KITSCH IN THE KIRK

Deuteronomy 4: 15-20
Romans 1: 21-25

The Reformer's Fire
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Exposition by Max A Forsythe

Question 51:
What is forbidden in the second commandment?

Answer 51:
The second commandment forbiddeth the worshipping of God by images, or any other way not appointed in his word.

I don't think I ever thought too seriously about the second commandment until I worked briefly for a lady who was thought by the community to be a saint just short of heaven. When you walked into her home, there were literally hundreds of tawdry and tacky messiah images, carvings and printings on every object imaginable. That collection and her public behavior must have been the source of her reputation because she was the worst person I ever worked for! Her payment was almost as bad as the liberal church who sent me a thank you for preaching on short notice when their pastor got sick! At least the glitzy gift I was given was useful to start a fire when it was time to burn the trash.

By contrast, there was another occasion when I did some work for a widow who was known for her poverty. He home was plain but clean and I was treated like a prince, home made cookies, lemonade, a reasonable wage and since I was going into the ministry an old but treasured volume of real theological significance. Those contrasted experiences which have almost faded from memory at this late date have helped me comprehend the too often minimal impact of pictorial images upon the character of the person displaying them.

By the time I got to Europe in the late sixties and saw the glorious decorations of the cathedrals, I was ready to comprehend the spiritual deadness that filled the vaulted sanctuaries. All that was missing was the painted images of a congregation in rapt attention.

One last example of the real usefulness of images. In my mind, the televised military action in Southeast Asia is long gone from my memory. I even look at the pictures that I took when I was in the Army and cannot remember half of what I saw. However, a few years ago, when I was in Washington D.C. I had a chance to stop by the memorial where the heroic names of my generation are on display and those mere words mean more at this late date than any pictures that I ever could have seen.

Words convey life, love and faith ever so much more fully than any pictures ever can! I hope that my argument of experience is in full accord with the teaching of the second commandment commended by our catechism. What it has taken me fifty years to learn from life was already taught to me in the commandment when I was in Sunday School. Early on, in the early fifties, our church was limited in funds and the older teachers were still able to use their Bible's, the Catechism or even a hand printed outline to teach a lesson. Later, in the more prosperous sixties, multi-color handouts from the publishing houses became the rule. Yet the memorized passages of the scriptures and the catechism still mean more than the whole collection of illustrated lessons.

It is amazing how efficient is the revelation of our God and King. Do this, he has said so that you may live and learn as the Scriptures tell us. Yet ever and anew, like Aaron and the people of Israel, we want a golden calf or any other colorful image to make our understanding of the Almighty more comprehensible. And yet, even as the publishers, and movie makers have pictured for us the sacred text, we have become progressively less and less spiritual in every way imaginable. May we go on and announce from this factual experience of the church in this century, that the wisdom of God's teachings is worth far more than any thing we may make an image of?

Look again at our passage from Deuteronomy and the warning at the end of verse fifteen and into verse sixteen:

"Therefore watch yourselves very carefully, so that you do not become corrupt ..."
After centuries of perceptual idolatry, the Catholic Church felt compelled to announce that there were no intentions of raising Mary to co-redeemer as Newsweek supposed. The Pope has even announced that "it is always necessary in Marian doctrine to safeguard the infinite difference existing between the human person of Mary and the divine person of Jesus." That article in World last week goes on to note where the Pope's personal faith differs from our catechetical understanding. As Protestants we would certainly limit our prayers to God alone and not imagine that any "Marion doctrine" could be established in any way, shape or form. Even before the corruption of the Dark Ages, there is evidence of zodiac symbols in the catacombs where early Christians were sometimes forced to hide from the Roman authorities. At least the worst of the iconology was limited in the Vatican Two announcement of the sixties, yet problems still persist according to our view in the world's largest denomination.

Evangelicals who push the "Jesus Film" project do not do much better. A month or so ago I received an urgent appeal for funds to translate the Jesus film into yet another language. In their urgency the project director reported all of the obstacles that they had to overcome to get the equipment and film to one remote primitive tribe. So much was going wrong in every way that I would have questioned if the Lord really wanted me to proceed? Yet they had the gall to announce that Angels had held up their truck on a flimsy bridge where no sane person would have tried to drive. Instead of money I sent back a note asking if they had ever read the second commandment, which we understand prohibits the use of pictures of the any member of the Trinity.

Earlier this spring we spent several weeks in Bible Study going over our congregational understanding of this second commandment. As you all know our Christmas and Resurrection decorations are kept to a bare minimum. And it has been our practice to not use pictures of the Trinity for congregational instruction or worship. Some of you may remember that this has not always been the case, but as we grow as a session and perceive the theological and spiritual difficulties that arise from habits we once had, we are willing to change our practice of the faith. Of course we still leave to our families and their relatives the freedom to follow their own conscience within their homes as they are led by the Holy Spirit. Even so, we must still raise the issue of just how we must worship our Lord Jesus Christ in spirit and in truth as we study God's specific revelation through the books of Moses.

Further on in the New Testament in Paul's letter to the Romans we see where man's imagination, reimaging and cultic allowances eventually lead. Many denominations in our time are having severe problems limiting the sexual habits of their leaders. Sincerity is now the convenient watchword to allow perversions once deserving of excommunication! Now I will not say that a laxidasical attitude on the part of the second commandment led to these problems, but I will say that wherever God's revelation is not taken seriously, there will be all sorts of sordid activities that will creep into the Church.

Certainly we understand that while the last six commandments may be imposed on the world at large to regulate human relationships. However, we must also understand that the first four are a Christian's voluntary spiritually driven response to show our awe, respect, gratitude, thanksgiving and admiration to our Lord. Even within our own denomination and Presbytery, it is not ours to impose unnecessary restrictions upon different congregations that minister in many and varied ways. However, we may encourage and challenge you, they and the world to study and comprehend what the Lord would teach us who desire to obey Him in every way that He calls us to obedience. May the Holy Spirit challenge you and your thinking about this second commandment through our ministry and particularly in your own studies.

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