Always Reforming

In addition to Halloween, tomorrow is also Reformation Day.  It’s a day when we stop and appreciate our heritage as protestant churches.  We recommit to the principles of “only Scripture and only grace” as the means by which we know God and are saved.  There was a slogan that came out of the Reformation, especially in our Reformed tradition: “The Reformed Church is always reforming.”  It’s been true in some sad ways.  It seems like Reformed churches regularly reform themselves into new, break away denominations.  It’s unfortunate that we reform ourselves at the expense of unity.  But it’s been true in many more wonderful ways.  We’ve kept our minds open to new methods of being the Church and carrying out God’s mission.  It’s reminded us to keep thinking through the practical issues of how we worship and structure our churches.

So here’s what this means to be a Christian in a Reformed expression of the Church: you should expect change.  If we are always reforming, then we are always changing.  Of course, the foundational truths of God’s Word never change.  God is always the same.  But as we come to new understandings of how to apply that unchanging truth to our world, we will have to change.  It’s not always easy.  Yet as a Christian Reformed Church, change is in our DNA.  It shouldn’t take us by surprise.