them something and then removed Himself.

This means that the physical manuscripts of the 66 books that comprise the Bible are significant, important and unique.  But not that they are devoid of human imprint.  They are always pointers – singularly unique and authoritative pointers – but pointers all the same.  They are not God.  They are where God speaks and makes Himself known.

John Calvin in his Institutes (1:13:1) has a marvelous illustration of how the “Beyond-Human-Capacity-LORD-of-the-Universe” makes himself known to the mere mortals He loves: God is wont in a measure to “lisp” in speaking to us? Thus such forms of speaking do not so much express clearly what God is like as accommodate the knowledge of him to our slight capacity.  In the Scriptures, the LORD “condescends” to make Himself known to us.  And it always depends on Him, and not on us OR the books He uses.

From my Presbyterian tradition:

• This authority does not depend on the testimony of any man or church but completely on God, its author, who is himself truth. – Westminster Confession of Faith 1:4
• We are completely persuaded and assured of the infallible truth and divine authority of the Bible only by the inward working of the Holy Spirit, who testifies by and with the word in our hearts.  - WCF 1:5
• The Holy Spirit speaking in the Bible is the supreme judge of all religious controversies, all decisions of religious councils, all the opinions of ancient writers, all human teachings, and every private opinion. We are to be satisfied with the judgment of him who is and can be the only judge. - WCF 1:10
• CLICK HERE for the “Modern English” WCF that we use in my own denomination: the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.  Look to Chapter 1 "On Holy Scripture."

The Dutch churches - CRCNA, RCA denominations and Harderwyk as a congregation - are more connected to the historic Belgic Confession which expresses this same thought in Articles 3 thru 7.  CLICK HERE to see that.

So, as a community of faith across centuries and cultures, we come to the written words of the Bible with care and respect – even a degree of awe – but we look to the God the Spirit who through various human agency spoke to and through human authors, preserved and now continues to superintend our translation and study to finally illuminate our hearts with the knowledge of the true God.

Finally, as many commentators point out – look below for some examples - there is nothing expressed in Mark 16:9-20 that is not recorded or expressed elsewhere in the Scriptures.  We neither loose nor gain any understanding or hope by sticking with our best determination of the earliest manuscript.

 As always, if you would like to pursue a different or more particular aspect of this or any other question, I want to be available.  Call the Harderwyk Ministries to connect with me and we will find a time and setting that moves our conversation forward.  Grace abounding!

 

Additional Resources - BlogPosts

Preacher’s Toolkit: Should I Preach the Longer Ending of Mark?

And thus Mark’s Gospel comes to an end, and an abrupt one at that. Verses 9–20 are not found in the oldest and most reliable manuscripts. Mark’s sudden ending is what he wanted. It makes clear that the disciples were stunned by all of this [e.g. the empty tomb and the angel’s appearance]. They did not expect the resurrection. They did not know how to respond. How would they respond to all this? How will you?  CLICK HERE for entire post.

 

Was Mark 16:9–20 Originally Part of Mark’s Gospel?

If you would like to get some first-hand contact with more depth in the study of text history and manuscripts (it can be pretty detailed and arcane!) this is a good first encounter.  CLICK HERE

Additional Resources - Sample Commentary Excerpts

From The Gospel Transformation Study Bible Notes:

• This “longer ending” of Mark, missing from many of the earliest Greek manuscripts and unlikely a part of the original Gospel account, contains reports of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances. It also narrates his Great Commission and speaks of faith, miracles, and evangelism. Though these verses were likely added to Scripture, the underlying message fits with what we see elsewhere in Scripture: our God will enable the followers of Christ to fulfill his purposes in their lives.^[1]

From The ESV Study Bible Notes:

1. “Longer Ending of Mark.” Some ancient manuscripts of Mark’s Gospel contain these verses and others do not, which presents a puzzle for scholars who specialize in the history of such manuscripts. This longer ending is missing from various old and reliable Greek manuscripts (esp. Sinaiticus and Vaticanus), as well as numerous early Latin, Syriac, Armenian, and Georgian manuscripts. Early church fathers (e.g., Origen and Clement of Alexandria) did not appear to know of these verses. Eusebius and Jerome state that this section is missing in most manuscripts available at their time. And some manuscripts that contain vv. 9–20 indicate that older manuscripts lack the section. On the other hand, some early and many later manuscripts (such as the manuscripts known as A, C, and D) contain vv. 9–20, and many church fathers (such as Irenaeus) evidently knew of these verses. As for the verses themselves, they contain various Greek words and expressions uncommon to Mark, and there are stylistic differences as well. Many think this shows vv. 9–20 to be a later addition. In summary, vv. 9–20 should be read with caution. As in many translations, the editors of the ESV have placed the section within brackets, showing their doubts as to whether it was originally part of what Mark wrote, but also recognizing its long history of acceptance by many in the church. The content of vv. 9–20 is best explained by reference to other passages in the Gospels and the rest of the NT. (Most of its content is found elsewhere, and no point of doctrine is affected by the absence or presence of vv. 9–20.) With particular reference to v. 18, there is no command to pick up serpents or to drink deadly poison; there is merely a promise of protection as found in other parts of the NT (see Acts 28:3–4; James 5:13–16).^[2]

 

---

^[1] Hans F. Bayer, “Mark,” in Gospel Transformation Bible: English Standard Version, ed. Bryan Chapell and Dane Ortlund (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2013), 1351.

ESV English Standard Version

^[2] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 1933.

Navigating The Nashville Shootings - In The First Week

It has been horrible to observe, live and minister through decades of growing gun violence and death in my country, the United States.  I pray weekly with ministry friends whose urban and under-resourced neighborhoods are impacted weekly by this violence and death in ways that my neighborhood is not.  

But I am also  Presbyterian minister from the South who has led a church with a school, held my own 9 year-old children in my arms and watched as those same children navigated this increasingly confusing world in their 20's and 30's.  You will understand if this week's shooting and the deaths in Nashville opened new doors of concern for me.

Growing out of that, let me share some early pastoral reflections on this time, with hope for providing some measure of guidance and guardrails for the people of Celebration-Harderwyk as we navigate together the days ahead.

Praying With Scotty Smith

I regularly pray using the daily prayer blog of Scotty Smith.  No other single resource has helped me pray in light of the Gospel of God's Grace.  This may be the 4,392nd time I have said that publicly.  CLICK HERE to subscribe.

As it turns out: Scotty planted and pastored Grace Community Church in Franklin, TN, not far from the shooting.  In fact, that church and Covenant Church where the shooting occurred are members of the same denomination (Presbyterian Church of America) and prestyery (regional body of that denomination).  The lives of these pastors and their congregations were intertwined.  That makes his prayers particularly poignant and helpful.  Let these prayers guide your own:

• Hold Us Tighter, Jesus - Tues, March 28 - CLICK HERE
• Entering Grief and Risking Hope - Wed, March 29 - CLICK HERE
• Hate Evil, Cling to Good, Adore Jesus - Thurs, March 30 - CLICK HERE

And Yes, God's People Will Respond By Praying

I hear and empathize with the anguish of those who are saying, "It is PAST time for praying, we should DO SOMETHING!"  That can be an expression of raw lament as we read in the Psalms.  I get and affirm that.  My own prayers will start that way at times.

But a prayer like that might also be the logical expression of people who either do not pray, or who do not pray to the LORD of the Scripture.

For Jesus and His followers, our prayers will start with where we honestly find our hearts.  But they do not remain in such a dark place.  For us, all that we do should grow out of our prayer.  That is how Jesus operated.  Prayers lifted to the God of the Bible connect us to a God who is at work in our world and empowers us to join in His work.  That is what a full-vision of gospel-centered prayer entails.

Prayer that does not bear fruit in action - starting but not ending with our own changed hearts and behaviors - is simply sub-Christian.  So are actions that are not birthed in prayer.

Prayerless Living Produces Godless Decisions.

Godless Decisions Produce .  .  .

Finding Reliable Information, Responding With Gospel Grace

About the only thing I am passing along at this time is the post by Joe Carter on TheGospelCoalition.org.  I have grown to trust his "fact-finding" by reading many of his posts on a variety of subjects for years now.

• The FAQs: Shooting at Presbyterian School in Nashville - CLICK HERE

What Can You Say?!?

As best I am able to determine, the only public statement made since the shootings by Chad Scruggs - pastor of Covenant Church and father of one of the 9 year-old victims is this: "Through tears we trust that she is in the arms of Jesus who will raise her to life once again."

When I attempted to get on the church's website, it presented as "unavailable."  Perhaps that is the way to ask for some privacy in this digital age.

Gossip and Godless Speech

Scripture has a good deal to say about gossip, "tale-bearers" and people who stir up conflict.  None of the references are affirming or accepting.

Let me be clear: If you come across information that the police and authorities have not confirmed, then spreading it is gossip.  If you are spreading "information" - by clicking the "like," "share" or "forward" for example - that authorities have specifically said they cannot confirm, that is malicious gossip.  

There may be people and organizations that are willing to say "Better to be first than right!."  I think Jesus calls His followers to be truthful and humble.  After all, it was James - the half-brother of Jesus by the way - who said: "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry."  (James 1:19)  I will aim to be obedient to that rather than upset about being misrepresented or missing out on the latest (purported) hot scoop.