Pastors and Deacons and Elders, oh my! People from the Reformed Church of America and the Christian Reformed Church of North America, people from Canada and the United States and beyond, women and men, young and old, rural and urban, and with diverse heritage. All gathered on the immaculate Calvin College University(!) campus for Synod 2018 to do the business of the church in a “decent and orderly fashion”.
The subtext for the week of Synod was the regular occurrence of what is coined “Dutch Bingo” in which folks of Dutch heritage try to figure out by what manner they are connected to each other.
“Pastoral” is the word that has been used to describe the culture of Synod 2018. Amid the recommendations and motions, the points of order and challenges of the Chair, the “support” and the “aye’s”, the “so moved” and “motion carried”, there was prayer, affirmation, listening, and even confession. In the midst of doing the business of the church, Synod 2018 was being the church.
Woven through the all of our conversations was heard a strong call to reconciliation and restoration of our relationships as individuals, churches, and denominations. Important conversations between sessions made space for some of this to take place.
So much good food. And ice cream. They had ice cream, every day, all the time.
We talked about power, and that power can be abused. We talked about justice, and that justice needs to be done. We made decisions that will impact people’s lives. We sang praises to God, prayed, and read God’s word. We lamented the brokenness in our world, and in our own lives. We listened to each other, and we listened to God.
Our Synod president told the story of a trip he took with his Father to the Dominican Republic. Our president was a teenager at the time. There were CRC churches in the DR but no one knew how they got started and it was desired that a contact be made. The visitors joined in worship with the DR CRC for hours. Our president’s Dad preached, and the people said “more!”. As it turns out, someone in the area heard the Word of God on the radio program The Back to God Hour, and they told another person; they kept listening, and they told other people. Behold, the church.
Love God. Love Each Other. Tell the World.
The church of 2018 has been called, and we pray “Lord, help us to heed the call.”
By Elder Lori Fieber