Episode 207: Learning to Trust God When Plans Don’t Go Our Way — Robert Van Zanen (Part 2)
“Trust God…Allow him to be in control and trust that he’s got us, even when things don’t work out the way we want them to.” — Robert Van Zanen
Summary of This Episode
The final episode of 2024 brings us back to part 2 of Jason and Willy’s conversation with Rev. Robert Van Zanen, pastor at Restoration CRC in Middleville, MI. The conversation begins with hearing the many hats that Rob wears in his classis–Classis Thornapple Valley. He’s on the CM(L)T, which is a committee most classes have via Church Order Article 43 that provides support and encouragement to those preparing for ministry in the CRC. He’s also worked with their Church Planting and Renewal Team to receive grant funding, and is a regional pastor. He was a delegate from his classis to Synod 2022, and plans to attend the Gather event in San Diego. More broadly, he’s helped with the Candidacy office as well as offering chaplaincy support for his local fire station. He admits he’s trying to find some balance with all this.
Jason points out that something he and Willy have been bringing up on the podcast lately is this belief that “the future health of the denomination is in having healthy classes.” Part of Rob’s heavy involvement at the classis level is a love for learning and collaborating, and seeing how we can help each other. “It's been fascinating to learn about the increase in diversity within the CRC in terms of approach to ministry, worship styles, and engagement in various contexts…I'm still really grateful for hubs like…Calvin Seminary and knowing that so many other pastors had that same experience or we have a deep connection point, not just theologically, but also experientially.”
For Jason, it’s not just that classes do work, but “...Part of recovering our identity as a denomination is going to revolve around recovering our understanding of what it means to be in covenant with one another.” He shares that relationships are costly–it’s not just about meeting together or giving our ministry shares, but we have to actually want to help each other, to sacrifice. Willy asks if Rob views this as easier or more advantageous in a smaller classis (Thornapple Valley has around a dozen churches compared to others that have 20-30+). Rob shares that while there is a close proximity (within a little over half an hour of each other), diversity in size of congregations as well as settings, he can’t claim they’ve got it all figured out. He’s seen some benefit in work across classes in the Grand Rapids area, however, “It’s challenging to go beyond the walls of your individual church to share resources [and insight],” especially in a mutually beneficial way.
Part of why it’s hard to live out our covenant relationship is that there’s often a “struggle for…individual autonomy…‘I'm going to do everything myself until we are like in this place of desperation where we realize we can't do everything ourselves.’” Rob sees this linked to our views on investment, pride, and control. Jason is unashamed for this to be a soapbox of his: “I really want to keep encouraging us to make sure that we're focusing on this covenantal part of who we are, of our identity…We are covenantal, and maybe [that will help us get to] some of the brass tacks of what that looks like in a real practical way.”
Robert closes out the episode reminding us all of something he keeps seeing in his preaching: “Trust God…Allow him to be in control and trust that he’s got us, even when things don’t work out the way we want them to.” Again, please be in prayer for Rob’s unborn son’s–for his heart, strength, and wellness, and if God chooses to take him home sooner rather than later, that he will give the Van Zanen’s abundant peace.