The Liturgical Committee presented to the 1972 Synod of the Christian Reformed Church a new form for Public Profession of Faith (Agenda 1972, pp. 264266). The Williamsburg Consistory submitted Overture 23 asking for several changes in this newly proposed form.
The Advisory Committee incorporated some of these ideas of the overture in its recommendations to Synod. A lively discussion was generated on the floor of Synod, which centered about the meaning of baptism and its relationship to Profession of Faith. To point out what the discussion was about I quote the proposed form in part, placing the words and phrases in italics which evoked debate:
FORMULARY FOR PUBLIC PROFESSION OF FAITH
Beloved in the Lord: Today we are privileged to welcome into the full life of the church’s fellowship those who wish to confess their faith in Christ as Lord and Savior. When they were (or “he was” or “John was”) baptized God claimed them as his own and they were received into the church. Now they wish to share fully in the life of this congregation and of the whole church of God. And so today they will publicly accept and confirm what was done in their baptism, confess their faith in the Lord Jesus, and offer themselves to God as his willing servants. We thank God for having given them this desire and pray that as we now hear their confession, he will favor us with the presence and guidance of his Holy Spirit.
The Vows
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , will you stand now, and in the presence of God and his people respond to the following questions:
1. Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God sent to redeem the world, and do you declare with repentance and joy that he is your Savior from sin and the Lord of your life?
I do.
2. Do you believe that the Bible is the Word of God revealing Christ and his redemption, and that the confessions and proclamations of this church faithfully reflect this revelation?
I do.
3. Do you accept the gracious promises of God sealed to you in your baptism, and do you affirm your union with Christ and his church which your baptism signifies? I do.
4. Do you promise to do all you can, with the help of the Holy Spirit. to strengthen your commitment to Christ by sharing faithfully in the life of the church, honoring its authority; and do you promise to join with the people of God in doing the work of the Lord everywhere?
I do.
The advisory committee recommended that the second sentence of the opening paragraph should read: “When they were baptized God made clear his claim on them as his own.” In the fourth sentence of this same paragraph the advisory committee proposed that the word “done” be made “sealed.”
The ground the advisory committee gave: “the substitute reading is less open to misconception regarding Baptism than the original language used.”
Involved in the discussion were such questions as: What happens at baptism? Is this the initial claim that God makes upon his covenant children? Or are these children already members of the Church as our form for Infant Baptism states in the first question to the parents: “Do you acknowledge that our children . . . are sanctified in Christ, and therefore as members of His Church ought to be baptized?”
To be sure, we believe infant baptism is the enrollment of the covenant child in the visible church just because of the prior claim God has upon that child. Therefore the advisory committee following the suggestion of the Williamburg overture proposed the words: “God made clear his claim on them as His own” instead of the words in the proposed form: “When they were baptized God claimed them as his own and they were received into the church.” This revision was adopted by Synod.
Further, the statement: “And so today they will publicly accept and confirm what was done in their baptism . . .” contained some ambiguity. Although the word done was not intended to convey the idea of baptismal regeneration, it could be interpreted in that sense by those who might think of some special grace conferred through baptism. Some of the Canadian delegates were especially fearful of this doctrinal misconception.
The advisory committee recommended the word “sealed” instead of “done” so that the sentence would read: “And so today they will publicly accept and confirm what was sealed in their baptism, confess their faith in the Lord Jesus, and offer themselves to God as his willing servants.”
This change, too, was adopted by Synod.
The advisory committee also, following Overture 23, recommended that the words: “honoring its authority” be deleted from point 4 and that a fifth point be added to read: “Do you ask for pastoral direction and Christian discipline, exercised in the spirit of brotherly love, to train you in the way of discipleship and to correct you in case you should digress from your confession, either in doctrine or in life?”
This change was proposed to highlight the idea of submitting to the authority and discipline of the church and to make this more meaningful for the person making profession.
Our present form includes n fourth question: “Do you promise to submit to the government of the church and also, if you should become delinquent either in doctrine or in life, to submit to its admonition and discipline?”
There was some debate about the word “authority” which is, to say the least, very unpopular today, especially among young people.
However, Synod decided to retain the words “honoring its authority” in point 4 as proposed by the Liturgical Committee and not to add a fifth point.
Even though the newly proposed form for Public Profession of Faith is acceptable. one wonders whether it is an improvement over the old.
Synod recommended the proposed form to the churches for provisional use for a period of three years, with a view to eventual adoption by Synod, and requests that reactions to the form be presented to the Liturgical Committee.
It is quite evident to this reporter that when it comes to writing liturgy and confessions today there seems to be a real struggle involved in putting into precise language just what we believe. Could it be that there is a lack of real clarity and consensus that can find expression borne of conviction?
Is there lacking among us the charisma that appears evident in the liturgical forms and confessions written by the fathers and bequeathed to us?
Can we capture something of that fine sense of spiritual direction and insight that prevailed among them?
It is well to ponder these Questions before we abandon the old just in order to have something new.
Henry Erffmeyer, pastor of the 12th Avenue Christian Reformed Church of Jenison, Michigan, was a delegate from Classis Grandville at the 1972 Synod.
The Advisory Committee incorporated some of these ideas of the overture in its recommendations to Synod. A lively discussion was generated on the floor of Synod, which centered about the meaning of baptism and its relationship to Profession of Faith. To point out what the discussion was about I quote the proposed form in part, placing the words and phrases in italics which evoked debate:
FORMULARY FOR PUBLIC PROFESSION OF FAITH
Beloved in the Lord: Today we are privileged to welcome into the full life of the church’s fellowship those who wish to confess their faith in Christ as Lord and Savior. When they were (or “he was” or “John was”) baptized God claimed them as his own and they were received into the church. Now they wish to share fully in the life of this congregation and of the whole church of God. And so today they will publicly accept and confirm what was done in their baptism, confess their faith in the Lord Jesus, and offer themselves to God as his willing servants. We thank God for having given them this desire and pray that as we now hear their confession, he will favor us with the presence and guidance of his Holy Spirit.
The Vows
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , will you stand now, and in the presence of God and his people respond to the following questions:
1. Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God sent to redeem the world, and do you declare with repentance and joy that he is your Savior from sin and the Lord of your life?
I do.
2. Do you believe that the Bible is the Word of God revealing Christ and his redemption, and that the confessions and proclamations of this church faithfully reflect this revelation?
I do.
3. Do you accept the gracious promises of God sealed to you in your baptism, and do you affirm your union with Christ and his church which your baptism signifies? I do.
4. Do you promise to do all you can, with the help of the Holy Spirit. to strengthen your commitment to Christ by sharing faithfully in the life of the church, honoring its authority; and do you promise to join with the people of God in doing the work of the Lord everywhere?
I do.
The advisory committee recommended that the second sentence of the opening paragraph should read: “When they were baptized God made clear his claim on them as his own.” In the fourth sentence of this same paragraph the advisory committee proposed that the word “done” be made “sealed.”
The ground the advisory committee gave: “the substitute reading is less open to misconception regarding Baptism than the original language used.”
Involved in the discussion were such questions as: What happens at baptism? Is this the initial claim that God makes upon his covenant children? Or are these children already members of the Church as our form for Infant Baptism states in the first question to the parents: “Do you acknowledge that our children . . . are sanctified in Christ, and therefore as members of His Church ought to be baptized?”
To be sure, we believe infant baptism is the enrollment of the covenant child in the visible church just because of the prior claim God has upon that child. Therefore the advisory committee following the suggestion of the Williamburg overture proposed the words: “God made clear his claim on them as His own” instead of the words in the proposed form: “When they were baptized God claimed them as his own and they were received into the church.” This revision was adopted by Synod.
Further, the statement: “And so today they will publicly accept and confirm what was done in their baptism . . .” contained some ambiguity. Although the word done was not intended to convey the idea of baptismal regeneration, it could be interpreted in that sense by those who might think of some special grace conferred through baptism. Some of the Canadian delegates were especially fearful of this doctrinal misconception.
The advisory committee recommended the word “sealed” instead of “done” so that the sentence would read: “And so today they will publicly accept and confirm what was sealed in their baptism, confess their faith in the Lord Jesus, and offer themselves to God as his willing servants.”
This change, too, was adopted by Synod.
The advisory committee also, following Overture 23, recommended that the words: “honoring its authority” be deleted from point 4 and that a fifth point be added to read: “Do you ask for pastoral direction and Christian discipline, exercised in the spirit of brotherly love, to train you in the way of discipleship and to correct you in case you should digress from your confession, either in doctrine or in life?”
This change was proposed to highlight the idea of submitting to the authority and discipline of the church and to make this more meaningful for the person making profession.
Our present form includes n fourth question: “Do you promise to submit to the government of the church and also, if you should become delinquent either in doctrine or in life, to submit to its admonition and discipline?”
There was some debate about the word “authority” which is, to say the least, very unpopular today, especially among young people.
However, Synod decided to retain the words “honoring its authority” in point 4 as proposed by the Liturgical Committee and not to add a fifth point.
Even though the newly proposed form for Public Profession of Faith is acceptable. one wonders whether it is an improvement over the old.
Synod recommended the proposed form to the churches for provisional use for a period of three years, with a view to eventual adoption by Synod, and requests that reactions to the form be presented to the Liturgical Committee.
It is quite evident to this reporter that when it comes to writing liturgy and confessions today there seems to be a real struggle involved in putting into precise language just what we believe. Could it be that there is a lack of real clarity and consensus that can find expression borne of conviction?
Is there lacking among us the charisma that appears evident in the liturgical forms and confessions written by the fathers and bequeathed to us?
Can we capture something of that fine sense of spiritual direction and insight that prevailed among them?
It is well to ponder these Questions before we abandon the old just in order to have something new.
Henry Erffmeyer, pastor of the 12th Avenue Christian Reformed Church of Jenison, Michigan, was a delegate from Classis Grandville at the 1972 Synod.