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Oct 27, 2020 · Always Reforming. We recognize, however, that every generation not only needs to learn again what it means to be Reformed, but every generation also needs to be about the business of always reforming. We need to be always reforming because we are sinners. We fail to understand and follow God’s truth as we ought.
Mar 24, 2017 · The phrase ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda (the church reformed, always reforming) has been used so often as to make it a motto or slogan. People have used it to support a surprising array of theological and ecclesiastical programs and purposes. Scholars have traced its origins to a devotional book written by Jodocus van Lodenstein in 1674.
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Are Reformed Christians always reforming?
Can the church reform itself?
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Why did the reformers change the church?
Oct 29, 2009 · We believe that to be Reformed is not only to be biblical; to be biblical is to be Reformed. As important as it is to keep “Reformed” in the phrase, an even more dangerous omission is often found among more liberal Protestants who also leave out the “according to the Word of God” clause. And usually it is “always reforming,” instead ...
Reformed Christians sometimes say we’re “Reformed and always reforming.”. This means we never stop asking whether we’re being faithful to God’s vision and reforming the church to follow God’s will. We do this because we believe humans are broken. And we know how easy it is for our sinful nature to corrupt God’s church.
Semper Reformanda. 1 The reader will notice that, in this article, I use Reformed with a capital “R” to give a name to churches of a particular heritage; and reformed with a lower case “r” to refer to an action performed upon that church. Thus, ‘Reformed and always being reformed’ means: a Reformed church must always submit herself ...
- What The Reformers Meant
- What The Motto Does Not Mean
- Why The Church Needs Reforming
- A Gift to The Wider Church
Our Reformed motto, rightly understood, challenges both the conservative and the liberal impulses that characterize our diverse church today. It does not bless either preservation for preservation’s sake or change for change’s sake. In the 16th-century context the impulse it reflected was neither liberal nor conservative, but radical, in the sense ...
Newer is always better. Using the motto to back up any and all “innovations” would be a misuse of the original intent. In many places where the slogan appears, the phrase is completed with a clarif...The church can reform itself. Another potential misuse of the phrase is lodged in a common mistranslation as “reformed and always reforming.” This can mislead us to believe that the church is the a...Because of who we are (sinners)Part of our openness to being reformed comes out of a conviction about who we are. Reformed folk have been particularly aware of human fallibility and sinfulness.
A vision of the church reformed and always being reformed is one of the gifts the Reformed have to bring to the wider Christian church. Such a notion may already be out there among our ecumenical partners. A case in point is one of the memorable moments in the first-ever face-to-face conversation between the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Rom...
Oct 31, 2023 · So, we do not recklessly reach for “fresh” language, or do so before it is time. In the end, the heart of what we keep reforming centers on ourselves — and in particular, as was van Lodenstein’s original concern, our own hearts. “The part of religion that always needs reforming,” says Godfrey, “is the human heart.”.
