Reflections on the Reformation

This may come as a surprise to many, but today is Reformation Day not Halloween. On this Reformation Day, I would like to offer some of my reflections on the issue of reformation in African American churches, which is the theme of this blog. For years, I thought the Reformation had nothing to do with me as an African American Missionary Baptist. I was quite comfortable in my little corner of the Christian world. I knew the Roman Catholic Church was wrong on much, but I never really believed that those who believed the gospel according to Rome were lost.

In college, I took a class on the Protestant Reformation and still never made a connection with what I professed to believe as a Christian and the foundation of that profession in Reformed Protestant theology. One could say that God had decided to leave my veil covering my eyes.

It was when the Lord removed the veil back in December of 1998 that I saw the connection between being Reformed Protestant and Baptist. The study of Baptist history made better sense to me, and of course I fell in love with the great doctrines of grace such as election, justification, and the preservation and perseverance of the saints.

I am an unashamed Calvinist, Protestant, and Reformed Christian. While I am still an African American Baptist, that label has taken on less significance the past few years. Even now, I am attempting to be more and more catholic in the Reformed sense. I believe that true catholicity begins and ends with the belief that the Holy Scriptures are the inspired, sufficient, inerrant, infallible authority in all things pertaining to the faith and obedience of the Church.

If I can help African American Baptists see and embrace this, by the help of God, we can see real reformation in this generation. I pray God that he will effect bonifide reformation among African Americans. We (African American Baptists) are content with emotionally-driven and culturally-driven church. There is no room for a true catholicity, which Luther and Calvin among others envisioned during the 16th century. Calvin and others of the Reformed wing of the reformation believed in uniformity of worship since worship is biblically-based. It is quite amazing how uniform Reformed worship was even into the 20th century. As I have written before, reforming worship is imperative for African American Baptists. I believe real and authentic reformation begins in the realm of worship.

How do we apply Paul's words in Galatians: "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." What African Americans have done is make ethnicity matter when Paul said that these ethnic markers have lost their significance in Christ. If we are to be welcoming to all ethnic groups in the Church of Christ, it means that our worship should never emphasize ethnic particularities. Christians are one through one Holy Spirit, who inspired the prophets and apostles to teach us how to worship God and Christ and to teach us the elements of worship.

Someone may argue that there was uniformity in Reformed worship because the Reformers and their followers were European. Take another look at this: there were vast differences among European ethnicities then as there are now. If we base our argument on this then we belittle real ethnic differences that led to wars and nationalistic rivalries. Reformation in worship was based on a right application of the doctrine of sola scriptura. If these men like Calvin and Knox were true Christians and their understanding of worship truly biblically, can we toss them and their teaching aside because they lived in the 16th century and were Europeans? If so, we would be guilty of ethnic chauvinism and favoritism, which the Scriptures condemn.

I believe there was uniformity in New Covenant worship. Take a look at what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11 and 14. The churches outside of Judea consisted of Gentiles and Jews. Some Gentiles had come straight out of idolatry such as those at Thessalonica, but they conformed to the worship pattern taught them by the apostle Paul. Why are we so stubborn? Believe you me, I know the history of racism perpetrated by professing Christians in this country. The Spirit of God conquers such, and he calls us to conform to the Word of God alone even in the worship of God.

These are my thoughts on this Reformation Day 2008.

Soli Deo Gloria!