Bible Study - Clarion - The Canadian Reformed Magazine

Transcription

Clarion
THE CANADIAN REFORMED MAGAZINE
VOLUME
49, NO. 18
SEPTEMBER 1, 2000
Bible Study
EDITORIAL
By R. Aasman
Bible Study
Slow down and talk
the car as they listen carefully to each other and respond in
an appropriate way. But how do we converse with our heavOn a nice summer evening, a father and some of his
enly Father? We speak to God in prayer. We do not hear
children are driving along a highway after dropping off
Him speaking back to us. We trust that He hears and resome family friends. Soon they are deep in conversation.
sponds as He has promised in his Word. But how does He
The father listens attentively as his children speak openly
literally speak to us?
and earnestly, and from time to time he interjects with
God speaks to us in his Word. The Scriptures are the
some of his thoughts. The father is enjoying this moment
living and abiding Word of God whereby the words from his
so much that he starts to slow down on the highway,
very lips are communicated to us and laid upon our hearts
falling well below the recommended speed. Whether or
through the working of the Holy Spirit. In Romans 1, the
not he is really conscious of what he is doing, he is in
apostle Paul speaks about his eagerness to preach the gospel,
fact trying to prolong the drive and savour every moment
“because it is the power of God for the salvation . . . For in
of this intimate discussion with his children. Who of us
the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a rightdoes not recognize this as a beautiful moment? What can
eousness that is by faith from first to last.” He also writes in
2 Timothy 3, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful
be sweeter than a parent and children engaged in an
for teaching, rebuking, correcting
open and intimate conversation?
and training in righteousness, so that
Conversation with God
the man of God may be thoroughly
Bible study groups can be a
equipped for every good work.”
Our heavenly Father also enjoys
tremendous blessing as we
Everything that we could possibly
a deep and intimate communion
help each other to understand
need to hear from our heavenly Fawith his children whom He has obther concerning the way of salvation
tained through the blood of his own
the Word of God.
and the way of living in obedience
Son. It is a really sad situation when
before Him is clearly spoken by Him
Christians are so caught up with the
to us in his Word. To have the
busy affairs of life that there does not
preaching and personal Bible reading is to hear the voice of
seem to be enough time left for prayer and for meditating
our God. It completes and makes perfect the communion
on the wondrous deeds of God. Our Father longs for His
between the Father and His children.
children to talk to Him on a daily and regular basis. Indeed
He demands it of us in his Word. A healthy and living relaBible study
tionship with our heavenly Father is demonstrated in both
About the time that this issue of Clarion comes to you,
the desire and practice of speaking to the Lord in prayer.
many
of the Bible study groups will be starting up again afSuch prayer will give glory to God for all his wondrous
ter
the
summer season. Organized Bible study, whether
works. It will confide in God the struggles and troubles
that
be
young people gathering on a Sunday evening or
which we face. And it will ask Him for his indispensable
several sisters on a weekday morning, is a very special blessgrace and blessing in being able to take our life and offer it
ing that enhances the sweet communion between God and
up in gratitude to our God. It is not unlike the father who
his children. Typically, it is decided beforehand to study a
slows down on the highway because he savours every moparticular Scripture book or a series of passages. In order to
ment that his children speak with him. So the Lord savours
be ready for the meeting, one has to do some reading and
every moment that we think about Him and speak to Him dithinking and get to the heart of the Bible passage. No doubt
rectly in prayer.
some questions and special insights will come to mind.
How God speaks
This will all be brought out at the meeting. When there is this
genuine desire to study God’s Word together, Bible study
Everyone knows that a conversation comes from two
groups can be a tremendous blessing as we help each other
sides. Moreover, fellowship is something enjoyed by two
to understand the Word of God and to take it to heart. We
parties. We can picture a father and his children talking in
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CLARION, SEPTEMBER 1, 2000
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Editor: J. Visscher
Managing Editor: R. Aasman
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gain insight into the wondrous deeds of God concerning
our salvation. We learn how we can take our life and offer
it up in gratitude to our heavenly Father. And we are kindled in our passion and enthusiasm for the Lord our God
which naturally sends us to the throne of grace to speak with
our Father in prayer. In this way, the communion between
the Father and his children is made complete and immensely
satisfying.
Slow down
For many, the end of the summer holidays signals a busy
new season. We should not be so busy that we lose out on
what is really important to us: our fellowship with God.
Slow down a bit on the road of life. Take time from the hustle and bustle of daily activity. Let us take time to speak with
our God, and to hear Him speak to us in his Word. We have
the preaching, personal devotions, and the blessing of Bible
study groups within the life of the congregation.
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What’s inside?
This issue of Clarion comes to you just shortly before the beginning of the traditional Bible study season.
Of course Bible study is timeless. However our study
societies often are not operating during the summer
season and begin again in September. We have two articles and an editorial which give encouragement and
practical advice for Bible study. The articles are by
Dr. J. Visscher and Sarah Vandergugten.
Compromising God’s Word is a dangerous thing to
do. Sadly it is easily done when one regards God’s
Word as being too idealistic. Dr. C. Trimp, in the
third article of a series, deals with the matter of compromising God’s Word and shows how it is unacceptable for the children of God.
It is the 250th anniversary of J. S. Bach’s passing
away. His music reflected what he believed: Soli Deo
Gloria. Peter Buist commemorates Bach and his work.
The meditation is by Rev. J. van Popta. This issue
also contains the column, Ray of Sunshine. In addition you will find a letter to the editor regarding the
matter of creation days. There is also a report from
Classis Central Ontario.
RA
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IN THIS ISSUE
Editorial – Bible Study
— R. Aasman ......................................................386
Treasures, New and Old – In love with the world
— John van Popta ..................................................388
Studying the Word as a congregation
— James Visscher ..................................................389
Bible Study with Study Bibles
— Sarah Vandergugten.......................................... 392
Do what is truthful — C. Trimp ..............................395
B.A.C.H. — Peter Buist ............................................398
Ray of Sunshine — Mrs. Corinne Gelms and
Mrs. Erna Nordeman ..............................................399
Press Release ............................................................400
Letter to the Editor ..................................................400
Our Little Magazine – Aunt Betty..............................401
387
REASURES, NEW AND OLD
T
MATTHEW 13:52
By John van Popta
In love with the world
Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings (Colossians 4:13, 14).
Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings.
And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers (Philemon 23, 24).
Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world,
has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia,
and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you,
because he is helpful to me in my ministry (2 Timothy 4:10, 11).
Are we in love with this present
world? Has the world affected our
lifestyle? Are we being faithful servants
of the Lord, working in the kingdom,
advancing the cause of the Lord in the
world? Can we love the Lord and love
the world at the same time?
In three places in the New Testament we can read of a man called Demas. Twice he is mentioned in the
same verses as John Mark. Last time
we heard of John Mark, a young man
who abandoned the mission work of
Paul but who in the end was restored
back as a faithful, useful fellow worker.
But what do we know of Demas? In
the letters to the Colossians and to
Philemon we can read that Paul sends
greetings from a list of men, fellow
workers who are with him. Among
them is this faithful worker, Demas.
Demas, who along with many others
supports Paul and assists him. He is
one of the many whom the apostle
mentions in his letters. Demas was a
faithful worker even as John Mark was.
Demas, faithful servant.
Paul is in prison (likely in Rome)
when he writes his letters to the
Colossians and to his friend Philemon. In his letters, Demas is mentioned as one who is there with Paul
in his imprisonment. Even in hardship, this man is there with Paul. In
Acts, we read of how Paul had to take
care of his own needs as he preached
of the kingdom awaiting trial. And
Demas was there, assisting.
But Demas who was faithful even
when Paul was in prison comes to a
388
different end than John Mark. We do
not know much about Demas. Only
this: He was a faithful, helpful servant,
but in the end deserted his teacher
Paul. In the end, he deserted the Lord.
When Paul mentions that Demas and
Mark are together, they are faithfully
working side by side. But in the end,
in his final letter to Timothy, Mark is
with Timothy in Ephesus. Paul asks
Timothy to take Mark along again to
Rome. Why? Because Demas has deserted him. In plaintive words he
writes, “Demas has deserted me, because he fell in love with the present
world . . . .” Demas had fallen in love
with the present world. He has deserted Paul. He has deserted the
gospel. He abandoned the gospel of
grace. He abandoned his Lord because of his love for the world. His
love for this present world overshadowed any love for the new world that
was coming.
Too many of us are like Demas: in
love with this present world. Ask yourself, “Am I in love with this present
age?” The apostle John writes in his first
letter, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the
world, the love of the Father is not in
him” (1 John 2:15).
What of John Mark? He left the
gospel and went to Jerusalem but there
he was found by Paul and Barnabas
and again became a good and faithful
servant of the gospel. What of Demas?
The last we hear of him on the pages
of history is this. “Demas has deserted
me, because he fell in love with this
present world . . . .”
In the end, Mark asked the question, “Do I love the present world? Or
do I, must I, love the Lord?” And in the
power of the Holy Spirit and heartened by Barnabas, the Son of Encouragement, he turned from his ways and
returned to faithful service. What
turned him around? The Holy Spirit of
Jesus Christ, the strict discipline of
Paul who refused to take him along, the
kind teaching of Barnabas, and the influence of Peter, who calls him “my
son” (1Peter 5:13). What became of
Mark? What became of him? He came
to Rome. Later Peter did too. Mark became an evangelist, one of the four.
He wrote down what Peter the Rock
told him of the Lord.
John Mark is one who demonstrates the grace of God and the perseverance of the saints, even in their
lamentable fall (Canons of Dort V.4).
Demas was one who received the
word of life, but not into his heart. After the joy of temporary faith had vanished, he turned away. He choked the
seed of the Word by the pleasures of
this world and brought forth no fruit.
This our Saviour teaches in the parable
of the seed in Matthew 13 (Canons of
Dort III/IV.9).
Are you in love with this present
world?
John van Popta is the minister of the
Canadian Reformed Church in Coaldale, Alberta.
Studying the Word as a congregation
By James Visscher
People of the Book
There are many ways to describe
the people of God. Sometimes believers
are called “pilgrim people.” At other
times they are called “people who walk
the talk.” And then too, they are called
“people of the Book.” Especially the
Jewish people have been known
throughout history as a people dedicated to the reading, study and application of the Old Testament Scriptures.
Should it be any different for us who
consider ourselves the New Testament
people of God? Should we not also be
known as “people of the Book?” Indeed,
is there not an even greater reason for us
to be called this? After all, we today possess the whole Book. The Scriptures of
both the Old Testament and New Testament have been given to us to explore,
to digest, to shape our hearts and minds,
as well as to put into practice on a daily
basis. God has made us so rich.
Yet along with riches come responsibilities. If God has really revealed so
much of Himself and his will to us,
then surely it is necessary for us to busy
ourselves, personally and corporately,
with this revelation. We need to be like
the writer of Psalm 119, praising God
for the splendour of his decrees, statutes,
ordinances and laws. We need to understand as well that this Word is necessary if we are to walk in the light
and tread on the right paths (Ps
119:105). It is required reading for all,
especially for those who are still growing in the faith. As we read, “How can
a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word” (Ps 119:9).
Finally, we need to work with and to
work out what we confess in Article 5
of the Belgic Confession where we affirm “we receive all these books, and
these only, as holy and canonical, for
the regulation, foundation, and confirmation of our faith.”
Needless to say, then, what we read
in the Scriptures, as well as what we
confess about the Scriptures, puts a
certain onus on us as believers. We
cannot afford to neglect this Word. We
cannot trade it in for something else.
To become “people of the couch” or
“people of the tube” or “people of the
bar” is to do a great disservice to our
God and to what He has given us in his
Word. So, our calling is clear: we need
to study the Word!
To become
“people of the couch” or
“people of the tube” or
“people of the bar” is to
do a great disservice
to our God.
Preparation – heart, lips and spirit
Yet how shall we approach this
study? A number of requirements need
to be met if our study of the Word is to
be profitable.
In the first place, there has to be a
right heart. What I mean by that is a
heart that is under conviction and has
been impacted by the Holy Spirit. Bible
study cannot be approached solely as
a scholarly pursuit. It is not just a matter of gaining more and more knowledge, not even spiritual knowledge. It is
done out of a spirit that lives in daily fellowship with God.
It also means a heart that is eager
and determined to learn. All too often
the reason why people do not interact
with the Word is because their hearts
are complacent, dull and indifferent. It
can also be that their hearts have become distracted by the things and pleasures of this world. How often are the
children of God not too busy with their
work, their hockey, or their shopping
sprees? A heart that is not hungry is a
heart that either will not study or else it
will do so only for a time.
But if proper study requires a right
heart, it also requires right lips. By that
I mean lips that know how to pray. Why
prayer? Because it is impossible to study
this Word in isolation or divorced from
the Spirit of God. He wrote the Word.
He is its primary author. He caused
men to take up their pens and parchments. He has preserved his Word in
the face of threats and conspiracies. In
addition, He is the One who illumines
our hearts so that we can understand
and grasp what He is saying.
In short, there can be no profitable
study of this Word as long as its real
Source is ignored. We need to involve
Him, and we do that especially through
our prayers. We need to acknowledge
Him and to ask Him to open up his
Word for us. So, before you study this
Word, whether it be in a study group
or in a society meeting, call on the Father through the Son in the power of the
Spirit. Ask for light, for insight, for direction, and for a blessing.
A right heart and right lips bring us
in turn to a third thing, namely a right
spirit. What is meant by this is a spirit
that is humble, willing to learn and
389
ready to obey – whatever the Word
teaches. In other words, we study the
Bible not simply to add to our store of
religious information and insight. No,
we also do so in order to conform our
lives more and more to the will of God.
What the Lord wants to see in us is that
our lives become “living sacrifices”
with renewed minds (Rom 12:1, 2).
Bible study should lead both to informed and transformed lives.
The tools of Bible study
To help achieve this, however, certain tools are fundamental.
1. Study Bible
Purely in and of itself the Bible is not
a tool, but when the Bible is combined
with cross references, marginal notes,
graphs, maps and other aids, it does
become a type of tool. If it comes with
extra wide margins where you can
scribble in, it becomes even more so.
So which study Bible is best? There
are three that stand out, and they are the
NIV or NASB Study Bible, the Life Application Bible and the NIV Thematic
Reference Bible. From strictly a resource point of view, one of the first
choices is the best. If you are looking for
more application, turn to the second. If
you want to trace certain words, concepts and themes, opt for the third. If
you have a lot of money, buy all three.
What about translations? Here too
there is room for variety. If you want to
stay as close to the original text as possible, get hold of a copy of the American
Standard Version of 1901 (Most likely,
you will have to try the used book market to find it). If you want a free translation or paraphrase, make careful use of
the New Living Translation. If you want
a reliable middle of the road translation
choose either the NASB, NKJV, or the
NIV. Each has their strengths and weaknesses. For serious Bible study it is usually recommended that you consult
more than one translation.
2. Concordance
The best concordances for the KJV
are either Young’s or Strong’s Analytical
Concordance. For those who use the
NIV, the best concordance is The NIV
Exhaustive Concordance.
3. Bible software
Better even than the above concordances is some of the Bible computer
software that is currently on the market. I know believers who have profited
390
tremendously from the Online Bible,
the Logos Library System, or BibleWorks for Windows.
4. Dictionary
There are any number of Bible dictionaries that can also be very helpful
to the diligent Bible student. There is the
one volume New Bible Dictionary.
There are also multi-volume dictionaries available like The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (four volumes).
There can be no
profitable study of this
Word as long as its real
Source is ignored.
5. Commentaries and study aids
Here the list is endless, for there is
an abundance of commentaries and
study guides available today. There are
one volume commentaries like the
Eerdmans Bible Commentary and the
Evangelical Commentary on the Bible.
There are also whole series by Calvin,
Hendriksen/ Kistemaker, and others.
There are also series produced by
Baker, Eerdmans, IVP, Tyndale, Zondervan and Word written by many different scholars.
Then too there are any number of
study guides and outlines produced by
the ILPB, Outlook, Inter-Varsity and
other organizations.
In short, then, there are many tools
available for Bible study. Some are essential and some are optional, but none
can do the work for you.
other we all need to find the time to
read and research, to meditate and absorb the Word. It may be early in the
morning or late at night. It does not matter when or where, but it does need to
be done.
But then there is also a congregational context. Believers need to study
the Word together as well. They need to
learn from each other’s questions, comments, insights and feedback. They
need to do what the early church did
with the apostles’ teaching, and with
the entire Word, and that is, devote
themselves to it (Acts 2:42).
Now, as to exactly how this is done
in a local church, that is a secondary
matter. Some churches organize their
Bible study along the lines of Young
People’s, Men’s and Women’s societies which meet in a church building.
Other churches have small groups that
meet in the homes of members. Other
churches have both.
Does it matter? Is there a required
setup? Not really! What works in one
church may not work in another. Be
flexible and innovative. After all, the
Scriptures do not teach that a particular
structure for this study has to be implemented. They leave that up to the wisdom and freedom of the office of all
believers. So rather than worship a certain structure, go out of your way to devise one that will meet the needs of as
many members as possible. The purpose of congregational Bible study, after
all, is to get as many members as possible into the Word.
The method of our Bible study
The context of our Bible study
But if the structure or context in
which we study sometimes creates
controversy, so does the method that is
used. In the past this was often not the
case for then one method was quite
common. The Bible study meeting
would begin with Scripture reading
and prayer, sometimes a song would
follow, and always there was an essay. After the essay, the discussion
would start. Once the passage was
deemed to have been exhausted, it
was on to other miscellaneous matters
and the closing.
In addition to various tools, there is
also a certain context in which our
Bible study takes place. For each and
every believer there is first of all a personal context. All who confess to follow
Christ need to be committed to the
study of His Word. In one way or an-
1. Diversity
These days, however, the method is
much more diverse. There may or may
not be an essay. There may be an outline which is read and discussed. There
may be a whole series of questions that
are discussed and answered.
The purpose of
congregational Bible study,
after all, is to get as many
members as possible into
the Word.
Is there a problem with this diversity? Not if the particular Bible passage
is really thoroughly dealt with. For that
is surely the aim.
Yet, here again, there are some who
insist that a certain procedure has to be
followed. Some even say that the problem these days is between the inductive and the deductive methods of Bible
study, and then they proceed to insist
on the one at the expense of the other.
2. Deductive versus inductive
How are we to evaluate this kind of
disagreement? For starters, we should
define our terms. Many people love to
use words like “inductive” and “deductive” but have little grasp of what they
mean. “Inductive” refers to that process
whereby we move from the particulars
on to a general rule. “Deductive,” on
the other hand, refers to the opposite,
namely to moving from the general rule
back to the particulars.
So how does this work in Bible
study? It is claimed that the traditional
way of doing such study is the deductive way. Why was it called “deductive?” Probably because the essay or
“introduction” held centre stage. What
the participants would do is argue about
whether or not the essayist had a right
understanding of the particular Bible
passage or chapter. In other words,
they would discuss and debate the essay (i.e., the general rule), and then, if
they disagreed, they would refer to this
verse or that one (i.e., the particulars).
So you moved in the meeting from the
general to the particular and thus
worked deductively.
The inductive way, however, does
not do this. Often there is no essay or
“introduction” at all. Instead the participants have a whole series of questions
before them that deal with the verses or
chapter under study. First, they try to get
a correct and complete grasp of what
the Bible passage is saying, summarize
its teaching, and then concentrate on
what the application might be for today.
What they are thus doing is moving
from the various verses (i.e., the particulars) to the teaching and application
(i.e., the general). Hence, they are
working inductively.
3. The correct way
So which is correct? Here again, it is
not really a case of either - or. We
should not pit these approaches over
against each other and then label the
one “reformed” and the other “unreformed.” Why not? Because there is
room for both, and in a sense, we are all
busy with both. There is no such thing
as pure deduction or induction.
Let me illustrate this by referring
you to a Catechism Class. Almost all
would say that there the minister is at
work in a deductive manner. He takes
the particular Lord’s Day (i.e., the general rule) and moves to the various
Bible passages from which the teaching of that Lord’s Day originated (i.e.,
the particulars). Nevertheless, that is
not always true. There are times when
the minister will start his lesson with
a particular Bible story or stories (i.e.,
the particulars) and then move finally
to the Lord’s Day (i.e., the general). In
such a case, is one approach right
and the other wrong? Hardly, they are
both permissible.
CHURCH NEWS
Called by the church of Grand
Rapids, Michigan, USA:
Rev. W. den Hollander
of Toronto, Ontairo.
***
Accepted the call to the church of
Guelph, Ontario:
Rev. J. VanWoudenberg
of the church of Kerwood, Ontario.
The best method
of Bible study is always
that method which
forces you most to
read and reflect on what
the Bible says.
And the same applies to Bible study
methods. Both deductive and inductive
methods have their place, as well as a
host of others. I have a book in my library that outlines at least ten different
approaches, and they all have their
strengths and weaknesses. So let us not
be so conceited as to think that the
way we do our Bible study is the only
way it can be done. If Scripture outlined and demanded a certain method,
you would win the argument, but as
long as it does not, you are merely elevating human opinions.
Still, this may leave open the question as to which is the best method. I
would answer this by saying that the
best method of Bible study is always
that method which forces you most to
read and reflect on what the Bible says.
A good essay or “introduction” can be
helpful in this connection, but not if it
becomes the focal point of the discussion. After all, it is not the human essay
that is inspired but the divine Word. Interact constantly, my friends, with the
biblical text. Any method which compels you to do that is to be promoted
for it will prove to be of immense profit
to your soul.
***
Accepted the call to Houston, BC:
Candidate Dirk Poppe
The goal of our Bible study
Finally, we come to the goal of our
study of Scripture. Here I can be very
brief and to the point. Turn to Ephesians 4. There the apostle Paul speaks
about Christ’s gifts to His church and
then he identifies those gifts as men
and as office-gifts: apostles, prophets,
evangelists, pastors and teachers. All of
these men have a certain task to perform in the church.
Yes, and what can be said of them
and their tasks can just as well be said of
the role of the Holy Scriptures in our
lives. They are given to build up the
body of Christ, to produce unity of faith
and unity in the knowledge of Christ,
to bring about maturity, and to usher us
into the fullness of Christ.
Readers, God has blessed you richly
in giving you the revelation of His Son
Jesus Christ. If you intend to busy yourself with Bible study in this new season, that is great. May God bless you. If
you have not decided whether to do so
or not, get off the fence on the right
side and commit yourself. If you have
decided against it, you need to wake
up, smell the coffee and change your
priorities.
God bless our churches in such a
way that we may become known far and
wide as “the people of the Book.”
391
Bible Study with Study Bibles
By Sarah Vandergugten
Yesterday, Peter and I, most of our
children and our five grandchildren
went on a nature walk, or better yet, a
creation walk. Before supper, we marveled at the Seven Sisters, a stand of
seven enormous trees located in a sheltered, sun-dappled grove in the provincial park where we were camping.
Some of the Sisters were vibrantly alive;
some were lying where lightning or
disease had felled them. After supper
we strolled to the Giant Douglas Fir,
also near our campsite. We became tree
huggers. It took eight of us, with arms
outstretched and fingers clasped to hug
the biggest tree we’d seen in a long
time. We craned our necks, but could
not see the top. We wondered what
this part of British Columbia might have
been like several hundred years ago,
when this Giant had been a tiny
seedling. We were convinced once
more of the truth of Paul’s words in Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of
the world God’s invisible qualities – his
eternal power and divine nature – have
been clearly seen, being understood
from what has been made, so that men
are without excuse.” Indeed, that Sunday evening, nature was “before our
eyes as a most elegant book.”
But summer holidays will soon be
over. “Normal” life will begin once
more. (It may be well underway as you
read this.) The classroom beckons.
Bible lessons will need to be prepared
and taught five days a week. Bible Study
groups will distribute their rosters at the
church doors or insert them in the
weekly liturgy sheet. This is not to say
that Bible study is ignored during the
summer months, but in September we
tend to become more structured and
rigorous. We move from enjoying the
book of nature to a more thorough study
of the Book of Life. Men and women,
teens and students will come to meetings and classes with their favorite Bible
392
in hand. There are many to choose
from. This article will take a look at
three: the NIV Study Bible (Zondervan,
updated in 1995), which has become
almost commonplace, the Life Application Study Bible (Zondervan, Tyndale),
on the scene since 1991, and the NIV
Thematic Reference Bible (Zondervan,
Hodder & Stoughton), first published in
North America in 1999.
There is no substitute
for the reading of the
text itself.
The old standby
One good thing about being requested to write an article such as this
is that you take time to do more than
glance at the valuable introductions to
the various study Bibles. The introduction to NIV Study Bible (NIVSB) notes
that this work is a result of the efforts
of a transdenominational, international
team of Biblical scholars, all of whom
confess the authority of the Bible as
God’s infallible word to humanity.
They are quick to note that there is no
substitute for the reading of the text itself: “nothing people write about God’s
word can be on a level with the word
itself. Further, it is the Holy Spirit alone
– not fallible human beings – who can
open the human mind to the divine
message.” Yet, they suggest that the
Holy Spirit uses people to explain
God’s Word to others. It was the Spirit
who led Philip to the Ethiopian eunuch’s chariot, where he asked, “Do
you understand what you are reading?” To which the Ethiopian replied,
“How can I, unless someone explains it
to me”(Acts 8:31)? Philip then showed
him how an Old Testament passage in
Isaiah related to the good news of Jesus
Christ. This interrelationship of the
Scriptures, which is so essential to the
understanding of the complete Biblical
message, is a major theme of the NIVSB
study notes.
Doctrinally, the NIVSB reflects traditional evangelical theology. If the
editors were aware of significant differences of opinion on key passages or
doctrine, they tried to give an evenhanded approach by indicating those
differences. For example, the notes on
Revelation 20:2 offer the three major
views of the millennium without designating one as the correct interpretation.
In finding solutions to problems mentioned in the book introductions, they
went only so far as evidence (Biblical
and extra-Biblical) supported.
Features of the NIVSB
The NIVSB features the text of the
NIV, nearly 20,000 notes keyed to and
listed with Bible verses, introductions
and outlines to books of the Bible, text
notes, a cross-reference system (100,000
entries), notation of parallel passages, a
concordance of over 35,000 references,
charts, maps, essays and comprehensive indexes.
The outstanding feature of this version is its 20,000 study notes, located
on the same pages as the verses and
passages they explain. Among other
things, they provide the following: explanations of important words and concepts, interpretations of difficult verses
(cf. notes on Mal 1:3 and Luke 14:26
for the concept of hating your parents),
drawing of parallels between specific
people and events (cf. note on Ex 32:30
for parallels between Moses and Jesus
as mediator), descriptions of historical
and textual contexts of passages (cf.
the note on 1 Cor 8:1 for the practice
of eating meat sacrificed to idols), and
demonstrating how one passage sheds
light on another (cf. note on Ps 26:8
for how the presence of God’s glory
marked His presence in the tabernacle, in the temple and finally in Jesus
Christ, Himself).
The study notes are the main reason why people buy and use the NIVSB.
In addition, it includes text notes that
examine alternate translations, meanings of Hebrew and Greek terms, and
variant readings in ancient Biblical
manuscripts. Its cross-reference system
can be used to explore concepts as well
as specific words. The concordance (the
largest ever bound together with an
English Bible), the 60 maps, the 35
charts, diagrams and drawings, and the
five background essays (the Minor
Prophets, the Synoptic Gospels, the Pastoral and the General Letters, and the
400 Inter-testamentic Years) round out
the NIVSB into a broad ranging, useful
source for studying and teaching Bible.
I’ve used it profitably, though not exclusively, for years.
The Life Application Study Bible
The Life Application Study Bible
(LASB) first appeared on the scene in
1991. With its most recent revision
(1993), it is now available in five versions: the King James, the Living Bible,
the New International Version, the
New King James Version and the New
Revised Standard Version. Those who
use this Bible appreciate its practical
approach to Bible study. It answers the
“so what” questions we often have as
we read Scripture. The organization
Youth for Christ enlisted the aid of
editor Bruce B. Barton and more than
a dozen theological reviewers from
well- known evangelical institutions to
generate the material for this work.
Young people especially seem to enjoy the LASB’s more pragmatic approach, although it was recommended
to me by a mother my junior by only
a couple of years.
Practicality is the main purpose of
the LASB. The Introduction begins with
questions such as: what does this passage really mean? How does it apply to
my life? Why does some of the Bible
seem irrelevant? What do these ancient
cultures have to do with today? What’s
going on in the lives of these Bible people? The LASB was developed to show
how to put into practice what we have
learned. Its goal is to bridge the gap between the past (when the Bible was
written) and the present, and between
the conceptual and the practical. “Do
not merely listen to the word, and so deCLARION, SEPTEMBER 1, 2000
ceive yourselves. Do what it says”
(James 1:22).
The LASB suggests that it is different from other Study Bibles, many of
which only attempt application. Over
75% of the LASB is application-oriented. The notes answer the question,
“What does this passage mean to me,
my family, my friends, my job, my
neighborhood, my church, my country?” Each application note is divided
into three parts: “(1) an explanation
that ties the note directly to the Scripture passage and sets the truth that is being taught, (2) the bridge that explains
the timeless truth and makes it relevant
for today, (3) the application that shows
you how to take the timeless truth and
apply it to your personal situation”(p
xviii). The intent is that knowledge will
lead to action.
Tracing the great
Biblical themes through
Scripture allows the
reader to appreciate the
essential unity of
Scripture.
Not just application
The LASB also does what any good
resource Bible should do. In addition
to the thousands of application notes, it
offers explanatory notes that help the
reader understand culture, history, context, theological concepts and the interrelationship of various Scripture passages. Particularly helpful is the
placement of maps, charts and dia-
grams on the same page as the passages to which they relate. Every book
comes with an introduction that includes the following: a Timeline giving
the historical setting, Vital Statistics listing straight facts about the book, an
Overview which summarizes the book
with general lessons and application, a
Blueprint or a simple outline designed
for memorization, Megathemes which
give the main themes of the book and
explain their significance then and now,
and a Map which shows the key places
found in that book and retells the story
from a geographical point of view.
Unique to the LASB is a Harmony of
the Gospels specifically developed for
this Study Bible and the first to be incorporated into the text itself. Through a
simple numbering system that highlights 250 events in the life of Christ,
you can read any gospel account and
see just where you are in relation to the
entire life of Christ. This harmony also
outlines where to find the parables of
Jesus and Jesus’ miracles. There is a list
of eighteen Messianic Prophecies and
where they find their fulfillment in the
New Testament. Also unique to the
LASB are the well over a hundred personality profiles – Aaron to Zerubbabel
– which highlight the major events in
their lives and place them in the context
of the history of salvation. Further aids
include numerous maps, cross- references, textual notes, a dictionary/ concordance, and complete indexes to the
notes, charts, maps and profiles.
A tentative evaluation
My first interaction with the LASB
was in preparation for writing this review, so my evaluation will be necessarily tentative. I would argue that there
393
is much good to be found in this Study
Bible. The introductions to the Bible
books are thorough, yet accessible.
The personality profiles are lively and
thought provoking. Many of the application notes are right on the mark. The
Harmony of the Gospels is an outstanding and valuable feature. The layout has
good eye appeal. The indexes make all
the special features easy to find.
I do have two areas of concern. The
emphasis on application can lead toward a shallow exegesis of the text itself. This may tend to making direct
moralistic applications from Biblical
times to today, without digging enough
into the meaning of the text itself. Often the events in people’s lives simply
become examples for us to live by. The
over-arching story becomes fragmented. A lack of attention to exegesis
will also give greater opportunity for the
writer’s own biases to become apparent. Secondly, the emphasis on application can also over-emphasize the role of
people. It’s true that God uses human
beings to work out His plan of salvation,
but the glory rightfully belongs to Him.
So, would I use the LASB? Yes, but as a
secondary study aid.
The thematic approach differs significantly from a more lexical approach
found in older works. The thematic
method is based on related ideas, not on
individual words. An example may help
clarify this. Consider the theme of “assurance.” A word-based approach
would be limited to identifying Biblical
passages in which words such as assure
or assurance appear. A thematic approach goes beyond this and explores
all the basic elements of the theme: the
grounds of assurance (the knowledge
of God, the certainty of his word, the
work of the Holy Spirit), the nature of
assurance (of a relationship of God, of
salvation, of eternal life), and the relationship between assurance and the
life of faith. An extensive system of indexing and cross-referencing allows
the dynamic relationship between
many Biblical themes to be understood
and further explored.
Let’s re-commit
ourselves to another
season of structured and
rigorous Bible study.
The NIV Thematic Reference Bible
A recent arrival on the Study Bible
scene (1999) is the NIV Thematic Reference Bible (NIVTRB), under the General Editorship of Alister McGrath. The
Introduction informs the reader that
this Bible was planned to allow its users
to identify and explore the leading
themes of Scripture – themes such as
God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the
human race, sin and salvation, the
Christian life, and the church, among
others. The NIVTRB identifies these
and related sub-themes, and traces
them throughout the course of Scripture. The Bible is allowed to speak for itself, with a minimum of comment and
explanation. This approach allows its
users to come into contact directly with
Scripture, rather than having to approach it through the views of commentators, as is the case with a version
like the LASB. The main themes are
identified, key Biblical references are
provided and the mutual relationship
of themes is set out clearly. More than
2000 themes detailed in the NIVTRB
cover doctrinal, ethical, historical and
cultural subjects. The themes deal with
both the great themes of the Christian
message, as well as the more practical
issues of Christian living.
394
Tracing the great Biblical themes
through Scripture allows the reader to
appreciate the essential unity of Scripture. As we trace the unfolding of God’s
purposes of redemption throughout the
pages of the Bible, we learn to appreciate more fully how Scripture bears witness to the same God and his same purposes, throughout its entirety. The
NIVTRB also avoids the widespread
tendency of more recent study or devotional aids to the Bible which contain
notes on the text of Scripture that are
provided by authors of different (and
sometimes conflicting) theological persuasions and of varying degrees of theological competence. Of course, any
study aid will be flawed by the limitations of its contributors, but the position of the NIVTRB is that “Scripture is
the best interpreter of Scripture.”
How to study a theme
It’s not that easy to explain how this
system of studying themes works, unless
you have the NIVTRB in your hands,
but I can assure that the system is
clearly laid out in the introduction.
There are nine main groups of themes,
designated by four digit numbers. E.g.
1000 – God, 2000 – Jesus Christ, 3000
– Holy Spirit, 4000 – Creation, etc. to
9000 – The Last things. Other subthemes will also have a four-digit number, which will fall under one of the
nine main categories. The themes are
noted and numbered in the margins of
the text itself and correlate to the numbers in the Thematic Section. This section consists of 730 pages, providing a
gold mine of Biblical references and information for each theme.
Other features include an alphabetical index so that you can quickly and
easily find the number of the theme
you’re interested in studying. As in most
study Bibles, each Bible book begins
with an outline and a summary. There
are over a 150 feature articles, located
at appropriate points in the text, providing succinct accounts of leading Biblical themes. Also included is a basic
repertoire of thirteen maps of Biblical
lands. Unfortunately, the map index is
completely unrelated to the maps in this
Bible. I suspect that this index is for the
1996 British Hodder and Stoughton version of the NIVTRB and not for this
North American version.
Re-commitment for the new
season
I bought my NIVTRB on the recommendation of a pastor who has found it
a valuable resource for preparing sermons and catechism lessons. I have
used it fairly regularly during the past
year. It was especially useful in the
study of a book like Proverbs, where a
chapter by chapter study is difficult,
but a thematic approach works well.
Using the NIVTRB takes more effort
than the LASB. No one is doing the predigesting for you, but the rewards are
significant. As you follow a theme
through Scripture, you become increasingly aware of the unity of Scripture and
of the awesome God who unfolds his
plan of redemption before your eyes.
So as we move into the regular
study season, perhaps it does not matter so much which type of study Bible
you use. Perhaps you prefer to stick to
your old favourite one, which may not
be a study Bible at all. No matter. But
let’s re-commit ourselves to another
season of structured and rigorous Bible
study. Read the Word together, and
heed the Word together.
Sarah Vandergugten is a member of
the Canadian Reformed Church of
Cloverdale, BC. She teaches Bible and
Comparative Civilizations at Credo
Christian High School in Langley, BC.
Do what is truthful
By C. Trimp
John 3:21: “But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light,
so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”
1 John 1:6: “If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness,
we lie and do not live by the truth.”
The Spirit and Christ’s church
In the two previous articles we have
considered a number of aspects of the
degeneration of the church and her
restoration. It proved to be a process
that could not be put to rest. Moreover,
it is one that unfolds between two extremes: the love of Christ and our lovelessness. We could also say: between
God’s good commandments and our
minimal capability for obedience. Or
we can put it another way: between
Christ’s power and our incompetence.
If it were not for the fact that the exalted Lord of the church pours out his
Holy Spirit continually, there would not
even be a church on this earth. He is the
Holy Spirit whom the Father bestowed
on his Son. This is what the apostle Peter teaches us in his Pentecostal sermon
(Acts 2:33), after Christ himself extensively instructed his disciples about this
great gift of God (see Luke 24:49; John
14-16; 20:22; Acts 1:4,5,8).
It is this Spirit who gives us a deep,
inner delight in the good law of God
(Rom 7:22). In this last text the apostle
uses strong words, “in my inner being.” That is exactly what the Heidelberg Catechism aims at with the words
“earnest purpose” (Answer 114). It is
with this joy in the law of the Lord that
the book of Psalms begins (Ps 1:2). At
the same time this joy is also the assurance (we could also say, the verification) of the fact that we know Christ and
his Father in the way of 1 John 2:3
which means living with God in love.
We encounter the same image in Art
29 of the Belgic Confession. Here we
see believing church members who pursue righteousness, continually fight by
the strength of the Spirit, flee from sin,
crucify their flesh and its works, and
appeal to Christ. In short, what we have
is a picture of people who have come
to action and who want to show that
they have been “born of God.” This
work of the Spirit, the causing of delight
in God’s law, collides head-on with the
reality of our incompetence. This results in a terrible friction. It brought the
apostle to despair (Rom 7:24). But the
Spirit of the glorified Christ will conquer–that is the triumphant message of
Romans 8.
Ours is the task to let
ourselves be brought
along in this battle
of the Spirit.
No compromise
This Spirit will not settle for a compromise. He continues to fight against
the power of sin and will work in us
what we have in Christ: the final victory
over sin. Ours is the task to let ourselves
be brought along in this battle of the
Spirit. Because, if the law of God remains in us, we will remain in the love
that Christ the Lord has given us. Father,
Son and Spirit want to bring us to the
day where our degraded lives will be
made equal to the glorified Christ (Rom
8:11-17; 18-21, 29; etc.). That will be
the crown for the centuries-long work
of “imparting to us what we have in
Christ!” We have to let this Spirit work
in us (compare answer 103 of the Heidelberg Catechism in connection with
the fourth commandment).1
This Scriptural wisdom becomes
concrete with regard to all the commandments of the Lord, according to answer 114 of the Heidelberg Catechism.
In the context of this article we will
clearly have to limit ourselves. We will
therefore focus our attention on the tasks
which God has given us with regard to
his church. This will bring to light situations of verification (these concern our
living with God in truthfulness) and also
situations of falsification (these concern
the moments when we are not truly “delighted” with God’s commandments–in
the sense of Rom 7:22).
In this context verification means
that the truthfulness of what we say
will be confirmed by the facts. When
we say that we want to serve Christ
and build up his church through the
Spirit, the truthfulness of these words
will be shown and known in our actions. “This is how we know that we
have come to know him and that we
are in him” (1 John 2:3,5; compare as
well 4:13 and 5:2).
Falsification means: to demonstrate
the opposite. The facts expose our
solemn words. They turn out to be
empty and hollow. Compare the words
of the apostle: “If we claim . . .” (1
John 1:6, 8; 2:4, 9; 4:20. See also 3:18
about the proclamation of true love:
“not with words or tongue but with
actions and in truth”).
We know and confess that the
Church of Christ owes her complete existence and continuation to the love of
God, the glory of Christ and the victory
of the Holy Spirit. Every quality of the
church is received out of the hands of
the triune God. We can concentrate on
and limit ourselves to these four qualities of the church: her unity, sanctity,
catholicity, and apostolic character.
1. The unity of the church
The unity of the church is given in
Christ. He is the unique Mediator
395
between God and man. Therefore, there
can only be one church: the church of
the one Christ (see for example John
17; Rom 3:30; 5:15; Gal 3:16, 27; Eph
2:11; 4:1;). Especially Eph 4:3-6 is a
clear scriptural testimony of this unity.
We should strive to
keep the unity of
the Spirit through the
bond of peace.
We know that the Holy Spirit imparts to us all that we have in Christ. He
sanctifies us, wants to dwell in us and
wants to make of us living members of
Christ, as it is said in the form for baptism. Thus it follows that the Spirit does
not just want us to desire the unity of
Christ’s church, but also that we actively
pursue this (as a part of our pursuing
righteousness, Phil 3:12; Rom 6:2).
We have not been told to force this
unity at any cost or to create it through
diplomatic formulas and cleverly construed church order regulations. We
should strive to keep the unity of the
Spirit through the bond of peace (Eph
4:3). Moreover, living in Christ and
abiding by the truth, we should grow in
love toward Him. When we live in
Christ we grow up into Him as well,
“until we all reach unity in the faith
and in the knowledge” (Eph 4:13,15).
In view of these words from the
apostle we would like to add a few
points in concrete terms.
• If a church member does not honestly desire this unity, he is lacking
in the earnest purpose to actively
fulfil God’s covenant. For that reason it still is puzzling that the “wish
for Christian unity” (which K.
Schilder talked about) would not be
part of the mark of the church
(members).2 After all, in the closing
sentence of Art 27 of the Belgic
Confession it is confessed that
Christ’s church is not confined to
one particular place or to certain
persons, but–dispersed as she is
over the entire world – is however
joined and united with heart and
will in one and the same Spirit.
• If no safeguards are created with regard to keeping the unity of the
faith, and if a church member will
not bow his neck under the yoke of
the instruction and discipline of the
church (including that of the church
396
federation), that is also evidence of
a lack of “earnest purpose.”
• When there is no willingness to remove obstacles within the church order (for example with regard to the
offices and the office bearers in the
congregation), this also demonstrates
a lack of earnestness concerning the
keeping or restoring of unity.
• When church members are satisfied
with a status quo, then they settle in
their own culture, language and
song collection, or they endeavour
to keep personal or congregational
traumas alive. This kind of contentment with the present reflects types
of self-interest and a sect-like introversion which go against the work of
the Spirit of Christ.
• When, in the pursuit of church
unity, church members show no
willingness to collective self examination and furthermore are not willing to discuss their preference for
their own name and institution, they
place rocks on the road of the Spirit.
Christ wants a people
who live in the
newness of life.
All these and similar instances of verification will reveal the human opposition
against God’s work in us. Instead of verification we are confronted with a falsification factor regarding our functioning
as Christ’s church. We will have to admonish each other so that we will not
live below the standard which Christ
has imparted to us. Especially in these
and similar issues, we are accountable to
each other, because resistance against
the Holy Spirit, grieving Him or putting
out his fire, is just as threatening for the
church as a heart attack for a feeble man
(see Is 63:10; Acts 7:51; Eph 4:30; 1
Thess 5:19). Resisting the Spirit is blocking the way that God wants to go to
make his love in us come to completeness (1 John 2:5; 4:12; 5:2,3). When
someone professes the unity of the
church with his mouth, but with his heart
does not desire it in love toward Christ
and his fellow believers, then the question has to be asked, “how can the love
of God be in him?” (see 1 John 3:17).
2. The sanctity of the church
Christ wants a people who live in
the newness of life. His Spirit is the
Spirit of sanctification. God cannot
dwell together with sin. This demands
that we, within our own responsibility,
eagerly strive to find the sanctification
of life in the blood and Spirit of Christ.
It would indicate a lack of humility if we
would not show this eagerness and only
had a mediocre interest for the realization of God’s commandments in our
secularized society. In this regard we
think especially of the ethics of sexuality and finances. It should much rather
be expected of us that we endeavour together to devote our lives to God, worship and serve God in a cautious life
style and a God-fearing upbringing of
our children.
A church that constantly makes concessions to the trends of the day and the
delusions of a century demonstrates in
all her tolerance a lukewarmness and a
lack of devotion, which are typical of
degeneration of the church. How can
the Spirit of sanctification ever dwell in
a neglected and contaminated house?
3. The catholicity of the church
In accordance with a centuries-long
tradition we think of matters like the following when we talk about the
catholicity of the church:
• the global character of the church
(as opposed to nationalistic or racist
prejudices);
• the total instruction of the great
mystery of salvation in Christ;
• the healing of all sorts of sins, across
the board of human life;
• the search for all mankind with the
teaching of the true faith;
• the possession and display of all
sorts of spiritual gifts and virtues
worked by the Holy Spirit.3
This catholicity of the church is founded
in the “fullness” of Christ which the
Holy Scriptures speak about (especially
in the letters to the Ephesians and Colossians). Catholicity draws the attention
to the many universal bonds in which
God causes his church to live. It opens
our eyes to the fact that the church of
God lovingly turns
to his own world with
the gospel.
Christ has existed since the beginning
of the world and will continue to be
there until the end. It teaches us to realize that the great variety of histories and
cultures is also demonstrated in a variety
of manners and conventions within
church life–here and elsewhere. The
catholicity of the church gives us a deep
understanding of the fact that God lovingly turns to his own world with the
gospel in which the healing cure for the
nations and society is offered.
This quality of catholicity causes a
tendency to maximize the doctrine of
the church (in the sense of its width
and depth). It directs our thoughts to
the universality of the Christian doctrine. As such, it frustrates every attempt aimed at Christ’s church to turn
it into a fair where every religious denomination can put up a stand and receive the opportunity to sing the (louder
or softer) praises of their merchandise.
This quality also makes us break
with the habit of always making our
own customs and history the norm and
to content ourselves with our own precious particularities. Catholicity puts us
within the wide universe of God’s creation and obligates us to call the nations
to faith and conversion based on the
beneficial Word of God – the only and
eternal gospel (Acts 4:12; Rev 14:6).
When someone does not recognize
Christ in this catholicity, then he does
not know what the true nature of Christ’s
church is. Sooner or later he will start to
hinder the functioning of the church.
Especially with regard to this quality of
catholicity, the church must become
what she is allowed to be in Christ.
4. The apostolic character of the
church
The church in Rome presumes that
the apostolic character of the church is
safe guarded through the preservation
of the apostolic succession. In other
words, Rome presumes that there is an
unbroken line of succession from Peter
and the group of apostles which continues in the bishops of the church.
These bishops keep clerical communion with the pope who is the bishop
in Rome, successor of Peter and representative of Christ on earth.
This apostolical succession is realized by the laying on of hands every
time a bishop is ordained. The reformed
churches have parted with these ideas
in Art 7 of the Belgic Confession. The
apostolic character of the church does
not depend on submission to the pope
or preservation of the succession in the
way that the list of bishops demonstrates it (“succession of times and persons,” Art 7). That the church has an
apostolic character should be manifested in the preservation of the apostolic testimony – the testimony about
the humiliated and exalted Christ.
A church that keeps the words of the
apostles is told: “All things are yours,
whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas . . .
all are yours, and you are of Christ, and
Christ is of God” (1 Cor 3:2-23). Christ
builds his church on Peter and the other
apostles, as they confessed Him to be the
Son of the living God (Matt 16:13-19).
Because of this, it is impossible to
separate the apostolic character of the
church from obedience to the words of
the apostles, the testimony about the
only Son of God. Consequently it follows that the church has the duty to preserve the testimony of the apostles.
The “earnest purpose” to live according to God’s commandments (with
regard to the apostolic character of the
church) teaches us how cautious we
must be when we use the apostolic testimony in the battle against discords
that undermine the unity of the teaching, and also, in resisting the temptation to implement and carry through
church order regulations by means of
“councils, decrees or statutes” (Art 7
BC). This holds true even though these
The false church starts
with you and me.
regulations are not directed toward the
furthering and preservation of harmony
and unity and are not meant “to keep all
in obedience to God” (Art 32, BC).
When the Scriptures are broken up
into a number of very distinct “faith models” (of which more than half are outdated), the unity of the Scriptures is damaged and the objective is at the most a
so called “pluralistic” church. Furthermore, the work of the Holy Spirit, who
gives us a living doctrine in an apostolic
church, is hindered. It is exactly when
we direct ourselves to the true Word of
God and reject everything that comes in
conflict with it (Art 5, BC) that the church
will be guarded against the falsification
that shows its real nature so arrogantly
in the false church (Art 29 BC).
Where we are at
So far we have explored the rough
terrain between “true” and “false” and we
have discovered a number of patterns
with regard to the qualities of the church
which–individually or in combinations –
can have a falsifying effect on the church
and hinder her to “do what is truthful.”
A church does not become “false”
because every church member is an imperfect human being with limited capabilities, and yet is able to derail things
in all kinds of ways because of his unsteady and straying heart. The Holy
Spirit protects the church people and
congregations against these risks
through his daily faithfulness. Also,
when God, through his Spirit and Word,
chose himself a congregation and
called it to eternal life, “He knew very
well that we were sinners” (cf Art 26 of
the Belgic Confession). But when we
grieve the Holy Spirit through one of the
following means:
• through our stubbornness, opposition and arrogance, or
• through our slowness, indifference
and carelessness, or
• through our ambition, contentiousness and dilettantish behaviour
then the Holy Spirit may turn away from
us or become our enemy (Is 63:10).
That is the start of “spiritual abandonment.” At that very same moment the
church is delivered to herself. We could
also say: delivered to falsification.
Pious resolutions become pious
wishes and consequently pious talk. In
a short period of time this church,
which at first distinguished herself by
her desire to serve God truthfully, becomes unrecognizable because of her
loss of character. This is a reality that
everyone can see if they are capable of
spiritual discerning.
We should not file this disaster with
the many horror stories of the past. Neither should we look for this degeneration
among people and authorities outside our
own congregation or blame it on the
weakness of human nature in general, because the false church starts with you and
me–with your and my lack of “earnestness” in the “purpose” of our heart. This
process ends with the joined forces of
these hearts against the objectives of the
Spirit. Romans 11:22! 1 Cor 10:11,12!
Next time we hope to bring what we
have explored so far into the focus of
our own church situation.
This has been called the “passive cult”, see
W. Vajta, Die Theologie des Gottesdienstes
bei Luther, Göttingen 1954, 223-224.
2
See J. van Genderen in: W. van ‘t Spijker,
De kerk, Kampen 1990, 295; H.J.D. Smit in:
J. Douma et all (ed.), K. Schilder, Aspecten
van zijn werk, Barneveld 1990, 89.
3
In this passage we mentioned some elements of the classical description of the
catholic character of the church by Cyrillus
of Jerusalem (end of the 4th century). See
amongst others: H. Berkhof, De katholiciteit
van de kerk, Nijkerk 1962, 13; J. Kamphuis,
Verkenning I, Goes 1964, 39-89; W. Balke
in: W. van t’ Spijker, De kerk, Kampen 1990,
272-279; W.D. Jonker in P.G. Schrotenboer
(ed.), Catholicity and Secession – A
Dilemma?, Kampen 1992, 16-27.
1
397
B.A.C.H. 2000
By Peter Buist
It is the moment I’ve been waiting
for. A hush falls over the Marktkirche as
the sombre, descending notes of the
Crucifixus fade away and the whitehaired conductor pauses to prepare for
the challenge which lies ahead. My dozing neighbour opens his eyes and then
shudders awake as the Jugendchor der
Stadt Halle suddenly erupts with the exuberant ascending notes of Et resurrexit.
This is a poignant moment: the gospel of
the risen Christ preached to the citizens
of Saxony – a region still emerging from
the economic and spiritual fallout of the
Cold War era. Truly, there is a balm in
Gilead. And who better to proclaim the
message of salvation than one of their
native sons, Johann Sebastian Bach? As I
look around the packed cathedral, I observe that any one of these sturdy folk
could be his direct descendent. But I
wonder how many still share his faith in
the God to whom he dedicated his music. Soli Deo Gloria.
The performance of the Mass in B
minor comes to a close and I join the
crowd streaming into the dark November night. I pass by the massive statue
of George Frideric Handel which dominates Halle’s central square and am
amused by the irony of having listened
to Bach’s masterpiece in the church
where Handel served as a young organist. I am also reminded that while
performances of Handel’s Messiah
have become standard community
events at Christmas time, (and deservedly so), Bach’s Mass in B Minor is
acknowledged as the pre-eminent musical offering for all times and seasons.
As its title suggests, this work is rooted
in the Lutheran liturgy but the scope of
this music is so broad that it is performed as a stand-alone concert piece.
Of special interest is the balance between the joyous articulation of Christian truths and the insistent prayer of
the penitent believer: Kyrie eleison –
Lord, have mercy upon us and Dona
nobis pacem – Give us peace. The lat398
ter elements serve as brackets around
a number of confessions including the
Gloria, Sanctus, Osanna and an extended treatment of the Nicene creed.
The use of the Latin text gives the work
a timeless quality which leads us back
through the centuries to the early Christian church. In 1817, a noted critic
called Bach’s Mass in B minor “the
greatest work of music of all ages and
of all peoples.” Soli Deo Gloria.
Johan Sebastian Bach
On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of Bach’s passing, it is useful
to reflect on the genius of one of the
most important composers of all time.
In fact, a recent analysis placed Bach
among a list of the 100 most influential
people of the last millennium! Capturing the essence of Bach in words is an
awkward task – much like attempting
to describe a fine dry wine, aged to
perfection. An acquired taste. One can
speak of the sheer volume of his artistic
output – Teldec will require 153 CDs
to produce the “Complete Bach” edition for its Bach 2000 project. One can
consider the amazing variety of the
Bach repertoire – from the simplest
piano inventions to the incredibly challenging pieces for organ. There is subtlety, complexity and mystery in the rich
counterpoint – not unlike that of a rose,
the swirl of wood-grain, a protein structure or a Hebrew poem. A lifetime of listening to Bach is to feast on a series of
wonderful melodies found in such
pieces as the Anna Magdelena Notebook, Air on G String, Jesu Joy of Man’s
Desiring, Sleepers Awake, Sheep May
Safely Graze, the Brandenburg Concertos, the Great Fugue in D Minor, the Agnus Dei of the B Minor Mass . . . . One
could go on at length. Above all, the
most impressive aspect of Bach’s music
is that its creation flowed out of his
faith in God. Bach practised what was
preached. Soli Deo Gloria.
What is the significance of Bach for
us today as we begin the third millennium? Some years ago, a noted Bach
scholar wrote: “For society and the individual, to keep level with Bach is a
sign of strength and progress; to drop behind is a sign of slackening ear and failing hands and lips.” These words are still
valid today. In general, an appreciation
of great music begins in the home and
an early introduction to Bach is a priceless gift. In addition, many of Bach’s
Chorale Preludes for organ are beautifully suited for the serene dignity of the
worship service. Arrangements of some
of the 200 Church Cantatas are also
available. The true significance of these
pieces can only be gained through a rediscovery of the chorales which were
sung in Bach’s time. There is much work
to be done in this regard. Perhaps more
importantly, one can hope that the considerable musical talent now emerging
in our circles will follow in Bach’s footsteps and compose pieces of similar
artistry in his service. Ultimately, the
task at hand is not just to entertain but
to inspire the congregation to sing their
songs anew – a foretaste of the heavenly concert. Soli Deo Gloria.
RAY OF SUNSHINE
By Mrs. Corinne Gelms and Mrs. Erna Nordeman
“Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. I will praise the
Lord all my life, I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.”
(Psalm 146:1,2)
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
When we look around the world in which God has
placed us, we see many different people. Some are from
other countries. Some even speak different languages –
ones that we do not understand. Yes, and when we look
closely at these people they all have different characters.
Some may be very sad, because they lost someone who
was very dear to them. Others may be angry, because something happened in their lives that did not work out the way
that they had hoped. Others are obviously very happy. It is
indeed wonderful to see happy people who enjoy life.
What is it that makes these people so happy? What do
you see in the eyes of these happy people? Is it that they
are simply having a good day? Is it because they have lots
of money and feel rich, and now they can enjoy all that
the world has to offer? What about those people who are
happy to begin their day in prayer to the Lord and ask
Him for a blessing over that day, and over the daily work
of their hands? How can I begin each day in happiness?
Let us remember what our Saviour has done for us.
He has given us the greatest gift we could ever receive,
which we did not deserve at all: Christ humbling Himself
on the cross for us, for our many sins, so that we might
become children of his Father. This is such a rich gift.
Therefore as children, we must remember why Christ
put us on this earth. No, we are not on this earth to
worry about how we can be happier by getting wealthier,
or being more well liked by others. This can be especially
difficult because we live in a world where money and financial security play a big role. A lot of people want to
have a bigger home, or drive a better car, and walk
around with nicer clothes. In itself there is nothing wrong
with this, but what if we are making this our main focus?
Is this what Christ wants us to be so busy with in our lives?
What is it that gives happiness?
Let us all be very careful. We cannot find happiness in
money. Even if we had all the money in the world this
would not bring us true happiness. Moreover it will not
save us on the day when Christ returns.
Christ put us on earth so that we could be happy and
show our joy by daily thanking Him for all that He has
done for us sinful children. We must praise and glorify his
Name in all that we do. Continue to seek true happiness,
by remembering the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. Only
then can we be thankful for what He has done for us by delivering us from being slaves to sin.
Our life on earth is not always free of difficulties. Many
sad things may cross our path. It can at times be difficult to
wake each morning with a smile on our face. Let us never
forget that Christ will return one day, deliver us from this
world, and take us to Himself. Only then will we experience
eternal joy in perfected happiness. Together with all of God’s
children we will stand before God’s throne, arrayed in garments that are washed in blood, and to Him loud thanksgiving raise: “Worthy the Lamb, for sinners slain, Through
endless years to live and reign; Thou hast redeemed us by
Thy blood, And made us kings and priests to God.”
O come with thanks, God’s goodness praising;
His firm and steadfast love endures.
Let Israel and the house of Aaron
Proclaim His love forever sure.
Let all who come to Him in worship
Be in His steadfast love secure.
Come to the Lord with your thanksgiving;
His everlasting love endures.
Psalm 118:1
Birthdays in October:
6th
17th
Henry VanVliet
c/o Anchor Home
361 Thirty Road, RR 2
Beamsville, ON LOR 1BO
Alan Breukelman
19th Street
Coaldale, AB T1M 1G4
22nd Nelena Hofsink
Bethesda Clearbrook Home
32553 Willingdon Crescent,
Clearbrook, BC V2T 1S2
25th
John Feenstra
c/o Anchor Home
361 Thirty Road, RR 2
Beamsville, ON LOR 1BO
28th
Mary Ann DeWit
Bethesda
6705 Satchel Road, Box 40
Mount Lehman, BC VOX 1VO
Henry will celebrate his 33rd birthday, Alan will celebrate
being 34 years of age, Nelena will be 40, brother John will
be turning 42 years young, and Mary Ann will be celebrating her 44th birthday. Congratulations to you all who
are celebrating a birthday this month. May our Heavenly
Father surround you all with his love and care throughout
this new year.
Till the next month,
Mrs. Corinne Gelms and Mrs. Erna Nordeman
Mailing correspondence:
548 Kemp Road East
RR 2 Beamsville, ON L0R 1B2
1-905-563-0380
399
P
RESS RELEASE
Press Release of Classis Central
Ontario held on June 9, 2000.
to these reports, appreciation is expressed for the faithfulness of the Lord.
Opening
Question period according to
Article 44 of the Church Order
On behalf of the convening
church, the Fellowship Church at
Burlington, Rev. C. Bosch calls the
meeting to order and opens it with
Scripture reading and prayer. After a
word of welcome, the delegates from
the Ebenezer church at Burlington report on the credentials. Classis is constituted. As suggested by the previous
classis, Rev. J. de Gelder serves as
chairman, Rev. G. H. Visscher as vicechairman, and Rev. C. Bosch as clerk.
The agenda is adopted.
Church visitation reports
In accordance with article 46 of the
Church Order, reports are read on visitations made to each of the six churches
of Classis Central Ontario. In response
In closed session, the Ebenezer
church at Burlington requests advice regarding two matters of discipline, and
the Fellowship church at Burlington requests advice in one matter of discipline. In each case, Classis advises these
churches to proceed with the disciplinary procedure. Open session resumes.
More hymns in the Book of Praise?
The church at Toronto proposes
that Classis support their overture to
General Synod 2001 to add nineteen
hymns to the Book of Praise. In connection with this request, the Fellowship church at Burlington suggests that
General Synod appoint a special committee which would “study and recommend hymns for inclusion in the
hymn section of our Book of Praise.”
After ample discussion, Toronto’s proposal was defeated; as Fellowship’s
submission was dependent on Toronto’s, it was also considered defeated.
Next classis
Convening Church for next Classis:
the church at Burlington Waterdown.
Date of next Classis: September 15,
2000. Suggested officers: Rev. W. Den
Hollander, chairman; Rev. C. Bosch,
vice-chairman; Rev. J. de Gelder, clerk.
Closing
Question Period is not utilized. Mutual censure is not needed. The Acts
are adopted and the Press Release approved. After singing, the chairman
leads in prayer and classis is closed.
For Classis,
Rev. G. H. Visscher,
vice-chairman
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Please mail, e-mail or fax letters for publication to the editorial address.
They should be 300 words or less. Those published may be edited for style or length.
Please include address and phone number.
On Tolerating a Non-literal
Genesis
Rev. Wynia 1 disputes my remark
that the URC tolerates non-literal
views of Genesis 1. He asserts that
only personal opinions have been expressed, which do not constitute official toleration by the URC. Let me
elaborate. Toleration, by definition,
needs no official endorsement. By
“tolerate” I mean its usual sense of a
passive “to put up with.” This is evidenced by the fact that no official censure was incurred by Dr. Godfrey2 and
Rev. Heerema [3], who publicly contended that non-literal creation days
are permitted by the Reformed confessions. The URC has no official posi400
tion on Genesis. Rev. Heerema worried that “the URC could be hurt by
continued argumentation over this issue,”3 suggestive of a divided house.
The perceived tolerance of non- literal
views of Genesis 1 within the URC
hindered both the OCRC4 and the Independent CRC of Ancaster 5 from
joining the URC. Unhappily, the URC
has done little to dispel this notion.
On the contrary, two members of
URC’s ecumenical committee, responding to the OCRC literal position
on Genesis, objected to “extra-confessional” binding position papers. 4
Another URC minister asked for flexibility, charging that “the stand of the
OCRC would exclude Warfield,
Hodge and others.”6 Presumably, he
deemed Warfield’s views, heavily influenced by evolution,7 to be acceptable within the URC.
Hopefully, the URC will reconsider its reluctance to endorse and enforce a literal Genesis. Until then, denominations seeking unity with the
URC would be remiss not to press it
for official clarification.
Clarion 49(11):246.
Christian Renewal 16(9):5 and 16(14):3.
3
Christian Renewall 17(4):4.
4
Christian Renewal 18(5):4.
5
Christian Renewal18(11):8.
6
7
1
2
John Byl
O
UR LITTLE MAGAZINE
By Aunt Betty
Your school holidays are almost over. And then back to
school. Possibly to a new teacher. Possibly to a new
school. Possibly to new friends and acquaintances. Doesn’t
that sound like fun to you? I remember always loving
school at the beginning of the year, when everything is new
and fun and exciting. Do you get that too?
What are your goals for the year? Are you planning to study
hard, to get really good marks in your reports? I certainly hope
so. After all, God gave you the talents which you have, and you
have to make use of those as best you can. Don’t try to get out
of doing any of the work because learning is a wonderful gift
you have. Some have God’s gifts in some areas, some in others. But everyone has gifts which should be put to good use.
Remember also to write me a letter and tell me about your
school, friends, classroom, teacher and lots of other things
that I love to hear about.
Lots of love, Aunt Betty
RIDDLES
by Busy Beaver Rhonda Wiersma
What do you call a ghost on crutches?
A hoblin goblin!
What did the chocolate bar say to the lollipop?
"Hello sucker!"
What would you have if your car’s engine went up in flames?
A fire engine.
What isn’t your nose 12 inches long?
Because then it would be a foot!
Why did the lady chase her nose?
Because it was running!
Craft Time . . . Junk Bank
DRUMS
Backwards
by Busy Beaver Rhonda Wiersma
Instructions:
Do you know what a backword is? It’s a regular word
that becomes another word when it is read backwards. For example LIAR becomes RAIL. Try these out.
1. A wild animal that howls at the moon and looks like
a dog is a _ _ _ _.
2. People use sand bags to block the _ _ _ _ of water.
3. You _ _ _ _ down a glass of water and use a _ _ _ _
for keeping water in the tub.
4. When you are _ _ _, you are really angry. A _ _ _
blocks off a stream of water.
5. _ _ _ is the fifth month of the year. Spelt backwards, it
is a type of sweet potato called a _ _ _.
FROM THE MAILBOX
Thank you for your letter and lots of riddles, Rhonda Wiersma. The riddles were
funny. I’ll put some of them in today and
some in another time, okay. You obviously are having a wonderful holiday away
from school. But very hot too. 35o is very
hot. Did you know that in some countries that is not even
very hot? I have friends in the Southern Hemisphere (you
know where that is, don’t you) who say that 35o is not too
hot. But in Canada it is a real heat wave. It’s a good thing you
can swim in the dugout. You also had a fun time in Kimberly,
BC. It sounded like fun. Bye for now, Rhonda.
HAVE READY Boxes, tins or plastic containers
Sticks, pieces of dowelling or
wooden spoons
Scissors or a hole punch
String or ribbon
GET SET
Make two holes, opposite one another,
near the top of your drum. Cut the string
or ribbon long enough to go around the
neck and thread through the holes. Make
knots in both ends of string, inside drum,
so strap does pull out.
GO
MARACAS
HAVE READY Paper plates
Dried beans, pasta or rice for rattle
Stapler
Stick
Tape
GET SET
Cover a paper plate with an upturned plate
of the same size. Staple around the edge,
about three quarters of the way around. Put
beans inside the plates and complete the
stapling around the edge. You can tape a
stick to the plates or between the plates to
be a handle.
GO
TOOTERS
HAVE READY Cardboard cylinder
Paper (greaseproof is quite good)
Glue or paste and brush
Elastic band
GET SET
Put paste around the outside of one cylinder. Cover the end with a piece of paper.
Hold the paper in place with the elastic
band. Make a hole in the paper.
GO
401
CLARION
ADVERTISEMENTS
Births
Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are his.
Psalm 100:3a
With thankfulness to the LORD, the Creator of life, we announce the
birth of our daughter
AMANDA PRISCILLA
Born May 30, 2000
Bruce and Janice Schwantz (nee Dykstra)
A sister for Nicole, Helena, Patrick, Gregory
175 - 2050 Upper Middle Road, Burlington, ON L7P 3R9
We thank and praise our heavenly Father for blessing our family with
a healthy baby girl
DREW ADRIANNA
Born June 30, 2000
Proud parents and brother
William and Charlaine Frost (nee Meyer) and Jared
5407-138A Avenue, Edmonton, AB T5A 4Z6
The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Psalm 126:3
Through God’s grace, a daughter entered our lives through adoption
KELSEY SUSANNA MEYER
A sister for Curtis.
Kelsey was born on June 8, 2000.
She was adopted June 12, 2000.
Grateful parents: Bryan and Denise Meyer (nee Leffers)
Box 771, Coaldale, AB T1M 1M7
Mark 10:14b Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder
them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
With thankfulness to our heavenly Father who has blessed us with
another precious gift, we announce the birth of our son
REUBEN JONATHAN
Born June 1, 2000
Ed and Diane Kos
A brother for Caleb and Angela
Box 224, Neerlandia, AB T0G 1R0
Sons are a heritage from the LORD , children a reward from Him.
Psalm 127:3
The Lord, the Creator of life has blessed our marriage by entrusting to
us one of His covenant children. We give thanks and praise to Him for
making all things well. We have named our precious, firstborn son
BRENT RYAN
Born on July 14th, 2000
Proud parents: David and Angelina Jans (nee Schutten)
13th grandchild for Gerrit and Hettie Jans
2nd grandchild for Herman and Christina Schutten
2nd great grandchild for Opa and Oma Schutten
10th great grandchild for Oma Blokker
35th great grandchild for Opa Noordegraaf
11 great great grandchild for Opoe Hakkers
2252 Hwy. 3, RR2, Canfield, ON N0A 1C0
402
That everything that has breath, praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!
Psalm 150:6
With praise and thanks to our Creator and heavenly Father who has
richly blessed our marriage, we announce the birth of our first child,
a daughter
ANNIKA KAITLIN
Born June 1, 2000
Aurelio and Ramona D’Addazio (nee Bultje)
60 Royalpark Way, Woodbridge, ON L4H 1J5
Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from Him. Psalm
127:3
On Pentecost Sunday, June 11th, 2000, our covenant God blessed our
family with the gift of another son, whom we have named
NATHAN JEREMY
Nathan was eagerly welcomed by his brother Byron and sister Kara
Rev. Richard and Monica Pot
55 C-Line, RR 2, Orangeville, ON L9W 2Y9
[email protected]
All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of
them came to be. Psalm 139:16b
With thankfulness to our Heavenly Father, who made all things well,
we joyfully announce the birth of our first child, a daughter
MARIETTA ROSE
Born July 14, 2000
Robert and Stephanie Van Middelkoop (nee Diek)
38H42 Hwy. 3, RR1, Wainfleet, ON L0S 1V0
The Lord has entrusted to us another precious gift, a daughter,
whom we have named
ASHLEY DANIELLE
Born June 29, 2000
A sister for Bradley, Kristopher and Larissa
John and Judy TenBrinke (nee Byker)
6 - 5530 Teskey Road, Chilliwack, BC V2R 4V3
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Our Father in heaven has blessed our family with a precious daughter and sister; we named her
LAUREN AMANDA
Born July 20, 2000
Charles and Teresa Doekes
A sister for Kaitlin, Sean and Owen
598 College Avenue West, Guelph, ON N1G 1T6
Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14
We give thanks to our heavenly Father, who has graciously blessed
us with a daughter
KATRINA HOSANNA
She was born on July 9, 2000
Theo and Marina Lodder, Joshua
5621-51 Street, Taber, AB T1G 1K6 [email protected]
The LORD has answered all our prayers and in His infinate wisdom
has blessed our family with the birth of
STACEY CATHERINE
She was born on April 7, 2000 and was baptized on April 30, 2000.
Birth weight: 2290 grams, length: 41 cm.
Her parents are Harry and Cathy Peters (nee Jissink)
Her brothers are Joshua, Chad and Travis
She is the 8th grandchild of Joe and Fredrika Peters
and the 16th grandchild of John and Helen Jissink
Box 180, Neerlandia, AB T0G 1R0
All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful for those who keep
the demands of His covenant. Psalm 25:10
With joy and thanks to our Heavenly Father, we announce the birth
of our son
LEIGHTON BARENDREGT
Born July 5, 2000
Bill and Heather Barendregt (Lengkeek)
A little brother for Byron and his sisters: Miranda, Lorelle, Nadine,
Rebekah, Sherene and Nicole
Box 47, Grp. 4, RR1, Anola, MB R0E 0A0
With great thankfulness to the LORD, we wish to announce the birth
of our daughter
LAURA JANELLE
Born July 18, 2000
Anthony and Kim Vis ( nee Kamphuis)
Proud sister: Nicole
RR3, Grand Valley, ON L0N 1G0
Engagements
Commit to the L ORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
Proverbs 16:3
With thanks to our heavenly Father who brought us together, we
SHERRI MALDA and ANDREW DEJAGER
joyfully announce our engagement.
June 25, 2000
1343 Hidden Valley Road, Burlington, ON L7R 3X5
O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good. Psalm 118:1
With thankfulness and praise to the One who brought us together, we
MICHELLE LODDER and BRENDAN BERGSMA
announce our engagement, July 28, 2000
RR3, Carman, MB R0G 0J0
[email protected]
Weddings
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 118:1
With thankfulness to God, we
CRYSTAL DAISY AMANDA and DAVID GORDON
together with our parents, Leo and Afke Lodder and Fred and Marg
Heikamp, joyfully announce our marriage. The ceremony will take
place, the Lord willing, on Saturday, September 23, 2000 at 2:00
p.m. in the First Christian Reformed Church of Guelph, ON. Best
wishes will be welcomed.
Rev. G. Nederveen officiating.
Future address: 50-5033 Pinedale Avenue, Burlington, ON L7L 5J6
Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. If one
were to give all the wealth of his house for love, it would be utterly
scorned. Song of Solomon 8:7
Mr. and Mrs. Ken Linde and Mr. and Mrs. Leo Kampen are pleased
to announce the marriage of their children
SHERYL MARIE and MARCEL JULIAN
D.V. Saturday, September 9, 2000, at 1:30 p.m. in the Ebenezer Canadian Reformed Church, Burlington, Ontario.
641 Cumberland Avenue, Burlington, ON L7N 2X4
With thankfulness to the Lord who brought us together
REBECCA MARIE DEHAAS AND BRAD AIKEMA
together with our parents, announce our marriage.
The ceremony will take place, D.V., Friday, Aug. 25, 2000 at 1:00 pm
in the Providence Canadian Reformed Church, Edmonton, Alberta.
Rev. R. Aasman officiating.
With thankfulness to our heavenly Father, we
TRACY ELAINE and GERALD ANDREW
together with our parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jon Groen and Mr. and Mrs.
Frank Schuller, announce our marriage.
The ceremony will take place, D.V., September 8, 2000
at 6:00 p.m. in the Canadian Reformed Church of Lincoln, Ontario.
Rev. G. Wieske officiating.
Future address: RR1,7452 Hwy 20, Smithville, ON L0R 2A0
Ephesians 5:31: For this reason a man shall leave his father and
mother and be joined to his wife, and two shall become one flesh.
Announcing that:
SONYA ELAINE and DESMOND ANTHONY
were joined in holy matrimony on July 8th, 2000 in Lynden. Officiation by Rev. Wielenga
Their thankful parents: John and Grace Buitenbos and
Jurrien and Jackie Swarts
Grand Rapids, Michigan – Kelmscott, Australia
Anniversaries
1960 – September 8 – 2000
Look to the LORD and his strength; seek His face always. Psalm 105:4
Praising God from whom all blessings flow, we joyfully announce the
40th Wedding Anniversary of our dear parents and grandparents
DAN and HENNIE DOESBURG (nee Brink)
We thank the Lord for keeping them together and bringing them to
this day. With respect to Dad’s health, we pray that the Lord will be
near to them and give them and us strength for the days ahead.
Love from us all,
Langley, BC:
Diane and Norman VanderHorst
Amy, Jason, Kayla, Matthew, Dana
Keith and Bonita Doesburg
St. Albert, AB:
Danny, Kim, Wendy, Vicki
Sid and Grace Doesburg
Vernon, BC:
Brittni, Brodie, Colton
Carol and Gord VandeBurgt
Langley, BC:
Jasmine, Austin, Joshua
Trevor and Melanie Doesburg
44975 Cumberland Avenue, Chilliwack, BC V2R 3C2
403
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good. His love endures forever.
Psalm 136:1
1960 – September 15 – 2000
With praise to the LORD who has kept them in His care, we announce
the 40th Wedding Anniversary of our parents and grandparents
KEN and TINA LINDE (nee Flokstra)
We are thankful for their example of love and wisdom, and pray that
God may continue to bless them in the years to come.
Their children and grandchildren:
St. Ann’s, ON:
Jeannie and Bill Hoeksema
Darryl, Kevin
Tony and Ruth Linde
Dunnville, ON:
Michelle, Joel, Trevor, Scott, April, Todd
Orton, ON:
Lorraine and Jake Tamminga
Ken, Jenise, Eric, Adrian, Heidi
Binbrook, ON:
Liz and Wayne Vanderwoude
Brent, Tyler, Robin, Ethan
Ancaster, ON:
Cindy and Gary Wieske
Dustin, Jodi, Rodney, Luke, Nadia, Caleb
Mount Hope, ON: Marian and Simon Vanderwoude
Dean
John and Pam Linde
Brantford, ON:
Markham, ON:
Christine and Gregory Pallas
Burlington, ON:
Sheryl Linde and Marcel Kampen
Open House on Saturday, September 16, 2:00 – 4:30 p.m. Attercliffe Canadian Reformed Church.
Mailing address: 7910 South Chippawa Road,
RR3, Wellandport, ON L0R 2J0
Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labour in vain. Psalm 127:1
Emmen, – 1940
– September 3 –
2000 –Burlington, Ontario
The Netherlands
Canada
PIETER JAN SCHOLTENS and HILLIGJE SCHOLTENS (Meijer)
On September 3, 2000, the Lord willing, we will commemorate our
60th Wedding Anniversary. We thank our God and Heavenly Father
for all his rich blessings. To Him be our praise and thankfulness!
We celebrated this joyful occasion with our children, grandchildren
and great-grandchildren during the week of August 14-20, 2000.
914 Gorton Avenue, Burlington, ON L7T 1S3
1965 – July 24 – 2000
With thankfulness to our wonderful Father we have celebrated the
35th Wedding Anniversary of our dear parents and grandparents
JOHN and NELLIE VIS (nee Roodzant)
With lots of love:
Grand Valley, ON: Rob and Christine Kampen
Robert, Cameron, Alexander
Beamsville, ON:
Henry and Simone Vis
Thomas, Steven, David, Helena
Gerald and Wendy Vandasselaar
Lynden, ON:
Julia, Bryan, Sarah
Burlington, ON:
Ed and Jackie Bultje
Racquelle, Kyle, Paige
Diane Vis and Rob DaSilva
Grand Valley, ON: Anthony and Kim Vis
Nicole, Laura
Kim Vis and Tim Bos
Brampton, ON:
Henrietta Vis
Karen Vis
17 Hardwick Drive, Brampton, Ontario L6W 2Z5
404
1960 – September 3 – 2000
Psalm 125:3a
With thanks to our Heavenly Father, who has guided them throughout the years, we hope to celebrate the 40th Wedding Anniversay of
our parents and grandparents
EVERT and THERESA SCHULENBERG (nee Bethlehem)
Their thankful children and grandchildren
Beamsville, ON:
Art and Teresa Schulenberg (nee VanMiddelkoop)
Trevor, Amanda, Ryan, Jason, Kevin, Scott
Shirley and Henry Tenhage
Kyle, Shannon, Troy, Stacey, Vanessa
Campden, ON:
Bob Schulenberg
Shawn, Cody, Tyler
4225 Merritt Road, RR 1, Beamsville, ON L0R 1B1
1960 – September 10 – 2000
O LORD, our LORD, how majestic is your name in all the earth! Psalm 8:9
In praise to our Heavenly Father for the many blessings He brought
forth in the years of marriage of Dad and Mom, we the children and
grandchildren joyfully announce their 40th Wedding Anniversary.
JOHN and CONNIE VAN OMMEN (nee Kalkwiek)
Toronto, ON:
Jean and Paul Doli
Christopher, Maggi
Barry Van Ommen
Orangeville, ON: Jennifer and Calvin Vandersluis
Timothy, Theodore, Kaitlin, Samuel, Sophia
Tony and Krista Van Ommen
Roselyn, Justin, Darren
David and Margaret Van Ommen
Chrystal, Shawn, Elizabeth, Nicholas, Serena,
Curtis
Richmond Hill, ON: Jackie and Mark Selles
Wesley, Kevin
Joyce and Harold Olij
Vineland, ON:
Sabrina, David, Hannah
An open house will be held September 9, 2000 from 2:00-4:00 p.m.
at the Amaranth Township Hall (6th Line Amaranth Township).
Best Wishes only.
RR 7, Orangeville, ON L9W 2Z3
1975 – August 15 – 2000
Lead me, O LORD in Your righteousness. Psalm 5:8a
With thankfulness to the LORD , we announce the 25th Wedding
Anniversary of our parents
HENRY and MARGARET VAN IPEREN (nee Visser)
May God continue to bless you and grant you many more years together in His service
Henry and Irene
John and Francine
Jason
Garett
Janine
Jo-anne
3280 Cosby Road, Beamsville, Ontario L0R 1B2
THANK YOU
A sincere thank you to all the brothers and sisters for the many
good wishes expressed in various ways. It made our 40th Wedding
Anniversary a joyous and unforgetable occasion. We thank our Heavenly Father for His strength and guidance during these 40 years.
Konny and Ann DeBoer
1960 – September 2 – 2000
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; his love endures forever.
Psalm 118:1
With joy and thanksgiving to the Lord, we announce the 40th Wedding Anniversary of our parents and grandparents
ED AND HILDA DYKHUIZEN (nee Bulthuis)
We pray the Lord will continue to surround them with his love and
care for many years to come. Your loving children and grandchildren
5775-189 Street,
Edmonton, AB T6M 2G9
Obituaries
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the
shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD: He is my refuge and
my fortress, my God in whom I trust. Psalm 91:1, 2
The Lord has taken unto Himself into eternal glory our beloved
mother, grandmother and great-grandmother
ZWAANTJE HOFSINK (nee Noppers)
April 16,1914 – July 9, 2000
Lovingly remembered by her children:
Chilliwack, BC:
Art and Hanna Lengkeek
St. Albert, AB:
Martin and Jennie Hooimeyer
Ben and Rhea Hofsink
Peter and Sonja VanBostelen
Burlington, ON:
Harry and Betty Scholtens
John and Patricia Hofsink
Houston, BC:
Barry and Carla Hofsink
Vernon, BC:
Yogi and Sophie VanderLeest
Chilliwack, BC:
Helga Hofsink
As well as 40 grandchildren and 39 great-grandchildren.
Predeceased by her husband Jan Hendrik Hofsink on April 1,
1999, one grand-daughter Judith Leanne Hofsink and one greatgranddaughter Kerri Madalyn Bartels
Corresponding address: 9702 Epp Drive, Chilliwack, BC V2P 6N6
Teaching Positions
URGENT
The Canadian Reformed School Society of Dufferin –
ORANGEVILLE, Ontario
invites applications from suitably qualified persons for a
FULL TIME PRIMARY TEACHER
for December 2000 for the primary level.
For more information about this position please call the Principal
N. Mans at (519) 941-4368 (school) or (519) 928-3184 (home)
or Board Chairman, R. Kampen at (519) 941-6392
Please send applications to:
The Canadian Reformed School Society of Dufferin
PO Box 175, Orangeville, ON L9W 2Z6
c/o Mr. Edward Groen, Secretary of the School Board
The Canadian Reformed School Society of London and District
operating, Covenant Christian School invites applications for
FULL TIME TEACHERS
Covenant Christian School has an enrollment of about 50 students in
grades 1-8 with 4 full time teachers and a large contingent of
volunteers.
Duties are to commence August 1,2000.
For more information contact
Mr. Frank Oostdyk,
Chairman of the Board, at (519) 652-3926.
Applications to be addressed to: Mr. Ted Schouten,
66 Meadowlily Road, London, ON N5W 1B6
The Canadian Reformed School Society of Coaldale, Alberta
invites applications for the position of:
TEACHER
Commencing August 1, 2000.
We are looking for teachers with High School Qualifications in
Math and Science.
For more information, please contact Mr. Marion Bareman,
Chairman of the Board, at (403) 655-2475 or
Mr. Joop Harthoorn, Principal,
at (403) 345-4891 (Home),
(403) 345-4055 (School)
Applications should be sent to:
Coaldale Christian School
2008 - 8th Street, Coaldale, Alberta T1M 1L1
Due to the resignation of the Learning Area Co-ordinator for Society
and Environment, the John Calvin Senior High School is seeking the
services of a teacher for
SOCIETY AND ENVIRONMENT
The successful applicant will be required to teach Social Studies in
Lower High School. Ability to teach History or Geography (or another
Social Science discipline) at Year 11 and 12 level will be favourably
considered. Depending on age and experience, the successful applicant may also be requested to take on the duties of Learning Area
Co-ordinator in this area.
Applicants must be member of one of the Free Reformed Churches of
Australia or a recognised sister church. They will ideally be in possession of a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science or equivalent, as well as a
Diploma of Education. Prospective applicants whose qualifications vary
from this, are, never the less, encouraged to apply. They will be committed to the cause of Reformed Education and they will meet the requirements for teaching students between the ages of 12 and 17.
As this position is now being re-advertised, potential applicants who
have teaching abilities and qualifications in other teaching areas, are
encouraged to put forward expressions of interest, as some rearrangement of duties may be possible within the school.
For further information, please contact:
Mr. A. Terpstra, Principal JCSHS
(08) 9497 9066 (bh), (08) 9497 3456 (ah) or by e-mail:
[email protected]
Applications in writing and accompanied by two references (one professional and one personal) should be sent to:
Mr M Eikelboom,
PO Box 474, ARMADALE WA 6992,
prior to close of business on Friday, 15th, September, 2000.
405
At the time of this writing our Heavenly Father is preparing Dad to join Him in his eternal home. Though we do not know the
time of his departure we would still like to publicly thank our Lord and Maker for giving Mom and Dad thirty-five years together on September 23, 2000, D.V.
They could, during this time, show their glory to God in the raising of their children through their baptismal vows, and to give to
us all the love and support throughout these years. We thank God for giving them the strength to give us the tools to serve Him.
As expressed in their wedding texts Psalm 127 and 128 . . . God has allowed them to see their children’s children. Yes, God
did indeed bless them all the days of their lives.
Psalm 128:1 Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways.
WILLEM AND JACOBA-ANNA KANIS (nee deZoete)
Thankful for and with them are:
Albany, AU:
Armadale, AU:
Maceió, Brazil:
Byford, AU:
Armadale, AU:
Kelmscott, AU:
Albany, AU:
406
(Jan†) Dina Plug
John and Ingrid Plug
Julianne, Bradley, Rohan, Alyce,
Briana, Kelvin
Jane and Hilco Siegers
Richard, Carla, Lisa, Hannah,
Roxanne, Angela
Henk and Christine Plug
Katelyn
Murray and Christina Plug
Charlotte, Clarence, Aidan, Laura,
Winston, Emily-Kate
Geraldine
Joanne and Philip Dekker
Liam, Jeremy, Louise, Daniel, Matthew
Dini
Ingrid and Robert Dekker
Kara, Jodi, Rachel, Carina, Arlene, Joash
Carolyn and Gerald Denboer
Benjamin, Rodney, Sarah, Derek
Kees Plug and Fiona Vermeulen
Vincent
David
Teunie and Cor t’Hart
Anna and Rob Palmer
Briony
Trudy and Andrew Bergsma
Emily, Timothy
Peter and Maria t’Hart
Kathryn, Brian, Laura
Marianne and John Plug
Nielsen, Clayton, Britney, Austin
John
Hank and Robyn Plug
Leanne and Paul Davies
Nicole, Steven
(Rick†) Joanne Plug
Timmy, Danny
Matthew
Adam
Christopher
Albany, AU:
New Zealand:
Albany, AU:
Gertie and Len t’Hart
Veronica and Berwyn Hoyt
Russell and Kathleen Hart
Belinda, Damien, Laura
Rockingham, AU:
Leonie and Henk Terpstra
Ryan, David, Alison, Anthony, Timothy
Stephen and Dorinda t’Hart
Papua, NG:
Miriam, Evelyn
Ian and Georgina t’Hart
Albany, AU:
Christina, Winston
Bruce
Jocelyn and David Vanderlaan
Smithers, BC:
Peter and Molly Plug
Carman, MB:
Karen and Les DeLeeuw
Christopher, Lindsay, Jesse, Maria,
Keisha, Julian
Richard and Teresa Plug
Smithers, BC:
Tiffany, Curtis, Natalie
Kevin and Jelliena Plug
Faith
Wendy and Garrett Berends
Kailey, Ashley, Amber, Cody
Carman, MB:
Anna-Marie and Nick Barendregt
Erienne, Mekayla
Smithers, BC:
Christopher†
Christina
Michael
Edmonton, AB:
John and Toni Kanis
Belinda
Samantha
Armadale, AU:
Aart and Itty Plug
Port Arthur, AU:
Rachel and Ian Boersma
Armadale, AU:
Sarah
Katherine
Eric
Rotterdam, Neth: Joe and Marijke Plug
Hoogezand, Neth:
Alwin and Riek Plug
Annemarie, Aline
Hamilton, ON:
Alice and Allan Buist
Jacoba, Jonah
Ian Plug and Lydia VanDoornum
Ede, Neth:
t t t t t t t t t t
Rotterdam, Neth:
Evelene and Arjan De Vries
Jan
Maarten Plug
Maria
Hannah
Hengelo, Neth:
Jeanette and Wim Groeneveld
Enschede, Neth:
Yvonne and Patrick Albers
Inge
Arjan Groeneveld and Marlies Welmers
Hengelo, Neth:
Mariska
Houston, BC:
Jenny and Carl Dykstra
Edmonton, AB:
Kent and Belinda Dykstra
Maria
Brad
Houston, BC:
Neil
Roxi
Devon
Matthew
Smithers, BC:
Reinier and Annabelle Kanis
Phillipines:
Josel Castillo
Karen Lopez
Prince George, BC:
Bill
Amanda
Smithers, BC:
Angel
Brampton, ON:
Willem (Wimpie) Kanis†
Launceston, AU:
Harry and Maria Tams
Becky
Abigail and Matthew Turner
Celeste
Hiram
Reuben
Gabriel
Hamilton, ON:
Coosje and George Helder
Emily
Kathryn
Liam
Curtis
Sheila
Graham
W. Kanis
Box 2071, Smithers, BC V0J 2N0
Winnipeg, MB:
Barrhead, AB:
Hong Kong:
Winnipeg, MB:
Coaldale, AB:
Winnipeg, MB:
Smithers, BC:
Rikki and Neil Teitsma
Jethro
Simon
Alexander
Nathan
Anthea
Sean
Evan
Linda and Ken Koopmans
Jeremy
Kayla
Tarissa
Shana
Inge and Martin Baggaley
Nicholas
Robin
Caitlin
Andy and Michelle Kanis
Laura
Arnold
Douglas
Tiffany
Aaron
Jamie
Irene Tiggelaar
Robert
Cody
Mandy
Heather
Elsje and Ron Raap
Justin
Jessica
Lauren
Spencer
Kristi
Heidi
Ted and Carol Kanis
Caleb
Charis
Nelson
Harmony
407
1. Imagine losing all the
belongings you’ve
worked so hard for.
TONY VANDERHOUT
ANDY VANDERHOUT
R.I.B. (ON. & P.Q.)
R.I.B. (ON.)
2. Now imagine that you
have them all back.
That concludes our
product demonstration.
BRIAN
VANDERHOUT
PETER JOHN VANDYK
C.A.I.B., R.I.B. (ON.)
F.I.I.C., C.A.I.B., R.I.B. (ON.)
P.V.&V. Insurance Centre
PAUL VANDERVEEN
C.A.I.B., R.I.B. (ON.)
3050 HARVESTER ROAD, BURLINGTON, ONTARIO L7N 3J1
TEL: (905) 632-6192 FAX: (905) 632-4837
HAMILTON LINE (905) 572-6242
email: [email protected]
The Economical
Insurance Group
408
i
EBENEZER
VILLA
i
Stone Church Road East
Hamilton, Ontario
COUNTRY TOWN
(905) 957-5000
24 hr. pager
For your enjoyment we offer:
35 apartments for senior citizens (one and two
bedroom) close to all amenities, bus service for
shopping, organized entertainment, Bible
Study, Christian fellowship, and a rewarding
atmosphere.
REALTY INC.
“Serving the Smithville, Attercliffe
and surrounding areas.
Call today for area information”
Mark vander Velde
107 Griffin St. S.
Smithville, ON
L0R 2A0
Sales Representative
•Audio/video hook-up to Cornerstone
Canadian Reformed Church.
•Monthly rent is geared to income.
If you are interested, and would like further
information,
Cell 905-517-1451
Res. 905-386-7494
Fax 905-957-1204
JEF-RE
Construction
Services Ltd.
please contact:
Mr. Jack Hagan
(905) 389-5318
FULL TIME POSITIONS
Available
SALES POSITION
AVAILABLE
Due to continued growth and increased sales, Premier
School Agendas, Ltd., Eastern Canada Division has an
opening for a
SALES CONSULTANT
in Ontario.
We are looking for an individual who lives in, or is
interested in relocating to either the greater Ottawa
area, or Owen Sound area.
Concrete repair contractor in the Golden Horsehoe area
requires individuals who have previous experience in
concrete work and construction. A mechanical and/or
electrical aptitude would also be an asset.
Interested individuals without experience are also encouraged to apply and training will be provided.
We offer a competitive wage package with benefits, and
opportunity for overtime.
For more information please call
JEFF
at (905) 689-6611
or fax your resume with references to
(905) 690-6611
Please forward your resume to:
Henry Nieuwenhuis
RR2, Waterdown, ON L0R 2H2
Regional Manager
[email protected]
Premier School Agendas
Suite 48 – 5100 South Service Road
Burlington, ON L7L 5H4
Fax (905) 637-1016 or
bus: (905) 304-3303
fax: (905) 574-1450
res: (905) 648-7705
Harry Stel
General Manager
Suite 200, 5510-268th Street
Langley, BC V4W 3X4
Preference will be given to articulate self starters. Previous
sales experience, computer literacy, post-secondary
education, and French literacy are definite assets.
Job will commence September 2000
Re/Max Escarpment
Realty Inc.,
370 Wilson Street East,
Ancaster, Ontario L9G 4S4
john
van andel
sales
representative
serving Hamilton, Ancaster, Dundas
and surrounding areas.
100% Club Member
409
JOE A. BOERSEMA, R.R.S.
A professional who honours the Lord’s Day!
Christian Festival Concert 2000
Roy Thomson Hall
Friday, November 3
It is my privilege to assist you with
competence and confidentiality in all
your buying and selling needs.
Garden City Realty Inc., Realtor
720 guelph line
burlington, ontario L7R 4E2
bus: (905) 333-3500
res: 333-1753 fax: 333-3616
BURLINGTON APARTMENT FOR RENT
Walking distance to Canadian Reformed church
/GO station/mall
2 bedroom, all appliances, kitchen, bathroom, A/C,
gas fireplace, separate entrance.
Available immediately.
Contact Marcel: [email protected]/(416) 448-2854
at 7:30 p.m.
by the
Ontario Christian Music Academy
with special guests
NEW
Maya Roodveldt, soprano and Ruud Fiselier, tenor
Dirk Out and Andre Knevel, organ and piano
under the direction of
Leendert Kooij
Tickets $25.00 / $ 20.00 / $15.00
Order from: Ontario Christian Music Assembly
90 Topcliff Avenue, Downsview, ON M3N 1L8
Call (416) 636-9779 for tickets or info
Don’t miss this evening of praise to our faithful God!
garden city realty inc.,
REALTOR®
John Meerveld
Associate Broker
“A Proven Top Producer . . .”
(905) 333-3500
945-0660
(905)
SERVING THE
COMMUNITY SINCE 1979 Fax: 945-2982
PERSONAL PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
FOR ALL YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS
www.remax-gardencity.com/johnmeerveld
Fax: 333-3616
THE MUSIC GROUP
&
THE PIANOHOUSE
FOR
CONTENT
HOME AND CHURCH ORGANS
&
Quality new and used
PIANOS and
GRAND PIANOS
5205 Harvester Rd. #2 Burlington, ON L7L 6B5
Tel. & Fax (905) 631-1929 or 1-888-PIANO-81
Visit us at our web site
www.pianohouseburlington.com
and/or
www.organs.ca
410
Maranatha Homes
Burlington, Ontario
This award-winning Senior Citizen Home is located
close to Ebenezer Canadian Reformed Church. It has
audio hookup for the church services in every apartment
and a weekly evening video church service presentation provided for by Ebenezer. Monthly rent is geared
to income.
Information from:
Mrs. Rosanne van der Woerd
109-3260 New Street, Burlington, ON L7N 3L4
(905-681-0311)
or:
Arie J. Hordyk
2212 Headon Road, Burlington, ON L7M 3W7
(905-331-7625)
Email: [email protected]
COUNTRY TOWN
REALTY INC.
Buying or selling?
Let me be of service to you in the Grimsby,
Beamsville, Vineland Area.
(905) 563-0500
24 hr. pager
107 Griffin St. S.
Smithville, ON
L0R 2A0
Fred vander Velde
Res. 905-563-7827
Cell 905-719-7489
Fax 905-563-3168
E-mail: [email protected]
Henry Salomons, B.A., C.A.
Chartered Accountant
Please fax your resume to us or e-mail us at:
[email protected]
4290 Sann Road, Beamsville, ON
(905) 563-7045, Fax: 563-3134
1-888-HenryCA (436-7922)
Our expanding, full service accounting office requires a
responsible individual for 20-30 hours per week to assist
in providing the best possible service to our clients, based
throughout Toronto, Hamilton and Niagara Regions.
The right person should be able to work with sensitive,
confidential information. The ability to prepare audit and
review working paper files is required. Strong
communication skills and knowledge of various computer
programs, including Accpac, QuickBooks, Cantax,
Excel, Word and CaseWare is beneficial.
WARE STREET
COMMUNITY
LIVING PROJECT
ABBOTSFORD B.C
We are proud to introduce to you
the proposed Ware Street Community
Living Project, offering independent
retirement living at its best.
Careful consideration was taken in selecting the property. The complex will be located at the corner of Ware Street and Bourquin Crescent,
approximately 220 meters from Mill Lake in Centennial Park with its nature trails, fitness track, picnic areas, trout fishing, and a wild fowl refuge. A
beautiful boardwalk winds its way to the Kariton Gallery and MSA Museum.
Adjacent are two major shopping centers and a city link bus stop. The proposed location is just a few minutes away from the MSA Hospital and
Canon Medical Clinic. Also, the Abbotsford Airport is only a 10-15 minute drive away. Both Westjet and Canada 3000 fly from here to a number of
destinations in Canada.
The ground floor of this exceptional 21 unit housing complex has a wonderful common area to be enjoyed by all the residents. One section
will see a spacious lounge area complete with a gas fireplace and library, a pool table and dart boards. In addition to two conversation areas, there will
be a professional room available to a health nurse, podiatrist, hairdresser or other professionals as required.
In the other section of the common area space will be provided for coffee fellowship, games and crafts. An additional gas fireplace will help to
create a cozy atmosphere. A private room will be available for meetings, bible study groups, family gatherings, and many other uses. Both the north
and south side of the building will have large covered porch areas leading to walkways around the gardens.
Plans call for all suites to be pre-wired for alarm systems, medical alert systems and lighting systems for the hearing impaired. Showers and
bathtubs will be equipped with grab bars. All cabinets, doors and sink faucets will come with lever handles for arthritic hands.
All suites come complete with 6 appliances, horizontal and vertical blinds, and thermostatically controlled fireplaces with large display
mantels. The 3rd and 4th floor units take advantage of Mt. Baker and Mill Lake views. The fourth floor units have 9 ft ceilings throughout and vaulted
ceilings over the living rooms.
Hallways and doorways will be extra wide to accommodate wheelchairs. Entrance and exit to and from the building is made simple by use of
the pull through driveway. The underground parkcade will provide controlled access and one parking stall per unit, twelve
spaces for visitor parking, and a car wash.
The residents of the Ware Street complex will be able to enjoy a comfortable and independent lifestyle with all the
benefits of community living.
For more information please contact Bill Hansma at
cell: 1-604-302-1248 • office: 1-604-855-0800 • fax: 1-604-855-0833 • e-mail: [email protected]
website: www.billhansma.com
411
Christelijk Mannenkoor Assen from the Netherlands
& Liberation Choir
Organist: Martin Mans
Friday, September 15 at 8:00 p.m.
&
25
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Cathedral of St. Catharine of Alexandria
67 Church Street, ST. CATHARINES
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CE
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5
2
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Saturday, September 16 at 8:00 p.m.
Knox Presbyterian Church
630 Spadina Avenue, TORONTO
Tuesday, September 19 at 8:00 p.m.
§
§
UNIQUE DOUBLE ORGAN CONCERT
Martin Mans & Willem Van Suijdam
§
Reformed Church Brantford, on the corner of West Street and Hwy 403
BRANTFORD
Christelijk Mannenkoor Assen from the Netherlands
Organist: Martin Mans
Wednesday, September 20 at 7:30 p.m.
Ebenezer Christian Reformed Church
18 Fourth Avenue, TRENTON
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Thursday, September 21 at 8:00 p.m.
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St. George’s Anglican Church
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10 LE C
99 Woolwich Street, GUELPH
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Admission all concerts: Adults $10.00 Children 12 and under $5.00. Doors open at 7:00 p.m.
For ticket information call: The Music Group (905) 631-1929
&
E-mail: [email protected] or check out our website www.organs.ca

Bible Study - Clarion - The Canadian Reformed Magazine

Transcription

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