This is great… There's a Facebook group called "You know you grew up in the OPC if…" created by Nancy McHargue. Check it out. Here's some of the good stuff. (I took the liberty of correcting the spelling of "millennial" in its various forms. Knowing the differences and being able to get all the "ls" and "ns" in millennium, -ial, -ialism is not as easy as it looks. One of the many important and valuable theological lessons I learned from Norman Shepherd — "Two ls and two ns.")
You know you grew up in the OPC if....
• You recognize the book in the picture [the “blue” Trinity Hymnal].
• You know the difference between the Westminster and Heidelberg Catechisms.
• You know the difference between a Larger Catechism, Shorter Catechism, and Catechism for Young Children.
• You can spell catechism.
• You find yourself remembering random catechism answers at the most bizarre times.
• You often wondered as a child, "If this is a shorter catechism, I wonder what the long one is like!!"
• You know the difference between the "Blue Hymnal" and the "Red Hymnal."
• You that a Psalter is not something you use to flavor food.
• You have attended more than 10 camps during your childhood.
• You've had to explain infant baptism to someone.
• You know that Calvin's Institutes are not a group of schools.
• Your dilemma as a senior in high school was to go to the PCA, CRC, or RPCNA college because the OPC didn't have one. (I went to an Assemblies of God College!!!)
• You can readily recite what PCA, CRC, URC, RPCNA, and RCUS stand for.
• You know there is some conflict between those who favor Vos and those who favor Van Til. (Note: you don't have to know what it is, but simply be aware of the conflict)
• You know the Joke that the OPC stands for "The Only Perfect Church!"
• You had to explain Amillennialism, Historic Premillennialism, or Post Millennialism to someone.
• You know what Theonomy and Historical Redemptive mean, well, sort of…
• You know that #633 in the Blue Trinity Hymnal is "Jesus Loves Me."
• You know what TULIP stands for.
• You know what someone's talking about when they refer to the "Lord's Day."
• You eat dinner for lunch on Sundays and a snack for dinner on Sunday nights after church.
• Your church had an evening service that wasn't a repeat of the morning service.
• You can use the word ecumenical in a sentence.
• You've seen a pastor smoke a cigar and finding a beer in the fridge of an Elder, Deacon or Pastor would not shock you.
• Your church actually had all sorts of offices: deacons, teaching elders, ruling elders, etc. and the actual number of these offices was viewed as a very good debate topic.
I find this list extremely truthful and wonderfully covenantal in nature. Our children know because they are taught, not left to flap in the wind. We can be honest in our lives and even (gasp) have fun once in a while. What a great covenant family!
ReplyDeleteHA! I recently overheard Katie and Maggie debating the Sunday dinner/lunch question. With the superiority of a 6 year old, Katie settled it, and told Mags, "It's the Lord's Day, so lunch IS dinner."
ReplyDeleteThat's choice, Autumn. Go Katie!
ReplyDeleteYou know you grew up in the OPC if...
ReplyDelete1. You've been called a legalist before you were old enough to know what the word meant.
2. Your mom ever bought the brand "OP" for your family so she could embroider "C's" on all the visible logos in hopes of being the cutest family at Family Camp.
3. If you ever experience a pang of guilt when you worship in a church with a drum kit and/or no pulpit.
4. When someone in your church busts out a trumpet or vioin you think,"well, this is edgy!"
5. You think the CRC is waaaaay too liberal.
6. There are people at your church who refuse to use the term potluck. They'll either spell pot l-u-c-k or call it a potprovidence, agape feast, I could go on and on...
7. You can recite at least 3 benedictions right now without thinking.
8. Your child can sit through an hour sermon, no problem.
9. You know the difference between catholic and Catholic.
10. When you meet a woman whose name is "Pastor" or "Reverend" so and so, you choke a little and take a step back so you don't get hit by the meteor.
11. You can recite the Apostle's creed AND the Nicene creed.
12. Your church building was once something else. ex: gymnasium, movie theater, roller rink...
13. If when you were a kid you were jealous of your Baptist friends because their church had a swimming pool right in the sanctuary.
For SoCal:
4. You remember canyon meadows and always wanted to stay in the teepees because a). they were right next to the pool and b). teepees are awesome
5. Someone in your church has named a child after Greg Bahnsen.
6. You've ever eaten something Ellie DeRu cooked.
7. You've ever broken a window at Winter Camp. oh wait- maybe that's just the Wagners.
8. You've ever visited the petting zoo at the regional church picnic in Irvine or been sure you were going to be attacked by a moutain lion because of all the warning signs.
9. You or someone you know has their name on that crazy yellow horseshoe/life preserver.
Too cute, Sarah!
ReplyDeleteMembers of the RPCNA should create such a list.
ReplyDelete