The Commission-Driven Reformed Church

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?