CALVARY HERALD

Spook the secularists...
... and celebrate the greatest banned book on Reformation Day

by Marvin Olasky

This article was reprinted by permission from World magazine. It is not included on the on-line edition of the Herald.

God's Holiday

by Byron Snapp

For many, summer is defined in terms of three major holidays. Memorial Day marks the beginning, July 4th the midpoint, and Labor Day the end of the summer season. Many schools that once opened their doors in mid-August now begin their year on the day following Labor Day. In the midst of these holidays it is important that we give some thought to holidays. Up front I want to state that taking time off from work is fine. Christians can do this without guilt on these days. I want to focus on the importance of holidays within our culture.

It is easy to see that holiday is really a holy day. In fact in Noah Webster's 1828 dictionary the entry holiday is referenced with "see holy day". Holidays are days that are set apart for a different use than the normal weekday.

As Christians we are reminded that God, from creation, established one day each week, the Lord's Day, that is to be set apart for a different use than the remaining six days. Within the Ten Commandments God stated: "Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates." (Ex. 20:9, 10)

With Christ's resurrection the observance of the holy day was changed from the seventh day to the first day of the week. In His teaching, Christ underlined the Old Testament teaching regarding the use of the Lord's Day. It is a day of worship, rest, deeds of necessity (Luke 6:1 - 6), and of mercy (Mt. 12:9ff.). Throughout Scripture, the validity of special observance of one day out of seven is evidenced.

Christ was actively involved in deeds of mercy and necessity on the Sabbath. The Gospel of Mark portrays Christ's busy ministry -- including His Sabbath day labors. In Mark 1:21 we read, "Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught." Mark continues: "Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon..." (v. 29) There he heals Peter's mother-in-law on the Sabbath. Numerous additional Scriptures could be listed.

God's command, at this point, is under attack today. In fact, it is very difficult to distinguish the Lord's Day from any of the other six days. Stores openly do business. Athletic events are often scheduled for this day. What is sadly missing is the priority of even an hour or two given to worship, much less the entire day being set aside as hallowed unto the Lord.

Simultaneously, there is great emphasis placed on holidays throughout the year. Beginning with New Year's Day and stretching through Christmas Day there are approximately ten days set aside as holidays from work.

Although those days provide time off from one's normal job, they seldom are times of rest and reflection. For many these days provide a great opportunity to pursue rest and pleasure as ends in and of themselves. Thus the day is often spent fighting crowds in the store, or traffic to and from beaches and mountain retreats. We go to work the next day more tired and stressed out than normal.

The Lord's Day has become what Saturday used to be, a day to sleep in and catch up on work around the home and do necessary or relaxing shopping. Little if any thought is given to getting dressed and joining with others to worship God. Accompanying the absence of worship is the absence of rest. People are too busy meeting their commitments and extracurricular activities to relax and truly rest. This is seen in many ways throughout our culture. Many face insomnia for a variety of reasons and rely on medication to sleep. Gone from new homes are front porches and their inviting chairs and swings. Absent too are meals at which the whole family eats and fellowships together. Living in a culture that is rejecting God, it is very easy for us to get caught up in work and neglect our families.

As Christians, we must remember that the opportunity to rest on the Lord's Day does not negate nor replace our need to gather with the Lord's people whenever the elders call us to gather. There may be times when we are providentially hindered, but normally we are not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together (Heb. 10:25). Resting in Christ means more than physical rest from our daily labors and duties. We are resting in Him alone for our salvation. He alone is able to deal with the future (for He has planned all future events). He alone is able to bring needed changes in peoples' lives. Too often we fret and fume about the future and are sinfully anxious because we cannot break sinful habits and lifestyles of relatives, friends, and leaders. Our gathering with the Lord's people whenever they gather on the Lord's Day and focusing with others on God's majesty is a visible reminder to us that we are to rest all things in Christ.

Denying the true God, it is understandable that our culture will focus on itself and manmade holidays. God has planned and purchased true rest for His people. Through Christ we have forgiveness of our sins and an eternal rest in heaven. The weekly Lord's Day is to remind us of our eternal rest and also provide bodily and mental rest from the stresses faced six days each week.

Outside of Christ there is no rest of value. Years ago Isaiah was inspired to write, "But the wicked are like the tossing sea for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up refuse and mud. There is no peace," says my God, "for the wicked." (Isa. 57:20-21) A lack of rest was exemplified in Cain's self confession, "I shall be a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth" (Gen. 4:12c).

Our culture has given up fifty-two days of rest annually because it refuses to rest in God and consequently wants to do its activities on His day. In exchange, men now look forward to ten holidays and have by legislation moved their observance mostly to Mondays. This ostensibly allows for three day weekends. While this often is time from work, it is seldom a time of rest.

As Christians, we must continually prioritize a proper use of the Lord's Day. It is a reminder of our eternal rest as well as the current rest we have in Jesus. This is one of the best ways that we can prepare ourselves to live in the face of the daily pressures of our culture. We can truly be thankful that our all-wise God provided a day of rest so often. We must be careful that we do not act like the world and treat it as just another day. It is the most important and frequent "holiday".

Second Thoughts

by Pete Hurst

What Not to Give/Receive This Christmas

With this newsletter's emphasis on "days," I thought I might share with you some gifts you don't want to give or receive this Christmas day. I realize I risk having someone tell me they already have a gift or have given a gift that I don't appreciate. Please realize my motive is not to be unkind but to stir us up to think about the sad state of affairs in the Christian church and to excite us to be different.

These gifts were found as I was going through a Christian book catalog looking for some books relating to worship. The catalog showed that Christian booksellers depend on far more than books for income.

First, there is the "God Danced the Day You Were Born Mug." Imprinted on the mug is the following: "God danced the day you were born . . . You are loved. You are beautiful. You are a gift of God. His own possession. You are a gift to all mankind. His gift of love to them. You are His." If after drinking four cups of coffee or tea you haven't built up your self-esteem considerably, you can probably ask for your money back. Nothing is said about what kind of dance God did; however, it is unfortunate and false for Christians to constantly be looking at themselves for value, but this is the Christianity that is practiced today as we listen to culture instead of Christ. All are created in God's image; Christians are those who've acknowledged their wretched sinfulness and found additional value in salvation and sonship in Jesus Christ.

Another mug is the "Hunting Delight Mug." It has bird dogs pointing in the field with the verse, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart" from Psalm 37:4. Probably this is for men who want very much to get their full quota of rabbits and birds when they go hunting. People should be forewarned that the cup is breakable, so they will want to drink out of it before going into the wild.

Sports is also the theme in some of the framed artwork. There is the "Casting All Your Care Upon Him" picture with decorative frame. It shows a fellow fly fishing with "Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you" from 1 Peter 5:7 written underneath. Does this mean our problems are like artificial flies cast upon the Lord who is the river? What role does the large mouth bass play? It's a very peaceful scene, the kind of thing that, in the midst of problems, would make a fisherman want to escape and go fishing. It is one thing to escape the business of life to relax, but something else entirely to escape life's problems through activities which divert our attention. Christians are to understand trials as God's will, for their good, and work toward understanding and solutions through His Word.

For children there is Bibleopoly based on the Monopoly game. Instead of being greedy and buying houses and hotels for properties, you "build churches," draw "Faith/Contingency" and "Abyss" cards, and even lose a turn by landing on "Go Meditate!" Whoever thought this up definitely should not get $200 when he "passes Go." While it is true that the purpose of business is not to be greedy and drive everyone else into bankruptcy, there is nothing sinful about making a profit and pursing honest business ventures. Games like this falsely teach children that the really important occupations are church-related; anything else is second-rate. However, God has gifted His people differently and all have callings to perform to His glory and which please Him. Cards like "Go Meditate" sound so cute and Christian but they are stupid. Where does God teach in His Word that losing a turn in life means meditating on Him?

Among the books available this year is I Was Wrong by Jim Baker of PTL and Heritage USA fame. This doesn't come as any new revelation to anyone. Nothing is said about whether or not he's working on another book like I will never be happy 'till I pay everyone I cheated.

There is no lack of specialty Bibles you can buy. Some offerings include The NIV Quiet Time Bible, The Spirit-Filled Life Bible, The Full Life Study Bible, The Experiencing God Study Bible, The Serendipity Bible, The International Inductive Study Bible, The Living Insights Study Bible, The Everyday Study Bible, The Life Application Bible, The Word in Life Study Bible, The Rainbow Study Bible, The Quest Study Bible, and The Original African Heritage Study Bible. Of course, there are "plain" study Bibles also. What one must conclude when looking at the undisciplined and uncommitted lives of so may professing Christians today is that few are using their Bibles. Bibles are like exercise machines. No one ever lost weight by buying a ski machine; it must be used to do any good. All this Spirit-Filled, Life-Experiencing, Rainbow-Questing foolishness is so unnecessary -- the problems Christians have today in dealing with life are not going to be solved by some new and improved study Bible, but will begin through Christians humbling themselves, repenting of sin, and seeking the face of Almighty God.

May God be pleased to bless His church in such a way that all these novelties will soon find themselves wrapped up as mystery grab bag bargains at Christian bookstore checkout counters.

A Mother Looks at October 31

by Lori Rogers

Editor's Note: This article is reprinted from the Calvary Herald, Volume 10, Number 7 (October 1994). It is written in a style that makes it interesting for both children and adults.

I love the autumn season with its cool breezes and brilliant colors. I do not even mind running my numerous errands in beautiful weather like this. But one thing I dread is taking my children into stores. It's the black cats with evil eyes, goblins, witches, ghosts, etc. that really irritate me. Halloween is on its way again. I don't like to think about it and I do not want my children exposed to it in every store we shop. However, last year I ended up researching Halloween's origin due to questions from my children. I needed to explain exactly why I did not want to participate in Halloween.

Also, I wanted to learn more about Reformation Day which falls on October 31. I wanted to explain the history of the Reformation to my children and teach them to appreciate the meaning of that holiday. So, I did a lot of reading and note-taking. The following are summaries of what I learned about the origin of Halloween and the history of the Reformation.

The Origin of Halloween

Halloween means "holy evening" because it is the night before All Saints Day (a holiday of the Roman Catholic faith). Our present Halloween practices stem from early pagan festivals of the Celts and Romans. The religion of the ancient Celts was called Druidism. The Druids worshiped nature. One of their festivals, Samhain, was held on the last day of October. It was to honor the sun god by giving thanks for the harvest.

The Druids believed that on October 31, Saman, the lord of the dead, called forth spirits of the dead. The Celts would light great bonfires on hill tops to please the sun god (called Baal in one book) and to ward off evil spirits. The people wore grotesque masks and danced, sang, and ran through the fires as if they were being pursued by evil spirits. They would also tell of strange sights and sounds they had encountered, i.e. ghost stories.

The Druids believed in witches who rode through the night on broomsticks. This came from their idea that there were women who sold themselves to the devil. The witches were said to dance on the hilltops with goblins and elves while the devil played either the bagpipes or castanets made from dead men's bones.

During the Druids' three day festival, in honor of Saman, the followers would put on costumes made from animal skins and the heads of animals. They paraded in this attire thinking it would please Saman and keep away undesirable spirits.

A later Irish tradition has the leader of the parade leading the people to homes and begging food. It wasn't clear exactly why they wanted the food, but it seems to have been for their feasts or sacrifices. When the food was given, the home was blessed.

Along these same lines an English tradition had "soulers" go from house to house and ask for soul cakes to feed wandering spirits. If no food was given, evil consequences would result.

After the Romans conquered Britain, some of their customs were added to those of the Druids. The Romans held a harvest feast to honor Pomona, the goddess of fruits and nuts (no pun intended). A lot of their games centered around fruits, such as bobbing for apples. Cider was a popular drink.

It was interesting to note that when settlers first arrived in the New World, no Halloween celebrations were held. It was not until the 1840's, when the Great Irish Immigration occurred, that Halloween began to be observed.

Our present day Halloween observance with its various customs of costumes, bonfires, trick or treating, etc. is actually an imitation of ancient pagan customs honoring false gods and evil spirits.

The History of the Reformation

The Reformation marks the period in history when man began to rediscover the basic message of the Gospel. People learned again that "a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ." In order to really appreciate the Reformation, one must look back and understand the spiritual bondage and oppression of that time.

The government or "law" for man in that day (the Middle Ages) was the corrupt religious system of the Roman Catholic Church. The Pope was acknowledged as the head of the church and dictated its modes of worship as he saw fit.

The Catholic Church upheld a salvation earned by works mingled with the superstitions of various cultures. One of the most grace-denying practices was the selling of indulgences. Roman Catholicism taught that when a person sinned they were required to confess their sins to a priest, but they could not be completely forgiven until they performed a penance. A penance was a good deed or some duty assigned by the priest. The Pope claimed he could cancel the need for the penance by selling the sinner an indulgence. This means that the penance or indulgence was a type of "work" the sinner needed to perform in order to obtain complete forgiveness. Indulgences could be sold before the person committed a particular sin. With his sin "paid for" that sin could be freely enjoyed. The money from indulgences benefitted church projects such as building elaborate cathedrals. The men who sold the indulgences gained large commissions on the sales.

Two other factors that contributed to the spiritual blindness of the Middle Ages were illiteracy and the lack of Bibles for the common people. The Council of Toulouse (1229 A.D.) actually forbade individuals to own Bibles.

However, all this began to change. In 1440, Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press, which is now considered the most important invention in history. One exciting result of the printing press was the increased availability of Bibles. Scholars began translating, printing, and distributing Bibles across Europe. Reading and learning became important. People began reading the Bible for themselves. As a result of understanding the truth of God's Word, the enlightened people began to question some of the practices of the Roman Catholic Church.

One of these people was a monk named Martin Luther. Luther became a prominent leader in the Reformation. He believed the selling of indulgences was contrary to the New Testament teaching of a man being justified by faith alone in Jesus Christ (see Galatians 2). Luther challenged the unscriptural practices of indulgences and other church abuses by writing a paper listing 95 points attacking these errors. On October 30, 1517, Luther posted his 95 theses on the Wittenburg Church door and stood ready for debate. This date is now proclaimed as the birthday of the Protestant Reformation. (Protestant is derived from the word protest.)

Luther only desired to initiate reform in the Catholic Church, but as he would not recant his theses, the Pope excommunicated him. Luther and his followers then formed their own group. Other protestant groups sprang up all over Europe as the Reformation spread.

The Protestants were greatly persecuted and many died for their faith in Jesus. But the Truth did not die. It continued to spread from country to country, continent to continent, and generation to generation.

Now I had finished my research and had what I wanted: evidence that supported my convictions and enabled me to teach my children the truth. We really do have something to celebrate on October 31!

Women in the Church

Look What's Happening with WIC

If you're looking for something other than a circle, consider becoming part of an Accountability Partnership. Accountability Partnerships consist of two or three women committed to meeting each other weekly or monthly to provide support and encouragement. Several groups have already been formed. You can contact Wendy Livingstone for more information.

In addition to the circles and Accountability Partnerships, Bible study groups are meeting as well. The Wednesday Morning Women's Bible Study (led weekly by Felicia Moerder) and Saturday Morning Women's Bible Study (led monthly by Glory Gill) are using Susan Hunt's book, By Design--God's Distinctive Calling for Women. Come learn (or share what you know) about God's distinctive plan for women, and learn how to put these biblical truths into practice in every area of your life.

Our new WIC officers are Wendy Livingstone, President; Susie Martinez, Vice President; Bonnie Johnson, Secretary/Treasurer; and Felicia Moerder, Historian. Please pray for these women and the various group leaders as they minister.

New Members

by Felicia Moerder

Brenda Hammond literally danced into our church family about a year ago when she took part in the annual Labor Day Retreat talent show with Greg Humphreys. Since then, Brenda has been a regular participant in worship services at Calvary and recently became a communing member of our congregation.

A resident of Williamsburg, Brenda works for Colonial Williamsburg as the receptionist at the fitness center. Reading and dancing are two of her favorite activities. She hopes to become more involved in ministries here at Calvary in the future by helping out wherever she is needed. Welcome Brenda!

Getting the scoop on Jimmy and Anne Hughes almost turned into Mission Impossible. The Hughes family is a busy group. They live in Norfolk where Jimmy is self-employed as a builder and stucco subcontractor. He teaches the 4^th - 6^th grade class during the Evening Gathering at Calvary. Anne is a homemaker, who recently became a part-time college student. Although their free time is limited, Jimmy and Anne like to have fun with the kids. Jimmy also likes to play basketball, read, and swim; Anne likes to sew crafts and clothes, play softball, and read sappy novels by Fancina H. Arnold. Anne was a "silver platter" winner at our retreat. She received this prestigious award for being the person who talks the most during break time and is always late getting to Sunday School.

The six Hughes children range in age from 10 to 22. Zack (22) likes to surf and play soccer. Jake (19) is a history buff. Sarah (16) runs cross country. Ben (14) plays soccer, surfs, and has an infamous dry wit. Caleb (11) plays soccer and reads voraciously. Noah (10) is the family comedian, who also likes to play soccer.

Jimmy and Anne were both saved through the zealous witnessing efforts of a Christian couple who lived next door to them for a number of years. Ask Anne or Jimmy about it. It's an exciting story!

It's a sure bet that you've seen Steve and Jenna VonMoos here at Calvary. They've been worshiping with us since 1992, ever since Rich and Gina Ackerman brought them here for a visit. Recently, they joined our congregation as members, so we'd like to introduce them to those of you who don't know them. Steve is first mate on a tugboat, a job that he really enjoys. He is a California native, who came here while serving in the Army. Jenna is a Hampton Roads native. She is working full time as a wife and mother. Those of you who have volunteered in the nursery probably already know their little boy, Troy.

In addition to Troy, Steve and Jenna share a lot of common interests. Both volunteer in the nursery here at Calvary, and both share a keen interest in learning more about the Lord. Jenna is attending the Wednesday Morning Women's Bible Study. Jenna also likes to preserve flowers and bake. She hopes to have a garden as soon as they have a yard. Troy is a special little boy, who loves to look at books, sing, dance, and talk on the telephone.

Session News

June

• Received Jim, Anne, Zack, Jake, Sarah, Ben, Caleb and Noah Hughes into membership. Caleb and Noah coming on profession of faith; others by transfer from New Life Presbyterian Church, Virginia Beach, VA.
• Discussed Shepherding visits and concerns.
• Received report on Adult Sunday School Curriculum.
• Approved changes in Evening Gathering.
• Elected Paul Anthony and Sam Derr to attend July Stated meeting of Presbytery.
• Transferred membership of Karl and Sherri Hubach to Faith PCA, Myrtle Beach, SC.
• Approved invitation for Steve Schlissel to speak on Missions at Labor Day Retreat.

July

• Received Brenda Hammond upon reaffirmation of faith.
• Discussed mortgage reduction plan.
• Discussed establishing Bible Study on Southside.
• Approved Sunday School classroom changes and teachers beginning in September.
• Approved teachers for Sunday Evening Gathering groups.
• Elected Bill Griffin to replace Michael Holloway as School Board Chairman.
• Accepted Elder Dave Mericle's resignation because of his moving out of the area.
• Received as information Deacon policy on use of church facilities.
• Heard report of Presbytery meeting by Elder Derr.

August

• Discussed Shepherding visitation and reviewed attendance.
• Discussed use of video tapes for possible seminary instruction at our facility.
• Approved Wednesday and Saturday Morning Women's Bible Study leaders and course material.
• Approved WIC circle leaders.
• Approved inviting Bob Needham for Spring Missions Conference.
• Approved Felicia Moerder to lead Nursery Ministry.
• Discussed Christian Worldview Student Conference and possibility of an annual family conference to be sponsored by our church.
• Approved vacation time for Teaching Elders
• Elected Ed Moore and Sam Derr as delegates to October meeting of Presbytery.
• Received as information items Deacons plan to purchase under Betterments and Improvement in church's budget.

September

• Heard report on covenant groups beginning in September.
• Discussed matters relating to new members class, mortgage reduction pledges, student aid, and other items.
• Received recommendation from Deacons regarding copy machine and service contract.
• Appointed Elders Hurst, Snapp and Moore to act as a subcommittee for youth group planning and activities with a report to come back to the Session.
• Approved Dr. Richard Ganz as speaker for 1997 Reformation Conference.