Even as Christians, we seldom see the need for face-to-face friendships.
How often is it that the only contact we have with our fellow-believers
is at the Sunday worship service.
by Ria Van Dyken
The eighth annual Credenda Agenda History Conference was held in Moscow,
Idaho, February 6 - 8. Attended by well over 800 like-minded Reformed
people we enjoyed two and a half days of lectures given by Dr. George
Grant, Rev Steve Wilkins, and Pastor Douglas Wilson. The lectures dealt
with the mean of the early church: Ignatius of Antioch (c. 39-111),
Athanasius (296-373), Gregory the Great (540-604), Ambrose of Milan
(340-397), Basil of Caesarea (329-379), John Chrysostom (c. 349-407),
Augustine of Hippo (c. 354-430), Jerome of Bethlehem (c. 325-420),
Constantine the Great (c. 280-337), and finally, Boniface of Crediton
(680-755).
Each of these men lived in the patristic age of the church. Although
not
always correct in their thinking, nor always exemplary in their lives,
God
yet used these men and their work for the building of His church. Perhaps
the most poignant message was by George Grant on the life of Jerome of
Bethlehem. Grant prefaced his speech with a discourse on the need of godly
friendship. Not a sentimental, sappy, "nice" friendship, but
a covenantal
David/Jonathan type. True Christian friendship is a means of grace and
covenantal accountability The modern world declines to take the time or
make the sacrifice to cultivate meaningful friendships.
Even as Christians, we seldom see the need for face-to-face friendships.
How often is it that the only contact we have with our fellow-believers
is
at the Sunday worship service. How many of us feel really close to the
other members of the body? Yet the reality of relationships in a Christian
community is God's means of grace. Maurice Roberts states that true
friendship gives us friends in whose company we are most ashamed to sin.
Men like John Calvin and Martin Luther had many deep and abiding
friendships.
Jerome of Bethlehem was a difficult, mean-spirited, caustic man, who
was
saved for productivity by godly friendships. Not a pastor or a preacher,
Jerome was a scholar of great intellectual prowess. Recognizing these
great gifts but also his corrosive personality four men and women
covenanted to stick by Jerome. Now realise this was no easy task! During
the course of his life he retired to different monasteries where his
presence led to the eventual break-up of four of them. Similarly, when
he
joined a group of hermits living in the wilderness, five of them returned
to civilisation to escape Jerome! Even as he lay dying and his friends
were
attempting to wipe his fevered brow, his only word of thanks was, "Get
that
cloth off my face, you'll only smother me the faster."
Yet through the efforts of these four friends, Jerome was able to use
his
great intellectual gifts for the edification of the church. He translated
Eusebius and Origen; wrote commentaries, and translated the Scriptures
into
the Latin vernacular.
Time and space prohibits further details on the lectures. However, the
reader is encouraged to go to the various books available such as Philip
Schaff's History of the Christian Church, or Christopher Hall's Reading
Scripture with the Church Fathers, as well as any of the original works
by
the men indicated.
One by one the speakers encouraged us to think covenantally and
historically. Today's Protestant world has allowed the Roman Church to
hijack the Patristics and claim them for their own. So many of today's
Protestant/Evangelical churches have no sense of history or continuity
with
the past or even the future. In the words of George Grant, "We must
measure
our success in terms of generations and centuries not careers and years."
We must make the most of our time and not be cowed by circumstances. We
must have principled leaders who define all of life by principles and
not
expediency. The Patristic fathers and later the Reformers were incredibly
productive men in an age without the amenities we enjoy - computers,
land/air travel, etc.
And finally the closing challenge. We need to educate our children,
raise
up the next generation, teach boys to be men: bold, fearless for the
kingdom. And then in the words of Boniface: "Run toward the roar,
for there
Christ's most victorious victories shall be won."
Attending the Conference was as usual heady, exhilarating, exhausting,
and
challenging. Conferees travelled from all the parts of the United States
and Canada and even one attendee came from Japan. We were able to renew
old
friendships, cultivate new ones, and satiate our never-ending thirst for
books at the various book tables.
Attending two worship services on Sunday with a combined congregation
of
about 1,500 Reformed, like-minded Christians can only be described as
a
precious foretaste of the joy that is to come. My husband and I have
remarked many times that since we left the CRC 23 years ago, how large
the
Reformed world has become for us. If you are in the Pacific Northwest
next
February, we strongly urge you to make use of one of God's means of grace.
Ria Van Dyken, member of the Sunnyside, Washington, Orthodox Christian
Reformed Church.
The Trumpet, March 2003
