Related Links
What I Have Discovered
This Month: "Can I Get an ‘Amen’?"
By George Vander Weit
The Christian Reformed denomination has changed over the years. When it came to North America, its membership was primarily Dutch and Dutch was the language used in worship. No longer is that the case. A recent All Nations Heritage Week bulletin proclaimed, "Our church family includes fourteen ethnic groups that identify themselves as Christian Reformed. Our denomination’s ministries reach around the world and across the world’s greatest ethnic and ideological divisions."
John’s vision in Revelation 7:9 paints a goal for which our denomination strives: "After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb." It is that unity in Christ that we hope will characterize our life together.
That unity, however, is very difficult to attain! From childhood we are well aware that people are different from us. We have different cultures and customs and ways of worshiping God. How easy it is for us to focus on our differences instead of rejoicing in our common love for the Savior! How easy it is to separate from each other instead of joining hands and hearts in service to our common Lord!
John’s vision calls us to magnify what unites us while still respecting those things that make us different. That’s the hard work to which we commit ourselves in a world that is still very ethnically and racially separated. Just how hard that work is can be seen by observing what often occurs when minority pastors are invited to lead Anglo congregations in worship. What a wonderful opportunity this affords to close the gap that often separates us from each other! What a beautiful opportunity to celebrate our unity in Christ Jesus! Unfortunately, such services frequently are marred as differences are magnified and a people’s culture disrespected when the pastor repeatedly says, "Can I get an ‘Amen’? Are you people always this quiet? Someone say ‘Amen.’"
I have led worship services in which I was the only Anglo. It was a different experience for me. People were much more vocal than the congregations to whom I typically preach. I did not say, "Are you people always this noisy? Please listen in silence and keep your responses to yourselves." Had I said that I would have made the worshipers feel ill at ease, and I would not have respected their culture. The joy of worshiping our common Lord together would have been diminished.
Wise pastors will use their sermon to celebrate our unity in Christ Jesus, not to magnify the differences of worship styles that exist in the various ethnic groups that comprise our denomination.