T&S Revisited

The Power Of The Written Word

Prof. A. Barkley. Trowel & Sword. March 1958

Preamble: WARNING! Do not read the first line of this article, assume that it is about television and stop reading. It’s not! And it’s not a warning about Soviet Russia and Communists. It is rather a call to arms, both in 1958 and to us in 2026. It’s an article which looked into the future and asked, “Why did you stop producing Trowel & Sword in 2010? Why are so few of you writing articles, booklets, tracts, letters to newspapers and the like and flooding the country with them? Why do so many of you only write sermons to preach to the converted inside the safety of your own churches? Why? In the not so distant past clever bumper stickers were in vogue but even they seem to have disappeared. Today they could well be deemed “hate speech”. Offensive. Are we as Christians to be intimidated into silence?

The Power Of The Written Word

The advent of television has introduced a new factor that must wield an increasing influence in the community. More and more people are being brought into contact with programmes presented on the screen, and less time is given to reading and meditation. The games that children play are largely reflections of the scenes they have watched on television. Despite all this influence, however, we must not lose sight of the power of the written word and we must not excuse ourselves on the ground that other forces are at work.

The ‘battle of the books’ is still being waged, and in a more sinister sense than ever the pen is proving mightier than the sword. Soviet Russia has been leading recently in certain aspects of scientific development, but for a number of years Russia has been leading in another sphere of which little is heard. It was once our boast that the Bible was the world’s most widely translated writings, but, according to Peter Edson in the “Washington Notebook” column, that no longer holds. During the period 1948 to 1955 Lenin’s works were translated into 968 languages, while in the same period the Bible was translated into 887 tongues. The writings of Stalin, Tolstoy and Gorky took third, fourth and fifth places respectively in total translations.

Communists have not failed to appreciate the power of the printed page. The leaders in Red China boast that they have accomplished more in ten years than the Christian missionaries did in one hundred years. It has been the lamentation of the Church that millions of Chinese never heard the name of Christ. After ten years of propaganda the Communists claim that the name of Stalin is known to all the people of China. This claim may be exaggerated but it cannot be dismissed.

The Editor of the magazine, “The Flame”, quotes Nelson E. Hinman as stating, “The missionaries in China preached, built hospitals, orphanages and Bible schools, but paid little attention to the potential of the printed page as a medium for spreading their message. The Communists, meanwhile, majored in printed propaganda. Today, they occupy these hospitals and use the orphanages and Bible school buildings for their own purposes. The missionary has been driven out. The battle was won with books.”

In India a similar programme is in the process of development. A highly educated young Indian has stated, “The missionaries taught my people how to read, but they have let the Communists give my people what they read”..

When printing was first discovered it was extensively used by the Church for the propagation of her massage. As a matter of fact the invention of the printing press is one of the causes of the widespread influence of the Reformation movement. Books and pamphlets were written and placed in the hands of those who read them and accepted the truth thus presented. Today there is need for a similar movement by the Reformed Churches throughout the world.

We are grateful to God for the splendid volumes that are published in the interests of the Reformed Faith. These, however, are costly and are therefore restricted in circulation. In some cases there is such a display of learning that the average reader is unable to grasp the meaning. If the Church could flood the country with publications at a reasonable price and written in language that the common people understand, we venture to predict good results. When our Lord taught, the common people heard him gladly. Yet in His teaching there was an authority that transcended all the obscure and weighty utterances of the Scribes and Pharisees. We need more people who are willing to use the pen and state the truth in simple words. In this way a greater appeal could be made to those who never get beyond the Intermediate standard in English.

Augustine was a great believer in the power of the written word. His style of writing is open to criticism for such weaknesses as repetition of the same word and verbosity, but he says, “I would rather be censured by the grammarians than not understood by the people”.

This is a reading age and God will hold us responsible for not taking advantage of the opportunity presented.

Blackstone, a celebrated lawyer in the reign of George III had the curiosity to go from church to church and hear every clergyman of note in London. He says that he did not hear a single discourse which had more Christianity in it than the writings of Cicero, and that it would have been impossible for him to discover from what he heard, whether the preacher was a disciple of Confucius, Mahomet or Christ. The picture is not so dark in Australia and New Zealand but there is widespread ignorance of the truth and God has not given us the light to be hidden under a bushel. It would give a great impetus to the spread of the truth in these lands if more ministers and laymen in Reformed circles could be encouraged to write tracts, articles and perhaps even books. There are many who cannot preach but they are willing to put good wholesome literature into the hands of those willing to read.

In the book “Reformed Evangelism”, Miss Gertrude Holkeboer provides a very interesting chapter on “Tract Distribution”, in which some facts are presented to show the importance of the written word in the ministry of the Church. She refers to the days of John Wesley when it was said, “The gospelers of these days do fill the realm with so many of their noisome little books that they be like the swarms of locusts which did infest the land of Egypt”. The movement started by Wesley had a wholesome influence in Britain in a time of crisis. They had not the facilities we have and yet vast multitudes were aroused.

The enemy is Quick to take advantage of the most recent inventions for the spread of false teaching. We shall become awake when it is too late.

It is not for us to fix a date as far as God’s plans are concerned, but it may be possible that the sand is running low in the hour glass as far as the end of this age is concerned. Are we satisfied that we are doing all we can to spread the Gospel of Christ’s kingdom in these lands where we are privileged to serve the Lord?

A. BARKLEY.

We look forward to receiving feedback about any of our posts. We also encourage you to share our posts with family, friends and acquaintances; in fact anyone you think may appreciate and/or benefit from the knowledge and wisdom handed down to us from the past. To view previous posts visit our website at www.tsrevisited.com

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Previous Articles

Addiction To Self – The Problem

David Groenenboom. Trowel & Sword. Jan/Feb. 1999

Preamble: In his opening statement Davis names “Addiction to Self” as the “…biggest threat to the western Church at the end of the 20th century.” He also writes that it has been a problem since Adam. It would therefore be safe to say that it is just as much a problem today as it was when he wrote the article 27 years ago, and will be until Christ comes again. So what hope do we have? As Dave himself points out – only one.

Addiction To Self – The Problem

Addiction to self is the biggest threat to the western Church at the end of the 20th century. Of course, there are lots of other threats manifesting in various doctrinal and pastoral forms, but addiction to self could well be the most dangerous and the most insidious.

What is addiction to self? It is living for your own happiness, seeking life the way you want it, looking for comfort any way you can get it – generally the quicker it comes, the better. Addiction to self has been a problem since Eden. Self-glory was the carrot the serpent used to lure our first parents into rebellion. They sought self-exaltation and equality with the Creator. They saw the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom. So headlong they fell into sin, and self-addiction has been with us ever since.

While the virus of self-addiction is present in every human being, today’s cultural climate has presented an environment for the virus to mutate into an ugly life threatening disease. Australians in 1999 see as their birthright the very things self-addiction feeds on. People expect to have happiness when, where, however and with whom they fancy, and they expect it to be pretty well immediate.

The credo of 1999 Australia is “Me first, and now!” The temples of self addiction are the ritzy shopping plazas, CBDs, and credit agencies. Its high priests are the beautiful success stories of the business world. The salvation they offer is the bliss of contentment. These are the temples, the priests, and the salvation – but where is the sacrifice? Well, that’s the challenge: the sacrifice self-addiction requires is Christian commitment, personal integrity and Kingdom compassion. Self-addiction demands that we sell our soul. The difference in 1999 is that all this is seen as socially acceptable.

Which is precisely why it’s such a danger for the church: because self-worship is socially acceptable we may just miss the presence of the disease in our midst. If we do, this virulent parasite may suck our lifeblood before we realise what’s going on. Consider the following:

Evening service attendance. I would like a dollar for every time someone has said to me (or to an elder), “I don’t need to attend church twice on Sunday.” I find myself asking, “Your need? Who said anything about your need?” Worship is what we bring to the Lord of life! Worship is the product of our desire to honour the Lord who has given us grace! Its focus is His worth, not our need. But today’s church is suffering from a cultural osmosis where the values of society have started to determine what we do in worship. So the focus of worship shifts from what God deserves to what we want. No wonder people are staying home or going somewhere else! How long will it be before people feel they don’t need to go at al? That a better “happiness hit” can be had in the secular temples? That it is mediated by much more attractive priests than pretty well any preacher? Consequence? Christian commitment is sacrificed on the altar of self worship.

Or consider marriage. How many times has one partner walked out on another because they wanted “space”, “personal freedom”, or “more happiness”? When personal happiness is at life’s centre, another person cannot be there as well. Not even a husband or wife. “Until death do us part” has, in 1999, become “as long as you make me happy.” Some 43% of Australian marriages on the scrap heap are a lamentable testimony to just how entrenched self-worship has become.

Or consider church commitment. It used to be that people cared about church teaching and confessional responsibility. Many still do. But some today are simply content to stay with a church as long as it meets their needs. Should things get a bit crusty and the congregation hit the rough side of the road, people feel justified bailing out and finding somewhere better. At least there, they’ll be happy and things will be peaceful (or so they think). And so the Christian integrity which gets forged in the crucible of shared pain and mutual reconciliation never sees the light of day. Consequence? A weaker church and Christians with stunted growth.

True, these are oversimplified generalisations but they hold a fair measure of truth. Self-addiction eats away at life as worship, it sucks commitment from marriage, it undermines the body of Christ. If self-addiction is the virus, then only Christ’s grace can be both the cure and continuing immunisation. More on that next issue.

David Groenenboom

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The Rights Of Your And My Children

Prof. G. van Groningen. Trowel & Sword. October 1965

Preamble: Children – They are a blessing from God, but how often do we see them as an inconvenience or, dare I say it, even a source of annoyance when it comes to church life and/or the worship service? Children misbehaving or babies crying are often seen as a distraction, or worse, barely tolerated by other worshippers. Over the years various solutions have been adopted. Creche or a “crying room” where the service can be followed by means of speakers, and for many churches, Sunday Schools during the service, which in some churches have also euphemistically been called “Children’s Church”. These all involve separating the children from the “adults” so that the “adults” can “enjoy” the worship service in peace. We suspect that these solutions would not have sat well with Prof. V.G. who, with his wife Harriet, introduced Cadets and Calvinettes into Australia and was passionate about his work with the youth of the day.

The Rights Of Your And My Children

In this article I want to centre our attention upon the RIGHTS OF YOUR AND MY CHILDREN IN THE CHURCH. Particularly, I wish to stress the rights of the children in regard to the ministry of the Word.

We hear of the duties of parents (and of their children) stressed far more than the privileges, rights and blessings that the children (and their parents) have. Now I immediately grant that every blessing, every right, every privilege, involves an obligation, a duty, a responsibility. It seems to me that as we stress the latter we forget the former too often. If we would stress the former, i.e., the rights, less attention, time and energy would have to be spent admonishing and urging parents and children to do their duties in regard to the instruction of the young. For the doing of duties really is nothing other than to acknowledge and claim one’s rights and privileges.

Your and my children have RIGHTS in the church of Jesus Christ. They have a right to attend and participate in the worship services. They have a right to join in the family visits. They have a right to the use of the church property. I want to stress here that children have a right especially to the TEACHING and the TEACHINGS of the church. That means our children have a right to claim the time and energy of the ministers who are particularly trained in the Word of God and who are trained to preach and to teach this Word.

The Church of Jesus Christ has given these rights to the children. It did so outrightly when the children were baptised and acknowledged as members of the Church and Kingdom of Jesus Christ on the basis of their covenant membership. Remember, it is not the session, nor the minister, nor the parents, but God Himself who has declared that children of those who believe are members of the covenant. Therefore they are baptised. As members of the covenant and of the church of Jesus Christ they are HEIRS to the riches of Jesus Christ. The children have a right to the blessings and treasures of God. I repeat, this is by divine ordinance.

So then, when the children were (and are) baptised in the midst of the congregation, the entire church, through the action of the session and the actual ceremony of baptism performed by the minister, says plainly and pointedly to all children; “children, we recognise you as heirs of great treasures”. And the church should say at the same time “and you have a share in all the treasures of God as given to us in His Word and through His Spirit and WE OWE IT TO YOU to make you an intelligent and active participant.”

In the Baptismal form and ceremony stress is laid on what the parents should do. I wish and so hope that before long our form for Baptism and ceremony will be altered, if only to include a direct statement of what the church and its ministry in the Word OWES the child that is baptised. Indeed, if the parents must repeat their solemn promise to instruct the child in the doctrines contained in the Scriptures, the church too should repeat its duty to teach and share the treasures of truth Christ Jesus Himself has committed to the church.

If we truly acknowledge the rights of your and my children in the church, then it follows that our attitude as parents, elders and ministers especially, to catechism work and youth work in general will be directly and powerfully effected. The Lord willing, I hope to make some remarks to this effect in later issues.

G. VAN GRONINGEN

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Editorial Paragraph – March 1958

Prof K. Runia. Trowel & Sword. March 1958

Preamble: We begin this week’s edition with recent feedback received from readers of both “Trowel & Sword – Special Edition” and “Trowel & Sword Revisited“. Our reason for doing this will become evident when you read this week’s short post written way back in March 1958 by the then managing editor of Trowel & Sword, Prof. K. Runia (one of our favourite authors). At that time T&S had been published for a mere 3 1/2 years compared with TSR’s 2 1/2 years. (Has it been that long?) It occurred to us that in nearly 70 years very little has changed. What has changed for us is that we are both septuagenarians so it may well be that unless younger men or women are prepared to step up to the plate in the not too distant future T&S may once again slip into oblivion.
The level of support and/or enthusiasm from official sources within the denomination is, to say the least, paltry – as the following excerpt from the CRCA website indicates:
“Some members of the denomination have taken it upon themselves to rework some of the excellent content of the original Trowel and Sword for the internet. You can access that here: Trowel and Sword Revisited
Please note that this is not a denominational publication, but it may be of interest to some within the denomination.”
In reality “some members” is actually one member and one former member, (the two septuagenarians mentioned earlier), who have recognised the value, not only of republishing the wisdom of past authors, but also the value of publishing the thoughts and wisdom of today’s generation.

Feedback

*To the editor
Thank you so much for the latest trowel & sword, I really enjoyed reading it.
You asked the question should the trowel & sword be rebooted my answer would be a resounding YES PLEASE.
In the bygone years I enjoyed the articles in the magazine and currently I am subscribed to ts revisited.
Sincere regards

*Hi Bert and Pieter
Good to read this special edition. Hope it gets some legs and keeps running.
Rich blessings

*Thank you for republishing this. These are very helpful comments and remind us all, but especially “readers” who present and preach sermons they have not written themselves.

*I have put these questions in our last newsletter of the year in hopes that as a small – mainly elderly church we continue to strive for growth, not just in numbers but in all aspects of our church services and community involvement. Thank you for your work in posting these gems, they are a wonderful resource and are deeply appreciated.

*Since you mentioned appreciating feedback on the articles, I thought I’d mention that while I appreciated this article you shared from John Westendorp, I thought your preamble detracted from it. Write your own article, if you must, with your (very different) perspective on sheep, but don’t attach it to these wonderful thoughts of John’s in criticism of what he writes.

*Thank you brothers for your work in “Revisiting T&S”. I appreciate your selections and have enjoyed reading them.

Editorial Paragraphs – March 1958

Recently I have heard many comments on our magazine from various sides. For an editor it is a funny thing to hear all these remarks. Some people tell you that they are quite satisfied with things as they are going on. Others, as emphatically, say, that “Trowel and Sword” is nothing – a worthless paper. A young member of our Churches even wrote me a letter to inform me, that if things did not change, he would start a new magazine! You understand, I was quite scared!

Nevertheless, it is very good to hear all these voices. It is very important for the editors of a magazine to know the reactions of the readers. Therefore I would propose to all the readers to send us their comments and to inform us of their ideas and desires.

One of the most frequent complaints was that our magazine was too Dutch.

I quite agree with this. I am even glad to hear it. It is an evidence that our readers are aware of the necessity of a development towards a complete English magazine. I personally (and I know this is also the opinion of my co-editors) am strongly in favour of this development.

But, we should not forget that a development never starts with the end! The word development means that one has to work in a certain direction in order to achieve a certain end. No doubt, in this particular case we can attain that end only in the way of a gradual process. We are facing here a problem similar to that which the churches have to solve with regard to the English sermons.It is not an easy problem, but one thing is certain: any exaggeration will do harm instead of being profitable.

The only thing we can do, and also have to do, is: to keep the end firmly in mind. And I promise you: we are doing this.

K. Runia

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Help For Sermon Readers

Rev. Albert Esselbrugge. Trowel & Sword. April 1995

Preamble: Consider the following scenario: “Who’s preaching today?” “Elder (or perhaps Mr.) so-and-so. It’s a reading service.” “Not again – I think I’ll stay home today. I get nothing out of these services, and he is really boring.” Sound familiar? Perhaps that has been you some time in the past. If we are completely honest we would have to admit that we have all been there at one time or another. Albert Esselbrugge has recognised this reality and in this article sets out, not to point a finger of blame at anyone, but rather to suggest ways to overcome this weakness, both in our thinking, and in the approach a sermon reader could take to overcome the negative attitude many of us have when faced with a reading service.

Help For Sermon Readers.

In our churches, when an ordained minister of the Word Is not available, our sessions appoint a man from the congregation to lead the Worship Service. During the service he will read a sermon from an approved source, usually from the publication, ‘Word of Salvation’. We have come to call such a service, somewhat unfortunately, a ‘reading service’. The most common reaction to such a service is a distinct lack of enthusiasm and excitement from members.

Believing that much of the negative ideas and feelings about the ‘reading service’ can be overcome with careful preparation, the following practical suggestions are presented. My prayer to our Lord is that He may make the ‘reading service’ a more uplifting and fruitful experience for both the worship leader and the congregation.

Our thoughts go out in particular here to the sermon reader. We assume that as a people who come together to worship the Saviour, we will always seek to make our hearts ready for a time of prayer and praise with the people of the Lord, regardless of who the worship leader is. It is also assumed that those who lead us in worship, the preacher, song leader, those who play the musical instruments and any others are brought to the Lord in our prayers before we gather together. Sessions will, of course, have been careful to appoint a worship leader who shows himself to be a true Christian, has a clear voice, presentable manner and appearance, and is someone who will not cause offence.

The Task

Let us be clear that the task of a sermon reader is no less important than that of any preacher of God’s Word. It is a serious business to stand before a congregation and handle God’s Word for the edification of your hearers. You are dealing with souls that need to be brought to humble dependence on the grace of God. As hearers of the Word. we must also become doers, and the task of the preacher is to do all he can, with the frail human gifts God has given him, to bring that about. Sermon reader, you are a preacher. Recognising that your task is difficult because the word you preach has not grown in your own heart as it has for the author, and because of the great responsibility that rests on all preachers in addressing the souls of their hearers, you must always approach the work with a deep sense of humility. The question may legitimately be asked by preachers, ‘Who am I, sinner that I am, to go before these people with God’s Word and say to them “Thus says the Lord”. It is a humbling and fearful thing, and yet we are to go because we go in Christ’s name.

Preparations

The real work of preaching begins in the selection and preparation of a sermon, and it is in the selection process that it is possible to be ’embarrassed’ by the riches, and not know which of the many will be selected.

Here are a number of practical suggestion to help:

1. Seek the guidance and wisdom of the Lord in prayer, both for your entering into the preparation and the delivery of God’s exhortation to His people.

2. Allow plenty of time to browse and review the available material well before the worship service

3. After a time of browsing, do not immediately make a selection, but give yourself at least a day to meditate on the needs of the congregation and the leading of the Holy Spirit. In this time seek the Lord in prayer and ask for His guidance.

4. Confident of the Lord’s guidance, make your selection. Do not seek the advice or guidance of anyone other than the Lord in this final selection. This is something between you and the Spirit of God. We have enough to overcome in our own prejudices and failings, without having to consider those of other people who, though well meaning, ought not to be allowed to interfere in what is a high calling.

5. Once a selection has been made carefully read the sermon, seeking in this first full reading to understand the structure and flow, taking note of transitional sentences that lead from one point to another. This ought to be completed at least two days before you enter the pulpit, and may require that the sermon is read several times, until you begin to feel that you are entering into it. As you do this, you will become more flexible in making those minor adaptations of tense or personal pronouns which give it better sense in the pulpit. We do not mean to say that the reader is given rights to adapt and modify the sermon. The sermon should be presented substantially as its author submitted it, but a sentence here or there may need to be modified or added. This is allowable when done sparingly and carefully. It is now the time to prepare the order of worship, select appropriate hymns, and to inform those who need this information – the musicians, those who prepare hymn boards and any others. If you have never understood the basic outline of the order of Reformed worship, and why we do things as we do in our churches, review the report to Synod on worship in the Acts of Synod 1985 (III – 93).

6. It this sermon is to be presented in a morning service, then on Saturday evening set time aside (approximately an hour is a good guide) to spend time in prayer asking that God will bless your voice, your manner and that the Spirit of God will open both your heart and the hearts of those who listen to you. Of course, if you will be preaching in the evening service, this final preparation will need to be on Sunday afternoon, allowing an hour or two between preparation and presentation. We need to spend this time in preparing ourselves for this great work. Be sure to ask the Lord for cleansing from your own sin, so that there will be nothing to impede the presentation of the gospel, and ask the Lord not to hold your weaknesses or failings against the congregation. Taking the sermon now, read it through, highlighting various portions so that your eye will fall back more easily to the point where you were before you looked up at the congregation. Look for emphases and the emotion-filled sentences. Ideally read the sermon aloud to yourself, giving expression to the feeling and impact of the various parts. Do not however, overdo this. The risk is that it will become a drama presentation. Lay the sermon aside after no more than an hour and do not look at it again until you open it in the pulpit.

7. This is also a good time to go over the order of worship again, noting how each part fits together, and how you plan to introduce each part. Some find that writing everything they plan to say a necessity to overcome the fear of forgetting or saying the wrong thing due to nerves. Even if you do not take what you have written into the pulpit, it is good preparation, especially for public prayers.

Presentation

In the pulpit try to be yourself as much as possible. Speak clearly and articulate your words. Remember that nerves cause most of us to speak more quickly than usual, especially when reading. Try to be conscious of this and speak a little more deliberately, carefully observing full stops and commas. Our purpose is to convey a message of Vital importance, not to get in and gel out as quickly as we can. Eye contact with the congregation is also good, and will reduce the woodenness that is often associated with the reader who keeps his head down.

Conclusion

For my personal encouragement I remember the following items which I gleaned from a great preacher. They are suitable encouragement to every Christian, especially to the preacher.

– at all times remember that Almighty God is the Head of ALL. Be jealous for His glory.
– God’s promises are true and He is faithful.
– Keep the faith!
– Reverence His Word.
– Always remember what sin deserves.
– Always be thankful in Christ, and rejoice in the Lord.
– Hate all that is casual and flippant in holy things. Be serious, not solemn; grave but never cold. Have a holy joy and a serious happiness.
– Be bold in opposing error.

Finally, when as students we were sent out from the College to preach, we were regularly reminded that whether there were professors, lawyers or other ministers in the congregation we are all in equal need of the gospel. May the grace of God be our comfort and strength as we seek to glorify His Name in preaching.

Albert Esselbrugge

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Lining Up!

Prof. K. Warren. Trowel & Sword. June 1981

Preamble: This article could have been written last week instead of 44 years ago. Talk of Nuclear war, atomic annihilation, World War 3, has recently and consistently been hitting the airwaves. Add to that the constant scare mongering about the end of civilisation due to “climate change”, or a celestial body smashing into the Earth, or even the threat of an alien invasion and we have fertile ground for the growth of the “Survivalist” and “Doomsday Preper” industry. There are always those who look to profit from the insecurities of others. Prof. Warren had, and still has some interesting things to say about this whole phenomenon.

Lining Up!

The word ‘ survival’ is beginning to take on a new meaning, I think. Or rather a more intense meaning. For some people the word is even having an urgency about it; ‘survival’ is quite high on their list of priorities.

Survival from what? Armageddon! Nuclear war! Atomic annihilation!

Survival from what? The final, fiery end for millions. But not the end for the survivalists. They will be safe, in their hide-outs in the bush, or wherever.

When at last the American and Russian warlords will push THE button, and dozens of missiles start their brief journey of doom, death and destruction; ah… the survivalists will survive! To live on and build a new existence on the ruins. We are reading more and more about it. Newspapers, magazines, even on T.V.

In the United States there are tens of thousands of people fully prepared. Concrete underground shelters in a secret place. Just for me and my family! We’ve also got guns to keep the undesirables away, in the hour of total panic. Shelters, way out in the bush. Stockpiled with dehydrated foodstuffs, it will last us for years.

There are even business firms who will give expert advice in case it is your strong desire to be amongst the few who will survive World War III. An economy model shelter, or would you like to have it a bit more luxurious? You may as well survive in style. Three bedrooms and a study?

Also in Australia you can have your underground shelter custom-made. Under $2.000 for the bare concrete shell. Digging the hole, and fitting it all out, that’s your own responsibility.

What a great weekend hobby! It’ll bring out the very deepest instincts in some of the home handymen. Fitting out our own, our very own survival cubby. It’s a challenging hobby, while at the same time it answers our most basic instinct: self-preservation. Beats painting the house any time!

Tens of thousands of T.V. viewers were told last month where would be the safer suburbs of Melbourne and Sydney whenever “the big one” would be dropped. Would this also become a factor affecting the price of real estate? One gets the uncomfortable feeling that the news media have us all at their mercy: To generate a whole-scale panic would be all in a day’s work. The hysterical reaction of the American people to Orson Wells’ radio-play in 1939 about the end of the world still serves as a powerful reminder that the media will be well advised to play it cool.

But then again: ratings are their idol and the George Orwellian 1984 horrors is just the stuff for a timely story. The movie- makers no doubt will move in too. Watch it happen!

But also in the Christian scene there’s money to be made. Big money. The popularity of Hal Lindsey’s ‘The late Great Planet Earth’ proves the point. Lindsey appears to have all the answers; his chapter on World War 3 even gives some maps of the Middle East indicating how the Russian and other armies will move to attack. Spectacular! Speculative too!

His book was a hit with the Christian public, and it made Lindsey an ‘eschatological millionaire’, so to speak. The end of the world, the final war, the Antichrist, 666, the tribulation, Gog and Magog, it all has very much the interest of many Christians.

And why not, you will say. It’s in the Bible, so we better be interested in it. Right you are! But it all depends how our interest is moulded, guided, directed. There are far too many well-meaning Christians who are so easily given to speculation, or try to convince us of dispensationalist thinking. And I’m not even speaking now of those who are doing their ‘crackpotty’ (sic) thing on the fringes (or beyond it!) of the Christian spectrum.

The history of the Church even becomes some-what monotonous reading when one takes note of all the failed human predictions, which once were firmly believed to come true. Montanus; some of the Anabaptists; William Miller, the ‘forerunner’ of 7th day Adventism; Jehovah’s Witnesses; Herbert W. Armstrong, and hundreds more.

Even Martin Luther, in the early 1500’s, apparently believed that the last day was near at hand. He wrote: “… it often occurs to me forcibly that the last day will break before we can completely turn the Holy Scriptures into German. For it is certain from the Holy Scriptures that we have no more temporal things to expect. All is done and fulfilled: the Roman empire is at an end; the Turk has reached his highest point; the pomp of the papacy is falling away and the world is cracking on all sides almost as if it would break and fall apart entirely.”

I have no prophetic gifts, but it would be quite safe to predict that this whole scenario of expectations, predictions, survival, doomsday, World War 3, panic, missile-phobia, and what have you, will become much more intense the closer we come to the year 2000. There are some fascinating stories about some of the hysteria that went on in Europe when the year 1000 came closer and closer. Bands of self-styled prophets wandered around, sowing fear and panic in the hearts of peasants and craftsmen. The millennium, the new Jerusalem, the judgement, the final end, and other topics like that were in the focus of attention.

The year 2000 will hold plenty of potential for similar pandemonium.

What a good thing that we have such Reformed authors as Veldkamp, Hendriksen, Hoekema, to give guidance in these difficult passages of Scripture. Buy their books, or have the church library buy them. Read them, study them, together with the open Bible.

And let us be alert. Wide awake. For the Bridegroom comes.

KEITH V. WARREN

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I Love Christmas!

Rev. J. de Jonge. Trowel & Sword. Dec. 2010

Preamble: Christmas can mean many different things for different people. In this article Rev. de Jonge takes us through his own experiences growing up and ultimately, what Christmas means for the Gospel story and the message of salvation.

I Love Christmas!

“For [God] chose us in [our Lord Jesus Christ] before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
Ephesians 1:4

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16

“The time came for the baby to be born, and [Mary] gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.”
Luke 2:6b,7

In recent memory there can’t be many Christmases that haven’t been high on my list of favourite times in the year, and often, highest. So why is that? Some obvious reasons that quickly come to mind include:

Christmas celebrations with family and friends.
Extra public holidays and annual holiday in January most years.
More time to spend with family and friends over bbq’s, outings, activities, etc,
Less midweek deadlines in the average working week eg no Session meetings, catechism, etc.

But then, as I think back to my earliest memories of Christmas, it has always been that way. As far back as I can remember I have always loved the Christmas season.

One of my earliest memories of Christmas involves a church activity. It must have been a Sunday school breakup or Christmas Carols evening, probably at Toowong Reformed Church, with Rev Westra (I think) giving the kids each a box of Jaffas. It’s connected to another memory – maybe the same event, maybe another – of spending much of my time ducking behind the pulpit from one side to the other for the best vantage point on the different activities happening on the stage in front of us. I must have been about four or five years old.

Other early memories involve family events and traditions. The first thing that comes to mind is a family habit of opening Christmas presents soon after returning home from the Christmas church service, now in Inala church, probably aged six and older. Those memories include hot, sticky Christmas services in the muggy, Queensland, December weather. Afterwards we would head home, change into something more comfortable, enjoy a quick morning tea, and spend whatever time it took to take turns unwrapping present after present that dad or mum handed out from under the tree until they were all opened.

Other family traditions my parents started that quickly come to mind and still give Christmas season a special aura include putting out milk and oranges on Christmas Eve for Santa and the Reindeers. They were always gone the next morning, and I even vaguely remember Dad once finding the empty cup sitting on one of the ceiling fan blades.

And some years we would spend Christmas afternoon at a favourite park where there was a playground to enjoy, kangaroos, wallabies and emus in an enclosure, and big sprawling trees to climb. I can still remember how the park looked as you topped the last rise in the road approaching it, probably burned into my memory by the anticipation of arriving in a few seconds for another happy couple of hours play.

These kinds of activities, routines, and traditions have left me with hundreds of happy memories of my childhood Christmases. And as a parent now myself, my wife Nicky and I have consciously included elements like these in our family celebrations of Christmas, hopefully giving our children hundreds of similar happy memories to look back on in their years to come.

Some people who study these things conclude that happy memories of family and church are vitally important in the faith formation of children, and as I think back on my memories, I can understand why that might be true. An interesting thing in all of this is that memories of Christmas church events seem to date back further than those of family, although I strongly suspect that family influences have ultimately played a stronger role in my faith formation than church – not that I am minimising the positive influence of Church at all.

And one thing that surprises me a lot is that the Christmas story, and the gospel message, seem to be missing from those early memories altogether. It all seems to be about Jaffas, milk and oranges, opening presents, and visiting the park, etc. And as I talk to my wife, she feels some guilt at having to admit the same thing. We feel that it shouldn’t be that way, but if we’re honest, it is.

On the other hand, as I think about it, the Christmas story and the gospel message do underpin those memories. I only attended Christmas church events, because my parents were committed Christians. And the family traditions we enjoyed and remember were built on a gospel understanding of the meaning of Christmas, even if Santa played a part. I have extended family members who worry that those of us who don’t include Santa at the heart of Christmas are depriving our children, ‘How is Christmas going to be anything special? How is it going to mean anything special?’ But that definitely wasn’t a concern in our family. Family life generally, including Christmas celebrations, revolved around devotion to Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, God come to earth in the flesh, to save his people from their sins. And later memories I have confirm that without any doubt. And so, paradoxically, I believe that ultimately the strongest influence in the shaping of the child I was and the person I am today is ultimately the thing I remember least in those earliest memories – the gospel message at the heart of a true understanding of Christmas.

Recently in our evening church services, based on the Belgic Confession, we have been considering the amazing message that Christmas really is, without actually applying it to Christmas itself.

God, the Creator of every created thing, the King of the universe, who continues to sustain and control it all by his awesome power – from galaxies down to atoms, in the second person of the Trinity stepped down from his perfectly holy and glorious throne in heaven, and took on human nature, becoming like us in every way except for sin. And so Jesus, God and yet also man, was conceived in the virgin Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit. And on that first Christmas Day he was born as a baby, in an animal shelter, and laid in their food trough – the humblest of the humble. He grew, and matured into a child and then a man, with his purpose and destiny from eternity past that he die on a cross, the righteous that we might be made righteous, the sinless for the sins of others. And he rose again on the third day to new life, so that in him, believing sinners might have new life, having been atoned for, redeemed, made right with God, declared by God to be holy and blameless in his sight. And ultimately, we will share in his glory for all eternity, transformed into his likeness.

When you think about it like that, isn’t the Christmas message an amazing message of Gods’ generous love, mercy, and grace to us who least deserve it? Where else do you find a message like that? Does atheism offer a message like that – with it presenting us as the products of random chance in a chaotic, disorderly universe, with no purpose to our lives, and nothing to look forward to after death? Of course it doesn’t. Does any other worldview, religion, or ideology offer a message that comes even close? And they don’t. The only other message on offer is a works gospel – save yourself, pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, with no guarantee that you can, and no assurance that you will. The Christmas message – the gospel message – stands alone as a message of hope and grace when it comes to the big questions and ultimate issues of life.

And so, at a superficial level, I can say that I love Christmas because of the perks that come with the season and great times with family and friends. But after some rambling thought, at a deeper level, I’ve got to admit that there’s much more to it than that. I love Christmas because God first loved me. I love Christmas because he worked out his love in an amazing way that we will never fully understand or comprehend. I love Christmas because he has included me, through faith in Jesus Christ, in the message of hope and grace that is the only one on offer. I love Christmas!

John de Jonge

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Christianity or Churchianity?

Rev. J.W. Deenick. Trowel & Sword. Jan/Feb 1955

Preamble: This is the last of four articles John Westendorp looked at in his walk back through history. In it Rev J.W. Deenick responds to the suggestion by an unnamed but apparently well-known Christian worker that the world needs Christianity but not the plethora of denominations which existed even then and has literally exploded in number in more recent times.

Christianity or Churchianity?

An Inconsistent Statement

A few months ago an outstanding Christian worker visited New Zealand, and interviewed by the Press he stated that he had come to spread his conviction that what men and women want today is Christianity not churchianity. That might seem to be a real good statement.

In these days of confusion we need Christianity in the original beauty and purity of its faith and life. As for the church, men and women of the twentieth century cannot expect any real answer to their modern-day problems from that quarter. You hardly know where to find the church of Christ in these days. There are plenty of denominations but where is the church? Although thousands and thousands of so-called clergymen and other full-time workers are giving the best of their ability for the glory and welfare of the denominations, although millions and millions of English pounds and American dollars are being spent daily for numberless local churches, nevertheless the influence of the church is hardly perceptible in western life. How many people go to their pastor for help in their family problems? How many adolescents expect support from their ministers in the difficulties and temptations of their young life? Let us be frank. The cinemas are playing a more prominent and a more influential part in present-day life than the churches.

The churches have lost their influence.
We need Christianity, not churchianity!
Do not you think, that is a wise and consistent statement?
It is neither wise nor consistent.

I can quite understand how people came to lose their expectations with respect to the Christian church. You do not need a very deep insight into the present situation to discover how disappointing church life very often is, but even that does not justify the pronouncement, that we need Christianity instead of churchianity. What sort of “Christianity” is meant? In the bible “Christianity,” Christian faith always includes loyalty to the church of Christ. In the bible the Lord Jesus Christ is the Lord and Head of His Body, the Church, who has given us [in the n.t.] very clear and distinct commands concerning the organisation of His Body, His people on earth. When preaching “Christianity” I can easily avoid such particular parts of God’s word, which deal with the life and the organisation of the church of Christ. I can easily invent a self styled gospel including e.g. justification and sanctification and a little bit of the Christian home. But nobody can claim that “Christianity”, curtailed and mutilated that way, is identical with the Christianity of the bible.

Christianity without “churchianity” is no Christianity at all.

He who loves the Lord Jesus Christ, will also love the Church of our Lord, not only with a platonic sort of love, which dreams of a church in the skies, but with an active and fruitful love, that is serving the church of Jesus in that visible and local church which an uncurtailed gospel is preached and a Christian discipline faithfully maintained.

Where shall I find the Church?

However, where shall I find the church, where I can trust the gospel preaching and where the Body of Christ is kept holy? Imagine that I happened to be born from a Roman Catholic father and a Methodist (or Uniting) mother, and that I am “christened” in the Methodist (Uniting) church. By attending an Anglican Sunday School I became related to the Church of England in which I am confirmed as a communicant member. I married a Presbyterian girl, which made the situation still more complicated. After some deliberation however, I decided to join the Presbyterians also, for the sake of unity in the family. Without any difficulty I was accepted in the Presbyterian communion and we were quite happy in the Presbyterian Church until some very deplorable troubles with the pastor occurred. After these incidents we could not very well stay and we did not know what to do, until some very intimate friends invited us to their Baptist congregation, where we have found a really enjoyable spiritual home so far by means of an open membership.

As for our family, my brothers and sisters are scattered about the various churches in this country. Leaving out of consideration two of them, who are not very church-minded at all, one of my brothers is a missionary for the “open-brethren” in China, one of my sisters regularly attends the meetings of the Salvation Army, the army hall being very near to where she lives. Only one of us, a sister, a very remarkable woman, stayed in the Methodist Church all her life. She is an out and out Methodist. She is even overdoing it a little bit, for in her opinion nothing in the world is as good as the Methodist Church. If that is our situation, where shall we find the one church, that remained true to the gospel and to the commands of the Lord Jesus?

Two present-day remedies

In order to save Christianity (“by schisms rent asunder, by heresies distressed”) from total destruction, I hear two remedies recommended, one by the evangelical movement, another by the ecumenical movement.

The evangelical movement

I very often hear the advice: Do not worry about the church! Preach the gospel! That is what really counts: gospel-preaching and soul-winning. Christ is the Head of the Church, certainly, but that church is invisible and consists of all God’s born-again children, gathered from all the denominations. The invisible church is the only church we believe in. She is one in Christ. As a rule the visible denominations are more a hindrance than a help to the actual coming of the Kingdom of Christ.The Lord has always achieved His most striking results outside the churches. Spiritual revival only very seldom originated from the denominations.

What we need today is evangelists, men and women zealous for gospel-preaching and soul-winning. The days of the denominations are gone. Interdenominational evangelism is the only answer to the problems of the Christian church. Many of my readers might tend to accept this way of reasoning as very true. Is it not right that the only church we consistently can believe in, is the invisible church of God’s own people and that the present situation requires an extensive evangelisation movement in disregard of the denominations?However, I am afraid, some very serious questions still remain unanswered.

What gospel are we going to preach and what bible are we going to use? I cannot preach the whole of the Word of God when I have to avoid speaking about the church permanently. I have to leave my new testament closed in relation to the epistle of Paul to Titus and to the Book of Revelations, chapters 3 and 4. I cannot preach about Titus I: 5, 3:10, Rev. 2: 15, Cor. 5: 1,2, Cor. 16: I and so many other texts, without expounding what the N.T. church was and still has to be. The church of the n.t. was a visible church and an organised church, a church with elders and deacons, with discipline and even with excommunication. I cannot be an obedient child of the Lord Jesus, when I disregard His clear and categorical commands for the life of His church. And what about the apostle Paul? You would like to call him the great evangelist of the early Christian church?

You are right. But was not he the great organiser of the early visible church as well?Therefore when someone states that what we need today is: Christianity not churchianity, I open my English bible and look up how many times in my N.T. the word church is used, and how many times it is used to indicate the visible organised church.

The ecumenical movement

Another remedy is recommended however: the panacea of church-union. What we need is an intensive church-union movement, and the reconciliation of the controversies among the denominations. The world wants: One Christian church. We cannot go on quarrelling about minor points. When we all agree in the main articles of the Christian faith, when we all profess the Lord Jesus Christ to be our God and Saviour, why should we not unite as Christians within one national church and ultimately within one ecumenical church?

It is all very well to be a Methodist, or a Presbyterian or a Baptist, but Methodism and Presbyterianism and the Baptist conviction are no more than varieties of the one Christian faith. If we could only achieve combining within one national church the Methodist emphasis on justification and holiness of life, the Presbyterian heritage of free grace and church-discipline, and the Baptist message of personal regeneration and testimony, our united forces would appear to be strengthened unproportionately (sic) in the fight against secularisation and unbelief. They would, indeed. But what if the Presbyterians have lost their heritage, the Methodists forgotten their emphasis and if we still cannot accept the Baptist rejection of the covenant of grace in which the children of God’s people are included?

The problem with every church-union is, that when there is no real spiritual unity the spiritual power of the united church will rather be weakened than strengthened. When there is no unanimity in the conception of the Christian faith, a perfect Babel of theological and religious tongues will enter the church. One part of the church will continue to pull down what the other part has built up. Therefore we are all for church-union when it establishes a real unity of scriptural faith and reformed practice, when the command of Paul is obeyed, that no pastor, who is a “heretic”, will be tolerated within the united churches and that wicked person who puts the church to shame will be rejected from among God’s people.

Christ’s command

The only answer to our problems, I read in the bible, is that we should take up the reformation and sanctification of the church. That is the command of Christ. We should repudiate the shameful destruction of the church of Christ by those who oppose the gospel and reject the authority of the Word of God. This faithful fight for reformation will very often result in being cast out from the “tolerant” church, and other secessions will happen, “making it still harder for modern man amidst splintered church life to recognise the will and purposes of the One True God.” But let us not be afraid of these consequences, if they lead to new strength and a better missionary impact.” (Rev. J. Vander Bom).

What men and women need today is Christianity instead of churchianity, it may be said. I would rather say: what men and women need today is the Church of Christ, as visible as she appears to be in the n.t. and as true to the commands of Jesus. The world needs a church we can trust, that does not contradict itself continually and is not divided against itself internally. A church that preaches the whole of the gospel. To such a church parents will come with their problems and adolescents with their difficulties and doubts.

Rev. J.W. Deenick

Be on the look out for “Trowel & Sword Special Edition”, December 2025 which has been sent out to all churches last week in both hard copy (limited number) and electronic versions (unlimited numbers through a dropbox link).

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Catechism Classes

Rev. Prof. K. Runia. Trowel & Sword. Jan/Feb. 1965

Preamble: This is the third instalment of John Westendorp’s look back through time in 1995, “This Month in Trowel And Sword History” and he found that thirty years earlier, in the Jan/Feb. 65 edition, Prof. K. Runia wrote this article about Catechism classed. In it Runia asked, “Do WE still realise the importance of this work?” Today, in 2025 we could ask the same question. How many churches still conduct catechism classes for their younger members; and of those that do, how many are still run by the minister? It would not surprise me if many would say, “We no longer need them because we now have Christian Schools.” The counter argument would be that Christian Schools do not teach the things we learned in catechism classes. So, are we, as a Church, still fulfilling the promise we make every time a child is baptised to help in the upbringing of that child in the Lord? In 1965 Prof. Runia thought it was of vital importance. Do we?

Catechism Classes

About this time of the year catechism classes commence again in all our churches. In the churches of the Reformed tradition this aspect of church work has always been regarded as of the greatest importance. In fact, it has been one of the main reasons for the strength of these churches.

It is one of the greatest weaknesses of many Australian churches that they have neglected this work. In most cases the churches leave the instruction of the children largely to the Sunday school and afterwards to the youth clubs. Recently a Church of England minister told me that in most Anglican churches the young people, at the age of 13 or 14, receive some basic instruction during SIX WEEKS prior to their confirmation. This is all the official teaching they receive! As an Evangelical this minister insisted on a training period of six months, but, said he, “I cannot possibly keep them any longer”.

Do WE still realise the importance of this work? The young people of today are the church of tomorrow. What will this church be like? Will it be a vigorous, dedicated church, well aware of its riches, well instructed in the doctrine of the Scriptures, well prepared for its witnessing task to the world around it? The answer depends on the work of today! For this reason it may be good for us all to give some thought to this work at the beginning of the new year. We mention the following points.

1. The minister should always keep in mind the REAL PURPOSE of this work. The first aim is not to impart cold facts merely to be memorised but rather to share with the young people the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus for their eternal salvation and unto the glory of God.

2. For this reason the teaching should be charged with ENTHUSIASM AND CONVICTION. Children immediately feel whether the minister does his work with a warm heart ,or whether it is a matter of mere routine. Enthusiasm and conviction are not TAUGHT but CAUGHT. The love for the Lord Jesus Christ and God’s self-revelation in Him should burn in the heart and words of the minister. He should make it crystal clear to the young people why we are REFORMED, and in connection with this also why the establishment and continuation of our Churches were and are a necessity. These matters should be impressed on their minds, when they are still wide open for such impressions. And these convictions must be communicated with LOVE. Love is contagious, but – it will last only when it is based on a solid foundation of knowledge and appreciation.

3. The minister should PREPARE HIMSELF carefully and painstakingly. This applies equally to the young, inexperienced and to the old, experienced minister. There is perhaps no greater danger for catechism work than the idea: “I know how to do it, therefore I can skip preparation”. At the beginning of the year the minister should have ready a working plan for the whole year. In fact this should be part of a much wider plan that covers the whole period of catechetical instruction say from the age of 12 – 20). The plan should be concentrical, so that throughout the years the material is studied in ever wider compass. Personally I prefer a working plan based on the Heidelberg Catechism. I still believe that the practical approach of our Catechism (what is your only comfort? what does it profit you? etc.) is the best starting point for a really spiritual discussion. In this way we will not only deal with the doctrines of our faith, but also with the ethical implications (the Ten Commandments) and the devotional aspects the Lord’s Prayer).

The minister should further aim at an ACTIVE PARTICIPATION of his class in the work. It might be helpful to prepare two or three questions, which the young people discuss among themselves during the last quarter of an hour. In our youth clubs and camps we use this method and it proves to be very helpful in getting them all ‘engaged’ and ‘involved’. Anyhow, let every minister examine his own method and ask himself, whether it needs any revision. Once again, keep clear of routine!

4. We should insist on REGULAR ATTENDANCE. Here the parents have a great task. Do not be tricked by your children, when they complain about schoolwork or other duties. In most cases it is nothing else than an excuse. Remember what you promised at the baptismal font: “to instruct these children… and cause them to be instructed…”. Ministers should have cards to be sent to parents every time a boy or girl is absent without notice. I did this in one of my congregations in Holland and within two months the attendance of my catechism classes jumped from 50% to 95%! And it stayed there too!

At this point I also mention the duty of the session members to visit the classes regularly. At the beginning of the year a schedule should be prepared. Every elder should attend at least one of the classes once a year. The minister should appreciate this and encourage it. Catechetical instruction is actually the work of the whole session! Why not at the same time make a schedule to visit the youth clubs?

5. Catechism work is the ‘school work’ of the church. This means that the young people should have a fixed portion of HOMEWORK every week. I do not mind in what form it is given, as long as it is being done. Our boys and girls will never take this work seriously, if they have nothing to do for it. Let a minister use a book that contains questions to be studied (and answered in writing!) at home, or let him prepare questions. Exercise books are still rather cheap. And let the parents see to it that this work is done at home. If the minister finds out that the children neglect this work, he should again inform the parents, e.g., by a printed notice. I can guarantee him that this works miracles!

6. All this work should be surrounded by PRAYER. The minister should never commence a catechism class without first having prepared himself in personal prayer. In our homes we should offer prayer for it. In this way our boys and girls know that we carry it on our hearts.

7. Finally, let us all READ Deuteronomy 6:1-9 and 20-25, and Ps. 87:1-8.

K. Runia

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The Agony Of Our World and Our Lifestyle

Rev. J.J. Van Wageningen. Trowel & Sword. Jan/Feb 1975

Preamble: In Jan/Feb 1975, the second decade of John Westendorp’s walk back through history, we encounter this offering by Rev. J.J. Van Wageningen which even today gives us much to think about. Did we get caught up this weekend in the great money splurge euphemistically referred to as Black Friday, (Did they even have “Black Friday” in 1975), to be followed by the great pre-Christmas spending spree? In this article we get a sober reminder not to follow the ways of the world, but rather, to follow the way of the Lord.

The Agony Of Our World and Our Lifestyle

Give us today our daily bread.” Matthew 6:11
“But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 1 Tim. 6:8

We pray as the Lord Jesus taught us, “Give us today our daily bread.”

We want however a little more, for we live in a “welfare” state. We live in one of these highly industrialised countries with mass production. And mass production demands mass consumption. We cannot help it. In all possible ways it is impressed on the public. One needs this, and one cannot live without something else – and life is worth living only if one buys the advertised goods. The more people consume, the more manufacturers produce, the more employees earn and spend, the more money comes in circulation. The more consumption, the more production, the bigger the Gross National Product; hip, hip, hurrah! In between the T.V. commercials we see the pictures of starving people: skeletons with swollen bellies; old and young people; parents and children; fellow human beings.

“Give us today our daily bread.”

The developed countries however need almost all the resources for the production of so many things which are not really needed. It is a thoroughly wasteful exploitation, but we are used to it. We think we really need all these things in order to live a happy and full life. Gradually we begin to realise that somewhere along the line something must be wrong, but what can we do about it? That is something for the government, the United Nations, etc. The government however cannot do much, because it has to please the electorate, and both are dancing around the golden calf of the Gross National Product, and every one craves for a bigger slice of the welfare cake.

Can we as Christians, as children of God, say that our attitude, our life-style is essentially different? We try to help. At Christmas we give generously to World Relief. It helps to soothe our consciences, in case we feel any pangs.

To what extent is our life-style influenced by the world around us, and by our old Adam? To what extent is our life-style genuinely Christian, in harmony with the Gospel of Christ? To what extent do we show Christ’s image? If we have “food and clothing”, are we content with that? In other words, are we content with a simple life-style?

The apostle writes to Timothy about it. “Nourishment and shelter”, these two words imply all that we really need to fulfil our calling, to live and work as disciples of Christ. It is the same as our daily bread. Luxuries are not included.

This is a very burning issue. First of all because this is the pervasive teaching of the New Testament. The Lord Jesus warns us that “a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions”, (Luke 12:15). “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” We cannot serve both God and Money. (Matthew 6:19-21, 24).

It is a burning issue also because of the conditions in the world, the agony of millions. The word “agony” is not an exaggeration. There is a depth and extent of human suffering, of both bodily and mental distress, of both material and spiritual need, which goes far beyond our imagination.

“Darkness shall cover the earth and thick darkness the peoples.” (Isaiah 60:2). This is a spiritual darkness as well. “Without God and without hope” (Eph. 2:12). Let us not, because of the material misery and physical sufferings, lose sight of the spiritual need.

In Lausanne the (evangelical) International Congress on World Evangelisation (held in July 74, with participants from 150 nations) issued a statement in the form of a solemn covenant with God and with each other. In point 9 dealing with “The urgency of the evangelistic task”, we read that more than 2,700 million people, which is more than two-thirds of mankind, have yet to be evangelised. And it goes on. “We are ashamed that so many have been neglected; it is a standing rebuke to us and the whole church. The goal should be, by all available means and at the earliest possible time, that every person will have the opportunity to hear, understand, and receive the Good News. We cannot hope to attain this goal without sacrifice. All of us are shocked by the poverty of millions and disturbed by the injustices which cause it. Those of us who live in affluent circumstances accept our duty to develop a simple lifestyle in order to contribute more generously to both relief and evangelism.”

Have we a duty to develop a simple life-style? Maybe you object – and this objection is valid – that God’s Word does not condemn riches, the possession of material goods as such, only the love of money, the desire to get rich, an undue attachment to and trust in the things you possess. Should we not thankfully enjoy all the gifts of God’s grace, also the material blessings?

Yes, indeed, but thankful enjoyment is the opposite of selfish enjoyment. Not our own dear self, and our own small group, but God and our neighbour must be in the centre. God’s grace, that brings salvation, has appeared to all men. We have celebrated Christmas. “It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:11-14).

The world becomes smaller and smaller. Through our daily papers, radio and T.V. broadcasts we get the whole world in our living-room. The circle of our neighbours becomes bigger and bigger. Do we greet them with love and compassion, all those neighbours, close by and far away? Do we realise our calling to love them with a true, Christian love?

“Give us today our daily bread.”

Then we see that the duty to develop a simple life-style is more urgent than we thought it to be. It is not just a matter of giving something now and then. A life-style is something permanent and total. It concerns our whole life. A simple life-style is a matter of being content with “food and clothing”, with the real necessities, in order to contribute more for the agonising needs of this world. Such a life-style must be developed.

Father in heaven, Thy Name be hallowed, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done; Give us today our daily bread; And let us be content with it. For the sake of Christ and the true welfare of our neighbours. Amen.

J.J. VAN WAGENINGEN

Feedback re-New Zealand Elders Conference Labour Weekend 1984, from Sarah: I have put these questions in our last newsletter of the year in hopes that as a small – mainly elderly church we continue to strive for growth, not just in numbers but in all aspects of our church services and community involvement. Thank you for your work in posting these gems, they are a wonderful resource and are deeply appreciated.

To our subscribers and all members of the CRCA. We are in the final stages of producing a special edition of Trowel & Sword to mark 15 years since the last printed edition. We expect it to be available by mid December. D.V. Thank-you for your continued support.