The Heidelberg Catechism: 450 Years of Reformed Youth Ministry!

As we continue marking the 450th anniversary of  the Heidelberg Catechism this year (1563-2013), we reference the brand new book published by Reformation Heritage Books, A Faith Worth Teaching: The Heidelberg Catechism’s Enduring Heritage (2013, Edited by J.Payne and S.Heck – see this earlier post on this new title). The first chapter in this book is by Lyle D.Bierma, professor of Systematic Theology at Calvin Seminary. He writes on “The History and People Behind the Heidelberg Catechism”, which includes a section on the “purpose of the catechism”. Here Bierma has a fine paragraph in which he quotes from Frederick III, the Elector of the Palatinate, the region that included the city of Heidelberg. He shows well why Frederick was so intent on having this Reformed catechism written and taught in his realm:

…If government, church, and family are to flourish, he writes, ‘it is essential that our youth be trained in early life, and above all, in the pure and consistent doctrine of the holy Gospel.’ Thus, he concludes, the Palatinate needed a single, clear guide to biblical truth. Thus, he explains, ‘We have secured the preparation of a summary course of instruction or catechism of our Christian Religion, according to the Word of God.’

Frederick wanted this new catechism first, then, for the training of children and young people – what today we would call youth ministry! But it was not only so that youth could be trained in doctrine and piety, it was ‘also that the Pastors and Schoolmasters themselves be provided with a fixed form and model, by which to regulate the intruction of youth, and not, at their option, adopt daily changes, or introduce erroneous doctrine.’ All such instructors should thankfully accept this catechism, diligently explain it to the youth in the schools and the common people in the pews, and pattern their own lives after it. For if youth in early life are instructed aright in the Word of God, one can have the assured hope that ‘it will please Almighty God also to grant reformation of public and private morals, and temporal and eternal welfare’ (pp.9-10).

That is certainly good reason to continue the practice of “HC” instruction in the Reformed churches, both in the classroom and in the pulpit. I am thankful to be part of a denomination that still maintains this practice (Protestant Reformed Churches). The fruits of it  – even as Frederick stated – are evident in our homes and churches. Soli Deo Gloria!

Youth-Driven Culture: “A Call to Maturity” – Robert Carver

A Call to Maturity by Robert Carver | Reformed Theology Articles at Ligonier.org.

The last of the feature articles on last month’s Tabletalk theme (“Youth-Driven Culture”) is this excellent one by Robert W. Carver, assistant professor of Greek and Bible at Clearwater Christian College in Clearwater, FL. In speaking to this issue of calling the present generation to maturity and escaping the trap of perpetual immaturity, Carver speaks to the older generation and calls them to model maturity to the younger generation. He states that we who are mature must work to influence the present generation for godly, spiritual growth in Christ. And he lays out three (3) general steps to guide us, which I find to be simple but crucial:

1. Love them genuinely and patiently.
2. Share with them what is most important for you.
3. Invest in them.

That may not seem like much to you, but you must read how Carver fleshes these out. To give you an idea of what he has in mind, these are his thoughts in the preceding paragraphs introducing these general steps:

The Scriptures make it clear that the older generation has a God-given responsibility to seek to influence the younger generation in the direction of godliness and spiritual maturity. The psalmist wrote: “O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come” (71:17, 18). In Titus 2:2–3, the older men and women in the churches in Crete are exhorted to be examples of spiritual maturity that will set the right tone for their instruction to the younger to live in such a manner “that the word of God may not be reviled” (v. 5).

How are we, the older generation of Christians, living in the early part of the twenty-first century, to influence this younger generation to not forsake the old paths, the spiritual legacy that was handed down to us?

First and foremost, our lives must clearly demonstrate our genuine attachment to Christ as our Savior and Lord. No one (especially our youth) should doubt our relationship to Christ. The fruit that results from our being savingly joined to Christ must be clearly evident. Inseparably linked to this must be a clear demonstration of progress and growth in our walk with the Savior. When Peter and John were brought before the Sanhedrin because the Sadducees were aggravated at their proclamation of Jesus’ resurrection, they boldly declared that Jesus was the only way of salvation. How did their hearers, who had presided over the condemnation and execution of Jesus, respond? They noted their boldness, seeing that these men were not rabbinically trained. Most importantly, “they recognized that [the apostles] had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). Likewise, the genuineness of our walk with Jesus should be evident to all.

Now you have a better idea of what he has in mind. Now, go and read the rest of Carver’s article. And then, instead of simply criticizing the youth of the church for their immaturity, let’s model spiritual growth to them and help them grow up in Christ their Head.

Seminary Special Guests – HCS 4th Graders!

HCS 4th Grade Visit-1

Yesterday the Protestant Reformed Seminary was privileged to host the 4th grade class from Heritage Christian School once again. This has been an annual practice of Mrs. Jane Woudenberg for many years already (Our 21 year old son remembered doing it with her, so this tradition goes back at least 12 years!).  According to her, the class regularly prays for the Seminary, and this visit cements the role and needs of the Seminary in the minds of the children. It is a thoughtful and wonderful tradition, and a great blessing to the Seminary. It is not often that we hear the sounds of children in our building, and these are precious sounds!

HCS 4th Grade Visit – Looking at former professor pictures in hallway

Children at this age are excited and curious about new places and things, and it shows in their close attention to the tour and the presentations. Their eyes even opened wide and the “Ooh’s” poured out when I told them the number of books we had in the library and showed them the rare book cabinet and the first edition Dutch Staten Bible of 1637.

Visting Classrooms of the Seminary professors

And who knows what seeds such visits plant in the hearts of young boys with a view to aspiring to the ministry of the Word?! Only the Lord (and maybe some parents) knows. We thank Mrs.Woudenberg and the children for coming. You made our day. And for your prayers; we covet them.

Seminary Snack time!

And the fact that my grandaughter Chloe was part of this class made it even more special Enjoy a few pics I took of the visit (Click on them to expand size.).

Granddaughter Chloe – to the left – and friends

 

Youth Culture: “Emulating Our Elders” – Guy Waters

Emulating Our Elders by Guy Waters | Reformed Theology Articles at Ligonier.org.

The third main feature article in this month’s Tabletalk is by Dr.Guy P. Waters, professor of NT at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, MS and author of How Jesus Runs the Church (P&R 2011). He writes on “Emulating Our Elders”, and, without idolizing the past, points out that there are striking differences between the present generation and previous ones. This is one according to him:

To serve the Lord effectively in our day, however, we must “understand the times” in which we live (1 Chron. 12:32). When we do so, we find some startling differences in the West between past generations and the present generation. One in particular is widespread and troubling. Previous generations were known for a commitment to sacrificial work and the deferral of gratification—one need think only of the men and women who came of age during the Great Depression and World War II. The present generation, however, is known for its virtually religious attachment to instant gratification.

And Waters applies this specifically to the area of personal finance:

This attachment has become especially evident in one area of life—personal finances. Consumer debt has ballooned; charts of consumer debt between World War II and the present show a line that moves steadily and then sharply upward. Americans are borrowing more, spending more, and saving less.

…To what may we attribute this explosion in personal indebtedness? We may certainly point to the proliferation of credit cards, mortgages, and home-equity loans in the past half century. But these are merely symptoms; the cause is rooted in character. Sinclair Ferguson has mentioned the slogan of one of the first credit cards (Access) introduced in the United Kingdom more than a generation ago: “It takes the waiting out of wanting.” Instead of saving over time to make a purchase, we are now able to reverse the order—we buy now and pay later. The problem is that the proliferation of credit allows us to buy with no thought to how we will pay, and with fewer and fewer restraints on our impulses. This generation has more stuff and aspires to a standard of living that would make its great-grandparents blush. But the tragic irony is that it cannot even afford the trinkets it has.

The truth hurts, as they say, and I can attest to the truth of what Waters writes. It is so easy to fall into this worldly mentality when it comes to money and things. And so Waters points us to some basic Biblical principles to guide us in this area of our lives (Be sure to read these!). And he also believes the previous generation has something to teach us. How can older believers help our present generation of believers? Here is one way – a very good way, I might add:

How, then, can older generations in the church nurture these counter-cultural principles in younger generations? One of the most important things that elderly and mature believers can do is to remind younger believers of our present riches in Christ and the glory that awaits us. They should model what it looks like to live out the present in light of these future realities. They can show them that godliness has value for this present life (1 Tim. 4:8), and that the gospel gives meaning and purpose to our this-worldly endeavors (1 Cor. 15:58). In a world that assumes generational conflict as a given, what a compelling testimony it would be if old and young could bear united witness, in word and deed, to the life-changing gospel of Jesus Christ.

I would hope that the senior members of the church could drive this lesson home to my generation and to those following. And I could hope that we would listen carefully and emulate this behavior.

C.Olevianus’ Letter to the Youth, “Blossoms of the Church”

In our Thursday series commemorating the 450th anniversary of the Heidelberg Catechism this year (1563-2013), we are currently paying special attention to the secondary author of the “HC”, Casper Olevianus (1536-1587). We have provided some biographical information, and have started to highlight a major work of his that has recently been translated into English, An Exposition of the Apostles’ Creed (Reformation Heritage Books, 2009 – the original work dates from 1576).

Last week Thursday we quoted from Olevianus’ letter to Frederick III, in which he explains his reasons for writing his little book on the Apostles’ Creed. Today I want to quote from a second letter he penned at the beginning of this book, this one addressed to the reader, or as the heading states, “to the youth who are zealous for true piety”. This letter too is a gem, as it reveals the burden Olevianus had for the youth of the church and how important he viewed catechetical instruction by the church. It is intensely personal and passionately written.

Here then are a few paragraphs from this “letter to the reader”, also dated March 19, 1576:

Most beloved youth, blossoms of the church, you have learned the purpose of this little book of mine from the preface to the most illustrious elector of the Palatinate (Frederick III – cjt). All that remains is that you receive it with the same hand by which it is offered to you, that is, with the right hand and not the left. That will happen if I achieve my goal and by the grace of God inflame many of you to the fervent study of the sacred writings.

(After explaining his own godly desire for learning as a boy, he continues. – cjt) …The Lord kept nurturing these sparks in my soul through His Holy Spirit and my reading of the sacred writings. I was then a boy of fifteen, and shortly before that I had been sent to Paris to study. But why do I speak about these things so personally? I speak as one young person to another in the hope that those things that were of no small moment in my soul will stir up sparks in your souls that generate a fervent desire for learning and teaching – all the more so when, not only encouraged by my example but assisted, by God’s grace, by my little book, you experience this for yourselves.

(And then, after explaining how what he was taught was still influenced by Roman Catholic teaching, “wrapped and obscured in popery”, he writes. -cjt) …But here (i.e., in his book – cjt), beloved youth, you will see the dead and risen Christ without any wrapping of human tradition. He will be shown to you in such a way that when you are led, as it were, by the hand of the trustworthy word of the prophets and apostles – or, to put it a better way, by that torch shining in a dark place – you will come to know that He is truly the One whom God made for our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. As it is written, ‘Anyone who glories, let him glory in the Lord’ (I Cor.1:31), and we ‘are complete in Him’ (Col.2:10).

Finally, inasmuch as the world’s ingratitude deters many from learning and teaching, consider this: will not Christ punish the world for its ingratitude? If He remains faithful, should that not be enough for us? Christ the Lord of heaven and earth will not leave you, His servants, wholly destitute of the necessities of life. Rather, He who provides seed to the sower will also provide bread for food….

Let us, therefore, be content in our calling with ordinary things and give ourselves over to the heavenly Father to be nourished through Christ – us, our wives, and our children. For He alone is truly a father and will never forget His fatherly affection and obligation, even less so the more we are mindful of our calling. Let us safely entrust ourselves and those who belong to us to His providence, which ought to be enough to overcome every obstacle, especially for those to whom God is all in all.

It is also my intent this year to point you to certain books on the Heidelberg Catechism, on its history and on its teachings. Today, since Olevianus directed this letter to the youth of the church, I will highlight a couple of books which are designed to introduce children and young people to the “HC”. I refer first of all to Rev.William Boestein’s The Quest for Comfort: The Story of the Heidelberg Catechism (Reformation Heritage). Unfortunately, this book seems to be out of print at present. But I believe it will only be a short time before it is back in print. So be sure to keep checking RHB’s website.

Secondly, I point you to Thea Van Halsema’s Three Men Came to Heidelberg, an older book but one which remains in print and continues to be a relevant introduction to the history and background of the “HC”. If you do not have these books in your home library, now would be a great time to add them!

“Respecting Our Elders” – Nathan Finn

Respecting Our Elders by Nathan Finn | Reformed Theology Articles at Ligonier.org.

Yesterday prior to our worship services I was able to read a few more articles in this month’s Tabletalk, Ligonier Ministries’ monthly Reformed devotional. The theme this month is “Youth-Driven Culture”, and the second feature article is the one linked above written by Dr.Mathan Finn, associate professor of historical theology and Baptist studies at Southeastern Baptist Seminary in Wake Forest, NC.

In addressing the need for children and young people to respect their elders, Finn basically takes the 5th commandment and applies it to every sphere of life in which we live and move, much as the Heidelberg Catechism does in explaining the principle of the “chidlren’s commandment” (LD 39). Which means, of course, that all of us have to respect our elders, and as we do so as adults we model proper respect for elders to the youth of the church and kingdom of God.

At the end of his article Finn has a few paragraphs under the heading “Practicing Respect” where he suggests one way in which we can do this. It is a good suggestion and one that easily applies. The hard part is always putting it into practice. But is this not one concrete way in which we can display to our watching youth what respect for elders is?

Christians are called to respect our elders. Parents, pastors, and teachers should instill in children the importance of obeying parents and other authority figures. Adult believers also need to be constantly reminded of this truth, especially in a culture that values personal autonomy far more than respect for authority.

I want to close by suggesting one way to cultivate respect for elders among believers. More churches need to be intentional about ministry to elderly members, especially widows and widowers. Praise God for the renewed emphasis on adoption and orphan care in recent years, but we must also remember that true religion entails caring for orphans and widows (James 1:27). Most churches have older members who struggle with health concerns and/or significant physical needs. Many elderly believers simply want younger Christians to spend quality time with them. Ministry to these senior saints is rarely glamorous, but it is one tangible way to “stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man” (Lev. 19:32).

“Kids These Days” – R.C. Sproul Jr.

Kids These Days by R.C. Sproul Jr. | Reformed Theology Articles at Ligonier.org.

Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr. is a teaching fellow of Ligonier Ministries and founder of Highlands Ministries.

Writing under his usual rubric, “Seek Ye First”, R.C. Sproul, Jr. also wrote a good piece relating to the theme of this month’s Tabletalk. I read this too yesterday and benefited from his thoughts on the youth culture of today. His full article is posted on Ligonier’s site (linked above); I give you this part of it today to stimulate you to read the rest.

All of this is evidence that even in the church we take our cues from the broader culture rather than from the Word of God. Take a moment and look in your concordance for teenager. Tryadolescence. Try generation gap. See if you can find youth culture. Neither the words nor the concepts are there. These are not biblical categories. That they are common destructive elements in our homes ought to clue us in that we’re doing something wrong.

It is not enough, however, to clamp down. That is, it is not mere permissiveness that has gotten us into this mess. The problem runs deeper. It isn’t that we aren’t rightly handling the youth, but that we even concede the existence of the youth. The Bible recognizes happily the reality of children. It affirms the existence of adults. What it doesn’t do is embrace something in between.

The Bible nowhere affirms the existence of a youth culture because it everywhere encourages us to embrace a different culture—that of the kingdom of God. When Paul enjoins us to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:1), the root Greek word that is translated nurture in our English Bibles is paideia. It communicates the notion of a culture. It includes shared convictions, shared language, and shared habits of the heart.

…Nathan Hatch once exposed the infiltration of peculiar American ideals into the church in his great book The Democratization of American Christianity. In our day, we are witnessing the demographicization of American Christianity. At best, we establish programs based on age, sex, and life situation. At worst, we have a church tailored to fans of country music and Mountain Dew at one site, and a church tailored to fans of jazz and Starbucks elsewhere. We are dividing what Christ has brought together; we are the Corinthians, except that we divide the body by taste rather than by income.

Jesus, however, makes of the many one. We are one family, one loaf, one body, one culture, one love. Would that the broader culture would be able to say of our culture, “Oh, how they love each other.”

Youth-Driven Culture: Honoring the Older, Respecting the Past

The first feature article on “Youth-Driven Culture” – the theme of this month’s Tabletalk - is penned by Dr. Stephen J. Nichols and is also given this title. It is an excellent “overview” article, as Nichols lays out three main areas where our present culture focuses on youth in an unbiblical way, a focus that has strongly influenced the church. His article is not yet posted on the Ligonier website, but when it is I will link it here. In the meantime, I will give you this portion of it. May his words help guide our own thinking as we strive to minister to the young people and young adults of the church without forgetting everyone and everything else.

The trend of exalting youth and sidelining the elderly stems from a deeper problem summed up in the expression, ‘Newer is better.’ We celebrate the new and innovative while looking down on the past and tradition. There is a compelling vitality to youth and to new ideas, but that does not mean there is no wisdom to be found in the past. It is a sign of hubris to think one can face life without the wisdom of those who have gone before. There is something about being young that makes the young think they are immune to the mistakes or missteps of those who have gone before. We all think too highly of ourselves and our capacities. Simply put, we need the wisdom of the past and of the elderly.

…As we need the wisdom of the elderly in the body of Christ, we also need the wisdom of the past. Newer isn’t always better; sometimes it’s wrong. As the church, we are a people with a past. The Holy Spirit is not a gift unique to the church in the twenty-first century. We ignore or disdain the past to our detriment.

The way out of enslavement to this undue celebration of youth is to foster a genuinely diverse community in our homes and in our churches. Generation gaps can be awkward and barriers to both sides having genuine and authentic fellowship. But God has designed His church in such a way that we need each other. Paul specifically commands Timothy to have the older teach the younger (Titus 2:1-4). We miss out when we think we have nothing to learn from others at different stages of life. The church of today also misses out when it thinks it has nothing to learn from the church of yesterday.

The older may feel intimidation in trying to reach out to the younger, but the older should take the initiative. Young people can take the buds out of their ears and look up from their iPods. Children and grandchildren need to hear the stories of their parents and grandparents.

“One Family Under God” – Tom Ascol

One Family Under God by Tom Ascol | Reformed Theology Articles at Ligonier.org.

Another profitable article I read yesterday while starting my new Tabletalk was this one by Dr.T.Ascol. He relates the theme of “youth-driven culture” to the  issue of  “children’s church” (and more also), and has some excellent things to say. I found it a bit ironic that a Baptist (albeit a Calvinistic one!) would write on this matter, but Ascol truly makes some good points on this matter. In fact, I love the way he begins his article. So, plug a Reformed, covenantal perspective into his comments, and you will have an even better and more solid foundation for “doing church” the way the Bible intends

Here are a few paragraphs from Ascol’s article. You will find all of it at the link above.

The Bible recognizes that believers occupy a wide range of life stages and that there are particular needs worth emphasizing for particular age groups. We should note the ways the Bible specifically instructs these groups. Adults, both married (Eph. 5:22–33; 1 Peter 3:1–7) and single (1 Cor. 7:25–38; 1 Tim. 5:3-8), youth and young adults (Eccl. 12:1; 2 Tim. 2:22), and children (Eph. 6:1; Col. 3:20) are addressed with respect to their ages.

A church that is given to an expositional ministry cannot ignore these and other age-sensitive passages in Scripture. The real challenge arises at the point of application. How can a church effectively minister to the needs of all its members who span a wide range of ages?

…First, as already stated, the fact that the Bible recognizes and addresses believers at different stages of life should be considered as a church plans its ministries. Everything from sermon application to service opportunities should reflect this awareness. As a pastor, I know it is easy to inadvertently build my sermon applications around my own life circumstances. If the apostles occasionally gave instruction to specific age groups in the churches they served, so should I.

Second, a church must guard against establishing specific age-sensitive ministries that unintentionally undermine the church as a family. Where ministry becomes so targeted that the children never worship, pray, serve, or study with the youth, who never do these things with the adults, who in turn never do them with the children, whatever good may be accomplished comes at the expense of undermining the very nature of the church itself. The consequences are spiritually devastating because opportunities to defer to the preferences of others and sacrifice for their wellbeing are avoided while a consumer mentality is promoted.

Dr. Tom Ascol is pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, Fla., and is executive director of Founders Ministries and editor of the Founders Journal. He is also a contributor to John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, and Doxology.

March Tabletalk: “Youth-Driven Culture”

Tabletalk: The Devotional Magazine of Ligonier Ministries.

With the coming of March we take a look at the new issue of Tabletalk, Ligonier Ministries’ devotional publication. The March issue treats an unusual but important subject – “Youth-Driven Culture”. It is an evaluation and critique of that philosophy and trend found in the church (as well as in the world) which centers on young people, believing that all that the church and its ministries should do should focus on them. And, as we might know or can gather from the idea, this usually means ministry that is driven by entertainment and fun, by things that are always fresh and new.

In his  introduction, “Relevant, Old Paths”, Burk Parson argues that this is not the way the church is called to carry out her work, whether toward the youth or toward the others in the church. I appreciated especially this part of his opening comments:

The problem today is not so much that young people have consciously rejected ancient biblical values but that they have not been taught what they are, much less been trained in them. Many teenagers simply do not know the old values that many of us take for granted. For decades now, many parents have turned over to Hollywood the responsibility of teaching values to their children. As a result, many young people have been left to fend for themselves and figure out their own personal sets of values, whether or not those values are biblical or conflict with other people’s sets of values. The result is that many young people, in the world and in the church, not only don’t know right from almost-right and truth from half-truth, they don’t even know right from wrong and truth from falsehood. They have not been taught the old values and they have not been guided down the old paths. Thus, they have had to make new paths, not knowing the old paths of their fathers or the ancient paths of the Lord.

These new paths have, in turn, become the path of our culture. Much of society is being overtaken by a youth-driven culture because we have neglected God’s call to train up the next generation of young people in the way they should go. If we are to redirect the current paths of young people, we must begin in the church by taking up the charge to come alongside younger men and women, and teach them the old, ancient values of God’s Word.

Well worth hearing and noting, don’t you think? Even if we believe our congregation and/or churches are strong in teaching our children and youth these old but always relevant truths of God’s Word. And I believe they are in the PRC. But we need to ensure that we don’t start down this path of our modern age and culture. Our catechism culture and Christian school culture are so much better. Really, there is no comparison. Let’s be thankful for these great blessings, and continue to show our children and young people this covenant-driven, Bible-based, and Christ-centered culture.

I also look forward to reading and referencing these other feature articles on this subject in the March Tabletalk:

• “Youth-Driven Culture” by Stephen J. Nichols
• Respecting Our Elders” by Nathan A. Finn
• “Emulating Our Elders” by Guy P. Waters
• “A Call to Maturity” by Robert W. Carver