Episode 128: Synod 2023 was MESSY

"So, you're telling me that Reformation is messy." -Rachel Ruis

Transcript of this Episode

I suppose you have to be careful when you name a podcast "The Messy Reformation" because you're constantly reminded that Reformation is messy. And boy, Synod 2023 was messy. We thought last year was messy, but this year was even messier.

My wife reminded me of that on my drive home from Grand Rapids. I had been explaining to her some of the things that went on and trying to process what was happening in my head. I was also trying to process the fact that a lot of my committee material was tabled and postponed until next year. Her response was, "So you're telling me that Reformation is messy." It's a good reminder for all of us because we tend to think that Reformation will be easy. Even as one of the hosts of "The Messy Reformation," I sometimes forget how messy Reformation can be. My impatience leads me to believe that things will happen quickly and on my timeline, but they never do.

As I processed all of that and talked with my wife and fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord during my drive home from Grand Rapids, I gradually moved from feeling very discouraged at Synod to feeling actually encouraged about what we did accomplish and hopeful about the future of the Christian Reformed Church.

I want to encourage everybody to spend some time in the next week or even month reading and meditating on the book of 2nd Corinthians. I referenced 2nd Corinthians in my brief introduction to our committee work, and even Paul de Vries mentioned it at the end, where it says to rejoice. But there's a lot more to 2nd Corinthians that we need to be reminded of. We need to remember that 2nd Corinthians isn't actually the second letter that Paul wrote to the Corinthians. It's most likely the fourth letter. The church in Corinth was a mess, and Paul didn't fix it in one or two letters or even three letters or one visit or two visits. It was a mess for a long time, and it was painful. So I encourage us to read 2nd Corinthians, to put ourselves in that position, to feel what Paul was feeling, and to hear the words that he was speaking when it comes to being involved in the messy reformation of a church.

A couple of passages that jumped out at me as I was reading recently are 1 Corinthians 1:8-11: "We don't want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him, we've set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessings granted us through the prayers of many."

Another passage that stood out to me is 2 Corinthians 4:7-11: "We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh."

One of the things that jumps out to me in both of those passages is a reminder of what I had spoken leading up to Synod. It reminds each one of us that we are not a big deal, and if reformation is going to happen in the Christian Reformed Church, it will be because God did it. The messy and chaotic nature of this past Synod serves as a reminder that if reformation is going to occur, it will be by God's hand. It won't happen because of our power or intelligence. God is the one who brings Reformation, and the mess of the last Synod reinforces this truth.

I also want to share a passage from John Calvin as he reflects on his time in Geneva. This comes after he was expelled from Geneva for the first time and is considering returning. He says, "While I sustained the charge in that church, along with my excellent and most faithful friend and colleague, Pharrell, I tried every method by which it could be preserved. And although it was a very troublesome province to me, yet the thought of deserting it never entered into my thoughts. For I considered myself placed in that station by God like a sentinel at his post, from which it would be impiety on my part to disturb a single foot. Yet I'm aware that it would be scarcely credible if I were to relate even a very small part of those annoyances or rather miseries, which we had to endure for a whole year. I can truly testify that not a day passed away in which I did not ten times over long for death, death. But as for leaving the church to remove elsewhere, such a thought never once came into my mind. When matters therefore had come to the worst, when we saw that the safety of the church stood very much in our not being cast out of the government of it, we strove hard for the retaining of our ministry, not less than if the contest had been a matter of life or death."

What I want all of us to remember from Calvin, from Paul, is that God has placed us in a position to reform this church. We must be careful not to allow our minds to wander and think that it would be easy to leave or find an alternative. It may be tempting to look at the frustrations, political maneuvering, and everything that occurred at Synod 2023 and think, "I'm just going to walk away." Yet Calvin said, even when he considered returning to the church in Geneva, he wished he would have died ten times over, but he would go if God called him because that's where God wanted him to be. He would stay in that church even if he wanted to die ten times over because that's where God was calling him to stay. Paul expressed the same sentiment. It's another reminder that it's not up to us, but to God, to reform the church. It is not an excuse to leave; it is a call to stay and trust God to use us.

I understand that many people felt frustrated, overwhelmed, angry, and disappointed by how Synod ended. Trust me, I felt the same way. It was my committee's work that got tabled. However, God has placed us here to do a work, and we must trust Him in the process.

We must see ourselves, as Calvin did, as sentinels placed in this church to bring about reformation. That means we stay, even when it hurts, disappoints, frustrates, or when we face political challenges. We stay because God has called us to do so, trusting that He will use us for reformation here. Let's remember what we accomplished at the past Synod.

We were given the vote counts twice, and both showed a conservative majority: 72% and 68%. This aligns with the vote counts from last year. I admit that I was wrong in predicting lower percentages. It's a reminder that despite the loud voices of progressivism or liberalism, the vast majority of the CRCNA is conservative. Synod 2022 and 2023 were not flukes; this is our denomination.

We confirmed confessional status and sustained the appeal against Neland Ave with solid votes. We empowered Grand Rapids East and all classes of the CRC to align with our denominational positions. This instruction applies not only to the classes but also to all institutions and agencies of the CRCNA. We made it clear that this is where our denomination stands on matters of sexuality, and everyone is called to walk in alignment with that.

Another accomplishment, although not fully achieved, is the conversation around Gravamen and the majority report. It was about to pass, causing a freak-out because it represented the direction of our denomination. Remember that.

I also noticed a greater unity among fellow brothers and sisters at Synod, especially among conservatives. One brother I connected with texted me afterward, saying, "For the first time in 30 years in the CRC, I can say I've found the kinds of brothers I thought I might find in seminary in the '90s." Unity is growing in the CRCNA as we gather around our confessions and doctrines, affirming them repeatedly. This unity and brotherhood are significant.

Even though we may feel disappointed, dismayed, frustrated, or angry about how Synod ended, let's not forget what we have accomplished and the boundaries we have drawn. Remember that people walked out of Synod not because they were winning, but because they realized things were not going their way.

I understand that many people wanted to reach a resolution and move forward at this Synod, as we are tired and exhausted from years of debate. However, we didn't quite reach the goal. We got stopped on the one-yard line. But let's not forget that the ball is on the goal line, and everyone knows it. So, I have a question for the listeners, especially the frustrated conservatives who may be considering leaving for an easier path elsewhere. The question is, who will lead the CRC now? We are witnessing a failure of leadership in the denomination, and who is God calling to lead this Reformation and the denomination? What I see is a whole new generation rising up at Synod, speaking and leading. To the conservatives, I urge you to stay and lead. Who will step up to help lead and score the touchdown?

I received a word of rebuke for conservatives, and I'm known for being blunt, not only towards progressives and liberals but also towards conservatives. Someone texted me saying, "If conservatives leave now, they never wanted to lead anything." That's true, brothers and sisters. If you leave now, you never wanted to lead. So, don't leave; stay and lead your people. Lead your congregation, lead the congregations in your area, lead your classes, and lead your denomination towards greater reformation.

One more thing, I decided not to delve into the specifics of what happened at Synod in this episode. We will do that later when we interview fellow delegates and get their thoughts and perspectives on how we should move forward. However, I want to end by emphasizing one important point. Remember that it is the Lord who will do the work and bring about Reformation. This reminder should also redirect our focus towards our eternal reward rather than earthly rewards. This morning, as I reflected on the past week and looked ahead, I was reminded of a couple of passages from Hebrews 11, particularly the example of Moses. Despite having all the power and wealth of Egypt, Moses considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than all the riches of Egypt because he looked forward to his heavenly reward, his eternal reward. This serves as a good reminder for each of us.

I believe we did significant work at Synod 2023. We engaged in valuable discussions and made important decisions. We led the denomination well. However, for many, it may feel as though we didn't receive the earthly rewards we desired from that work. Hebrews reminds us that we may never see the desired earthly outcomes, but there is an eternal reward awaiting us.

There is a heavenly reward, an eternal inheritance, being stored up for us as a result of our faithfulness. It's for the faithful conversations, work, and decisions we made and will continue to make for the CRCNA. We must remember that we don't work here for earthly rewards from the denomination. We work here so that one day, when we reach heaven, we will hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your master." Let's not lose sight of the heavenly reward, brothers.

I want to share another passage from 2 Corinthians that reminds us of the same truth. In 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, it says, "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

Let's not forget what we accomplished at Synod. Let's remember that God is the one who will bring about this Reformation, and He is the one who will reward us in heaven. It is because of this that we stay, work, and continue to fight the good fight in this messy Reformation.