Last Will and Testament - Clarion

Clarion
THE CANADIAN REFORMED MAGAZINE
VOLUME
50, NO. 1
JANUARY 5, 2001
In the Name of God Amen:
The twenty-eighth day of November 1827,
I, Thomas Hardy Sr., of Gabarouse,
County of Cape Breton and Province of
Nova Scotia, Yeoman, being of perfect
Mind and Memory, Thanks be unto God:
Therefore calling unto Him the Mortality
of my Body and knowing that it is
appointed unto all Men once to die, do
make and ordain this my Last Will and
Testament, That is to say, principally and
Last Will and Testament
EDITORIAL
By J. De Jong
Telling readings . . . a state funeral
Telling readings . . . a state funeral
It was one of the more gripping events in the life of the
nation in recent years, certainly one which drew the attention of the media around the world. The prime minister
cut short a state visit to Guatemala in order to be with all
Canadians in a time of national mourning. First, a lying in
state of the former prime minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau,
then a journey of the casket accompanied by close friends
and family members, and finally, the state funeral in the
Notre Dame Cathedral in Montreal. Dignitaries arrived
from around the world, spectators filled the streets. There
was some anticipation as to what the funeral would be like.
It was said: it would be solemn, simple, religious, and
also personal.
It was the religious aspect that caught my attention.
First, a solemn reading, in French, of a passage from 1
Corinthians 15 by Prime Minister Chrètien. It was the first
time I have heard a Canadian Prime Minister reading Scripture. Whoever reads Scripture must know what he reads,
must believe it, indeed, live it. I recalled a reading by the
British prime minister in a similar setting: Diana’s funeral.
Remarkable, this turn to the Word! Who cannot but hear?
The eulogy
Later in the service, a eulogy was spoken by the oldest
son Justin. Here and there some pockets of exaggerated admiration, but on the whole: a remarkable address with fitting
words. With an honourable ending: je t’ aime, papa. For in
the midst of the turmoil and upheaval that marked his political career, and in the midst of energy and passion with
which he lived his life, one thing was clear: he wanted to
be and remain a father to his sons. He had many excesses,
bad principles, frivolous habits, wild pursuits. His marriage
fell apart. His political career came to an abrupt end. But in
all this he was a father to his sons. They often accompanied
him on world trips, and could be seen pulling on his pant leg
as the photographer was lining everybody up for the solemn
picture. Justin himself mentioned his father’s playing Santa
Claus at Alert Bay. The joi de vivre of one who lived it to
the fullest. He drank the cup!
But what seemed entirely strange was a
reading by the second son taken from
Daniel 4.
Sacha
Sacha Trudeau, Justin Trudeau and their mother
Margaret view the casket of Canada’s former
Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
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But what seemed entirely strange was a reading by the
second son taken from Daniel 4. He read as follows: “But
leave stump and roots in the ground, bound with hoops of
iron and bronze, in the grass of the field, let him be drenched
with dew of heaven, let him share the grass of the earth
with all human kind.” The presiding cleric also referred to
the reading in his homily. Daniel? At a funeral? It was going
to be religious but I was not expecting this.
It was obvious from the text of the reading and from what
was said about it that this son was applying the words of
the prophesy to his own father’s burial, that in some way by
leaving “stump and roots” in the ground, his father would
continue to share the grass of the earth with all human
kind. It all seemed to be a “new age” twist to an ancient
text, even though it required the change of some words to
give it the desired sense.
However, one look at the context in Daniel 4 tells us
that here we have a prophecy not to be applied at whim
to whomever we wish, but referring directly to Nebuchadnezzer king of Babylon, who was punished by the Lord
CLARION, JANUARY 5, 2001
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because of his arrogance and wilful neglect of God’s law.
He was punished by a severe mental illness, here described
as being turned loose to live among the animals of the field.
God did it in order to show Nebuchadnezzar that “ all his
ways are just. And those who walk in pride, he is able to
humble” (Dan 4:37 NIV).
A Scripture reading at a funeral says something about the
person who has died. And here, apparently unwittingly, the
eulogy of the second son drew a comparison between Pierre
Trudeau and Nebuchadnezzer. An odd comparison . . . or,
should I say, a telling comparison. Here, again perhaps unwittingly, the one who often had been compared to a Roman
Caesar in his political life, especially in the cartoons, is linked
up with a Babylonian Nebuchadnezzer in his death.
It was said by more than one, including
the prime minister, that after the death of his
youngest son, Trudeau was never the same.
What does it all say to one who is at the same time confronted with a barrage of media coverage concerning the
eventful life of this unusually charismatic leader? You could
see it all: the arrogant pout, the raised middle finger, the
pirouette at the palace, beaming elation as he stood among
the enthralled crowds, the gunslinger pose, the vigorous
athlete, the happy just-married couple, a beautiful young
mother with her three young boys . . . the outdoorsman, the
debater, a man who lived his land . . . .
Misha
I stopped at one of the pictures: the estranged couple
leaving the church after the funeral service for their
youngest son, Michel. A mother frantic and distraught, torn
by grief, a huge crucifix swaying recklessly across her
chest. A former prime minister . . . a broken man. All
those pictures of smiles and fun-filled moments . . . was it
all meant to end like this.
It was said by more than one, including the prime
minister, that after the death of his youngest son, Trudeau
was never the same. Margaret, too, gave indications that
she could not be consoled. And it was all very understandable. For, seeing this photograph, who could not but
recall the reports of Misha’s death? For an agonizing
quarter of an hour he called out from the middle of the
lake for someone to come and save him, yelling at the top
of his lungs into the cold and desolate wintery air . . .
CLARION, JANUARY 5, 2001
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE:
Editor: J. Visscher
Managing Editor: R. Aasman
Coeditors: J. De Jong, N.H. Gootjes, Cl. Stam
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IN THIS ISSUE
Editorial – Telling readings . . . a state funeral
— J. De Jong ..................................................................3
Family Devotions — Cl. Stam ..........................................5
Press Review – Last Will and Testament
— J. De Jong ..................................................................8
Treasures, New and Old – A love letter
— D.W. Vandeburgt ......................................................9
Ray of Sunshine — Mrs. Corinne Gelms and
Mrs. Erna Nordeman ....................................................10
The Hi-Liter — J. de Gelder ............................................11
Education Matters ..........................................................13
Book Review – Calvin, John, Deity of Christ and other
sermons — reviewed by N.H. Gootjes ........................15
Press Releases – Classis Pacific East
– Regional Synod West ................................................16
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such a vast void of cold, empty space! What an echo! The
reverberations would cut into the heart of even the coldest and dullest Canadian.
Hope!
We know there is one who leads the history of every
life, even the lives of the great ones in our land, those who
have the means to “make their own life.” The world speaks
of chance or fate, but we know: God reigns. He has done it.
Nebuchadnezzer learned about it! “He does as he pleases
with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No
one can hold back his hand or say to him: ‘What have you
done?’” (Dan 4:35).
It is not my intention to pass any judgment on the former
prime minister. Reports had it that since the funeral of his son
he had become more religious, intrigued by the Bible, especially the book of Job. Somewhat of a rebel1 Roman Catholic
in his youth, when the sunset dawned he asked for the last
rites and died reconciled with his church.
Let me also be silent on his legacy. Generally at the funeral and in the period of mourning, most speakers observed well the ancient rule: do not speak ill of the dead. Obviously such a figure cannot escape the critical public
evaluation and reflection upon his principles and policies.
But there is no room for any of that here.
In this short space, my concern was with this religious
component, the voice of the Scriptures at a funeral, the
voice of God himself, God in his word, God and what He
did. He has done it that kings may “bow down before him”
(Ps 97:7). Trudeau, Caesar, Nebuchadnezzar – and then
above them all the Lord of lords himself, the Christ, the
Messiah.2 He reigns! And with Him alone, and in the obedience to his will, there true comfort can be found.
See the editorial by Rev. R. Aasman in the issue of November 10, 2000.
Next to a Bach chorale, a selection from Handel’s oratorio Messiah
was the only more or less Protestant element in this otherwise thoroughly Roman Catholic requiem mass.
1
2
What’s inside?
You have just opened the first issue of volume 50 of Clarion. Our magazine is almost fifty
years old. Considering that the first Canadian Reformed Churches were instituted just over fifty
years ago, we can see Clarion has “been there” nearly from the start of our federation. Of course,
back then it was called Canadian Reformed Magazine and it was written all in Dutch. The first
editor was Rev. W. Loopstra who laboured long and hard as a faithful servant of the Lord. Clarion
is not the official magazine of the Canadian Reformed Churches nor does it come under the authority or supervision of some church committee. It is an independent magazine. However, the editors and publishers are from our churches, and the press releases of ecclesiastical assemblies in
our churches, the Theological College, our schools and various other organizations and study
groups within the Canadian Reformed Churches are all published in Clarion. In other words, this
magazine has served our churches well and it has a treasured place among our people. May the
Lord continue to bless this magazine in the years to come and thus serve the members of our
churches. Of course, there are also readers of Clarion from outside the Canadian Reformed
Churches. May they also benefit by a magazine which serves to give all the praise and glory to
our God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Dr. J. De Jong’s editorial examines the funeral of Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau from its religious aspect. Even at the funerals of powerful men and women, it must become clear that Christ
alone is King of kings and Lord of lords. He reigns. In Him alone we find comfort. Dr. De Jong also
has a press review which deals with the matter of one’s Last Will and Testament. Also in this aspect of
life, one can and should give praise to God.
Rev. Cl. Stam presents us with a very practical guide to family devotions. Every family should read
this and take it to heart. Family devotions are essential to our spiritual well-being.
We have some regular columns in this issue of Clarion: Treasures New and Old, the Hiliter, Ray
of Sunshine and Education Matters. We also have two press releases and another book review by
Dr. N.H. Gootjes. Dr. Gootjes reviews a collection of sermons by John Calvin. Although we can
no longer listen to Calvin actually preaching, we can read his sermons. There is great benefit in that.
RA
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CLARION, JANUARY 5, 2001
Family Devotions
By Cl. Stam
When we consider the topic of family devotions or even personal devotions, we need to make one thing clear
from the start. These devotions may
never replace the worship services
which we attend every Sunday and
whenever the consistory calls the congregation together for that purpose. We
need the corporate experience of worship, the weekly preaching of the
Gospel, and the communal prayers to
form a basis for the family devotions.
The worship services are the prime
source of blessing and encouragement.
“Let us not give up meeting together,
as some are in the habit of doing, but let
us encourage one another – and all the
more as you see the Day approaching”
(Heb 10: 25).
There is probably a correlation here.
Those who do not regularly and seriously attend the church of God, will
not be inclined to engage in personal or
family worship. The whole matter of
worship, together or personally, will be
far from their minds. The family devotions need to rest on and be built up
from the corporate devotions.
tinue at home. As we dedicated the entire week on Sunday to the Lord, so we
dedicate each and every day to his service and personally pledge our commitment to Christ.
This commitment must be made
every day again. Every day anew we
must devote ourselves to the Lord. First
we need to praise his Name, for it is
great and wonderful. The Psalms, for
example, tell that the Lord is to be
praised and we must give Him the honour that is due to Him. We also draw
near unto Him for forgiveness and
strength. We need to confess our sins
concretely, be cleansed and renewed,
and receive the strength that is needed
to continue as God’s children, fighting
the good fight of faith (Eph 6).
Those who do not
regularly and seriously
attend the church of God,
will not be inclined to
engage in personal or
family worship.
What are devotions?
It is important for us to determine
what is meant by the word devotion.
Understanding this word properly sets
the scene for what we must do. The root
of this word is an old verb to make a
vow. You see this still in the letters “vo.”
In our devotion, then, we commit ourselves again to the Lord and renew our
vow of faithfulness to Him. There is an
element of consecrating or hallowing
oneself to the Lord. This is to be a very
conscious re-commitment.
A devotion differs from a worship
service in that it is done in the family
circle, or alone, at home. A good dictionary defined it as private worship
rather than the public gatherings of a
congregation. This is a very necessary
complementation of the worship services. What began in church, we conCLARION, JANUARY 5, 2001
Time and frequency
The Bible does not prescribe a certain time or frequency when and how
often we must conduct our devotions.
We know from Daniel that he was accustomed three times a day to get down
on his knees to pray, giving thanks to
God (Dan 6:10). In Psalm 119:164 we
read, “Seven times a day I praise you for
your righteous laws.” In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, we find this admonition,
“Be joyful always, pray continually,
give thanks in all circumstances, for this
is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
The word “continually” here has the
meaning of praying regularly. We cannot pray all the time, but prayer must be
a constant and regular feature of our
daily life.
As the apostle Paul in many places
assures the churches that they are constantly in his prayers, so he also exhorts
the members of the churches to “always keep on praying for the saints”
(Gal 6:18). They must also pray for Paul
and his fellow workers. Daily prayer
played an important role in the lives of
the saints.
It is safe to say that devotions need
to take place on a daily basis, at regular
times, and that in these devotions we
consider not only our own needs but
also intercede for Christ’s church all
over this world. This ministry of constant
prayer is crucial for the spiritual wellbeing of the churches and their members.
Structure and spontaneity
Devotions do not need to be structured so that they are always done in a
certain way and in a certain manner. It
is good to strive for some variation.
There are those who have memorized
a certain prayer, and who will not or
cannot deviate from the same form(at).
I fully understand that for some who are
not eloquent and cannot think fast, it is
difficult to change the daily prayers. But
we also need to grow in our prayers to
touch on the things that are important
from day to day. Our petitions need to
be specific.
There must be structure, but within
that structure there must also be spontaneity. As an introduction to a prayer,
a father or whoever will speak the
prayer, may ask if there are any special
concerns or prayer requests. While at
first there may be hesitation and even
some discomfort about this approach,
in due time the involvement of all in the
prayer will increase and deepen.
The greatest hindrance to family or
personal devotions is a perceived lack of
time. I use the word “perceived,” because I am convinced that we can make
time. We make time for all kinds of
other things which we consider important, but when it comes to devotion, it
5
is often said, “Hurry up, I have to do
. . . . “ Everyone must be committed to
taking time for devotions, for it is the
best time spent during any day.
Another hindrance to structured
devotions is the inability to coordinate.
Everyone leaves home at a different
time, and therefore communal meals
are becoming less frequent. Breakfast
is often chaotic, lunch is fragmented,
and even at supper not everyone is always online. The family must therefore
designate a time that is always reserved
for devotions. Whoever misses the family devotion must be committed to making a personal devotion covering the
same material.
It may be next to impossible to have
everyone in a busy family together present for devotions three times a day.
Therefore, personal devotions must fill
that void. And the family devotion must
be set for one time per day, at least,
when everyone pledges and tries to be
at home. This time is best found after
supper or in the early evening, before
everyone has scattered.
The components of devotion
A devotion suggests that a certain
pattern is followed. So we may speak
of certain components which should be
found in a devotion. These are as follows, also in the order presented: reading of Scripture, meditation, prayer, and
singing. When this structure is followed, it is clear that a devotion must
be carefully prepared. It is the lack of
proper preparation which renders a devotion superficial and ineffective.
There is first the reading of a passage of Scripture. This is mostly done
chapter by chapter, going through the
whole Bible. It is not advisable to stick
at all costs to the notion that one whole
chapter must be read. Sometimes a
chapter is too long or difficult for one
sitting. Then it is better to divide this
portion into smaller passages so that
each unit can be carefully considered.
This is especially important when there
are little children present. If the children
cause too much noise or are disruptive, as they tend to be during supper,
it is best to close the meal with a brief
reading and prayer, and then later to
proceed with the longer devotion.
An element that is often lacking is
the meditation. To meditate means to
think about or to reflect upon something. In this case it is the passage read.
One person will give some thoughts,
and others may ask questions. It is important to ask: what does this passage
6
mean for us and require of us? A simple
summary of the message of the passage may lead as an introduction to
the prayer.
Everyone must be
committed to taking time
for devotions, for it is the
best time spent during
any day.
A devotion should include
the singing of a psalm
or hymn.
Prayer needs to be based on Scripture. When we properly meditate, we
open ourselves to the working of the
Holy Spirit through the Word, and our
prayer will take flight. We can begin
with thanking the Lord for his Word and
the riches granted us through and in that
Word. Prayer must always be combined
with thanksgiving, and we need to be
directed in this by God himself through
his Word. Meditation also helps us to
discern what is needed most, so that we
may prioritize our petitions properly.
A devotion should include the
singing of a psalm or hymn. Singing is
important because it allows everyone to
participate together. There is not one
person speaking, but all are vocalizing
their gratitude and love. We may praise
the Lord together with our song. Some
families have the custom that each
member picks a song. This also increases the involvement of everyone in
the family.
We are blessed that
we may have schools where
our children are taught the
contents of the Bible
each year in a manner that
grows with
their understanding.
I know that all this is almost too
much to ask. A devotion based on these
four components is not generally followed anymore. We have little time to
prepare the family devotions, and to
study the passage that will be read. But
failure to conduct proper devotions will
lead to superficiality in faith and secularism in lifestyle. This may be one of
the greater problems which we must
face in our churches today.
Devotionals
There is one matter left about
which I have been asked to say a few
words. Many find it difficult to conduct
a meditation on their own, or by themselves. We easily feel incapable and
insecure, afraid to say something
wrong. Family members especially can
be strong critics. In order to get more
out of the devotions, devotionals are
used, books written specifically for
personal or family worship.
There are many kinds of devotionals. Some are written for a specific target group, like children, teens, singles,
or the elderly. Others are more general
and can be used personally or in the
family setting. Some churches produce
their own devotionals for the use of the
members; that is, then a devotional
written by ministers of the churches. I
can mention as far as our own churches
are concerned the books Lasting Food
and Mercies New Every Morning. In
our sister-churches in Australia, a devotional has been published titled Every
Day, Daily Readings with the Bible.
These devotionals differ from most in
that they were not written by one person, but by many. The advantage is
variation in selections and style; the disadvantage is that a clear line is lacking.
Here and there the editing also leaves
something to be desired.
Scriptural or anecdotal?
Some devotionals give a direct and
clear explanation of Scripture passages. These are the ones which are to
be preferred. Many devotionals are
typical in this sense: they are thematic
or topical, filled with anecdotes rather
than exegesis. Anecdotes should not
replace Scripture.
Of course, it is good to have fitting
examples. Many well-known writers
have also published devotionals with a
crisp, compelling style, and the contents of their books are professionally
edited and carefully compacted. These
devotionals can be helpful, as long as
they focus in on Scripture reading and
not on storytelling.
Some devotionals are outrightly ingenious, such as Charles Stanley’s Enter His Gates, a daily devotional based
on the twelve gates of the city of
Jerusalem. As each gate has a special
meaning, so each month is cast in a
certain mould which mirrors the meaning of that gate. We have to be careful
CLARION, JANUARY 5, 2001
for exemplaristic works, which see
everything as an example but neglect
the crucial line of Scripture to Christ.
Sometimes older devotionals are
edited and republished. James C.
Schaap has adapted daily meditations
written Abraham Kuyper, titled Near
Unto God. These meditations are not
always easy to understand. Daily readings from John Calvin on the Psalms
have been published under the title
Hearts Aflame. This book is typical of
Calvin’s powerful and pastoral style.
A contemporary version of Charles
Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening still
carries the evangelistic stamp of
Methodism. The well-known book of
Oswald Chambers, a student of Spurgeon, My Utmost for His Highest,
largely follows the style of Spurgeon,
be it that some unique and deep insights are offered.
Devotionals which in my understanding are to be preferred are those
which stick to a Bible passage and explain it with clarity, in simple but powerful terms. Among these I found to be
very helpful Be Still and Know by Millie Stamm and Drawing Near by John
F. MacArthur Jr. MacArthur also offers
suggestion for prayer and refers to passages for further study, a feature which
appealed to me because there is much
improvement required in these areas.
Devotionals for children
Unfortunately I have not found a
devotional for children which I considered to be of excellent quality. Some
children’s Bibles are worth using, but
these are not in a strict sense a devo-
tional. These Bibles use an abundance
of pictures, and not all of the illustrations are equally fitting.
Attempts to be simple are sometimes dangerous and can quickly become simplistic. It is not easy to get
and keep children’s attention during
the family devotions. Sometimes it is
best to summarize the Bible portion
that was read, and have the children
react to this personally by asking
pointed questions. These questions
should lead the focus to our Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ.
We are blessed that we may have
schools where our children are taught
the contents of the Bible each year in a
manner that grows with their understanding. Living contact with Christian
teachers who use good resource material
should never be underestimated.
Wisdom
(Proverbs 8:22-31)
Ere God had built the mountains,
Or rais’d the fruitful hills;
Before he fill’d the fountains
That feed the running rills;
In me, from everlasting,
The wonderful I AM
Found pleasures never wasting,
And Wisdom is my name.
Thus wisdom's words discover
Thy glory and thy grace.
Thou everlasting lover
Of our unworthy race!
Thy gracious eye survey’d us
Ere stars were seen above;
In wisdom thou has made us,
And died for us in love.
When, like a tent to dwell in,
He spread the skies abroad;
And swath’d about the swelling
Of ocean’s mighty flood;
He wrought by weight and measure,
And I was with him then;
Myself the Father’s pleasure,
And mine, the sons of men.
And couldst thou be delighted
With creatures such as we!
Who when we saw thee, slighted
And nail’d thee to a tree?
Unfathomable wonder,
And mystery divine!
The Voice that speaks in thunder,
Says, “Sinner I am thine!”
Olney Hymn
CLARION, JANUARY 5, 2001
7
PRESS REVIEW
By J. De Jong
Last Will and Testament
Writing in the Covenanter Witness, the official publication of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North
America (RPCNA), Don Reed, vicepresident of Institutional Planning at
Sterling College in Sterling, Kansas
asks the question: Whatever happened to the Christian will?
In a brief article he explains what
he means:
Those of us in the Baby Boomer
generation and older can recall
hearing the term Last Will and Testament. These were the words identifying the legal document that carried a person’s last words and
directives to those left behind.
The Last Will and Testament
was to do two things. First, the document helped people to will their
worldly possessions to others, either people or organizations. Second, the document served to declare or “testify” to what they had
learned from life and make final
statements of importance to their
loved ones.
The phrase Last Will and Testament is seldom heard or used
anymore. With our American desire to shorten, abbreviate, and
simplify as much as we can, and
probably in part to reduce the cost
of drafting the document, we have
removed the testament portion of
this final declaration and focussed
on the willing of our possessions
to others. Now we simply refer to
this final document as our will,
and the only time the phrase Last
Will and Testament occurs is at
the top of the document.
One of the great privileges in
working in the area of estate planning for a college is the opportunity to read the Last Will and Testament of those who have named
the college as a beneficiary in their
final distribution of God’s gifts to
them. Reading a will is a learning
experience.
8
Most wills today are concise.
There is the standard opening paragraph stating that being of sound
mind and memory the testator is
now making the following directives for the distribution of property and hereby revoking and cancelling all former wills. This is
followed by paragraphs and sections that state how the testator’s
possessions are to be distributed.
But if you were to read wills of
some of our very elderly citizens
who were raised with former generations as their example for their wills
you will find quite a different document. I love reading these wills.
They tell me so much about the person. They testify to the life and beliefs of the person. They share the
testator’s lessons learned in life and
sometimes their challenge to those
to whom they are passing on God’s
gifts. They gave me a much greater
appreciation for the gift bestowed
on my organization.
Some of the best examples can
be found in final documents nearly
two centuries ago. Consider the
opening paragraph of the will of
one Peter Cottrell in 1803. “In the
name of God, Amen. I, Peter Cottrell of Prince William County Vir-
Example:
ginia being sick and weak in body,
of sound and disposing mind and
memory, knowing that it is appointed for all men to die, do make
and ordain this my Last Will and
Testament, commending my soul
into the hands of Almighty God,
hoping alone for Salvation through
the merits of Jesus Christ and my
body to the dust to be buried in
decent Christian burial at the discretion of my Executors. As to such
Worldly Estate as it hath pleased
God to bless me with I dispose
thereof as follows . . . .”
What a testimony for loved ones
to read. And what a time to make our
testimony – at our last opportunity!
Christians today should consider this opportunity to witness to
their faith through their will. We
should think in terms of spiritual
wills as well as legal documents.
One attorney, Tim Minors, a
member of First Presbyterian
Church in LaGrange, Ga. writes . .
. that “Christian wills could also
include a personal statement of
faith, expressions of love, forgiveness and encouragement to family
members; and instructions about
donating assets to the church. A
will does not have to be a cold
LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN: The twenty-eighth day of November
1827, I, Thomas Hardy Sr., of Gabarouse, County of Cape Breton and Province
of Nova Scotia, Yeoman, being of perfect Mind and Memory, Thanks be unto
God: Therefore calling unto Him the Mortality of my Body and knowing that
it is appointed unto all Men once to die, do make and ordain this my Last Will
and Testament, That is to say, principally and first of all, I give and recommend
my Soul in to the Hands of Almighty God that gave it and my Body I recommend to the Earth to be buried, in decent Christian burial, at the discretion of
my Executors, not doubting but at the General Resurrection I shall receive the
same again by the Almighty Power of God. And as touching such Worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this Life I give, devise and
dispose of the same in the following manner and form.
CLARION, JANUARY 5, 2001
worldly legal document that reflects
nothing of the personality of the
person who signed it. It can be a
source of comfort and encouragement to grieving family members.’’
Remember a will is a public
document. Wouldn’t it be a special
legacy to leave a Christian will that
is forever filed as our testimony to
the goodness and mercy of God in
our lives? Who knows, someday in
the future one of our relatives may
locate our will at the courthouse
and may read how God led us in
the lives of faith.
It is important that we as Christians do not let the world lead us
down another path of worldly materialism in regards to our final opportunity to testify and act for the
Lord. We need to consider making
our wills more spiritual and give
deeper consideration to leaving our
possessions not solely to our children, but also to places in God’s
kingdom where the gospel can
move forward.
Our Last Will and Testament is,
in a way, our final opportunity to
witness to the world and our loved
ones before we stand before the
Lord God for judgment of our stewardship with what He gave us while
we were in dominion over his earth.
This is good food for thought on what
for many is a sensitive and private matter. We should also reflect carefully on
those matters which we do not easily
bring up for discussion, so that here,
too, we leave a Christian witness in
the world.
REASURES, NEW AND OLD
T
MATTHEW 13:52
By Douglas W. Vandeburgt
A love letter
“I have loved you,” says the LORD. Malachi 1:2
I admit that I have written very few
love letters. If I would write one today,
I suppose it would begin by addressing
the one I love, and then continue by
writing to her about why it is I love her
so. I would conclude the letter with
the words I love you under which I
would sign my name.
The LORD’s love letter to his people
Israel through his servant Malachi is
somewhat different from what I have
outlined. It begins in a standard enough
way. The one addressed is mentioned
in chapter 1:1 “The word of the LORD to
Israel through Malachi.” Then, rather
than giving Israel the reasons why He
loves her and ending with the words,
“I love you” the L ORD instead begins
with those words: “I have loved you,”
says the LORD. The Hebrew tense of this
verb also allows for an English translation which makes clear that this love is
not just a thing of the past, but continues even into the present: “I love you.”
Why does the LORD write his love
letter this way? The truth of the matter
is that there is not much, if anything,
about Israel that makes her lovable.
When one reads through the book of
Malachi one cannot help but be struck
by all the things that make Israel so
unattractive. She is a faithless friend of
God. Her worship is unacceptable.
Her marriages are ungodly and only
made worse by her sin of divorce. She
accuses her God of injustice, and her
tithes are not faithfully brought. InCLARION, JANUARY 5, 2001
deed, who would even bother to write
a love letter to this people called Israel?
The answer is that the LORD would
and does bother. He sends his servant
Malachi to a people completely faithless within the covenant relationship,
and the very first words out of his
mouth are, “I love you.” In confronting
Israel’s sin the LORD does not have his
servant Malachi begin by pounding
the pulpit but by touching their hearts
which have grown so cold to his love.
This is worthy of imitation by God’s
people today. The apostle Paul teaches,
“Be imitators of God, therefore, as
dearly loved children and live a life of
love, just as Christ loved us and gave
himself up for us as a fragrant offering
and sacrifice to God” (Eph 5:1-2).
What draws forth these words of
love? So often, if not always, words of
love within human relationships are
drawn forth by the person to whom
they are spoken. For a young man or
woman, the words “love you” express
an attraction to the opposite sex, an attraction grounded in some outward or
inward beauty. However, when God
says to Israel that He loves her, then it
is not grounded in her inward or outward beauty. She is at that moment
not attractive. When you go back to the
moment the LORD first set his love on Israel, she was not attractive. In fact, according to Ezekiel 16, she was downright ugly. Yet, the LORD chose to love
her because He is love (1 John 4:16).
This truth remains when one looks at
the people of God today. By nature,
each person is downright ugly due to a
common share in the sin of Adam and
Eve. The apostle Paul is even more accurate when he describes the human
condition as being dead in sin (Eph
2:1). Nevertheless today God comes to
his people and says, “I love you.”
Why? The verses 2-3 of Malachi 1
begin to answer that question: “Was
not Esau Jacob’s brother?” the L ORD
says. “Yet I have loved Jacob, but Esau
I have hated.” Here God underlines
that his love for his people comes from
Him and not from them. The patriarch
Jacob was loved by God, but his twin
brother was hated. Why? The apostle
Paul’s answer is that this is not a result
of something either brother had done,
but even before they were born God
had set his love on the one and not on
the other (Rom 9:10ff). God’s love is
unconditional since it is based not on
what you do but upon what He from
eternity has chosen. He has chosen
from eternity to love a people for himself in Jesus Christ and to bind himself
to that people in covenant love. Even
in the midst of sins and shortcomings
in your life He comes to you and
touches your heart with these words, “I
have loved you,” says the LORD. What
a love letter! What a Lord!
9
RAY OF SUNSHINE
By Mrs. Corinne Gelms and Mrs. Erna Nordeman
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there
your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. Psalm 139:9
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
A new year
We have approached another year in the Lord. Another year to serve and praise Him. In this year many of
us continue on with our busy schedules and routines. We
all have many things to do. Usually a day does not seem
to have enough hours to complete our many obligations.
In the church we continue to be busy with committees
and such. Belonging to the church of Christ is indeed beautiful. Here we all share each other’s joys and also the burdens which we may have to carry.
For some of us, to start a new year is not easy. When you
live by yourself and have a difficult time getting out, it is easy
to become lonely. The Lord also knows the loneliness that
some of us have each day. He gives us great comfort from his
Word, and when we turn to Him in prayer. He promises to
be near in Psalm 145: 18. Before we were even born, our
Creator who made us was very near to us. He did not leave
us for a moment. All the days of our life, even before we were
born, were written in the Book of Life. How comforting to
know He will never let us go or forget about us.
The Lord is near
It is so easy when we are lonely to think that nobody
cares for us. One day leads to the next with the same lonely
feelings. Even when we are fighting our loneliness He
promises to help. When we turn to Him in prayer and ask
Him to help us, we can be thankful that He hears every
prayer. He knows our thoughts even before we pray to Him.
“Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O
LORD” (Ps 139:4). And in Psalm 139:1 we read, “O LORD
you have searched me and you know me.” Our faithful Father gives us such beautiful and comforting words to live with
and apply to our own personal lives. It is too wonderful for
us to fully appreciate it. We know one thing: He will never
leave those who love and put their trust in Him.
A time to glorify God
When we are all by ourselves each day it can become
difficult to see the purpose of being alone each day. We
do know that our purpose in life is to praise and glorify
our Father. During this time in our life God gives us many
precious moments to reflect or think back on what the
Lord has done for us. He has given everything we need to
make us strong to serve Him. He provided for our physical needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and much, much
more. Most importantly, He provided for us so that we can
serve Him. He has given us his Word to study as well as his
Holy Spirit who lives in our hearts. Every day we may
also pray to Him and ask Him to help us in whatever situation we may be in. We will always have our heavenly Father who will never leave us. He was there before we
were even born and continues to take care of us for each
day that we live on this earth until we go to be with Him.
10
There we will live with Him and all loneliness will be gone
forever. Each day while we live on this earth He holds out
his hands to us and says, “Follow me for I have promised
never to leave you.”
Remember Christ
To know real loneliness we have to remember Christ’s
death on the cross. He was completely forsaken, not only
by people, but also by his Father. We will never be able to
feel the real loneliness that Christ had on the cross. He suffered so we could have eternal life.
Remember that this life is only for a short while. We
might be lonely but we are never without hope. Our comfort in life and death is that we belong with body and soul
to our faithful Savior Jesus Christ. Even in our most difficult days, He promises to be near at all times. What a joy
and comfort to belong to such a loving Father!
My faithful Savior keeps me in His care;
Without my Father’s will cannot a hair
Fall from my head; He shall for me prepare
A heavenly habitation.
All things must serve to further my salvation.
His Holy Spirit brings me consolation;
He makes me willing now with veneration
Hymn 49:2
In hope His yoke to bear.
Birthdays in late January
17: HENRY DRIEGEN will turn 45
19-31450 Spur Avenue, Abbotsford, BC V2T 5M3
17: GRACE HOMAN will also turn 45
C/O Anchor Home
361 Thirty Road, RR 2, Beamsville, ON L0R 1B0
19: JANINE SMID will be 31
510 2nd Street, RR 7, Strathroy, ON N7T 3H8
27: HANK ORSEL will turn 70
Apt 10, 2424 Woodward, Burlington, ON L7R 4E3
30: TYLER HOEKSEMA will be 12
6755 Lorne Drive, Sardis, BC V2R 2G3
Birthdays in February
12: CONNY VAN AMERONGEN will turn 36
35 Bredin Pky. 102, Orangeville, ON L9X 3X1
Phone #: 519-941-6195
E-mail: connie_ evl@hotmail.com
18: CORA SCHOONHOVEN will be 50
24 James Speight, Markham, ON L3P 3G4
These are all the birthdays that we have for the next month
and a half. We hope you all have an enjoyable day, and
may God continue to bless you with health and happiness
in this new year. Till next month,
Mrs. C. Gelms and Mrs. E. Nordeman
Mailing correspondence:
548 Kemp Road East, RR 2, Beamsville, ON L0R 1B2
1-905-563-0380
CLARION, JANUARY 5, 2001
T
HE HI-LITER
News from Here and There
By J. de Gelder
We have another collection of
gleanings from the local bulletins. This
time we start in Ontario.
Kerwood
The consistory decided to hand out
to the congregation a preliminary
budget of expenses in December to
allow the congregation to give input
before the budget is finalized at the
beginning of the following year.
Not a bad idea. Too often you can hear
about the congregational meetings that
deal with the budget: “What is the sense
of being there. You can ask questions,
but it’s a done deal anyway.” This approach may spark some more interest
and involvement.
London
I have the impression that in recent
years, several congregations have made
some changes in their voting procedures. It used to be that all the votes
were counted and read out in the public meeting of council with the congregation. In the London bulletin, The Pilgrim’s Voice, I found the following:
Council decided at its last meeting
to have the votes counted in private. The reasons for this change
are threefold. Firstly, public knowledge of the amount of votes each
nominee receives is not necessary,
seeing that all those nominated by
council are deemed fit to serve in
office. Secondly, private counting
takes away any opportunity for the
vote to be perceived as a popularity contest. And thirdly, many
churches in the federation have resorted to this procedure and have
experienced positive feedback . . . .
The number of votes each nominee
receives will be confidential. Nothing but the names of the newly
elected brothers will be announced
to the congregation.
CLARION, JANUARY 5, 2001
Toronto
The position of the few house congregations in our federation is not always easy, also for the councils that
have the responsibility for these brothers and sisters. This is especially true if
there does not appear to be much
growth. The council in Toronto discussed the Trenton situation:
A decision was made to continue
the present arrangement for another
year. At the same time we heard
about a few contacts and the
prospect of some new members.
We wish the brothers and sisters of
the house congregation the continued blessings of the Lord, and the
vigilance and dedication to pursue
their objective of church planting
in this area.
Would it not be wonderful to see more
growth in these places? By the way, I
didn’t hear lately about the group in
Saskatchewan.
Orangeville
Sometimes we receive unexpected
chances to spread the Word. Rev. R. Pot
tells us the following:
I did have the opportunity to deliver a sermon in the middle of the
week. In connection with a project
being done by a religion class at a
local Roman Catholic High School,
I was invited to present a sermon to
the class. Needless to say, a Reformed preacher does not quickly
pass up an opportunity to preach
the gospel in a Roman Catholic
school. You’ll not be surprised that
I selected a passage from Romans
dealing with justification through
Christ by faith alone. It is amazing
how many people in our society
and even in other churches have
never heard the pure preaching of
the gospel, and when the Lord gives
us opportunities, we can certainly
make use of them.
The pastor of the Orangeville church
gives also some other food for thought
when he reflects on an emergency
surgery for acute appendicitis of a member of his flock:
My medical encyclopedia tells me
that an appendix is a body part
that has no known function. Certainly the Lord has a purpose for it,
however, if only to remind us of
our dependency on Him for health
and strength in the course of an
appendectomy.
I never thought of it this way, but it’s
so true!
Carman East
We go west and read an interesting
piece in the Manitoba bulletin, written
by the Rev. J. Moesker for Carman East:
Note that instead of a pre-confession course, the Consistory has decided to begin with what we call a
preparation course for students 18
and over this year. The aim is that
profession of faith may be requested at any time during the
course of the year. Instead of a
group of students finishing a preconfession course together, this
class can be attended for as long as
students need to prepare for profession of their faith. The course
will be different every year and will
include some review of confessions, church history, church life
and the study of a book of the Bible.
A refreshing look at the process that
leads up to the public profession of
faith, taking into account that the decision to profess your faith is not a group
decision, but a personal decision.
Sometimes you get a question from a
student: “is it necessary to profess your
faith in May? Why not in August, or in
November, or in January?” The answer
11
is always that at any time of the year
you can ask the consistory to be examined for profession of faith. But in practice you won’t see it a lot. The thinking
appears to be: “No one else does it, so
I am not going to do it all by myself either.” And even in Carman East it may
take some time for the young people to
get used to this idea. But it is definitely
worth trying.
When I come to think of it, there is
another benefit here. You prevent that
in May and June you have these huge
crowds traveling around every Sunday.
They leave many churches in the area
with only seventy-five percent of their
regular attendance, while the church
that has profession of faith that particular service is faced with so many worshippers that it is sometimes impossible to fit them all in the building.
Yarrow
Good news from the Fraser Valley.
Rev. C. VanderVelde wrote in his congregational news:
We’re off! After much dedicated
planning by the Building Committee, and after yet another positive
signal from the congregation, Council could give the official go-ahead
for the construction of our church
building. After more than seven
years without a church building, it
is nice to know that we will soon
have our own facilities.
By now the building will be well on its
way. We share in the joy of the brothers
and sisters in Yarrow with this encouraging development.
Aldergrove
The celebration of the Lord’s Supper
continues to generate discussions, and
sometimes consistories develop interesting procedures. In the Aldergrove
church news I read this:
I would like to remind all Aldergrove congregational members that
if they know of guests who will be
visiting that afternoon and who
would like to celebrate with us,
that they bring this to the attention
of their district elder this week. Likewise for members of other congregations in the valley: if you know
that you will be in Aldergrove that
Sunday afternoon and you wish to
celebrate with us, please phone the
minister and arrangements can be
made ahead of time.
12
Here is a good way to get the elders
actively involved in fencing the Lord’s
table in admitting guests to the celebration.
Surrey
Another example is the statement
made by the consistory of the Maranatha
church in Surrey:
The availability of individual cups is
not intended as a transition to exclusive use of individual cups; individual cups are made available to
those who desire them.
The problem is, are there any restrictions, or conditions as to why brothers
or sisters would desire individual cups?
What I mean is this: if it becomes a matter of simple preference, you may end
up with half the congregation using individual cups, for a variety of reasons,
and the other half sharing the common
cup. Would that make for an orderly
celebration?
Willoughby Heights
An interesting declaration was
made by the consistory of the Church at
Willoughby Heights:
Upon further discussion regarding
the matter of the Biblical understanding of creation the consistory
concludes agreement with the view
that Scripture is clear about creation
having taken place in six days of
evening and morning. An overture
will be send to the next Synod with
a request to mandate committees
discussing unity with other federations to confirm their agreement
with this understanding.
If I understand it well, then the consistory concludes in the first part agreement with Scripture. Since this is already clearly stated in our confessions,
we wouldn’t expect anything else from
a Reformed consistory, of course. Nevertheless – it can be appreciated.
The second part seems to me a bit
more complex. First I thought that in
their discussions with other federations
the unity committees (do we have more
than one?) were supposed to confirm
Willoughby Heights’ agreement with
Scripture. But that doesn’t make a lot
of sense. Now, this quote is from a short
report of a consistory meeting, so I assume that this is just a summary of the
overture. But the question remains:
what do the brothers want next Synod
to do? And is there actually a need to do
something here?
Is the Scriptural doctrine of creation
so heavily attacked in our churches, that
our confessions are not sufficient anymore, and that it is necessary to issue
special doctrinal statements about it? I
would question the wisdom of such an
action in a situation in which (to my
knowledge) no one among us really
questions the historical reality of what
Scripture teaches about the creation.
Rockingham
We make a quick visit to our brothers and sisters down under. The Church
at Rockingham is struggling with a
problem that many, if not all, churches
are confronted with: what is the best
way to deal with wayward baptized
members? They asked their Synod 2000
for advice:
This advice included that the congregation should also be encouraged to work with these members
and that if no fruit was evident, consistory could consider such members as having withdrawn themselves from the church.
Especially the last part leaves me with
the question: what about discipline? I
don’t have the complete Synod advice
in front of me, but I have always had
a hard time with the option to consider a member as having withdrawn
him or herself from the church, just
by their actions.
Armadale
In Armadale the consistory discussed some liturgical matters. I’d like
to highlight one element:
After discussion it is decided not to
adopt standing during singing after
Baptism and Apostles’ Creed.
When we sing the national anthem we
all rise spontaneously (at least here in
Canada!) Why? I guess we feel that it is
appropriate to show honour and respect
to our country. Well, if that is true and
good, it is beyond me that we would
not rise when we profess together our
faith in the Triune God.
I will leave you with this beautiful
one liner that I found in one of the Australian bulletins:
By the way, if you are looking for
or want to join the perfect church or
a church with no problems . . .
DON’T, you will ruin it!
Till the next time.
CLARION, JANUARY 5, 2001
EDUCATION MATTERS
Board members visits:
are they necessary?
ally be prepared also. Nervousness
therefore can be reduced, and the
school visit can become a more objective and concrete experience.
By A. Kingma
Board members visiting
If you are a teacher unfamiliar to
the Canadian Reformed School system,
you would be rather puzzled when
board members (board members may
include education committee members) come to visit your school. They
usually visit in groups of two, sitting in
the backs of classrooms, chatting with
the teacher at the end of the lesson, and
joining the staff in the staff room for
coffee if there is time. Another Reformed
tradition, you might say, and wrong
you are. It is not really a Reformed tradition; rather, it was a very standard tradition before public school systems of
superintendents and before evaluation
teams came to being. But instead of discussing how school visits came to be,
discussing the value of the school visit
is more interesting. Do board members
know why they are visiting? Do teachers
know why they are visiting? Are these
visits necessary?
Newer board members are usually
nervous the first time they visit the
school. They often have not been well
prepared to know what to look for either. What must they really observe?
Should they focus on noise levels, students’ attitudes or teachers’ ability to
teach? The beginning teacher (and
maybe even the not-so-beginning
teacher) is also nervous. What will the
visitors look for? Will they evaluate my
performance? Should I see this visit as
a teacher visit rather than a school
visit? Some school societies have prepared checklists for the board members. The check list provides security
for the visitors, not only in looking for
details that are supposed to be important, but also in providing details for
reporting back to the board. With a
checklist in hand, board members no
longer need to feel nervous. And if the
school has the policy of sharing this list
with teachers (a copy in the teachers’
handbooks), then the teachers can reCLARION, JANUARY 5, 2001
Newer board members
are usually nervous the first
time they visit the school.
First visit by board members
An “old-time” teacher recently
shared that she was very nervous
about her first school visit by the board
(way back in 1972). Two older gentlemen came to the school, spent the
whole day in the school, moving from
one classroom to the other. When they
came to her room, they sat in the back
for only a very little while, walked
about and started chatting with their
grandchildren, then left. She did not
receive any oral communication except for “Looks good.” Of course the
comment was positive, but it left a
nagging question, “What looks good?”
Perhaps those board members felt that
there was good rapport, good Reformed teaching and thus a good atmosphere. Perhaps they judged on the
basis of an intuitive sense that things
were going right in the classroom.
And perhaps that’s all a school visit is
and should be.
Board members must be
interested in and
knowledgeable of the school.
They have the delegated task
to ensure that our schools do
remain Reformed.
Necessity of these visits
A document that circulated throughout our schools in 1992 suggested that
school visits are still a necessity, but have
their limitations. They are not teacher
visits. They are and should remain exactly what they should be: school visits.
The author, Drs. van den Berg, outlined
that a school visit should perform two
main functions: to examine the fundamental/philosophical aspects of the
school, and to show concern for personal or individual matters of the school
(Zin en Onzin van het Schoolbezoek,
Drs. van den Berg, Kampen, 1988; translated by R. Koet, 1992). Van den Berg
does not outline these two tasks well, but
I venture to interpret the first task to be
that of observing whether the teaching
and atmosphere are visibly Reformed.
For example, are knowledge and faith
interwoven in teaching and discipline?
The second aspect deals more with
keeping up the relations between
board and staff – showing personal interest in the school’s activities. By stating this, I think that van den Berg likes
to cover that whole aspect of personal
contact which board members should
have: listening and sharing with teachers and students, observing good communication and proper atmosphere in
the halls, classrooms, and perhaps
even the staff room.
What should it not be?
So if that is what the school visit
should be, what should it not be? When
a school visit becomes a teacher visit, or
a subject-content visit, then the visit
changes character and is no longer a
school visit. Visiting a teacher usually
has a different intent. One is trying to
analyze methods of class management;
the correct method of instruction given
to the age-level students; or one is trying to decide whether the method followed (either the textbook/activity book
method or the teacher’s self-made units
materials) is the best for the children.
Or perhaps one is trying to see whether
all students’ needs are being addressed
by the teacher. These areas, van den
Berg says, are really the areas the principal oversees, or the areas an external
evaluator should review.1 At the least,
these areas should receive the board’s
attention in different ways, not in the
school visit.
I wish to add a third reason for the
board’s visit. Being representatives of
the parents, board members must be
13
interested in and knowledgeable of
the school. They have the delegated
task to ensure that our schools do remain Reformed. They, therefore, do
need to inspect and evaluate the
school. Can this task be done in a
school visit? Certainly. Twice a year,
generally speaking, board members
visit, and they do get a good sense of
what is going on inside and outside
the classroom. If they cannot say, like
those two old-time visitors, “Looks
good,” then they need to schedule follow-up visits with the principal, and
maybe also the staff (member) to help
solve the “problem.”
Clear objectives
Doing a school visit is not an easy
task for board members. Having clear
well-versed objectives in mind will
make the task easier. Discussing the
purpose and the procedure together
with staff and board would be very productive. It would build trust and understanding too. For the board to do its
work knowledgeably, we must continue the practice of school visits. Sure,
the school visit is only one method, and
perhaps a limited one, but it is one
method which can help board members say thankfully, “Looks good.”
See OACS Education Committee Manual, Part
III.This section also suggests that teacher evaluation is mainly a principal’s task. p. 23, 24.
1
Peregrine school survey
By K. Sikkema
Credo Christian Elementary School
in Langley recognizes the importance of
the unity of home, school and church;
however, sometimes there are situations in which not the parents, but the
grandparents desire to send a child to
the Christian school. Credo has been revising its admittance policy to now allow for this possibility with a proposed
replacement article borrowed from
Chatham’s constitution and by-laws.
The proposal was defeated.
Tyndale Christian School in Calgary
reports a new government program
which promises an additional $67 per
student for three years for just about any
conceivable board plan to improve
learning. The program is under the care
of Mr. Gary Duthler, the executive director of the Federation of Independent
Schools in Canada (FISC). FISC has “submitted a brief, calling for a change to the
14
Income Tax Act which would allow parents to deduct independent school tuition
from their income for tax purposes . . . .
FISC has noted that Stockwell Day has
made this solution part of his commitment, and that this position is consistent
with his long standing record of support
for parental choice in education.”
After several years with just one
teacher, Owen Sound Canadian Reformed School is a lively entity enjoying
many blessings with continued growth
in enrolment, a host of volunteers who
each generously contribute of their
particular talents to the communal effort, and two full-time staff members.
Guido de Brès Christian High
School cautiously announces its joy
over $11 million the Ontario government’s health department is making
available to certain special needs students in faith-based schools. Qualifying
students will be placed on the Community Care Access Centres’ waiting
lists to receive these services: “This development opens the doors for many
children with special needs who might
otherwise not have been able to attend
Christian school.”
This fall, Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers College offered a very
well attended three-evening minicourse on Curriculum Modification
with Sharon Hofsink. The course provided guidelines, suggestions, and
practice in modifying content-area
material of local curriculum to meet
the needs of special students. The College also experiences a healthy enrolment development, with seven students in year one of its three-year
program, and four students in its oneyear program. May all students enjoy a
good preparation for the divine calling
of teaching God’s children.
HURCH NEWS
C
CALLED by the church of Albany,
Western Australia:
Rev. W. Wielenga
of Lynden, Washington, USA.
CARE (Curriculum Assistance to Reformed Education), a committee of the
League of Canadian Reformed School
Societies, is supervising Miss Judy Kingma’s development of a grade 1-4
Church History curriculum based on
CARE’s previously established Reformed perspective. She is sponsored
for one year by a private donor, and visits the schools in Ontario to promote
and field-test the work-in-progress.
The Canadian Reformed Teachers’
Association-East held its annual twoday convention in Fergus’ Maranatha/
Emmanuel School. The organizers provided four rounds of five workshops
each. Dr. Riemer Faber’s keynote contribution, contrasting Luther’s and Erasmus’ views of education, was an excellent historical springboard for examining
the foundations of our Christian schools
today. Also of note, the League of Canadian Reformed School Societies has contributed financially to a CRTA-East convention for the first time this year.
This column is supported by the CRTA-East.
Reader responses or articles are encouraged,
and can be sent to abkingma@kwic.com or directly to the managing editor of Clarion.
New Year’s Greetings from:
Calgary
MARCEL and ELAINE JACOBI, Kelsey and Jasmine
BILL and ELAINE VAN OOSTERHOUT, Jason, Nathan
Langley
RALPH and GRACE VISSCHER
JAMES and MICHELLE VANDEBURGT, Noah
f
Rockway
APPIE and EM BREUKELMAN, Melissa, Tim, Shane,
Tyler, Leanne, Daniel, Kenneth
Smithers
d
RON and DIANE KLEEFMAN, Katrine and Janelle
CLARION, JANUARY 5, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
Sermons by John Calvin
reviewed by N.H. Gootjes
John Calvin, The Deity of Christ and
Other Sermons. Translated by Leroy
Nixon; Foreword by Richard C. Gamble. Audubon, N.J.: Old Paths Publications, 1997. Hardcover, 302 pages.
A collection of sermons preached
by John Calvin in Geneva was recently
republished. The title on the dustcover
and on the spine is misleading: Sermons on the Deity of Christ. Actually,
there is only one sermon dealing with
the deity of Christ; other sermons explain the meaning of his birth, his suffering and death, his resurrection and
ascension, his pouring out of the Holy
Spirit and his return. In all, there are
twenty sermons.
All these sermons date from his
years in Geneva. Calvin did preach in
Paris and in Strasbourg, but none of
these sermons have been preserved.
The sermons brought together in this
book follow the church year from
Christmas to Pentecost. But it is well
known that Calvin himself did not keep
it in his own preaching. Actually, he
was not much in favour of it: he rather
preached through a whole book of the
Bible in successive sermons. It seems he
preached only once a special sermon
on Christmas.
Around the same time I received
this collection of sermons for review,
my uncle gave me, from his own collection, an older book on the preaching of Calvin, written by P. Biesterveld.
Here, I found interesting information
about Calvin’s sermons. Calvin used to
improvise his sermons. This does not
mean that he did not prepare himself.
He studied the text and read some commentaries. He must even have made
outlines, for in a footnote on p. 114 of
The Deity of Christ, Calvin’s outline for
the sermon is mentioned. This sermon
proves that Calvin, speaking freely on
the basis of his outline, sometimes went
beyond the outline.
CLARION, JANUARY 5, 2001
The reason why Calvin’s sermons
have been preserved is that someone
was appointed to write down the sermons. It was apparently not hard to capture the whole sermon, for Calvin was
asthmatic and spoke slowly. The person
who wrote the sermons was paid by
the deacons to provide a neat copy. The
sermons were then printed and sold; the
profit was for the needy. We can therefore be confident that the written sermons are to all intents and purposes
Calvin’s work, although he did not even
look them over before publication.
Calvin used to improvise
his sermons.
The sermons collected in The Deity
of Christ come from different occasions.
Some have been preached on a Sunday
(see pages 66, 269), others were given
during weekday services (see page 150).
Today, we cannot go
to Geneva to listen to Calvin
preaching. But people
who would like to
hear Calvin preach, can read
these sermons.
One states clearly that the Lord’s
Supper will be celebrated next week,
and calls the hearers to participate and
to observe the benefits of the Holy Supper (page 65). The sermon on Christ’s
birth (see pages 48 and 49) includes a
clear reference to the Lord’s Supper, and
was probably also used as a preparation sermon. Calvin did not chose particular texts for these sermons, it seems.
The sermons are rather lengthy. I
read aloud for myself one of the shorter
ones; it took me just over forty minutes. In a church building without a
sound system, delivering it may have
taken close to an hour. The sermons are
not hard to understand. The explanation is in simple language and they address the hearers rather directly. They
are different in style from our sermons.
To give an example, when Calvin deals
with Jesus Christ’s returning to his disciples and finding them asleep, he does
not tell the story of how this was a
painful experience for the Lord. He
simply ignores that. Instead he gives a
general encouragement on prayer: we
should not grow faint if we are not
heard as soon as we would wish (page
67). In general, Calvin does not follow
our custom of beginning the sermon
with an introduction to draw the attention of the listeners; he begins preaching with the understanding that he is
preaching about very important issues
which deserve the interest of his hearers. To give an example from his sermon on Acts 1:1-4:
Let us note, then, that when the
Gospel is announced to us, it is in
order that we may leave this world;
namely, all the wicked affections
that we have in us, and all the vanities which hold us here below. We
must be entirely changed and God
must give us a new life. This is how
we ought to profit by the Gospel
that it may be truly the Kingdom of
God, and that it may have such
authority over us as belongs to it
(page 203).
Calvin’s explanation is direct and to
the point.
There are places where we would
explain the text differently from Calvin.
In his explanation of Matthew 26:41,
“The spirit is willing but the flesh is
weak,” Calvin works from a different
translation: “The Spirit is ready, but the
flesh is weak.” He explains:
15
That is, since we feel in us some
good will, and God has already set
us on the way, and has extended to
us His hand, may we experience
that He really governs us by His
Holy Spirit. Although, then, we may
have all of that, yet we must not be
slow to pray. And why not? Let us
consider whether there is in us only
the Spirit. Surely we shall find many
infirmities remaining. (page 71)
Taking the word “spirit” in the sense of
the Holy Spirit, Calvin comes with a
completely different explanation of this
well known text.
The translator has spent much effort
on the translation, as the explanatory
footnotes show. One can differ on certain choices. When the translator speaks
of the Son of God as “His counsel and
His virtue” (page 18), I would prefer to
replace the misleading word “virtue”
with “power.” And the expression, “bru-
tal stupidity” (page 56) no doubt refers
to brutes in the sense of animals. Overall,
however, it is a very readable translation.
A bonus is the brief foreword by Dr.
Richard C. Gamble, written particularly
for this edition. He gives an introduction
to these sermons, pointing out some
characteristics of Calvin’s preaching.
Today, we cannot go to Geneva to listen
to Calvin preaching. But people who
would like to hear Calvin preach, can
read these sermons.
Rev. M.H. VanLuik; Vice-chairman: Rev. P.H. Holtvlüwer; Clerk:
Rev. R. A. Schouten
5. Adoption of the agenda.
The agenda was adopted after several modifications.
6. Correspondence received.
a. Appeal from a brother and sister was received and replied
to.
b. Appeal from a brother and sister was received and replied
to.
7. Proposals or instructions from the
churches:
No proposals or instructions were
forthcoming.
8. Reports received:
a. Committee for Financial Aid to
Needy Students for the Ministry.
A request from a theological
student originally from Classis
Pacific East asking for financial
support during his participation in the Pastoral Proficiency
Program. The request was
granted and the churches in
Classis Pacific East will be assessed in the amount of $8.12
per communicant member.
Classis expects that churches
participating in the PPP will
contribute along with Classis to
the financial needs of the student.
b. Church Visitation reports.
The church visitors reported on
a visit to the Church of Alder-
grove which Classis received
with thanksgiving.
9. Question Period according to Article 44, CO.
All churches answered yes, yes,
and no to the questions of Article
44 posed by the chairman.
10. Appointments:
a. Convening church for the next
Classis, place and date.
The next Classis is scheduled
for March 29, 2001, to be convened by the Church of Aldergrove in Aldergrove’s place of
worship. The alternate date for
Classis is June 21, 2001.
b. Suggested officers for the next
Classis: Chairman: Rev. P.H.
Holtvlüwer; Vice-chairman:
Rev. R.A. Schouten; Clerk: Rev.
C.J. Vandervelde.
11. Personal Question Period.
Several questions were raised.
12. Censure according to Article 34,
CO.
It was noted with thankfulness that
censure was not needed.
13. Adoption of the Acts of Classis.
The Acts were read and approved.
14. Approval of the Press Release.
The press release was read and
approved.
15. Closing.
The chairman, Rev. VanLuik, asked
Classis to sing, led the meeting in
prayer and adjourned the assembly.
P
RESS RELEASE
Press Release of Classis Pacific
East of the Canadian and
American Reformed Churches
held on November 30th, 2000 in
Abbotsford, B.C.
1. Opening on behalf of the convening Church at Abbotsford.
The chairman of the convening
church of Abbotsford, Rev. R.A.
Schouten, opened the meeting by
requesting the delegates to sing
Hymn 14:1, 2, reading Luke 2:3956 and prayer. In his opening remarks Rev. Schouten remembered
the recent national elections in the
USA and Canada and that we may
continue to practise our faith in
freedom. Secondly, he noted that
the Church of Chilliwack could
complete its renovations. Further,
two new mission activities have
begun in our region, namely the Urban Mission Project under Rev.
Frank Dong and the Native Mission
in Fort Babine under Rev. Wes Bredenhof.
2. Report on the examination of the
credentials by the delegates of
Yarrow.
The credential were examined and
all primi delegates were present
with proper credentials.
3. Constitution of Classis.
Classis was then declared constituted.
4. Appointment of officers:
The following brothers assumed
their positions as recommended by
the previous Classis: Chairman:
16
For Classis Pacific East November
30, 2001, P. H. Holtvlüwer
(vice-chairman at that time)
CLARION, JANUARY 5, 2001
Press Release of Regional Synod
West, held on December 5, 2000
in the Willoughby Heights
Canadian Reformed Church,
Langley, B.C.
On behalf of the convening church,
Rev. E. Kampen called the meeting to
order. Hymn 1B was sung. Psalm 48
was read. Prayer was offered. For memorabilia it was noted that since the last
Regional Synod, Rev. F. Dong, Rev. W.
Bredenhof, and Rev. D. Poppe had
been ordained to office. It was also
noted that Rev. A. J. Pol was a new
minister in the churches in Regional
Synod West.
The credentials were examined. All
the classes were represented by the
primi delegates. Regional Synod was
constituted. Elected to serve as officers
were: Rev. R. Aasman as chairman,
Rev. E. Kampen as vice-chairman, and
Rev. W. M. Wielenga as clerk.
The agenda was adopted. It was
decided to have a general round of discussion on most of the items on the
agenda and then divide into committees
to draft proposals.
Upon request of the church responsible for the archives, Regional
Synod agreed to bear the cost of obtaining a fire proof filing cabinet. After
the other items had gone through a
general round of discussion, the various committees met.
After Synod resumed meeting in
full session, it dealt with five appeals
CLARION, JANUARY 5, 2001
pertaining to various decisions of Classis Pacific East of March 30,31, 2000.
A suggestion from the Church at
Coaldale to have the clerk of Regional
Synod forward copies of overtures
submitted to Regional Synod was not
accepted.
Regional Synod dealt with overtures
concerning the Heidelberg Catechism,
the Forms for Ordination, and a standardized Subscription Form from Classis
Pacific West of April 25, 2000, which
had originated from the Willoughby
Heights church. The overture concerning the Catechism was not accepted,
but it was decided to forward this submission to General Synod for consideration by the Book of Praise Committee.
Synod decided to adopt a proposal to
overture General Synod to establish a
standardized Subscription Form, as well
as a proposal to overture General Synod
to change the answer in the Forms for
Ordination to “I do.” Synod also dealt
with a proposal from Classis Pacific East
of September 21, 2000 which originated with the church at Abbotsford
concerning the Book of Praise. This
was not accepted.
Regional Synod appointed br. H.
Lubbers as treasurer, the Church at
Taber as auditor for the books of the
treasurer, the Church at EdmontonProvidence as the Archive Church, and
the Church at Edmonton-Immanuel as
the Church responsible for inspection of
the Archives.
As deputies ad art 48 CO, Synod appointed Rev. K. Jonker (alternates Rev. J.
Moesker, Rev. A.J. Pol) from Classis Manitoba, Rev. R. Aasman (alternates Rev. E.J.
Tiggelaar, Rev. W. B. Slomp) from Classis Alberta, Rev. R.A. Schouten (alternates
Rev. D. Moes, Rev. M.H. VanLuik) from
Classis Pacific East, and Rev. C. Van
Spronsen (alternates Rev. E. Kampen,
Rev. J. Huijgen) from Classis Pacific West.
Nominated for the Board of Governors of the Theological College were: Rev.
R. Aasman, Rev. J. Moesker, Rev. R.A.
Schouten (alternates, Rev. W.B. Slomp,
Rev. E.J. Tiggelaar, Rev. E. Kampen). Delegated to General Synod to be convened
in Neerlandia, May 1, 2001 were the Reverends R. Aasman, J. Huijgen, E. Kampen
and A.J. Pol, with alternates, in order, J.
Moesker, R.A. Schouten, J. Visscher, J. van
Popta, and elders P. DeBoer, W.
Gortemaker, E. Kampen, W. VanAssen,
with alternates, in order, R. Klaver, J.
DeHaas, I. Veurink, and H. Ludwig.
The next Regional West was scheduled for December 4, 2001, with the
Church at Winnipeg-Redeemer as the
convening church.
Question period was held. The
chairman noted with gratitude that no
censure was needed. The Acts were
read and adopted. The Press Release
was read and approved. Psalm 116:1,
7, 10 was sung. The chairman led in
prayer. Synod was closed.
On behalf of Regional Synod West
December 5, 2000
Rev. E. Kampen
17
CLARION
ADVERTISEMENTS
Births
Worthy art thou, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honour and
power, for thou didst create all things, and by thy will they existed and
were created. Revelation 4:11
The Lord has blessed us with a beautiful gift, our firstborn
EMILY RITA
November 21, 2000, 7 lbs. 3 oz.
Kevin and Andrea Vanderzwaag
Lovingly welcomed by family and friends
1st grandchild for William and Rita Reinink
4th grandchild for Ben and JoAnne Vanderzwaag
Great-grandchild for Mrs. G. Vanderzwaag, Mr. and Mrs. F. Reinink
and Mr. and Mrs. D. Attema
459 St. Patrick Street East, Fergus, ON N1M 1N1
His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation.
Luke 1:50
God has granted the safe arrival of
LUCAS CALLAN
Born August 8, 2000
Thankful family: Wayne and Karen Breukelman
Stephanie, Reuben and Sean
48 Fairview Avenue, Grimsby, ON L3M 3L3
For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100:5
With thankfulness to God, who has made all things well, we are
pleased to announce His precious gift to us
ALEXANDRA MICHELLE
A sister for Rachel
Paul and Marsha Leistra
245 Lloyminn Avenue, Ancaster, ON L9G 4C4
Lo, sons are a heritage of the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.
Psalm 127:3
Henry and Carolin Bosscher
are pleased to announce that the Lord has blessed them with the
safe birth of another one of His covenant children
DAVID HENRY
Born November 23, 2000
A brother to Nathan and Joel
RR 8, Owen Sound, ON N4K 5W4
We praise and glorify our Heavenly Father, our Creator! He has entrusted into our care a covenant child. We named our son
TIMOTHY EDWARD
Born on his great-Opa Lindhout’s 92nd birthday, December 4, 2000
Ed and Katherine Niezen
Miranda, Claire
7279 Wellington Road 16,
Belwood, ON N0B 1J0
18
Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6
With thankfulness to our heavenly Father who has blessed us with
another covenant child, we announce the safe arrival of our son
MICHAEL LUKE
Born December 20, 2000
A brother for Stephanie, Jeffrey and Natalie
Jason and Irma Thalen
47597 Yale Road East, Chilliwack, BC V2P 7M8
email: jasonthalen@hotmail.com
Engagements
I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13
The LORD has blessed our lives by bringing us together to share forever. We are happy to announce our engagement on November 3,
2000 at 9:31 pm.
PAUL EDWARD VANHUISSTEDE and BRIGETTE LEONA LODDER
plan to unite in joyful glee this summer!
Hamilton, Ontario
Anniversaries
1951 – February 16 – 2001
Thou dost guide me with Thy counsel. Psalm 73:24a
With gratitude to the Lord who has guided them with His counsel, and
kept them in His care, we may celebrate, D.V., the 50th Wedding
Anniversary of our parents and grandparents
JACOB P. (JAKE) KUNTZ and
CATHARINA (CATHY) KUNTZ (nee Salomons)
Their thankful children and grandchildren and one great-grandchild
Edmonton, AB:
Rita and Bill Geusebroek
Philip
Jeremy and Allison
Katherine
Martin, Kenneth
Aldergrove, BC:
John and Elma Kuntz
Edmonton, AB:
Eric Kuntz
Aldergrove, BC:
Pamela, Sara, Mitchell
Chilliwack, BC:
Cora and Fred DeHaas
Edmonton, AB:
Katrina and Colin Bosch
Surrey, BC:
Teresa DeHaas and Ryan Smith
Edmonton, AB:
Rebecca and Brad Aikema
Chilliwack, BC:
Andrea, Gregory
Edmonton, AB:
Henry and Carol Kuntz
Tracy, Victoria
Tiger Lily, AB:
Carla and Richard VanderVeen
Suzanne, Steven
Edmonton, AB:
Jeff and Cynthia Kuntz
Jennie, Kelsey, Paige, Jake, Calista
Roger and Cindy Kuntz
Shari, Samantha, Jessica, Jaclyn
9804 – 162 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T5P 3L2
jake@ab.sympatico.ca
CLARION, JANUARY 5, 2001
1951 – January 10 – 2001
What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those
who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as
if they were not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who
buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; those who use the things
of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present
form is passing away. 1 Corinthians 7:29-31
Psalm 27
1946 – January 31 – 2001
With thankfulness to the Lord, we joyfully announce the 55th Wedding Anniversary of
PETER and JOYCE BROERSMA nee Postma
May the Lord continue to keep them in his care and bless them in
the years to come.
Their family:
Fergus, ON:
Gerry and Henny Broersma
Guelph, ON:
Andy Broersma
Cloverdale, BC:
Clyde and Mary Broersma
Guelph, ON:
Jane O’Regan Broersma
Cor and Karen Broersma
16 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren
70 Woodlawn Road East, Apt. 108
Guelph, Ontario N1H 7H7
Due to illness, our parents would appreciate that they have no visitors.
Obituaries
With thankfulness to our heavenly father for His care and guidance, we joyfully announce the 50th Wedding Anniversary of our
dear parents and grandparents
JAN (JACK) and ELTJE (ELLY) SCHUTTEN nee Oosterhoff
We invite you to celebrate this special occasion with us at an Open
House to be held, the Lord willing, at Mountainview Christian
Reformed Church located at Hwy 8 and Bartlett in Grimsby, on
Saturday, February 17, 2001 from 2 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Hamilton, ON:
Harmina and Hank Vanderbrugghen
Sarah Vanderbrugghen and Matthew Keep
Adam
Rachel
David
St. Catharines, ON: Bert and Susan Schutten
Emily
Kerry
Grimsby, ON:
Joanne and Robert Steltman
Cameron
Kristopher
Jason
Mississauga, ON: Freda and Sam Yannacacos
Carina
Steven
John Schutten
Grimsby, ON:
Unionville, ON:
Antoinette and Mark St. Angelo
268 Central Avenue, Grimsby, ON L3M 1X7
Advertise in the
CLARION, JANUARY 5, 2001
December 7, 1901 – December 7, 2000
And this is what He has promised us – even eternal life. 1 John 2:25
On her 99th birthday, the Lord took home His child, our mother,
grandmother and great-grandmother
ALBERDINA BEUKEMA (nee Meenen)
Predeceased by her husband Jan in January 1990
Brampton, ON:
Hennie and Cor Tenhage
Fergus, ON:
Ray and Dieny Beukema
11 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren
Apt. 1206 – 35 Kingknoll Drive, Brampton, ON L6Y 5G5
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”
Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and
true.” Revelation 21:5
January 7, 1912 – November 19, 2000
On November 19, 2000 the Lord has taken unto Himself into eternal glory, our husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather
PIETER RAVENSBERGEN
at the age of 88 years.
Beloved husband of Sophia Ravensbergen (nee Vander Burg)
Smithville, ON:
Tina and John Bartels
Gerrit and Tina Ravensbergen
Rolie and Bep Ravensbergen
Dunnville, ON:
Anne and Clarence Hopman
Smithville, ON:
Magda Ravensbergen
Beamsville, ON:
Sophia and Gerry Schuller
Smithville, ON:
Jane and Frank Schuller
Beamsville, ON:
Cora and Gary VanIperen
Smithville, ON:
Jake and Marie Ravensbergen
Grand Valley, ON: Wilma and Mel Brouwer
As well as 63 grandchildren and 44 great-grandchildren.
The funeral service took place on November 22, 2000 in the
Canadian Reformed Church at Smithville, Ontario.
Address: 2859 South Grimsby Road 10,
Smithville, ON L0R 2A0
19
Teaching Positions
The Board of Ebenezer Canadian Reformed School of Smithers
and Houston invites applications for the following positions for the
2001 - 2002 school year:
Kindergarten, 40% full time;
Two possible FULL-TIME POSITIONS in the Primary division;
Two openings for the High School division.
As well the Board invites applications for the position of
PRINCIPAL
Grades 9-11 are scheduled to be reinstated in the 2001/2002
school year after having been eliminated this school year due to a lack
of qualified staff.
All duties to commence August 1, 2001.
Please direct your inquiries to the principal,
Mr. Derek Stoffels,
250-847-3492 or ebenezer@bulkley.net
or the Chairman of the Board,
Mr. Jack Vanderveen, 250-846-9052 or jvh@bulkley.net
You may mail your application or inquiries to:
The Board, Ebenezer Canadian Reformed School
Box 3700, Smithers, BC V0J 2N0
Attercliffe Canadian Reformed Elementary School invites applications for
FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME TEACHERS
Duties to commence, D.V., September 1, 2001.
For further information phone
Mr. A. Kingma, principal
school (905) 774-9009, home (905) 774-1336
Please send applications, resumes and philosophy of education to
Mrs. F. Kingma,
Secretary of the Education Committee
951 Robinson Road, RR 1,
Dunnville, ON N1A 2W1
Guido de Brès Christian High School
Due to increasing enrollment and possible staff replacement, we require
FULL OR PART-TIME TEACHERS
Special consideration will be given to applicants with qualifications in
a combination of the following:
English, Mathematics, Science, Religious Studies, French
All positions would commence September 1, 2001.
For further information, please contact the principal
Mr. VanDooren, at school
Telephone: 905 574-4011
Fax: 905 574-8662
E-mail: gdb@netcom.ca
Letters of application should include university and teaching qualifications, two letters of reference, and your statement about Christian
education. Mail to:
Guido de Brès Christian High School
Education Committee
Box 20098, Upper James Postal Outlet
Hamilton, ON L9C 7M5
20
Due to the impending start of Grade Ten at Coaldale Christian
School, we ask qualified
HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS
to seriously consider relocating to sunny southern Alberta. Especially
those teachers with qualifications in the Math and Sciences are
urged to apply.
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
Ebenezer Christian School, Chatham, Ontario invites applications for
FULL TIME TEACHERS
Our school has an enrolment of 60 students in grade K-8 with 4 fulltime and 1 part-time teachers.
We are situated a short distance from the “golden horseshoe” of Ontario
in a smaller city with lower housing costs and many “small town”
advantages.
Qualified persons are asked to submit their letter of application and
resume to the chairperson of the Education Committee:
Mrs. Teresa Bergsma,
91 Harvest Crescent, Chatham, ON N7L 5C7,
or fax to the school directly at 519-354-2159
For more information about the school or the surrounding district,
please contact the principal,
Mrs. WillaDale Smid
at the school 519-354-1142 or home 519-674-2356
or e-mail wdsmid@ciaccess.com
The Board of Dufferin Christian School, Carman, Manitoba invites
applications for the position of
PRINCIPAL
Further, applications are also invited for teaching positions at the
ELEMENTARY LEVEL
HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL
– especially from those with abilities in senior math and science.
Applicants must hold a valid Manitoba Professional Teacher’s Certificate
(or equivalent credentials from another jurisdiction).
Duties to commence on August 1, 2001.
DCS is a K to 12 school with 234 students and 20 full-time staff.
Additional information on the school, the community, and education
in Manitoba can be found on-line at
www.mbnet.mb.ca/˜adufferin>.
Applications can be sent to:
Mr. Ron DeRuiter,
P.O. Box 1450, Carman, MB R0G 0J0; fax (204) 745-3441;
e-mail: dufferin@mb.sympatico.ca
Inquiries can be directed to:
Mr. Rob vanSpronsen, acting-Principal
Phone: school (204) 745-2278; home (204) 745-3996
e-mail: rvans@minet.gov.mb.ca
CLARION, JANUARY 5, 2001
The Maranatha/Emmanuel Canadian Reformed School Society,
Inc. of Fergus, Guelph and district invites applications for a
JUNIOR HIGH TEACHER
(with qualifications in science preferred)
and possible
ELEMENTARY TEACHERS
for the 2001-2002 school year.
H.J. Nobel
School: (519) 843-3029
Home: (519) 848-3922
Applications to be addressed to:
Maranatha/Emmanuel Christian School
c/o Education Committee
RR 3, Garafraxa Street, Fergus, ON N1M 2W4
The Canadian Reformed School Society of Edmonton, operating
Parkland Immanuel Christian School, invites applications for the
following positions for the 2001-2002 school year.
Primary Elementary Teacher
(Grade 1; an ECS Diploma would be an asset)
Junior/Senior High English Teacher
Junior/Senior High French Teacher
Junior/Senior High P.E. Teacher
(involves coaching of Sr. Volleyball/Basketball)
Remedial Coordinator
(a teacher with Special Education background preferred)
For further information please contact the Principal,
Mr. R. Van Delft
Phone: (780) 444-6443 (school); (780) 458-0433 (home)
Applications should be directed in writing to the Personnel Committee
in care of the school:
Parkland Immanuel Christian School
c/o Personnel Committee
21304 - 35 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB T6M 2P6
URGENT
The parents in the Orangeville and Grand Valley churches have an
immediate need for full-time
TEACHERS
to teach their children at Dufferin Area Christian School.
This need is created by a growing school population, and the
unexpected vacancy of current teaching positions.
One position needs to be filled immediately, and a second for part
of this academic year from March of 2001 on and may lead to fulltime in September 2001.
A full-time position is available for the 2001/2002 school year.
Dufferin Area Christian School has grades K-8 in 4 classrooms. We
are constructing two additional classrooms and a new library.
We plan to build a gymnasium as well when the necessary funds are
raised for this purpose, D.V.
We will send a complete information package to all prospective
teachers to assist in their considerations.
To receive this information package email the
Principal, Mr. Nick Mans
at dacs@on.aibn.com or telephone 1-519-941-4368
Chairman, Mel Brouwer 928-5437
CLARION, JANUARY 5, 2001
The Maranatha/Emmanuel Canadian Reformed School Society
Inc. of Fergus, Guelph and district invites applications for a
TEACHER
with qualifications in science preferred, to finish the school year in
May and June, 2001 and, if so desired, to continue in this position in
future years.
This position is at the junior high school level.
For information contact the Principal
H.J. Nobel
School: (519) 843-3029;
Home: (519) 848-3922
Applications to be addressed to:
Maranatha/Emmanuel Christian School
c/o Education Committee
RR 3, Garafraxa Street, Fergus, ON N1M 2W4
The K. Schilder School of Grand Rapids, MI, USA urgently needs a
PRINCIPAL/ TEACHER
We are inviting applications for a Principal/Teacher.
Requirements:
• Must be Canadian/American Reformed or communicant
member of a sister church.
This is a small school of approximately 24 students with grades 1-12.
If a teacher cannot be found, there is a possibility of the school
closing for the year 2001-2002.
For information please contact:
John Van Middelkoop, Secretary
3167 - 68th Street SE
Caledonia, MI 49316
Phone: (616) 698-9604
e-mail: jpkingma@wmis.net
Timothy Christian School, Hamilton, Ontario
For the 2001-2002 school year, commencing August 1, 2001, we
are in need of a number of
TEACHERS
for our K - Grade 8 elementary school. We are searching for teachers
who are committed to Reformed education, and are willing and able
to work as part of our 13-member teaching team. The ability to teach
French, Mathematics, Music, and/or Science would be an asset.
Timothy Christian School follows the salary and contractual arrangements recommended by the League of Canadian Reformed School
Societies.
Interested persons are invited to contact the Principal for further
information.
Mr. T.M.P. Vanderven, Principal
School: (905) 385-3953
Home: (905) 383-4526
Applications are to be forwarded to the Education Committee via the
school’s mailbox.
Mrs. E. Hekert, Chair Education Committee
Home: (905) 679-4897
Timothy Christian School
205 Queensdale Avenue East,
Hamilton, Ontario L9A 1L1
Tel: (905) 385-3953
21
The Board of the Canadian Reformed School Society of Winnipeg
invites applications for
TEACHING POSITIONS
in the elementary division K-6 of Immanuel Christian School.
Immanuel Christian School currently has 12 full time teachers, a full
time special needs staff member, and three teacher assistants.
There are 200 students in grades K-12.
Duties to commence August 1, 2001.
Applicants should be able to obtain or be willing to work towards acquiring a Manitoba Teacher’s Certificate.
If you are interested or would like additional information, please contact:
Mr. H. van Delden, Chairman of the Board
Phone 204-224-1620 (home); 204-663-9000 (work)
Mr. A. Gunnink, Principal
phone 204-661-8937 (home); 204-224-9206 (work)
Please mail, e-mail or fax your application to:
Immanuel Christian School
215 Rougeau Avenue,
Winnipeg, Manitoba R2C 3Z9
Fax 204-669-7013
e-mail: immanuel@MBnet.mb.ca
The Board of Credo Christian High School invites applications for
SEVERAL TEACHING POSITIONS
in Mathematics and Science and French.
Teachers with other specialties are also urged to apply.
Credo Christian High School provides education for over 340 students
in grades 8 through 12 from various church communities in the Fraser
Valley. The school offers a comprehensive academic program that enables students to continue with post-secondary university, college and
career preparation programs. A variety of program opportunities exist
for students with interest in Computer Studies, Industrial Education
(Construction and Mechanics), Home Economics (Foods and Nutrition, Clothing and Textiles), Band and Art. Students are encouraged
to participate in various leadership development opportunities involving
team sports and student government.
If you are interested in joining a team of professionals in delivering a
sound educational program guided by Reformed Biblical principles
please reply to
Credo Christian High School
PO Box 3457, Langley BC V3A 4R8
Phone (604) 530 5396; Fax (604) 530 8965
Further inquiries can be directed to the principal
Mr. Ed Vanderboom
Home (604) 534 8837
e-mail ed.vanderboom@credochs.org
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Provide full name, address, including postal code/zip code;
for gift subscription, full address of gift giver and gift receiver.
For subscription rates see Clarion masthead.
We will invoice you on receipt of your request.
22
Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers College
Hamilton, Ontario
ADMISSIONS
September 2001
The Board of Covenant College invites applications from
prospective students for the 2001-2002 academic year.
The College offers teacher training programs to prepare candidates for teaching positions in the K-Grade 10 range.
Admission Requirements:
For the 1-year Diploma of Education program:
a suitable university degree.
For the 3-year Diploma of Teaching program:
a grade XII diploma with university entrance equivalence.
Prospective candidates are invited to contact the College for more
information and/or to obtain an enrolment package. Candidates
who plan to seek admission in the year 2002 are also encouraged
to contact the College as soon as possible.
Covenant Canadian Reformed Teachers College
Location:
Tel:
Fax:
E-mail:
Postal:
410 Crerar Drive, Hamilton, Ontario
905-385-0634
905-385-8409
covenant@nas.net
856 Upper James Street, Box 20179,
Hamilton, Ontario L9C 7M5
ANNOUNCEMENT
Contrary to rumour, Bremer Books is alive and well.
However, at this time the Book Fair Division must fold.
The Book Fair Division was established in 1992 to fill the
need for a source of quality (Christian and secular) literature, which the faculties of Canadian Reformed Schools
in Ontario all agreed was lacking. For eight years, we enjoyed a productive and rewarding relationship with the
Canadian Reformed elementary schools in Ontario.
However, due to scheduling difficulties, Bremer Book
Fair can no longer continue to provide this service.
We heartily thank the faculties, the students and their parents at the following schools, for their faithful and enthusiastic support:
Attercliffe Canadian Reformed Elementary School
Covenant Christian School, London
Covenant Christian School, Flamborough
Dufferin Area Christian School, Orangeville
Eben-Ezer Canadian Reformed School, Chatham
Maranatha Christian School, Fergus
Owen Sound Canadian Reformed School
“Timothy” Women’s Auxiliary, Hamilton
Bremer Books will continue to provide product on an
order basis, from churches, schools or individuals.
Our internet address is
www.bremerbooks.com.
Thea Heyink, Manager
CLARION, JANUARY 5, 2001
Looking forward to a long
and healthy retirement?
You’ll flock together with birds of a
feather at Shalom Evergreen Terrace
Discover the best opportunity for a Christian 55 plus
lifestyle free from worries of maintenance,
security and future care.
Special Presentation
Monday Jan. 22nd at 1:30 p.m
Mountainview CRC
290 Main St. East, Grimsby
Call (905) 309-7888 today!
HERITAGE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
Viola Van Otterloo
5611 E. Amherst Avenue
Denver, CO 80222 - 7014
303-759-0984
In keeping with our promise to educate our children in
the Reformed faith, we are asking for your support in the
continuing operation of our school. Heritage Christian
School faces a deficit of $25,000 for the coming year.
Please prayerfully consider assisting our school.
I would like to support Heritage Christian School with
a donation of
____ $50 ____ $75 ____ $100 ____ $250 ____ $500
Other __________________________________________
Name ________________________________________
Address ______________________________________
City ______________________ Zip Code __________
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: frvande@ibm.net
Sales Representative
JOE A. BOERSEMA, R.R.S.
Sales Representative
A professional who honours the Lord’s Day!
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
NEED A CHANGE? THINKING OF MOVING?
Why not consider Ottawa, the nation’s capital? Business is
booming and employment opportunities abound. Especially in
the high tech sector, companies simply cannot hire fast enough
to keep pace with the high-flying economy. Due to this boom
and the trickle down effect there are also various opportunities
available in other parts of the economy,
e.g., construction and real estate.
If you are interested in finding out more, or exploring some of
the possibilities available to you, the Canadian Reformed
community in Ottawa would like to help.
So just drop us a line or send your resume, outlining
the type of work you are looking for, to
Carina Ploeger (613) 726-9539
(carina.ploeger@ca.jdsuniphase.com) or
Brian Hart (613) 792-1076
(bhart@kan.cmac.dom)
With friends and contacts working in a broad range of
disciplines, we are prepared to help.
Check it out, you’ll be amazed!
CLARION, JANUARY 5, 2001
23
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
COUNTRY TOWN
REALTY INC.
“Serving the Smithville, Attercliffe
and surrounding areas.
Call today for area information”
(905) 957-5000
24 hr. pager
107 Griffin St. S.
Smithville, ON
L0R 2A0
Mark vander Velde
Sales Representative
Cell 905-517-1451
Res. 905-386-7494
Fax 905-957-1204
SALES POSITION AVAILABLE
Premier School Agendas, Eastern Canada has an opening for a
SALES CONSULTANT
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
bus: (905) 304-3303
fax: (905) 574-1450
res: (905) 648-7705
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
in Ontario
Please forward your resume to:
Henry Nieuwenhuis, Regional Manager
Premier School Agendas
Suite 48 - 5100 South Service Road
Burlington, Ontario L7L 5H4
or hnieuwenhuis@fcpremier.com or
Fax (905) 637-1016
Preference will be given to articulate self-starters.
Previous sales experience, computer literacy, and
post-secondary education are definite assets.
Job will commence January/February 2001
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
(905-639-9054)
or:
Arie J. Hordyk
2212 Headon Road, Burlington, ON L7M 3W7
(905-331-7625)
Email: hordyk@worldchat.com
CLARION, JANUARY 5, 2001