Due to the Blizzard of '07 (see yesterday's post), both morning and afternoon church services were cancelled. I think this is the first time since we joined Bethany United Reformed Church that we knew on Saturday night that both Sunday services would be cancelled--which is an indication of just how severe this storm is. So I spent the morning having a nice breakfast with Jonathan (Katie spent it sleeping) and reading from The Outlook. We faced the elements to have our usual Sunday dinner at my parents' house, and then this afternoon, our family listened to a sermon on the Internet by Rev. Adam Kaloostian, a URC minister in Ontario, California. Katie and Jonathan were less than enthusiastic about having to listen to an Internet sermon, but they ended up being pleasantly surprised. And we were able to have a great conversation about evangelism and being Reformed afterwords (which always warms this single, Reformed mother's heart--to know that her children are interested in and desire to know and live the truth).
As we listened to the sermon, we sensed a freshness and a greater sense of urgency from Rev. Kaloostian than we often sense here in Grand Rapids. He preached this first of two sermons on the church's responsibility to evangelize in January, and he reminded listeners of six ideas we must believe and live to be a commission-driven Reformed church: 1. Learn that the Lord calls all churches, even those with limited resources, to do remarkable things for the expansion of His kingdom; 2. Learn that if we fail to reach out biblically to the lost world, Christ will leave our church darkened; 3. Be convinced that distinctively Reformed teaching and worship faithfully summarize the truth; 4. We need to be convinced that our evangelism must be built on the pillars of preaching and prayer (which may not be flashy or entertaining, but they are the Christ-appointed means); 5. We need to be convinced that it is our privilege to give money for the sustaining of preaching and benevolence; 6. We need to become personally involved in the lives of unbelievers.
It wasn't like actually being in church, but it was a way of remembering the Sabbath and keeping it holy. And a way of having dominion over the Internet. And again I find myself asking, as I realize that my family has just been ministered to by a church and minister clear across the continent in California: What did we ever do before the Internet?
9 comments:
glad you managed to have a good Lord's day in spite of the blizzard.
Jimmy
Thanks, Jimmy. Hope you had a good one, too.
Wow Annette, what a great way to spend a snowed-in Sunday! Do you find you have trouble with #5 - being that you work for a Christian ministry (as I do) and are surrounded by Christians?
Oh, I'm sorry - I meant #6 :)
Actually, Julia, that made for some interesting discussion for the kids and me. We talked about how many overtly non-Christian people we know (not many given our Christian school/Christian work environments), and we decided that instead of responding with smugness and complacency, this makes us all the more responsible to seek those out who need to hear the Gospel. Thanks for asking!
Good thinking!
Know what we did before the Internet, Annette? We had the radio. Let's not forget that Family Radio DID at one time broadcast the service from 10th Presbyterian Church (Dr Boice) in Philly each Sunday morning, and the evening service from 7th Reformed Church in Grand Rapids. But this was before Mr Camping decided that the church age is over. And when I was a kid and we had to stay home for whatever reason (mainly illness), the AM service from the local then-christian Reformed Church was broadcast.
Dave
Good point, Dave. And if I'd thought about it for two minutes, I'd probably have thought of the radio (that's what a friend of mine did). But honestly, my very first thought was of what we could find on-line. I guess I'm an addict...
The only thing I don't like about online sermons is that they are sermons only. It's not the entire worship service. I always like listening to the entire service whern I get a tape or CD of other church services than my own.
Dave
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