Calvin Synod Herald, 1975 (75. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1975-07-01 / 7-8. szám

REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA

5

OUR SONG OF HOPE

For a period of four years, ending in 1978, the Reformed Church in America has added to its doctrinal documents the following contemporary statement of faith, provisionally recommended to all RCA congergations for use in worship, preaching and teaching. Written by Dr. Eugene Heideman of Central College, Pella, Iowa, OUR SONG OF HOPE, in its original printed form, consists of 21 stanzas of 8 lines each. (Due to lack of space, it is impossible to reproduce the original lay-out — Ed. RPS)

OUR HYMN

We sing to our Lord a new song;

We sing in our world a sure hope:

Our God loves his word,

He called it into being,

He renews it through Jesus Christ,

He governs it by his Spirit.

God is the world’s true hope.

I. OUR HOPE IN THE COMING OF THE LORD

1. We are a people of hope waiting for the return of our Lord. He has come to us through the ancient people of Israel, as the true Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth, as the Holy Spirit at work in our world. He speaks to us now through his inspired Scriptures. He is with us day by day.

II. OUR SONG IN A HOPELESS WORLD

2. We know him to be our only hope. We have enmeshed our world in a realm of sin, rebelled against God, accepted man’s oppression of man, and even crucified his Son. God’s world has been trapped by our fall, governments entangled by human pride, and nature polluted by mankind’s greed.

III. JESUS CHRIST OUR ONLY HOPE

3. Our only hope is Jesus Christ. After we refused to live in the image of God, He was born of the virgin Mary, sharing our genes and our instincts, entering our culture, speaking our language, fulfilling the law of our God. Being united to his humanity, we know ourselves when we rest in him.

4. Jesus Christ is the hope of God’s world. In his death, the justice of God is established; forgiveness of sin is proclaimed. On the day of his resurrection, the tomb was empty; his disciples saw him; death was defeated; new life had come. God’s purpose for his world was sealed.

5. Our ascended Lord gives hope for two ages. In the age to come, He is the judge rejecting unrighteousness, isolating his enemies to hell, blessing his new creation in Christ. In this age, his Holy Spirit is with us, calling nations to follow God’s path, uniting people through Christ in love.

IV. OUR HOPE IN GOD’S WORDS

6. The Spirit speaks through the Scriptures. He has inspired Hebrew and Greek words, setting God’s truth in human language, placing God’s teaching in ancient cultures, proclaiming the Gospel in the history of the world. He speaks truly what the nations must know, translating God’s Word into modern languages, impressing it on men’s hearts and into their cultures.

7. The Spirit speaks through the Church measuring her words by the Canonical Scriptures. He has spoken in the ancient creeds, and in the confessions of the Reformation. He calls the world to bear witness to Christ in faithfulness to the Scriptures, in harmony with the words of the fathers, and in unity with all Christ’s people.

8. God’s Spirit speaks in the world according to God’s ultimate word in Christ. In every time and place, in ancient cities and distant lands, in technology and business, in art and education. God has not left himself without a witness. His Word has entered where we have failed to go.

9. In each year and in every place we expect the coming of Christ’s Spirit. As we listen to the world’s concerns, hear the cry of the oppressed, and learn of new discoveries, He will give us knowledge, teach us to respond with maturity, and give us courage to act with integrity.

V. OUR HOPE IN DAILY LIFE

10. As citizens we acknowledge the Spirit’s work in human government for the welfare of the people, for justice among the poor, for mercy towards the prisoner, against man’s oppression of man. We must obey God rather than men, waiting upon his Spirit, filled with the patience of Christ.

11. We pray for the fruits of the Spirit of Christ who works for peace on earth, commands us to love our enemies, and calls for patience among the nations. We give thanks for his work among governments, seeking to resolve disputes by means other than war, placing human kindness above national pride, replacing the curse of war with international self-control.

12. We hear the Spirit’s call to love one another opposing discrimination of race or sex, inviting us to accept one another, and to share at every level in work and play, in church and state, in marriage and family, and so fulfill the love of Christ.

13. As male and female we look to the Spirit. He makes us the stewards of life to plan its beginning, to love in its living, and to care in its dying. He makes us the stewards of marriage with its life-long commitment to love; yet He knows our frailty of heart.

14. God’s Spirit leads us into truth — the truth of Christ’s salvation into increasing knowledge of all existence. He rejoices in human awareness of God’s creation and gives freedom to those on the frontiers of research. We are overwhelmed by the growth in our knowledge. While our truths come in broken fragments, we expect the Spirit to unite these in Christ.

VI. OUR HOPE IN THE CHURCH

15. Christ elects his Church to proclaim his Word and celebrate the sacraments, to worship his name, and to live as his disciples. He creates his community to be a place of prayer, to provide rest for the weary, and to lead people to share in service.

16. The Spirit sends his Church to call sinners to repentance, to proclaim the good news that Jesus is personal Saviour and Lord. He sends it out in ministry to preach good news to the poor, righteousness to the nations, and peace among mankind.

17. The Spirit builds one Church united in one Lord and