Aftershocks - God, Grace and the Tsunami

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them - do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ “ ‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’ ”

Luke 13:1-9

On December 26th, the earth shook, the waters rose and within hours nearly 200,00 people and counting lost their lives. Millions lost homes and possessions, thousands lost one, two or more family members, hundreds of villages were swallowed up by the sea. Now disease, starvation and terror haunts the coastlines of over 11 different countries. Our modern media has brought the horror to our televisions. The images and the stories are heart-rending. A mother forced to choose which child to let go in the raging torrent. Paralyzed children trapped in hospital beds helpless as the waves crashed into their rooms. Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand no longer exotic destinations, but vivid reminders of the fury of nature and the shortness of life.

Now it is human nature to ask the question why. Scientist show computer models of shifting plates and flow dynamics, rescue workers decry the lack of an early warning system, politicians point fingers and kooks find shadowy conspiracies of secret nuclear tests. Who can explain? Who can be blamed? What could we do?

Yet regardless of the all the human explanations and finger-pointing, eventually all our questions of why and blame end up with God. An old woman from the devastated village in southern India’s Tamil Nadu state speaks for so many when she says: "Why did you do this to us, God? What did we do to upset you?"”

On Larry King, in countless newspaper stories and magazine articles, clergy from all the major faiths have attempted to speak for God. Hindu villagers, most affected by the tsunami speak of capricious gods, Buddhists monks talk of karma and the cycle of birth, death and rebirth, Muslims preach Allah’s judgment upon the world and some Christians see another indication that we are living in the last days. Everyone is looking for a reason. Everyone wants to know why?

Answers are what the crowds want from Jesus. The countryside has been ablaze with the talk of the twin tragedies that had befallen Israel. To the north in Galilee, Pilate has orchestrated the slaughter of men in their place of worship and has dared to mingle their blood with the blood of the sacrifices. In Jerusalem, eighteen have been crushed to death when the Tower of Siloam fell upon them. Faced with the twin poles of human evil and natural disaster, the people are groping for answers. And in a country so steeped in faith God, answers need to be more than just tales of loose mortar or Roman business as usual.

What, they ask, does Jesus have to say about this? Contemporary Jewish thought was that bad things happened to bad people. Since these disasters had befallen these people perhaps they deserved it? Perhaps they were worse sinners than the rest? Jesus, what do you think? Who is to blame? What is the reason? Jesus tell us why...

Yes, Jesus tell us why. Wouldn't we all like to ask that question? Tsunamis killed hundred so thousands, Jesus tell us why? Dozens die in Californian mudslides, Jesus tell us why? Planes crash into Twin towers..War rages in Iraq and Afghanistan, Jesus tell us why. Someone we love is diagnosed with cancer. Jesus tell us why. Marriages fall apart, jobs are lost, futures are threatened, Jesus tell us why? Tragedies great and small befall each of us. Jesus tell us why. If we only knew the reason...Maybe we could make sense of it all.

I don't know about you, but Jesus' answer catches me a little off guard: "Do you think that these Galileans were worst sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way...Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them - do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

At first glance it seems that Jesus is correcting that mistaken notion that bad things only happen to bad people. But a deeper reading seems to suggest that we are asking the wrong questions. We come to Jesus looking for reasons - he questions us about our readiness. We come looking for a bit of comfort and we find confrontation. We ask, "Why should it happen?" He asks, "Why shouldn't it happen?"

There are two contrasting realities at work in our world and in this text. The first is the reality of sin. The second the reality of grace. First Jesus reminds us of the reality of sin. Notice closely what he said: "Do you think that these Galileans were worst sinners......do you think they (Jerusalemites) were more guilty..." Note that Jesus is not absolving those who died of their sins - rather he is involving us in the same sinful condition. The reason why buildings fall, tyrants slaughter, tsunamis rise and flooding rains fall is because we all are part and parcel of a sinful world. Ever since our first parents took a bite of the rotten apple, our world has become a place of thorns and shadows. And all of us have been poisoned by that fruit. None of us are greater sinners, but none of us are lesser sinners either. Paul will later capsulize this in Romans when he says "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Bad things happen to people because all of us are bad and live in a bad world. Jesus is telling those who have gathered around him that they are asking him the wrong question. It is not "Why did these people suffer such a cruel fate?" But rather they should be asking "Why hasn't a similar fate befallen us?" That is a pretty frightening question isn't it? Why wasn't it my car that crashed? Why wasn't it my loved one who has cancer? Why wasn't my home wiped out by a natural disaster? Those who were killed at the order of Pilate, those who died when the tower, those who perished in Thailand, Indonesia and elsewhere; they were no more guilty, no greater sinners than you or I. The real question we need to be asking today is not why them? But why not me?

Ahh, that is the second reality at work in the world today. The reality that Jesus reveals in the parable he relates concerning the master, the gardener and the barren fig tree. For you see, this parable is a parable of grace. As sinners all of us are barren trees. In spite of the care given us, we have refused to bear fruit. God has every right to cut us down and cast us away. The law stands: "The wages of sin is death." But because of the earnest intercession of Jesus we have been given a second chance. A second, third, fourth, fifth chance to respond to God and to bear the ripe fruit of repentance. Peter perhaps reflecting upon this parable will later write: "..do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, a thousand years like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise...He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." Every breath that we take is a gift from the grace of God. Another moment of life sustained by his life-giving spirit. But let us not squander it...

You see one day - and only God alone knows when - the door of opportunity will be closed. This parable of another chance should not blind us to the fact that someday will be the last chance. Jesus doesn't give us a reason for why things happen in this world the way they do - he is more concerned with our readiness for when they do. "But unless you repent, you too will perish!" Jesus said.

When the tsunami stuck early that Sunday morning, most people were just getting up, but in one small coastal village, the little church was packed with Christians celebrating the birth of the one come to save. As the waves began to crash against the makeshift chapel, songs were being lifted in praise, prayers were being offered and the faithful were getting ready for the day their Lord would return for them. Reports tell us that there were no survivors among that village congregation. We know differently, even as the angry waters rose, the one who walked upon the stormy waves came and took them by the hand and took them home. Because they were ready, they are more alive today than they ever were on earth.

How about you? Are you ready? None of us knows when our time on this earth will come to an end. None us knows if next time it will be our time. A storm, a drunk driver, a heart attack, cancer or a myriad of ways our life here might end. Dear friends, none of us knows even if we will be in this place next week. We have only this moment by the grace of God. Don't close the door on that grace. It may never be open again.

Do denominations stifle innovation?

In his new book From the Ground Up: New Testament Foundations for the 21st Century Church (Kregel), Dallas Seminary professor J. Scott Horrell says that denominations still have value today, but that they may also be obstacles to some of the changes needed in local churches.

"To be sure, denominational traditions have made valuable contributions in areas of doctrine and practice. Nevertheless, as argued above, the New Testament is largely nonprescriptive regarding post-apostolic leadership beyond the local church. God's Word allows for organizational freedom within the parameters of a few New Testament absolutes. Denominational institutions, programs, models, liturgies, styles, hymnbooks, and literature will eventually be forgotten. History shows that so much of what has consumed enormous ecclesial effort and often large sums of money will sooner or later become obsolete. Though attitudes are changing, denominational leaders have too easily assumed that what they accomplish will continue for generations to come. Today, such an assumption can rarely be justified. Defending traditional forms and structures, some find themselves frustrated when younger leaders are not convinced that such externals are any longer meaningful.

"Other than the covenantal signs of baptism and the Lord's Supper, God did not design rites for the local church to perpetuate. Indeed, if the church is to express sound doctrine in new ways and experience the powerful functions that are central to its existence, it cannot be tied down to static forms. When a tradition becomes inefficient in accomplishing the purposes of God, it is necessary to change it or discard it altogether. Critical thinking is required in evaluating denominational goals, priorities, and politics in light of Scripture.

"Rather than repress innovation of new forms, denominations would do well to nourish biblical experimentation to discover more efficient and more relevant ways to fulfill God's purpose for the local church. Indeed, championing creative ecclesiology provides denominations themselves with future options for what their churches can become. Otherwise, the pattern of history is that denominations lose the essence of the church by trying to preserve their forms and traditions. When patterns and structures of the church are set in stone, when the shell becomes the absolute, the creative life within breathes its last." (Click here to learn more about the book From the Ground Up)

Ideas like this deserve some discussion. With so many denominations being rent asunder by worship wars and theological squabbles - conservative versus liberal, modern vs postmodern; maybe it is time to rethink the concept of denomination. Perhaps the idea of association has more merit. In it like-minded churches band together for mutual benefit, agreeing as Horrell says on broader biblical parameters for worship and practice, while maintaining the core of biblical truth. The mediums may change, as long as the message does not.

Such an approach would free up ministry dollars that to this point have been servicing bloated and out-of touch denominational agencies. It would put an end to the theological bickering that consumes too much of the time of leadership and free churches to explore how best they can in a given context share the gospel.

A Simple Sacrament

"Then he said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD , you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. You are to worship at a distance, but Moses alone is to approach the LORD ; the others must not come near... Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself. But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank. "

(Exodus 24:1,2, 9-11)

The symbols of our faith are quite plain. In comparison with the elaborate fixtures of other religions, a small piece of bread and a thimbleful of juice are lacking in aesthetic and visceral appeal. They are at first glance just everyday things...common objects...better suited perhaps for the kitchen than the sanctuary. There is no strange ritual, no secret ceremony, no special adornments. The table is bare save for a white cloth, a few silver trays and some small morsels of food. The words are plain. The liturgy brief and pointed. All in all to the casual observer, this is a rather simple sacrament.

But, we know better. Yes, it is simple, and that is good, for we are, even at our best, simple people. The elements are everyday, but that is where you and I feel most comfortable. Yet just because it is simple does not mean that it is simplistic. Just because it is simple does not mean that it is not significant. Far for it! For what to many would appear just the everyday, is to those who believe the essence of the eternal. The commonplace in reality is communion with God himself. And in the simple words, “Take and Eat,” we hear him speak to our hearts.

For just a few moments this morning, before we draw near to dine together at Christ’s table, let us look at what takes place in this simple sacrament. And let us examine just below the surface and strive to gain a deeper appreciation for what will soon take place.

First and foremost communion involves eating. We call it a supper because it is to be understood as a meal. It is meant to be eaten. Now eating is one of the most basic of human functions. We all must eat. Without the taking in of nourishment, we soon wither and die. Now whether we realize it or not eating is at its very core spiritual. By the very action of ingesting food, we are declaring our dependence upon something or someone outside of ourselves. We are not self-contained or self-sufficient. We must be sustained from without. Consider that one of God’s first acts in Eden was to provide sustenance for Adam and Eve. The fruit of the trees and the vegetables of the ground were given to them in order that they might have life to enjoy fellowship with God. We are dependent creatures. The psalmist reminds us that we exist only because of the open hand of God who gives us our meat and drink. Yet we are not merely physical beings. We are, since God breathed life into us, deity as well as dust. Our souls must be nourished as well. Lest they wither and die. And in this Supper, God gives us spiritual food that we might eat and drink to our souls content.

Communion involves eating bread. If eating is one of life’s most basic functions, then bread is one of life’s most basic foods. Indeed for the ancients, bread was literally the “staff of life.” It is a universal food. Go anywhere in this world and you will find bread in some shape or form. It is a necessity. God knows this. This is why we are encouraged to pray for our daily bread. We act out that petition as we take the bread from the Lord’s table. Yet as Scripture reminds us man doesn’t live by bread alone. Our souls must be fed a more spiritual substance. So in John’s Gospel, Jesus identifies himself as the Bread of Life. For without him, we have no inner life. He is the necessary component of our continued existence. At this table we hear again the words of Jesus: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I give for the life of the world.”

Communion involves eating bread and drinking wine. Or its substitute juice. If bread illustrates the necessity of life, wine demonstrates the celebration of life. Wine the psalmist tells us was given for man’s enjoyment. Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes: “I know of nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil - this is a gift of God.” Sadly, so few Christians heed that admonition to celebrate. We forget that Christ initiated the sacrament of communion at the Passover meal. The greatest feast for the Israelite people. It was a time for joy, not mourning. It was a celebration of deliverance. So too the Lord’s Passover. We do not memorialize a martyr or a dead hero...we rejoice in the Resurrected One. Our own liturgy calls us to remember that when we drink of this cup it is to be a pledge and foretaste of the marriage feast to come. We drink not to a finish, but to the future.

Note that communion involves eating bread and drinking “wine” together. We cannot celebrate in isolation. Communion by its very nature is a corporate event. The bread and the cup are meant to be shared. In the Middle East the sharing of a meal is a powerful symbolic action. When you break bread with another person you are declaring your desire to live at peace with them. In our eating and drinking together, we declare to the world that the barriers....the barriers of race, gender, age, socio-economic status...have been transcended. Without each other the Supper is robbed of much of its relevance. Paul admonishes the Corinthians for their failure to discern the body of the Lord. We, you and I together, are the Body of Lord. We are interconnected one to another. Without you, I am not the Body of Christ. Without me, you are not the Body of Christ. The Church, as I have often said, is not the building, it is the people. When Christ says this is my body broken for you...he means us. We who were so different are now one. Paul asks: “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.”

Finally we must note that communion is eating bread and drinking wine together in the presence of God. Ahh and it is this last thing that raises the everyday to the eternal. That is what lies at the heart of our text this morning. What makes the meal shared by Moses and Aaron and the rest so special was not what was on the menu, but with who spread the table. The food was commonplace, but the company was anything but. One commentator has pointed out: “God is committed to a real presence with this people in all their journeyings, a deeply personal level of involvement.” So also this meal of which we are about to partake, tells us that God is committed to being involved in our life journeys as well. We are at the deepest level dining in the presence of God. Our faith tradition declares with bold assurance that Christ himself feeds us at his table...he is the host who welcomes us to the feast. The moment we take bread and cup in hand is a transforming moment. If we would see with spiritual eyes perhaps we too might catch a glimpse of sapphire sky beneath His feet. We too might see God.

On the surface the sacrament we are about to observe is a simple one. Yet its significance can not fully be measured. In the eating of bread and the drinking of the cup together in the presence of God - we are given that which our very souls need for survival. In that transforming moment, lifted up to heaven itself, we receive strength for the journey of life. Knowing that wherever we travel along life’s road, that God travels with us to sustain us.

One thing to note as I close. Moses, Aaron, and the seventy elders did not take it upon themselves to go up that mountain. They were invited. By God. We also must be invited to this meal given in honor of God’s Son. And the only invitation that is acceptable is one engraved with Roman spikes and printed in the Savior’s blood. Do you have yours? “Then come for all things are now ready!”

Defend The Ten

"The decision of the Supreme Court in 2005 on Liberty Counsel’s Ten Commandments case will set the course for the future interpretation of the First Amendment on such matters as the Pledge of Allegiance, the National Motto ‘In God We Trust’, and other public acknowledgments of religion. Either America will be able to acknowledge God or it won’t. Our heritage and our future are riding on this case."
Mat Staver, President and General Counsel of Liberty Counsel

* When Mat Staver stands before the Supreme Court on March 2, 2005, it will be the first time in history that the Supreme Court has ever heard oral arguments on the Ten Commandments. History will be made that day. A written decision is expected by June 2005.

* At the request of Liberty Counsel, the Supreme Court has agreed to consider overruling 35 years of precedent that has given rise to the myth of "separation of church and state.”

“One would have to rewrite history to conclude that the Ten Commandments played an insignificant role in American law. The imprint of the Decalogue on the development of Western law is undeniable, and on American law is indisputable. However the Court rules, its decision will affect every Ten Commandments display in the country and may well set the future course for other governmental acknowledgments of religion, like the Pledge of Allegiance. There is a big difference between an establishment of religion, which the Constitution forbids, and governmental acknowledgments of religion, which the Constitution permits.”

There is an ever-increasing tide of christian persecution in the United States. A minority is systematically erasing God from the history of this great nation. For too long Christians have stood idly by blinded by the delusion that it couldn't happen here. But it is and it is happening now. the myth of separation of Church and state has lead to banning any mention of Christ at Christmas, the penalizing of students who want to study the Bible and pray at school, the gagging of ministers who speak out against sin and a host of subtle and not so subtle demeaning and denying the right of Christians to speak out.

Here is chance to take a stand. Let join together across theological, socio-economic, political lines and lift up prayers to Almighty God. Let's speak up before its too late...

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--
because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me--
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

Martin Niemoeller

Help Wanted...Wimps Need Not Apply

Some readers of this humble little blog accuse me of being angry, vindictive, venomous and one reader has even accused me of being a bad dresser! While I plead guilty to the latter, to the former I prefer to see myself as intensely focused. Believe it or not, I am a pretty well-adjusted guy. I rarely sneer and scowl as one comment to a post has said. I love my wife and son. I enjoy a good joke. I drive a mini-van and if you passed me in the mall, you would see not a monster, but a slightly balding guy who could stand to lose a few pounds.

However, I am also a person who deeply cares about the Church in general and the RCA in particular. I was raised in this denomination and have sadly over 40 years seen it erode and decay. Our numbers decline, our influence wanes and the unique contribution we can make to the larger Church has been lost. And while I hope that the leadership of the church understands the situation, I think that we need a new approach.

These blogs are just an attempt to throw out a challenge to a new generation of leaders. These blogs are kind of a HELP WANTED ad. New challenges call for new leadership. What kind of leaders? This excerpt from a article by Doug Giles (I sure you have noticed by now that I am in line with many of his observations) has spoken to me and has roused my from a sometimes self-induced stupor to answer God's call.


"It’s time for courageous Christian men and women to step up to the plate and for all the little tinker pot girlie men to retreat to the stands and sit there with Mummy until the dust clears.

In times of crisis our area of critical need is for leaders who can think widely and deeply, who can lead courageously and bring our great nation and the Church through spiritual obfuscation and demonic debilities. We must resurrect biblical truth, and apply it even-handedly to all of society during these days of decline.

This means Lamb Chop, Kermit and all Evangelical marionettes occupying pulpits and pews must sit down and hush because the times demand prophets.

We need prophets who could care less about:
· Political Correctness
· Style over Substance
· What the Masses and Wusses are Yapping for
· Being Popular

My ClashPoint is this: I’m not a doom and gloomer. It is not as if we are approaching the end of civilization’s road; it’s not even the beginning of the end. Most likely, it is the end of the beginning … who knows where we stand from an eschatological view point? However, I do know where we stand from an ecclesiastical and missiological point of view. We stand where we have always been supposed to stand, as the pillar of truth who proclaim it publicly and globally, applying it fully to all of life.

And guess what, Church? Just as Ringo said, “You know it don’t come easy.”

Come on... we don’t need anymore nicety-nice clergy in charge of churches that don’t equip us to face the real issues confronting our church and culture. We can do without spineless crowd pleasers, can’t we? We really do not need narcissistic, solipsistic, pseudo saints. What we need are prophets, stalwart sons and daughters who will speak and defend truth, freedom and human rights in the face of atheism, lies and hellbent special interest groups!"

You can read the full article here:

www.townhall.com/columnists/douggiles/dg20041030.shtml

I would be interested in hearing from other like-minded souls who are ready to take up this challenge.

For His Glory!

Kill The Messenger!

"Such maneuvers appear to be the last gasps of a dying church body. How can any church body be united in mission if it can't be united in theology, practice and biblical interpretation? How can an authentic expression of the Christian church allow for open departures from basic Christian teaching?” Rev. Christopher Hershman, President of the Evangelical Lutheran Confessing Fellowship, in response to the ELCA's mixed statement on sexuality.

While this is true in many denominations, I will comment only on the one in which I am a member. We are in the midst of another attempt to renew and revitalize the Reformed Church in America called simply "Our Call," which follows in the footsteps of "Putting People in Mission," and "98 by 98" as programs that will bear little fruit. Why is this? It is not because the people putting together these programs don't want to see growth or desire that we become a church of influence. I am sure that most of them are quite sincere. However sincerity and desire are not enough, what is needed is leadership who is not enamored of outdated and flawed processes and approaches to ministry.

Our latest model of ministry and growth is: let's add a few praise choruses, a live band, and powerpoint and the people will come. (We are discovering seeker-sensitive worship, just as that style is declining in influence.) Or lets close down the church building and rent a theater or school gym. Or let's do endless surveys of ourselves with the hope that we can understand the culture around us. Or let us use tired gimmicks, flashy multi-media, and even plagiarism to attract the masses.

We are no longer the People of the Book, we have become the people of the books. Our guides are no longer the prophets, the gospels or the epistles; no, we emulate and imitate: Bill Hybels, Rick Warren, Ed Young Jr., Andy Stanley or a myriad of other ministerial gurus. Now don't misunderstand me, I think that these individuals have a lot to say to the church. But we must not merely parrot their programs, copy their models and dare I say it, preach their sermons. I am saddened as I look at some of the websites of churches and pastors held up as success stories in the RCA and find that they are preaching sermons they have downloaded from the internet or read in the latest books. If our ministers wouldn't do the hard work, how can we expect our members to do so?

What has happened to us? Let me offer one thought. Consider this statement from "Our Call."

"Our Call in the Reformed Church in America is to build on the foundations of discipleship, leadership, and mission and to renew existing congregations and start new churches. "

We are building in the wrong place! Or should I say places? Discipleship, leadership and missions are not foundations, they are destinations. They are the result of getting our story straight. As the opening quote says, we can't have a common mission until we can agree on some common truth. We are to build upon the foundation of Christ and his Word. Upon that foundation alone, we build strong disciples, influential leaders and a powerful mission. But, like plagarizing preachers, we want to get the blessing without the hard work.

Until we have a clear message, we can adopt all the mediums we want, but no one will listen. Style has replaced substance. We have sold centuries of rich biblical heritage for a mess of modern pottage. It time for us to return to the first things.

The following column by Doug Giles says it better than I can.

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/douggiles/dg20050115.shtml

Pax...

The Martyrdom of St. Norm

Proof that the culture of spin has evolved beyond the political is found in a new website "Friends of Norm".

This website is the second step in the beatification of Dr. Norman Kansfield, President of New Brunswick Seminary in New Jersey. Dr.Kansfield is under increasing pressure following the revelation that this past summer he married his daughter to another woman in Massachusetts.

The first step in painting "St. Norm" as a martyr for the cause came in a letter sent by Dr. Kansfield to the clergy of the Reformed Church in America. A letter in which he offered no apology for his actions, but rather attempted to portray himself as "one of you." In this letter he proclaimed himself: a conservative, evangelical and solidly reformed individual.

Friends of Norm.com continues the process of painting Dr. Kansfield as a loving father, a progressive thinker and banner holder of God's grace and love. The website paints in glowing terms Dr. Kansfield's path in ministry, his "successes" at the seminary and the positive impact his actions have upon the world.

What the website fails to note however, is that Dr. Kansfield's actions are in violation of the very office he holds by virtue of his ordination in the RCA and his recognition as a Professor of Theology by the RCA's General Synod. A General Synod that repeatedly over the years in addressing the issue of homosexuality has declared it to be incompatible with Scripture.

See the following link for the latest statement of the RCA on homosexuality:
http://www.rca.org/aboutus/perspective/homosexuality.html

Further the website fails to address the fact that this is not the first time Dr. Kansfield has attempted to foist his views upon the RCA. In the 1990's, Dr. Kansfield was instrumental in the hiring of a lesbian professor to the staff of New Brunswick Seminary. The resulting uproar from the churches involved a buyout of this professor's contract and the loss of financial support from a number of Reformed Churches. Financial woes have continued over the years as a result of this action.

Also, while the website praises the work of Dr. Kansfield in improving the seminary, it does not tell us that while enrollment has doubled, the percentage of Reformed Church students has declined dramatically. In fact, the diverse student body of the seminary includes many who hold views antithetical to the doctrines of the Reformed Church.

While this website offers you a chance to be numbered among the friends of Norm, it doesn't tell you about those who are no friends of Norm. We read nothing of how Dr. Kansfield and his "friends" have been lurking at the ReNew site (a group for evangelical RCA pastors and others to talk about needed changes in the denomination.) and compiling a list of Churches and pastors who have taken a vocal stand against his actions. Nor do we hear testimonies of some of Norm's friends who have "lovingly" confronted those who disagree with his actions. Perhaps I will be allowed to share my story of being called a liar, a thief or a homophobe.

But I won't hold my breath waiting for an invitation, because I am not a friend of Norm and all the spin in the world won't change my mind.