Is it really that easy? In the Jan. 5, 1987 issue of The Banner our denominational pundit, Rev. William Buursma, answers a question which ought to strike at the heart of any sincerely Christian Reformed Church member. The question deals with the reasons for our existence as a church. The questioner says that “open communion; irregular catechism preaching, declining house visitation, and hymn singing” were the reasons for separation from the Reformed Church in America back in 1857. The question is, if effect, “Aren’t these reasons inadequate and aren’t we therefore a schismatic denomination?”
Buursma’s answer: “Honesty requires that we acknowledge that the reasons given for leaving the Reformed Church in America were inadequate.” In other words, the questioner is right. We are schismatics. Blessed schismatics (“God has richly blessed the Christian Reformed Church”); ·but our origins are such as to require confession of sin (so I interpret his “honest” acknowledgement).
I’ll try to be fair to my friend Buursma even though my blood-pressure makes that difficult. It is hard not to resent his all-too-casual and really wrong presentation of the facts concerning my ecclesiastical legitimacy.
May I point out the following?
If we grant that the list of reasons for forming a separate denomination is fully accurate , are the items mentioned “minor” in character? Doesn’t “open communion” touch one of the most sacred of all Christian institutions (the Lord’s Supper, 1 Cor. 11:29)? Doesn’t that relate also to one of the indispensable marks of the true church, namely, church discipline? Doesn’t “irregular catechism preaching” touch one of the most basic of divine provisions for our spiritual life and growth, namely, the preaching of the Word? Doesn’t “house visitation” reflect on another inestimably serious matter, namely, loving, continuous, spiritual, pastoral care? And if “hymn singing” isn’t all that important, why are we spending an enormous amount of money to insure the provision of a Psalter Hymnal which will preclude the use of inferior, even very bad hymns?
Sorry Bill! Your answer is too easy!
