There is beauty in order, for God is a God of order. There is order in nature, and we speak of its laws, for Scripture tells us God made it so (Job 38:33, Jeremiah 31:36). In Psalm 148:6 we read concerning the heavenly bodies that, “He set them in place for ever and ever; he gave them a decree that will never pass away.” These time-keepers never lose a second; they move as God has ordered them.
God has ordered man’s life too. He has established His laws for us and says of them, “Until heaven and ear th disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the law until everything is accomplished.” He demands that men obey H is laws. Where this is done, there is the beauty of an ordered life. Where that is not done, chaos reigns, for sin produces chaos. It is the breaking of God’s laws and therefore the destruction of all that is beautiful. A lawless society is self-destructive!
Accordingly, Scripture demands that when God’s people gather for worship everything be done “in a fitting and orderly way” (1 Cor. 14:40). To that end the whole structure of the congregational life is ordered by God. He calls and has His officers ordained to be “watchmen” over the ·flock. These men are to be able to rule well, beginning with their own families, and able to teach. They are charged to see that all things are done orderly and decently, in harmony with God’s will.
This is often forgotten in some of our congregations today. One is baffled and saddened by some of the practices among us. We have a Church Order to guide consistories and congregations, but some consistories and ministers act as though it did not exist. For example: the church calls for ministers to solemnize marriages “with appropriate admonitions, promises, and prayers, as provided for in the official form” (Church Order Article 69,b). In many marriages today the couple writes its own form. In one case, the couple also took care of the entire solemnization and when they were finished, the minister declared them husband and wife. This is one way of saying that the congregation really has nothing to do with the forming of a covenant home and that a minister is needed because the law requires it. To top it off, a communion service was held at which the bridesmaids served the elements.
In another marriage one of our ministers solemnized it together with a Roman Catholic priest. To top it off, he joined in the celebration of the Mass afterward. One wonders how a couple can answer the questions of our prescribed form of marriage in such a case. Or whether perhaps, also in this a compromise was reached with the Catholic priest. The Roman Catholics are rather scrupulous about marriage in the Catholic faith, also when a member of their church marries one of another church. Surely such compromises ought not to take place among us.
Another example is even of a more serious nature. In one of our churches a minister of the United Church of Canada was allowed to conduct one of the services. This in itself is a violation of Church Order Article 53. But this happened to be a female minister. Needless to say many members went elsewhere for this service.
These are some extremes. Other practices should also be mentioned. Synod of1961 issued a strong warning against “so called ‘Youth Services’” (Acts ofSynod, 1961, p. 98, 99). One of the grounds given was (.4) “It may be true that at the present time only small children are being excused from listening to the preaching of the Word. The argument is that such preaching is beyond their mental capacity. But it is likely that after a few years this same argument would be extended to older children as well. The argument is fallacious. Our children must be made to realize that they should attend the church services, and especially, too, the preaching of the Word, because they as well as their parents belong to God’s covenant and to His Church. They are to realize, already at an early age, that they, too, should be found in their heavenly Father’s house, where God’s people are gathered together.” The warning then sounded has become a reality. Churches have Sunday School for grades 1 to 6. The argument is exactly what is mentioned: They get instruction on their level of understanding. Beside that, in many cases they are dismissed with a special prayer for a blessing on their instruction. All objections to this unreformed practice fall on deaf ears.
Beside this, one can mention a host of other strange practices that violate good order. Some congregations have what is called a “service participant.” I think that is a good thing if ordained officers, especially elders, lead that part of the service which includes the prayer of confession, assurance of pardon, God’s will for our lives, etc. But this part of the service is given to various members of the congregation, including women. There is also what is called “The service of Praise,” which is actually a song service. Various members conduct that, including women, and some of them use it to get in short sermonettes. These things ought not to take place in our services. They are a violation of what actually comprises a well-ordered service.
Such examples as these show bow we are losing all concept of proper, well-ordered-according-to-God’s will worship services, and of what it means to be united as covenant homes into a covenant family (congregation) of God. Our forefathers gave special attention and thought to this. So should we. By our rather mad pursuit of change we are losing a precious heritage. Let us hold to that which is good and never change unless we are convinced that what replaces the old is better. May our God guard us in our covenant heritage.
Cecil Tuininga is a retired CRC pastor at Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.