8 February
Dear Friends,
Last week, on Saturday, we had our long-anticipated Consistory Away Day. This gathering is organized by the Consistory to reflect on the year ahead and to discern what needs to be done. Since this was my first Away Day, I found myself pondering a fundamental question: Who is the ERC, and what are we called to do? While these questions may seem obvious, it is crucial for us to hold onto our core identity and to understand what we believe God is doing through our community. Otherwise, we risk being swept away by political uncertainties, public opinion, and the fleeting trends of our time.
During the Away Day, we created a timeline mapping out what God has been doing in our community over the past few years. We asked ourselves: What does God’s preferred future for the ERC look like? Throughout our discussions, we continually returned to the central idea that the ERC is a welcoming community characterized by hospitality, warmth, critical thinking, diversity, and a tangible love for one another. This essence is nothing new; it has defined the ERC for the last four hundred years. Of course, there have been times when we strayed from this mission. Nonetheless, God consistently brings us back to this guiding principle: “Let no one be a stranger.”
We have a marvelous history that attests to this truth. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, energized by the Spirit to persevere in our mission.
This reminds me of a story I once heard about a monastery in France. When visitors arrived, they asked the abbot how the monastery continued to exist after so many years. They were particularly interested in whether the monastery felt threatened by the political climates of the day, if faith would endure over time, and whether their influence on society was waning. The abbot responded with a straight face, “We have been here for over a thousand years. We only stopped praying briefly during the World Wars. I am confident we will be okay.”
The ERC has its own enduring stories. We can simply show up and trust that God intends to work through us in this age-old but incredibly relevant mission.
The question remains: how can we shape this mission uniquely? What will it look like? How can we support each other on this journey? What do we need to learn or unlearn along the way? This aspect of the church is exciting; we are never simply a record of the past. God is present in our current moments, which gives us hope and inspires creativity.
Marius Louw