Vol 41 Issue 16

Rev. D. Engelsma, of Loveland, Colo., has declined the call to be Home Missionary of our churches.  Rev. H. Hanko, of Doon, Iowa, declined the call to be minister of First Church in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Scripture on God’s Government and Sin (Continued) 

Our spring meeting was held April 2, 1965 at Hull. Mrs. T. Jansma, our chairman, welcomed the ladies. The morning program included our Theme Song, Psalter No. 298, and also Psalter No. 76; Scripture reading from Genesis 28:10-22; opening prayer by Rev. Kortering; and an address on “Angels and the Saints” by Rev. Woudenberg.  Our speaker dealt with Angels Proper, the Ranks of Angels, and the Relation of Angels to the Saints and to the Church. 

It was with considerable surprise and shock that I read the editorial in the Reformed Journal of March 1965; surprise, because I had imagined that my name would never come any closer to the Reformed Journal than the mailing label which directs my personal copy to my door; shock, because of the extremely serious charges leveled against me and my article in the Standard Bearer of February 1, 1965.

Since it claims to communicate with the spirit world, the above title is a more correct term for this doctrine of demons, than that of the misnomer “Spiritualism,” for there is nothing spiritual about “spiritism,” and, since it seeks departed spirits independently of God, very little that is religious. 

We turn now to the question of preaching predestination on the mission field. As you will recall from our previous discussions on this subject, Mr. Boer, who is discussing this in the Reformed Journal, is of the firm conviction that election (Boer does not agree with the doctrine of double predestination, or reprobation) should be included in the preaching of the Gospel in the mission field as well as in the established church. 

Yes, you read the above title correctly.  It is not a printer’s error or a careless typographical mistake.  And it is not simply meant to catch your eye either. For we fear that many can read it and fail to be touched by its blasphemy. The sad situation today that is found in the church world is such that the Biblical position of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility is exchanged for that which is expressed in the above title. 

Religious Mental Illness There was an annual meeting a short time ago of the “Academy of Religion and Mental Health” which met in Washington. At this meeting a group of clergy-men and psychiatrists gathered to discuss the difference between religious faith and mental illness. They found some difficulty in drawing the line (according to Timemagazine, which reported the conference) for they found that much of what passes as “faith” is nothing more than abnormal neurosis.

In the main the Form for the Administration of the Lord’s Supper which is used in our churches, may be divided into two sections or parts. The first of these may be labeled the “Doctrinal” or “Expository” part. It contains a section that deals with the matter of “Preparatory” and is followed by a brief exposition of the Lord’s Supper, its purpose and significance. The second main division deals with the “Liturgical” aspects of the celebration of the Lord’s Supper and under this heading various important matters may be mentioned.

In his article entitled “An Aroused Laity” (Torch and Trumpet, April, 1965) Prof. R.B. Kuiper concludes his description of the situation which he claims is bothering a considerable segment of the Christian Reformed “laity” as follows: