The CanRC is Not a 14 Year Old Girl… Anymore.
I first came to the Canadian Reformed Churches 18 years ago. I love her, but to be honest I didn’t like her much back then. Looking back, I would say at the time she was like a 14-year-old girl. Raging hormones and all. It was like she was asserting her independence, isolating herself in her room, and arguing with her parents.
Ok, so that is a bad analogy…but I am going to attempt to see it through.
What I mean is that the Canadian Reformed Church was, and still is, a young denomination. At the time I joined she was just hitting the teen years so to speak. Whether it is a person, or a church, there will be challenges that come with youth. Teen angst is well-known. A teen is searching to find her identity, asking, “Who am I?” and searching for answers. A teen wonders about her trajectory, what she will do with her future, who will she marry? Will she have kids, go to school, go to work? I am preparing myself for my own teens one day.
But she is not 14 any more.
She is growing up. Maturing.
She is developing into a beautiful young lady.
She is after all, the Bride. OR, at least, part of the Bride 🙂 Beautiful, imperfect, maturing and loved by the bridegroom.
I love her deeply, despite her.
Looking at her now, it is apparent that the restlessness is subsiding.
Gone are the growing pains – for the most part,
Gone is the shallowness of her youth – for the most part,
Gone is the isolation of sulking in her bedroom.
In fact, she has opened the door to her room and, no longer argues with everyone, ok … just sometimes…but at least now she sits in the living room and engages with her family. Perhaps there is still a bit of an identity crisis, but like a young lady she has begun to settle down, she is still full of youthful zeal, but she is learning who she is, and how to relate with those around her.
She is coming out of her bubble.
She is showing the world the light that she kept concealed behind her bedroom door during her youth – the gospel of Jesus Christ.
All right. The analogy is over. Here is my point:
I am tired of all the haters on the outside who badmouth her for the sins of her youth. I am disappointed when I hear those within her badmouthing her. The Canadian Reformed Church is growing up. She is faithful despite her weaknesses. She is faithful and preaches the richest doctrine. A love of the gospel and faithful preaching leads young men to want to preach it, and just look at the crop of soon to be pastors that is coming up in the seminary. Look at the expanding mission fields, the growing local church outreach efforts. The swelling membership. The sword she swings. The faithful preaching. She is not consumed with the mirror any more, and has lifted her head and is looking outward and showing the world the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ..
The Canadian Reformed Churches are still young, but she is showing the world the gospel of Christ. And though I am not of Dutch heritage like most of the members, I have learned that the staunchest Dutch Calvinists can be some of the most loving people you have ever met.
I love her, and I think…I need a tissue.
