The Office of Confessional Compliance
Christian Reformed Church in North America
Dear Brothers in Christ,
We humbly acknowledge that it is the kindness, tolerance, and patience of God (Romans 2:4) that has lead us to this act of contrition and litany of repentance:
We repent of worshipping, teaching, and confessing belief in a God that does not look, in every respect, like Jesus (John 14:9).
We repent of any belief or teaching that makes obedience, confession of sin, and repentance the heart of the gospel.
We repent of any teaching or the interpretation of any Confession that would suggest it is not by Grace alone that we are saved (Romans 3:21-24; Ephesian 2:4-8) or that unrepentant sin in an adopted child of God jeopardizes their eternal salvation in any way (Romans 8:1; Galatians 3:1-5).
We repent that the Reformed Confessions have become a means to an end — a means to exclude, a means to ensure uniformity of thinking and belief, instead of a point of reference and an invitation to a faith that leads to understanding.
We repent of participating in a hierarchy of leadership that is increasingly patriarchal, controlling, and abusive in its power when Christ himself recognized no such hierarchies (Matthew 20:25).
We repent of refusing to listen to the prophetic voice of the Spirit through those among us whom we have marginalized and disaffiliated, excluded and judged with our pronouncements, our pride, and our privilege.
We repent of not having equal concern for each other in the Church and for the division that is exposed when one part of the Body of Christ says to another part, we don’t need you (I Corinthians 12: 12-26).
We repent of calling anyone ‘unclean’ and ‘impure’ that God has made clean (Acts 10:15).
We repent of choosing to abide by the letter of the law which kills when only the Spirit of the law gives Life (Romans 8:2).
We repent of having less concern for justice and equity and more interest in maintaining oppressive systems, pointing fingers, and malicious talk, all while saying we have humbled ourselves and that we are eager to come near to God (Isaiah 58:1-12).
We repent of allowing Christian Nationalism to misshape our understanding of the role of the Church and the Kingdom of God when the Gospel of Jesus calls us to be a blessing to all the families of the earth through self-giving, radically forgiving love.
We repent of reading the Bible literally when it confirms our view of the world and not reading the Bible for all its worth through the lens of Jesus.
We repent of a Christianity that defines women first and foremost by their relationship to men and not first and foremost as human beings created in the image of God and fully authorized by Christ himself. (Adapted from Rev. Ben Cremer)
We repent of using church discipline, not to disciple another in love, but to impose our will and levy our authority over others in ways that are unloving and harmful (I Peter 5:3).
We repent of being complicit in the manipulation of a system of parliamentary procedures, once appropriate to our civility and sense of fairness, but which now has given way to misuse at the cost of dismissing our God-given gifts of deep listening and discernment, dignity and mutual respect.
We repent of requiring loyalty to leaders who can not abide diversity, who bind consciences, and who demand uniformity and call it unity.
We repent of calling individuals, organizations, and institutions to an unquestioning faith and not to faithful questioning.
Respectfully submitted,
Sam Cooper
Header photo by Daniele Levis Pelusi on Unsplash
Excellent!
“We repent of calling individuals, organizations. and institutions to an unquestioning faith rather than to a (humble) faith that questions.”
The church’s greatest historic failures were fueled by arrogance.
If indeed the repentance is, in part and appropriately, of the patriarchy and a strict definition of the roles of women in the church and the world, then why, gentle author, is your open letter addresed only to your brothers? Language matters, as it discribes our past and also constructs our future.
Maybe because these choices were made by men? They’re going after women in office next.
That address is satirical…notice the letter is written to the Office of Confessional Compliance, which the CRC could rename itself during these last few years especially. Obviously only “brothers” would reign in said office.
Good call, Jill, and necessary. Thank you!
Not so much… Of all the people within this denomination, Pastor Sam Cooper could hardly be considered insensitive or exclusionary of the high value/role of women in leadership… Clearly he’s speaking to the entrenched misogynistic legacy of this denomination
Hmmm. Yes Glossed right over that one! I assumed the ancient “brothers” reference was intwntional and satirical, just like the rest of the liturgy. A woman’s antenna is much more finely tuned and accurate.
Thank you, Sam. And to the question about “Brothers,” a significant thing happened at Synod 2024 that Sam’s parody reflects with the “Brothers” salutation. I believe that for the most part, there has been, before Synod 2024, a cultural value to use inclusive language at synod, especially when it came to avoiding male language to describe a group that has males and females in it (synod, clergy). Of course there were times when people were not inclusive, but overall, in my judgment, there was a collective value that such slips were inhospitable and to be avoided.
I believe all of that changed with Synod 2024. The “brother” talk was incessant. And it also felt willful, like the value of hospitality was intentionally cast aside at this synod when it came to inclusive language. And I have a feeling it’s going to take a long time to get it back, now that synod will be cleansed of any delegates who have significant doubts or questions about anything the church has declared to be so.
Thank you Sam for crafting this lament so well for so many! I struggle with the disappointment and anger I feel toward the leadership of the abidist synodical majority, and suspect that not even Jesus would speak as gently as you have.
This is good, Sam, thank you. For those who will not read these as statements of repentance, I read them as laments. Looking at the officers of synod this year, it’s clear that the ‘brothers’ are in charge of the CRC. Several times during synod the body was addressed as ‘brothers’ or ‘brethren’. It is a sad space I didn’t think we’d have to return to after 1996.
A noble effort, Sam.
The result sadly seems to be condescension and correction in the guise of confession.
I’m afraid you do not understand the way nor rhetorical style of Jesus… Often times irony/sarcasm/what might otherwise see is calling descension, is essential to breakthrough indifference and endemic blindness on the part of entrenched religious perspectives. It appears to me, the pastor Sam is employing a similar technique to expose what The status quo is unable or r unwilling to acknowledge.
Reverend Cooper, thank you so much for these words of repentance. They express the lament that needs to be in focus these days. It is profoundly tragic that our denomination has been hijacked by such a harsh approach to presenting biblical truth. The apology to the Lord for the way that we have behaved in regard to our sexually different brothers and sisters is so correct. Sorrow for our sin is the beginning of our healing.
I don’t see this as Satire. Those who see their transgression, repent. Those who don’t may see a vehicle for condescension or perhaps may have new awareness. For areas where I am not reflecting Jesus, I repent. Thank you, Pastor Cooper.
I concur with so much of your litany but am confused by the second statement, “ We repent of any belief or teaching that makes obedience, confession of sin, and repentance the heart of the gospel.” Did you mean, “ We repent of any belief or teaching that ‘does not’ make obedience, confession of sin, and repentance the heart of the gospel?” If not, I don’t understand your point. What do you believe is the heart of the gospel?
I imagine that Sam was referring to a sentence in the HSR: “At the heart of the gospel is the call to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Through the power of Christ’s death
and resurrection we receive the forgiveness of sins and the gift of righteousness.”
The heart of the Gospel, I believe, is centred on Jesus and his call to love God and neighbour. The HEART of the Gospel, as I’ve come to know it, is love – and not confession of sin, repentance and obedience. They are only part.
Thanks for your clarification.
Thank you, Sam.
Thanks to all for engaging so carefully with this litany.
Friends, who has bewitched us? (Gal 3:1) How could confession of sin, repentance, and obedience ever be the heart of the gospel? Isn’t the heart of the good news, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: that while we were still sinners Christ died for us?” (Rom 5:8) Isn’t the heart of the gospel, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved?” (Eph 2:4-5) It seems to me that to make anything but Grace the heart of the gospel is to have “a different gospel–which really is no gospel at all.” (Gal 5:1-6) Isn’t this why the Catechism addresses the Law in the third section under the theme of gratitude? Don’t we confess our sins, repent, and obey as a grateful response to God’s outrageous grace, unconditional love, and radical forgiveness?
Thank you for this deeply thoughtful piece of work!! I can identify with the self-reflection that goes with shaping these thoughts. God bless you, my sibling!