First Christian Reformed Church

So I went over to the church because I've been meaning to for a while, because a friend of mine, Markus, went on staff there a while ago as associate pastor (I think that's the name of his position). Another friend of mine and Markus', Walter, also met me there so we attended together.

The first impression was really good. On their readerboard they have "Free health screening: call for appointment" plus a date--don't remember what date--perhaps June 15th. So that sounds to me like they are providing some free medical care for the community, which I think pretty much rocks!

Then the good first impression continued, because I had this really kewl conversation. I met a really kewl Dutch guy in front of the building before I went in. He admired my bicycle, which I had just ridden up on. He had a thick dutch accent, so that I think most americans couldn’t have followed what he was saying, but I’m pretty good at that. My friend John says that’s because I’m a musician. But anyway, this guy looked like he was about 80 years old, and he had driven up on an 80 CC Honda scooter, even though he walked like maybe he needed a cane. He was so happy. He kept telling me in that lovely dutch accent “The world is so beautiful, and I am so happy.” He said “I had heart surgery 10 years ago, and for a while all I could do was sit in a chair. That’s no fun, not being able to get around by yourself. I used to ride a bike, but I couldn’t do that anymore, and I rented a scooter at Ocean Shores and drove that and it was so much fun. So I bought a little 50 cc scooter. But you are supposed to have to stay up with the traffic, and it wouldn’t quite. So I bought an 80 cc one. I’d like a 150 CC scooter--that would be fun!-- but I’m not strong enough to put it on and off its kickstand. So I drive my 80 CC scooter, and I can get around by myself. My children tell me ‘Oh, this is dangerous–that is dangerous’. I say–if you want to take marijuana–that’s your business, and if you wanna go with a whore, that’s your business. What’s the point of life if you can’t get around by yourself? The whores in Holland are safer and in better health because it’s legal there so it’s regulated.” and so forth. And I found a ladybug, and he taught me to say it in Dutch–I know I’m butchering the spelling–but I can *say* it perfectly–It’s “liebherrbutshce” "It means," he told me “Love Lord bug”. He had such a twinkly pair of lovely eyes, and such a grinning on the edge of a smirk smile, and he so clearly was interested to see if he could perhaps say something that would make one laugh, or at least grin along with him. I liked him enormously. He said he used to go to that church 50 years ago, when it was downtown, and he stopped going to church for 40 years, and now he came back, but he doesn’t know why. I don't think he was a regular because I think he assumed I was a regular, and he was surprised about halfway through our conversation to learn that I wasn't. That was such an encouraging and fun conversation. I'm stoked I went to First CRC just for that.

And then they *sang*. It felt very Dutch--I think that perhaps Christian Reformed is rooted in Holland? But golly could they sing, and they sang all these old praise songs from the 70's that have really singable melodies, and damn but they could sing, and I couldn't decide between joining in loudly or just listening. That was kewl.

And then the sermon started off crazy well too. The pastor starting off referencing the best selling books by atheists that have recently come out--Dawkins' "God Delusion" and Harris' "Letters to a Christian Nation" and another by Christopher Hitchens called "God is Not Great". It sounded like he might have actually read them, and I can't say because I haven't (alas). He praised Hitchens for being very witty and literate. But he went on to say that all three books are composed almost entirely of sarcasm and mockery, and that none of these authors present any cogent arguments for not believing in god. He sounded almost disappointed. He said "Come on, we're reasonably intelligent people here. Can't you at least go to the trouble to present a cogent argument?"

Now I'm terribly curious to know if this is true? Did none of these present cogent arguments?

Anyway, I was very impressed that he seemed to have read them and even liked them somewhat, and it seemed to me that he must have a fairly open mind. He even recommended the Hitchens book as an enjoyable read.

But if felt to me like the sermon really went downhill from there. It was all excessively positive--about how God loves us, and it's all grace, and god wants to make himself known to us, and share his heart with us, and we are on the inside already, and god wants to be our friend and share the secrets of his heart with us, and he's done so much for us--a list of 12 things he's done for us, and etc. etc. etc.

Of course this is not just a criticism leveled at this church in particular. My general experience with Sunday morning churches has been that there is this astounding overemphasis on the positive without a dovetailing acknowledgement of the horrifying state of present reality. I mean if god loves us so much, and wants to share his secrets with us, and has done all this stuff for us, then why the hell do 30,000 children have to die today from starvation or lack of clean water, and why do we have to kill tens of thousands of people to insure our cheap oil supply, and why do so many people *not* manage to connect with god and experience all these things that he supposedly wants to give us, even though in many cases they/we are desperate and destitute for lack of these things?

It felt like none of these questions were anywhere in the general vicinity of being addressed or acknowledged in the sermon--as in, not even on the same continent.

One other thing I noticed that I'd rather like to complain about, not that I've started. Why do Christian churches make this weird ritual out of "The Lord's Supper"? I mean wasn't the thing originally an actual *meal*, where they were like actually sitting down and actually eating actual normal food, and actually drinking actual wine from actual normal wine glasses? I mean wasn't the point to connect the whole remembering thing to the normal elements of a normal meal because Jesus wanted them to remember when they were doing the normalest of normal activities--eating together?

Okay, sorry, stepping off soap box now.

It was also good to connect with Markus, whom I haven't seen in a while. He sat down with us for the sermon. Markus seriously rocks, and he had to go off after the sermon to teach a post sermon class called "Externally Focused Chruch", which is very much Markus. I think hiring him was a rocking great move for this church.