URCSA Website Newspage 28 September 2010

WESTERN CAPE SYNOD OF THE URCSA, BELHAR, 27 SEP TO 3 OCT 2010

Dirkie Smit

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Brothers and Sisters, a heartfelt thank-you for the kind invitation to talk about this theme on this occasion and to consider together the challenges and questions we face.

We share a historical moment today. In this place and during these days, 28 years ago, the church we belong to confessed that the gospel was at stake. They confessed that a moment of truth had arrived. They confessed that the church could no longer contradict the gospel with its order, its life and its witness. Four years later, again here and during this week, our fathers and mothers officially adopted this Confession. Some here today – older than 50 years – may remember those days, may perhaps even have been part of it. But since then we all stand within this tradition. We received a new identity, a new vocation. That is what confessions do.

In an Accompanying Letter the church at the time explained why they did it. The Letter explains the attitudes and expectations behind this deed. It is a cry from the heart, the Letter says. They do it with no other motive or conviction but the credibility of the witness of the church. They plead that no-one with whatever other motive will abuse or misuse the Confession. They plead that no-one with whatever motive will oppose the Confession. It does not oppose people or churches, they say, but it opposes a false doctrine, which misleads many, without them realizing it. They plead with all to examine themselves and ask themselves whether they truly believe and live the gospel? Truly believe that the God of the Bible made the church one and called it to visibly live out this unity? Truly believe that the God of the Bible reconciled believers with one another and through his Word and Spirit enables them to live this reconciliation? Truly believe that the God of the Bible is a God of compassionate justice and calls us as followers also to practise this justice?

The church at the time deliberately did not name apartheid. This is always the case with confessions from our Reformed tradition, but in fact of the entire church. They come into existence in a specific moment. They are historical, contextual, political. If it had not been for the specific moment of truth, they would never have been born. That is why so many of them bear the name of the place of birth, as reminders of the moment – Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession, Canons of Dordrecht, Scottish Confession, Westminster Confession, Confession of Geneva, Theological Declaration of Barmen. They are born in a moment of truth, but their truth is the truth of the gospel. It is not limited to the moment and context. Sometimes they found a larger community, grow into a wider tradition. They then also help believers in other places, descendents in later years, confronting new challenges and questions, to also hear the gospel for their time and place.

What does Belmar confess about the unity of the church? This Synod knows this only too well, because it is our own faith and tradition. For the sake of our discussion the main ideas can be summarized in three points. Firstly it is confessed that the church is already one. That is the message of the Bible and the witness of the church through the ages. In Belhar, this conviction is expressed in various ways. There is only one church, the church of the triune God who, through Word and Spirit assembles, protects and nurtures this church from the beginning unto the end of time. These are words directly from 16^th century confessions. We believe in one holy, catholic Christian church, the community of the saints, called from the entire human family. These are words directly from the earliest creeds of the church, but "called from the entire human family" is especially underlined. There is only one church, for it is after all the reconciliatory work of Christ which becomes visible in the church, Belhar confesses. In Christ the church is reconciled with God and with one another. Therefore this unity is a gift, Belhar confesses. It is not something we found or create, but something that has already been granted. This unity is the powerful bond of the Holy Spirit, Belhar confesses. This unity is a reality, Belhar confesses. These are simple and well-known words, and apparently obvious. Yet it was precisely this which was at stake at the moment of truth then – and so often again, until today, in our world. We believe and confess that we are one with our brothers and sisters, irrespective who or where. We believe and confess that we are invisibly and spiritually one, because there is only one church, one body of Christ, one people of God, one building of the Spirit. We believe and confess this gift of unity, the reality of this unity, this bond of the Spirit.

Secondly it is confessed that this unity must be lived, practised visibly. The reconciliation in Christ becomes recognisable in the church. According to the Bible this is the wonderful witness of the church’s own existence and life in a broken and divided world, in torn communities and fragmented societies. In the church man and woman, slave and free no longer count. The unity is a gift, but therefore also a calling, Belhar confesses. The reality must also be pursued, sought, Belhar confesses. The nation of God must constantly be built up in true unity, Belhar confesses. Everything that threatens the living unity must therefore be combated, Belhar confesses, because it may not have any place in the church. All division, enmity and hate amongst people and groups, is sin, which has already been conquered in Christ, and therefore does not belong in the church, Belhar confesses. The unity which already exists as a reality amongst us, must become visible, so that the world may believe, Belhar confesses. And that is the point, even if it is, once again, so simple. Jesus himself prayed that we who belong to Him, would be one, so that the world may believe. This means visibly one, so that the world may see, with surprise and wonder, because the church is one in ways that our communities and societies do not know. So that the world may see that the unity in the church overcomes all personal, natural and cultural differences and divisions. So that the world may believe in the gospel of the love of God, according to John 17. But precisely this visible unity was at stake then, as it still is today. Many confess the invisible and spiritual unity, but deny that it needs to become visible, living and practical. We deny it with our words, with our actions, with our omissions. We confess with the tongue, but do we truly, with all our heart, oppose everything that threatens the visible unity? – this is the challenging question everywhere in the worldwide church today.

Thirdly the question of how unity should become visible is answered. What does visible unity look like? What are we striving for? What do we long for and work for? What do we pray for and what do we dream of? Belhar responds to this question with a threefold confession. The visible unity includes, not excludes, a rich and wondrous variety and diversity – that is the first point. The visible unity can take form only in freedom and not under constraint and pressure, coercion and force – that is the second point. This diversity and freedom may however not lead to a situation where unity is no longer visible, it is diversity and freedom "within the one visible people of God" – this is what we pray and work for, and that is the third point.

To hear how important diversity within the one visible people of God was for the church, we can listen to Belhar’s own words. "(We confess) that this unity of the people of God must be manifested and be active in a variety of ways: in that we love one another; that we experience, practice and pursue community with one another; that we are obligated to give ourselves willingly and joyfully to be of benefit and blessing to one another; that we share one faith, have one calling, are of one soul and one mind; have one God and Father, are filled with one Spirit, are baptised with one baptism, eat of one bread and drink of one cup, confess one Name, are obedient to one Lord, work for one cause, and share one hope; together come to know the height and the breadth and the depth of the love of Christ; together are built up to the stature of Christ, to the new humanity; together know and bear one another's burdens, thereby fulfilling the law of Christ; that we need one another and upbuild one another, admonishing and comforting one another; that we suffer with one another for the sake of righteousness; pray together; together serve God in this world; and together fight against everything that may threaten or hinder this unity"

To hear how important the freedom within the one visible people of God was for the church, we can again listen to Belhar. "(We confess) that this unity can take form only in freedom and not under constraint; that the variety of spiritual gifts, opportunities, backgrounds, convictions, as well as the diversity of languages and cultures, are by virtue of the reconciliation in Christ, opportunities for mutual service and enrichment within the one visible people of God"

The heart of the matter lies in the words "within the one visible people of God." The world must be able to see and believe. The wondrous diversity and the true freedom may not be interpreted as manifestations of division and rifts. The unity of the church is not uniformity, to the contrary. The unity of the church is not merely structural and organisational, to the contrary. This is true both within congregations as well as amongst congregations. Paul’s image of the body with many parts highlights this. The body is alive precisely because of the diversity and mutual service and enrichment. Here one hears the deepest convictions of the Reformation. Both Luther and Calvin taught that the church is one if the gospel is preached and heard correctly and the sacraments are celebrated correctly. Where this is true, there is space and freedom for much diversity – of confession, of worship, of organisational form. It must however be clear that diversity and freedom find their place within the one visible people of God. Therefore Belhar rejects any doctrine that condones a situation where natural diversity hinders visible and living unity. Therefore Belhar rejects any doctrine that is satisfied with sinful division and willing to tolerate separate churches. Therefore Belhar rejects any doctrine that thinks believers are too deeply divided to ever be reconciled and therefore we should rather accept our divisions. Therefore Belhar rejects any doctrine that says it is not sin if we neglect to earnestly pursue visible unity. Our diversity and freedom may not divide the church, it is meant to enrich and serve the one visible people of God.

What the one visible church will look like, can therefore not be answered beforehand. There is no model or recipe, no prescription or ultimate answer. It is also not given to anyone to determine alone what the church should look like and then prescribe to others. There is only the road to the future that we must travel together, confesses Belhar. Together on this road we will discover what is possible and necessary, because we will discover one another, and discover ourselves anew. The Accompanying Letter is clear about this. "(T)his act of confession… places us on a road whose end we can neither foresee nor manipulate to our own desire. On this road we shall unavoidably suffer intense growing pains while we struggle to conquer alienation, bitterness, irreconciliation and fear. We shall have to come to know and encounter both ourselves and others in new ways. We are only too well aware that this confession calls for the dismantling of structures of thought, of church, and of society that have developed over many years. However, we confess that for the sake of the gospel, we have no other choice. We pray that our brothers and sisters throughout the Dutch Reformed Church family, but also outside it, will want to make this new beginning with us, so that we can be free together, and together may walk the road of reconciliation and justice ... We believe that this is possible in the power of our Lord and by God’s Spirit."

It is with good reason that this road is called a road of reconciliation and justice. Both for historical and spiritual reasons it was important to confess unity, reconciliation and justice together. They were all at stake together at the time. Given the road behind us, it was impossible to strive for living unity without also pursuing reconciliation and justice. Within the one visible people of God the alienation and division, guilt and pain of the past must also be addressed. Within the one visible people of God the legacy of inequality and injustice from the past must also be faced. In the Confession of Belhar these three belong together. According to the Accompanying Letter this is the road we are called to travel together.

Of many sisters and brothers, and also of many churches, it could be said that they are indeed on this road with us, and we with them. The Synod of the URCSA which is gathered here in these days, is living proof of this, that churches in our own country and region were willing to together go into the future and search for a new form of kerkverband, a new church order and new local congregations. Many of the activities which will be reported about at this meeting will witness to the travelling of this road, together.

Various churches, based on their own historical moments, have taken Belhar’s voice about reconciliation seriously and set out on this road together with us. One thinks of the church in Belgium, various Reformed and Presbyterian churches in the USA, believers in Nigeria – who together with us struggle with questions about believers from different cultures in one church, questions about migrants, questions about racism, questions about public violence. Various churches, based on their own historical moments, have taken Belhar’s voice about justice seriously and set out on the road together with us. One thinks of various Reformed churches in Germany and believers in Palestine – who together with us struggle with questions about economic injustice, questions about social exclusion, questions about long historical conflicts. At Kitwe in Zambia the voice from this building some 30 years ago was taken up in a larger choir witnessing against economic exclusion and injustice in our world and against the exploitation of creation. In Hungary these voices swelled into a worldwide call – to the question whether our faith itself is not at stake in the economy and ecology. In Accra in Ghana this call was answered with a commitment by the world church that unity, reconciliation and justice indeed belong together – Belhar is quoted by name – and that we are together compelled to dream differently and live differently if that is indeed the faith we confess.

We have been, however, particularly on the road with the world church today, asking very earnestly what unity truly means, how it should be embodied visibly, today. During the past 30 years – since that historical moment in this building – practically every church tradition worldwide has been asking what community really means, communio, communion, community, fellowship, the mutual koinonia which the New Testament so often refers to – the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Churches, the Anglicans, Lutherans, Reformed (since June in the USA), everybody. Practically all confessional bodies in the world now call themselves communions – and together wonder what the concrete implications are of this new self-understanding? What does it mean for the church in a concrete, everyday manner that we are one with Christ and with one another and that we are in communion? A mere 10 days ago the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe reconsidered this question anew – and purposely asked what Belhar, the confession of this Synod, contributes to this issue, to also learn from us. For these churches the variety and diversity, the space and freedom are extremely important, but all within the one visible people of God.

Of course, we too still ask this question – and that is right, as this Synod is doing anew. We should keep asking it, and asking it together with others. Specifically because we confess that we do not know the answers; that we do know that there is only one church, and that we are already one; that we do know that the unity must be embodied visibly otherwise we betray the gospel and seriously affects the credibility of our own message; that we do know that this unity can become visible in many ways; that we do know that unity does not mean uniformity, to the contrary; that we do know that we do not want to deny the diversity, to the contrary; that we do know that do not want to deprive one another’s freedom, to the contrary; that we cannot and do not want to force our will upon others to do as we prescribe; that we do know that we cannot reach or manipulate the end of the road alone; and because we know and confess all of this, we do know that we should earnestly pray and work for visible unity.

"We believe that, in obedience to Jesus Christ, its only Head, the Church is called to confess and to do all these things, even though the authorities and human laws might forbid them and punishment and suffering be the consequence, (since) Jesus is Lord," confesses Belhar. This is typical of Reformed confessions. The German Eberhard Busch makes this clear regarding Barmen. Confessions are not to be exhibited like museum pieces. They are not something to boast of, as if we are better than others. They are not weapons to be used against others. They are there to be lived, embodied. If we truly confess that Christ calls us to strive for living unity, reconciliation and justice, then this confession must weigh more heavily for us than everything that contradicts it – even governments, authorities, ordinances by people, prescriptions, rules, decisions, commands, meetings, church orders and particularly the unwillingness and inertia of our own hearts. When believers confess, this confession trumps all other claims and loyalties, even the desires, prejudices and excuses in their own hearts. They are like people struck on the mouth, they did not choose the moment or their own viewpoints, they can do nothing else – in the description of Karl Barth, words quoted in the this building 28 years ago, words that deeply moved our fathers and mothers. Whenever someone would attempt to hinder us in this confession, we follow Jesus the Lord.

For a confessing church this is ultimately the only question. Not whether we have a confession and formally support it and even glory in it, but whether the world can see that we live what we confess. Do we experience this visible unity in our congregations and amongst our congregations? Do members of the URCSA experience in our midst that unity in Christ is stronger than our natural, social, cultural and other differences? Were we in the past 28 years witnesses of this invisible unity in our community and society, so that the world could look at the URCSA in surprise – and believe? Were we a clear witness that unity, reconciliation and justice belong together? Did we tirelessly attempt to convince others of this gospel through word and deed? Could people see in our lives and actions how committed we are to the healing of wounds and compassion for those who suffer? In short, were and are we ourselves still on this our own road? If we later discuss this theme together, these would be the kind of questions to ponder.

As our fathers and mothers said at the time in the Accompanying Letter: "(W)e are aware that an act of confession is a two-edged sword, that none of us can throw the first stone, and none is without a beam in their own eye. We know that the attitudes and conduct that work against the gospel are present in all of us and will continue to be so. Therefore this Confession must be seen as a call to a continuous process of soul-searching together, a joint wrestling with the issues, and a readiness to repent in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in a broken world. It is certainly not intended as an act of self-justification and intolerance, for that would disqualify us in the very act of preaching to others."

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