Always reforming

Reformation T-shirts for $25. Reformation tourism packages for a hundred times that amount. I wonder what Martin Luther and John Calvin would say. It gives a whole new meaning to semper reformada – always reforming! The 500 year anniversary of the Reformation is time for celebration. There are events, books, and, yes, T-shirts and mementos. It is also time for grieving the negative impacts. Thoughtful historians, such as Dr. Karin Magg at Calvin College, help us with a balanced look at history. Drawn in by the “Reformed and Always Reforming” stream of our heritage, I find myself thinking about next steps. Is the “always reforming” part still alive or has Reformed become ossified? What might “always reforming” mean in our current context?

Living Bible
Three aspects of Reformed life and thought rise to the top of my list under “in need of reform.”
First is a fresh, open dialogue about how to use Scripture in Christian living, worship and education. Sola Scriptura, central to the Reformation, is applied rigidly, distorting what John Calvin intended. One result is word wars with Bible texts as weapons of choice. In CRC circles, Synodical Report 44 on the Nature and Extent of Biblical Authority, the last focused look at how we do hermeneutics, needs reform. I doubt any theologian or lay student of Scripture would disagree with me on that.

Agility needed
Second would be a more agile approach to cultural engagement. Understanding how faith informs a worldview that makes sense of our context and guides action in all areas of living is a heritage gift. Worldview discussion seems to be shelved like an antique in Reformed archives; it could be re-engineered for living use. Leaders choose silence on contemporary issues for fear of attack by opposing narrow-issue campaigners. Prophetic voices are often muffled by messages that help us feel good about ourselves. Endless debates about the role of the church as institution and organism have stifled vital energy and sidelined both.

When I walked in Calvin’s footsteps through the city of Geneva I realized how immersed he was in the life of his city. I suspect our internal debates might elicit a sharp rebuke, if he showed up in Ottawa today.

Within the reformational movement in Canada, which emphasizes “always reforming,” strong leaders with charismatic gifts have sometimes lead to tensions over different approaches, fragmentation, and loss of public support for organizations that were motivated by the “always reforming” spirit. Meanwhile, I wonder if we are losing sight of the bigger picture of what God is doing in Canada and our world. At least that is how it seems, when I look at my stream from the Reformation through the eyes of my non-religious allies in the world of social change.

A fresh approach may come from the next generation of leaders, if they have not disengaged entirely. Maybe a bright flame will rise again from the smoldering Reformational movement in Canada.

Whose dance steps?
A third area for reform would be embracing religious diversity, rather than asserting brand superiority for our own brand. Denominational structures can be an asset or an obstacle for such explorations. The Facebook page of the CRC Committee for Inter-Faith Engagement is an innovative approach in keeping with our times. At the same time, labels like “Evangelical” and “mainline” or “Christian Right” and “Christian Left” have become toxic barriers for different elements in the larger culture. The CRC and RCA dance in the camps of the Evangelical Fellowship and the Council of Churches in Canada, but it is not always clear what dance steps we are following to encourage the much needed “always Reforming” within church culture in Canada.

Now I have set myself up for shots from all corners. That’s life as an engaged, always reforming Christian in Canada.