A Not-So-Very-Modest Proposal

In early 2007, the year of the 150th anniversary of the the Christian Reformed Church as a denomination, Pastor Sam Hamstra wrote an article calling for the death of the denomination. The article was entitled, "A Modest Proposal" yet, not since Jonathan Swift's advocacy of infant cannibalism, has a proposal proven to be so thoroughly anything but modest.

In brief, Hamstra writes: "Here’s my thesis: The CRCNA as we know it must die and give way to a new, emerging post-denominational form of congregational collaboration that differs significantly from its predecessor."

If, in a fit of Swiftian satire, reaction was what Hamstra hoped for, he must be jolly pleased with himself by now. But
IF Hamstra did not intend to rattle our cages with satire,
IF he was, in fact, serious in his proposal,
THEN I modestly propose these responses as apt and apropos rejoinders to Hamstra's, let's be honest, Not-So-Very-Modest Proposal:

* Check it out! Nothing I've read, yet, in response to Hamstra's article packs as much punch with such precise pith as Rev. Dykstra's Letter to the Editor in the April Edition of the Banner. And the conversation continues on into May! (Scroll down a bit, apparently the demise of a denomination is no longer above-the-fold news.)

* Check it out! Oh, he's a theologian to be sure but Prof. Arie C. Leder nonetheless manages to pose a historically informed and interesting (!) response to Hamstra. Make sure to read through the comments and keep the conversation going with Rev. Hamstra himself!

* Check it Out! The death of the denomination is sure to raise the concern of all the young seminarians out there for whom the health of the denomination is a livelihood issue.

* Check it Out! Finally, my what-I-wish-I'd-said award goes to Kent who diplomatically points out the folly of Hamstra's solution by highlighting the strength of the denomination. Kudos to you, my friend.

Finally, my esteemed collaborator in these efforts wrote:

"This is a conversation about hearts & minds. It's about perception and resources. It's about an individualistic society confronting communal demands. It's about perceived value for the investments we make in denominational ministries. It's about (easy now!) sending money to a central office without being able to see and touch the results.

I think that means everyone has work to do. The denominational ministries need to help people see and touch our common ministries. The folks in the local church need to look beyond their own reach and see how far they can reach when holding hands with thousands of others. And everyone in between--classes, pastors, elders, deacons--need to help draw the connections.

We confess one holy and universal church as the body of Christ. Let's honor our hands and feet as well as our ears, elbows, and toenails and rejoice in the Spirit that enlivens them all."

How 'bout you? Have you been eager to weigh in on the issue? Have you already done so and would like to link us to your blog via the comments? Let's keep the conversation going and, by so doing, provide our own very modest and very powerful rejoinder.

Talking About Other People Talking

First, a word of welcome.

Welcome to a conversation about conversations, a blog about blogs. It is a clearing house for various instances of Reformed thinking, writing, and ranting online.

And as a beginning we've entitled it "a modest rejoinder" as a response to the specious argument that the Christian Reformed Church in North America is headed for extinction.

But there's much more than that. We'll have that conversation and move on to others. But we hope you'll respond with a rejoinder of your own. Please, blog, write, comment, protest, articulate. Express your faith. Engage us and others. Let's wrestle together with living in the now-but-not-yet.