Solemn Promises

Yesterday was a significant day in my life: for the fifth time I stood before the congregation in a worship service to answer the question "do you feel lawfully called of God's church, and consequently of God Himself' to the office of elder and promising to "agreeably to said doctrine, according to (my) ability, to discharge (the office of elder)?"

In the Free Reformed churches, elders have the responsibility, together with the minister and deacons who collectively form the consistory, to provide leadership to the church. Elders are specifically tasked with three things: to take oversight of the church (which in our practice, includes an annual "home visit" with every household of the congregation in which we worship together but also discuss the spiritual lives and challenges of the members, with a view to providing spiritual counsel and encouragement); to ensure that all things in the church are done "decently and in good order" (I Corinthians 14:40); and to ensure that the preaching and teaching of the church remains doctrinally sound. (These three are taken from the Form for Ordination of Elders and Deacons which dates to the Synod of the Hague in 1586, a translation of which was read at yesterday's service.)

Serving in the office of elder is not unfamiliar to me and the duties - while sometimes stressful and time-consuming - are also filled with their own rewards. Yet I found myself this weekend reflecting on the solemnity of the moment of standing in a worship service, before the congregation of God's people and God himself, and making a promise. This was actually the eighth time I have done so in my life: In 1984 I confessed my faith publicly in the church in which I was baptised; in 1989, I married my bride in the church in which she had been baptised; and nineteen months later we stood together as parents in that same church for the baptism of our only son.

It was about a decade later that I was first ordained as an elder in the Brantford Free Reformed Church. That service was led by Rev. C. Pronk, a long-time pastor and mentor, who preached from Isaiah 62:6-8 and emphasized the diligence, perseverance, and accountability required of office-bearers. Shortly after we moved to Calgary in 2004, I was installed as an elder of the Monarch FRC to serve the church plant in Calgary. My friend since our university days, Pastor Jack Schoeman, used I Timothy 4:12 as he installed myself and Harold Slingerland as the first elders to serve this church plant, a passage which spoke both the privilege and authority of the office, but also the calling to serve as humble examples to the congregation. Because of the circumstance in the church plant, it was thought wisest that the original terms for the elders be one year, but a year later the congregation re-elected us so we were re-installed in our offices. That service was based on Ephesians 4:11-13 in which the emphasis was on the responsibility of elders to cultivate the gifts of all members in the church and contribute to the unity of the church were primary themes.

In September 2007 the Calgary FRC was instituted (as I blogged on in detail at the time). The tender support and glorious promises which Jesus promises to His church were highlighted. In our attempt to introduce some rotation in the membership of the consistory, the terms were staggered with mine ending in the spring of 2009. Yesterday I was reinstalled by our new Pastor Hans Overduin and he preached on Philippians 4:5: " Let all things be done in moderation; the Lord is at hand." Speaking of the "humble bigheartedness" enjoined in the text to all believers, but particularly office-bearers, he emphasized the "how" and attitude with which we ought to approach our work. In his sermon, he included a familiar but moving story of the testimony of Corrie Ten Boom:

She was once asked if it was difficult for her to remain humble. She replied:
"When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on the back of a donkey, and everyone was waving palm branches and throwing garments on the road, and singing praises, do you think that for one moment it ever entered the head of the donkey that any of that was for him?” Corrie went on, “If I can be the donkey on which Jesus Christ rides in His glory, I give him all the praise and the honour."

Reflecting on the range of texts and charges given in the solemn setting of a worship service is personal journey, but taken together, I think these reflect wise counsel for going forward. Reducing the theme of each sermon to a short sentence: Persevere with diligence, realizing our accountability. Do not despise the office's authority, but use it with a humble confidence. Focus not on yourself but in cultivating the gifts in others. Have confidence based on the person and promise of He who is the church's bridegroom. Carry out your task with a humble big-heartedness, like the donkey on Palm Sunday, by your conduct making the gospel winsome and attractive.

I have made but also received solemn promises which provide reason to go forward in confidence, realizing that the work is not mine but God's. May He richly bless it.