09 Aug GS 1992 art 103
GS 1992 ARTICLE 103 – Appeal of Br. L. Van Zandwyk re Hymn 1A
Committee I presents: Agenda item VIII D11
I. MATERIAL
Appeal of br. L. Van Zandwyk re Hymn 1A.
II. ADMISSIBILITY
Synod declares the letter of br. L. Van Zandwyk dated Oct. 21, 1992, admissible on the following grounds:
- A. the matter concerns the churches in common:
- B. the short period of time between Synod and Classis Ontario North Sept. 18, 1992, may have made it difficult to comply with Synodical Guideline 1,D (Acts, 1983, Art. 45).
III. OBSERVATIONS
- A. Br. Van Zandwyk requests “that Synod now deal with my request to Classis, since Classis did not do so ‘in an ecclesiastical manner.’”
- B. Br. Van Zandwyk requested Classis Ontario North Sept. 18, 1992, “to pronounce that in the present circumstance the singing of Hymn 1A ought to be suspended in our churches, until the text (and melody) of this hymn have been adapted to the officially adopted text of the Apostles’ Creed. That is: to discontinue insulting the Lord with an obsolete text of our ‘credo’ containing an officially acknowledged ‘impoverishment.’ And to seek a similar pronouncement from the coming General Synod, this being a matter which regards all the churches.”
- C. Classis responded as follows:
- 1. Synod 1989, adopted the proposal of the Standing Committee.
- 2. It is not in the province of Classis to make such a pronouncement.
- D. The grounds of the requests of br. Van Zandwyk to Classis were:
- 1. The text of Hymn 1A contains a major flaw “which was officially labelled by a previous General Synod as an ‘impoverishment’ of the expression of our catholic undoubted Christian faith” (Acts, Cloverdale, 1983, p. 51).
- 2. Hosea 14:2 and Hebrews 13:15; “where ‘the fruits (or confession) of our lips that acknowledge His Name’ is characterized as a sacrifice to the Lord.”
- 3. Deut. 17:1 and Mal. 1 and 2; “where the presentation of any defective or blemished sacrifice is condemned as an insult to the Lord, a practice on which we can expect not His blessing, but only His curse” (Mal.2:2).
IV. CONSIDERATIONS
- A. Although it was not in the province of Classis Ontario North Sept. 18, 1992, to suspend the singing of Hymn 1A for the churches in its jurisdiction, it was in its province to deal with the matter, and to overture General Synod to suspend the usage of Hymn 1A in the Book of Praise.
- B. Synod Winnipeg 1989, did not adopt the proposal of the Standing Committee that “Hymn 1A be left as it is so that it remains within the freedom of the churches to use this text and melody” (Acts, 1989, Art. 145, Observation 5), but Synod considered (Consideration 2) that “Synod 1986, already decided to have the same text of the Apostles’ Creed for singing and speaking (Acts, Art.189, Cons.2),” and showed in its Recommendation 2,j that it mandated the Standing Committee to continue to work towards this aim.
- C. Synod 1989, continued to leave it in the freedom of the churches to sing Hymn 1A which has been adopted by the churches as suitable in worship.
- D. Br. Van Zandwyk fails to consider the difference between on the one hand giving to the Lord a blemished sacrifice motivated by disrespect and selfish gain, while there is the choice to give to the Lord an unblemished sacrifice, and on the other hand giving to the Lord a blemished sacrifice which is the only one available and the motivation is not selfish gain, but to give to the Lord the best there is at the moment. Such sacrifices are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, as they are covered in the sight of God by the perfect holiness of the Mediator (1 Peter 2:5).
- E. Synod should not impoverish the worship of the congregation by suspending the singing of Hymn 1A, and continue to leave its use in the freedom of the churches and to review the matter when according to the judgment of the churches a better melody has been made available.
V. RECOMMENDATION
Synod decide not to grant the request of br. L. Van Zandwyk to suspend the usage of Hymn 1A.
DEFEATED
The following motion is made:
I. MATERIAL
Appeal br. L. Van Zandwyk re Hymn 1A.
II. ADMISSIBILITY
Synod declares the letter of br. L. Van Zandwyk dated Oct. 21, 1992, admissible on the following grounds:
- A. the matter concerns the churches in common;
- B. the short period of time between Synod and Classis Ontario North Sept. 18, 1992, may have made it difficult to comply with Synodical Guideline 1,D (Acts, 1983, Art. 45).
III. OBSERVATION
Br. Van Zandwyk requested Classis Sept. 18, 1992, “to pronounce that in the present circumstance the singing of Hymn 1A ought to be suspended in our churches, until the text (and melody) of this hymn have been adapted to the officially adopted text of the Apostles’ Creed. That is: to discontinue insulting the Lord with an obsolete text of our ‘credo’ containing an officially acknowledged ‘impoverishment.’ And to seek a similar pronouncement from the coming General Synod, this being a matter which regards all the churches.” Since Classis did not do this, br. Van Zandwyk approaches Synod.
IV. CONSIDERATIONS
- A. The churches have not yet been able to incorporate into Hymn 1A the word “Christian,” but are still seeking ways to do so, as affirmed by Synod 1992.
- B. Br. Van Zandwyk’s allegations about “insulting the Lord” by singing an “obsolete text” of our credo are unproven and far-fetched. The text of the credo in the present Hymn 1A may be as yet incomplete, but is not by that fact “obsolete.”
V. RECOMMENDATION
Synod decide not to grant the request of br. L. Van Zandwyk to suspend the singing of Hymn 1A.