Dordt Celebrates Calvin’s Birthday
Dordt College, in Sioux C enter, Iowa, celebrated the 500th birthday of John Calvin by holding on Nov. 5-6 a Calvin, Worship, and the Arts Workshop that involved representatives of several Christian Reformed Church agencies and organizations.
Hosted by Dordt's Andreas Center and the college’s Music Department, the event began with a performance of "A Symphony of Psalms" by the Boston Camerata, which performed a program of Genevan Psalms and Psalm-based music from the Reformation era. The musical settings included psalms of supplication, psalm of praise, and psalms of wisdom and grace.
Guest speakers and workshops followed on Saturday, each focusing on comparisons and contrasts between early Genevan and present-day worship practices. A dozen guest speakers from Christian Reformed Church-related institutions, publications and organizations — Dordt College, Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary, the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Back to God Ministries International, and the Reformed Worship journal — all gave presentations at the conference.
Keynote addresses were given by Dr. Karin Maag, director of the Meeter Center at Calvin College, and Dr. Duane Kelderman, professor of Preaching and Vice President for Administration at Calvin Theological Seminary and co-author of Authentic Worship in a Changing Culture.
Maag described how Catholicism was lived among the community of practicing Catholics in Geneva in 1520. But she said things changed by 1536 when the Reformation came to Geneva. She noted challenging changes such as presenting sermons instead of observing the Catholic mass; speaking in French instead of Latin; singing Psalms instead of listening to organ music; and removing statues and frescos from sanctuaries as a guard against idolatry.
"The process of change was not obvious, it was hard," noted Maag, just as it is in present day worship.
Continuing upon the theme, Duane Kelderman shared a "helicopter view" of modern worship in the CRC as seen from his post at Calvin Seminary. Kelderman noted some remarkable shifts, such as using the arts in worship, but sees many strong Calvinistic "accents" continuing to shape and nurture Christian worship.
Calvinist accents noted by Kelderman included deep respect for Scripture as the inspired Word of God; an affinity for beginning our story at creation; an emphasis upon grace and what God has done; a rich sense of covenant between God and His people; recognition of the Holy Spirit as the source of empowerment in Christian life; gratitude for what God has done for us; a commitment to the church as the body of Christ, and a sense of vocation and holy calling on our lives.
Workshops following the addresses delved into all aspects of worship, from the use of visual arts and media technology to new contemporary songs.
