Men's Book Club Meets This Saturday (February 2)

It's that time again - the first Saturday of the month - when the men of Christ Reformed Church gather for an evening of food, fellowship and discussion of God's word!  Mark your calendars and join us - guests and first-timers are always welcome!

Book: Thinking Rightly of Christ: What Scripture Really Says About Him - And Why It Matters by Bryan Holstrom.

For our meeting on February 2, we'll be discussion the following chapters:

Chapter 6 "He was a friend of sinnners (Matt. 11:19)"

Chapter 7 "He was tempted (Heb 4:15)"

Location: The home of Bob and Adriana Reeves.  (For address and directions please contact the church office urcanaheim@aol.com or Rev. Compton rev.andrew.compton@gmail.com)

Date: Saturday, February 2

Time: 6:00pm

Questions: Contact Rev. Compton if you have any! (rev.andrew.compton@gmail.com)

Academy Class - February 1, 2013

Join us on Friday, February 1 at 7:30 p.m. when Dr. Riddlebarger will continue his class for this year on "The Christian Faith."  We are currently in chapter 4, discussing the inspiration and authority of Scripture. 

“The Christian Faith offers a fine, comprehensive companion to a number of recent systematic theologies. Crisply written, scripturally informed throughout, distinctively evangelical and Reformed, conversant with classic as well as contemporary Christian authors—Horton’s study is an outstanding contribution that will richly nourish Christian pilgrims on their way toward the consummation of Christ’s kingdom.” — Cornelis P. Venema, President, Mid-America Reformed Seminary.

Book of the Week - January 6

After a bout of sickness that delayed this posting, I'm pleased to recommend this week's "Book of the Week."  Recovering the Reformed Confession: Our Theology, Piety, and Practice is written by Westminster Seminary California professor and URCNA minister, Rev. Dr. R. Scott Clark.

If you are interested in purchasing this volume, look for the orange sign in the church bookstore labeled "Book of the Week."

In this book, Clark sets out to correct significant missteps that have been taken not only in Christian churches more generally, but even in Churches of the Reformed tradition.  He identifies these major missteps under the acronyms Q.I.R.C (pronounced "quirk") and Q.I.R.E. (pronounced "choir").

Q.I.R.C. stands for "The Quest for Illegitimate Religious Certainty," and refers to our tendency to seek out certainty where certainty is not to be found.  It manifests itself most commonly when we expand what is essential to "true" Christian belief, claiming that certain beliefs are "necessary" even though the church has never declared them to be so in her confessions.

Q.I.R.E. stands for "The Quest for Illegitimate Religious Experience," and refers to our tendency to shape our practice of the Christian life according to experiences that are not required by Scripture.  In falling into the Q.I.R.E., we often neglect or minimize the very things Scripture most clearly commends to us: Word, Sacrament and Prayer.

In Recovering the Reformed Confession, Clark not only critiques these tendencies in our churches, he presents his own vision of the church's return to Scripture as it is summarized in the Reformed Confessions.  Far from limiting or enslaving the church, the confessions free us.  They free us from honing in on particular doctrines or views and being robbed of the liberty that Scripture grants us on many matters.  They free us from trying to conform our lives and worship to human visions of "godliness" or "reverence" which quickly become types of legalism, pietism, and will-worship.

This book is provocative and pointed, but eminently pastoral.  Seeking to remind Christians of the freedom they have in Christ, Clark helps readers to see how that freedom is expressed in our doctrine and practice.

(Note: In November of 2008, Dr. Clark spoke about Recovering the Reformed Confession at Christ Reformed Church's "author's forum."  Audio from that talk can be heard here.)

_________________________
Rev. Andrew Compton

Academy Resumes - January 25, 2013

Join us on Friday, January 25 at 7:30 p.m. when Dr. Riddlebarger will continue his class for this year on "The Christian Faith."

“The Christian Faith offers a fine, comprehensive companion to a number of recent systematic theologies. Crisply written, scripturally informed throughout, distinctively evangelical and Reformed, conversant with classic as well as contemporary Christian authors—Horton’s study is an outstanding contribution that will richly nourish Christian pilgrims on their way toward the consummation of Christ’s kingdom.” — Cornelis P. Venema, President, Mid-America Reformed Seminary.

Mens' Book Club Meets This Saturday (January 12)

Mark your calendars and come out for an evening of fellowship and biblical discussion. Guests are always welcome!

Book: Thinking Rightly of Christ: What Scripture Really Says About Him - And Why it Matters by Bryan Holstrom.  Complimentary copies of this book are available from Rev. Compton

For our meeting on January 12, we'll be discussing the following chapters:

Chapter 4 "He Was Born of a Virgin (Matt. 1:23)"

Chapter 5 "He is the Same Yesterday, Today and Forever (Heb. 13:8)"

Location: Bob and Adriana Reeves' home. (For the address and directions please contact the church urcanaheim@aol.com or Rev. Compton rev.andrew.compton@gmail.com).

Date: Saturday, January 12

Time: 6:00pm

Questions: Don't hesitate to contact Rev. Compton if you have any questions!

Book of the Week - December 30

 

After one week off for the Holidays, the Book of Week feature resumes, this time with three children's books written by Rev. William Boekestein, pastor of Covenant Reformed Church, a URCNA congregation in Carbondale, PA.

The three books, all published by Reformation Heritage Books, are:

The Quest for Comfort: The Story of the Heidelberg Catechism

Faithfulness Under Fire: The Story of Guido de Bres

The Glory of Grace: The Story of the Canons of Dort

If you are interested in purchasing them, look for the orange sign in the church bookstore labeled "Book of the Week."

Parents have a solemn duty to teach their children the Christian Faith.  They should read scripture with them, pray with them, and teach them to memorize the catechism.  Catechism memory is not an end in itself; the goal of such memory is to help our children better know their Heavenly Father by providing them with a helpful summary of the Bible's teaching.  And yet it is important for our children to know why we study these confessional standards instead of others.

Boekestein has written these three books in an age appropriate style, trying to draw young children into church history, that they might find delight in God's providential care for his church.  Illustrated vividly by Evan Hughes, these three books teach children why we have the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession of Faith, and the Canons of Dort.  Children are able to see that these confessions were written to meet a pressing need during the Reformation.  Since this need still exists today, these books will help children to see the importance of their own catechism learning.

I find these books to be delightful!  Though I found myself trimming things a bit when my oldest daughter was three, even then she was learning more about the background of our confessions than I even realized.  When we practice the Heidelberg Catechism now, she will sometimes ask me questions about Caspar, Zacharias and Frederick!

_______________________
Rev. Andrew Compton

Lessons and Carols - December 24, 2012

You are invited to join us for an evening of Lessons and Carols on Monday, December 24 at 7:00 p.m.

The service of nine lessons and carols celebrates the birth of Jesus. Interspersing beautiful choral anthems with congregational carol singing, the service tells the story of the fall of humanity, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus in nine scripture readings.

We hope family, friends and neighbors will join us for this wonderful evening of sacred music and sacred scripture as we remember the birth of Jesus Christ and hear of God’s faithfulness throughout the ages!

Update on Monday, December 24, 2012 at 08:50PM by Administrator

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Book of the Week - December 16

This week, we're featuring the book Too Good to be True: Finding Hope in a World of Hype by Michael Horton. Look for the orange sign in the church bookstore labeled "Book of the Week" if you're interested.

This past Friday, December 14, Americans witnessed a devastating and spirit crushing act of evil as a gunman entered Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, and killed 20 young children and 6 adults, before killing himself.

The Psalmist cried out in Psalm 22:1-2: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? Om my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest." This is the cry of many right now as they grieve this terrible loss of loved ones.

How do we make sense of this? Where is the sovereign God? How could he possibly have allowed this to happen? In Too Good to be True, Michael Horton does not offer a traditional response to these questions. Many have written theological and philosophical theodicies wherein it is shown that it is logical to believe that a perfectly good and sovereign God can also allow evil to exist. Horton takes a different tack; here he focuses on our personal and emotional response to such grief - our existential experience of tragedies like the one in Sandy Hook.

You see, our society often downplays the gravity of things like death. People no longer die, they "pass on." Death is no longer the final enemy, it is a way that our loved one is able to "play golf with his old buddies again," or "visit with her deceased friends." And while Christians do believe that our death is our entrance into eternal life, it is still death and it is still ugly. Horton notes that in our grief and mourning, Hallmark platitudes fail to deliver comfort. Anyone who tells the father of murdered 6-year-old that "every rose has its thorn" should be ashamed of their naivete and insensitivity!

Where is God in all of this? He is where he always was. He is enthroned in heaven sovereignly administering his "almighty and ever present power ... by which he upholds, as with his hand, heaven and earth and all creatures" (Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 27). But he is not aloof, unaware of the grim realities we face in this fallen world, for he is the one who was "made like his brothers in every respect" (Hebrews 2:17). He assumed human weakness, yet had no sin, and faced suffering to the utmost as he, the innocent one, hung on Calvary's cross as the accursed. He, the perfect one, was banished from God's fatherly presence, bearing the Father's infinite wrath, shrieking the Psalmist's words: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me!"

Michael Horton's book, Too Good to be True, does not downplay the evil and anguish that we encounter in this world. Instead he points us to the reason we can cry out against such horror as we witnessed on December 14, 2012, for death is not just "a part of life." Instead, God's word has shown us that things are "Not the Way they're Supposed to Be," to allude to the title of another important book on sin and evil.

Too Good to be True speaks timely and comforting words into this time of weeping. It fixes our eyes upon the new heavens and earth so that we can cry out to God, having full confidence that our prayer will one day be answered: "Come quickly, Lord Jesus!"

__________________
Rev. Andrew Compton

Youth Activity - December 16, 2012

The youth will be putting together food boxes immediately after the service on Sunday, December 16.  We will meet in room 601, next to the fellowship hall, to assemble the boxes.  This is a great opportunity to help those who need a little extra help this time of year with groceries.  

Book of the Week - December 9

This week, we're featuring the book A Grief Sanctified: Through Sorrow to Eternal Hope, written by Richard Baxter and edited by J.I. Packer. Look for the orange sign in the church bookstore labeled "Book of the Week" if you're interested!

Upon the death of his wife, the Puritan pastor Richard Baxter (1615-1691) honored a request from her to reprint some five hundred funeral sermons that he had written. But not wanting to do so without honoring the companion whose death pierced his soul so deeply, he wrote a short memoir of his wife's life and death.

He explains: "Being thus obliged by her request, mine own affections urged me to prefix this Breviate of her own life, written, I confess, under the power of melting grief, and therefore perhaps with the less prudent judgment; but not with the less, but the more truth; for passionate weakness poureth our all, which greater prudence may conceal" (pg. 47).

Baxter's description of his life with his wife is a rich expression of Christian grief. He delights in the truly wonderful memories of his departed spouse, and rests confidently in the providential care of his Heavenly Father.

This book not only features Baxter's own expression of grief (part 2), it includes J.I. Packer's reflections upon Baxter's work (parts 1 & 3). In editing this volume for publication, Packer writes about Puritanism more generally, and Baxter's grief in particular, helping readers to see in this book a relevant work to read while facing grief of their own.

The Puritans were masters of language and expression. Their writings masterfully draw together the great theological truths of God's word, and the way those theological truths play out in this, our pilgrim journey. A Grief Sanctified is a wonderful reflection upon a very difficult topic.

_________________________
Rev. Andrew Compton