Amen

by Rev. Richard Sytsma

Sunday morning our Woodlawn CRC choir sang the hymn written by William Cowper: “Oh for a Closer Walk with God.” Accompanied by the piano and flute, the choir finished the anthem with the words, “So shall my walk be close with God, calm and serene my frame, so purer light shall mark the road that leads me to the Lamb.” As the echoes of the final notes faded, a hush enveloped the congregation.

Suddenly a hearty “Amen” from a member of the congregation punctuated the silence. Rev. Andy Kuyvenhoven, who is not afraid to voice a spontaneous “Amen” when his heart is touched, expressed what we all felt: a deep yearning for a closer walk with God.

That “Amen” resonated in my heart. Recently at the seminary too my heart has been saying a quiet “Amen” over and over.

• My heart has been moved in our chapel services. Friday Kathy Smith preached eloquently on the Great Commission. Then after singing “Here I Am Lord,” we heard Joshua Amaezechi pronounce the Aaronic blessing and invite God’s people to respond. Our response was enthusiastic: “Amen!”
• Every morning we end our Morning Matins service with an audible “Amen.” For me the “Amen” I say with my mouth is truly heartfelt. What a blessing it is to begin the day with students, staff, and faculty by reading passages from the Psalms and the Gospels, offering our prayers to him and singing his praise.
• Every Wednesday noon a small group of students pray for students, staff, and faculty by name. By the end of the year every person in the CTS community will have been interceded for by this prayer circle. How can we not say “Amen” to that?
• What a blessing it is to me to hear the collective “Amens” of the students in our Thursday noon prayer group after we have lifted each other up in prayer—knowing that God has heard us.
• Recently I was invited to preach in the Korean Student Association monthly worship service. The vitality of our Korean brothers and sisters’ prayer and singing was so contagious. Again the desire to say “Amen” welled up in my heart.
• Nick Bierma’s enthusiasm about the deep impact the discipline of scripture memory is having on him and the other members of the Scripture Memory Club is also contagious. Nick writes, “The Scriptures impressed on our minds, that then filter and permeate our center with Life by the Spirit of Truth is truly amazing. My experience and testimony is that God has opened more of Himself, more of his veil has been pulled back. . . . I suppose my fervor comes after allowing myself to be convicted and used by God through this discipline.” I read his testimony and I say, “Amen.”
• At the beginning of the spring semester half the seminary choir dropped out because of workload issues and schedule difficulties, and yet Director Roy Hopp has been able to elicit beautiful anthems of praise from his small choir. I see how God blesses the seminary chapel worship with a few voices and I say (in my heart), “Amen.”
• Last week a student told me how in the middle of a struggle to retain her faith she had a profound encounter with God that restored and revived her spirit. Again, “Amen.”
• Last Friday the Student Senate, after wrestling with reports that students are struggling with spiritual dryness, asked me to write an article in Kerux. I said ,”yes” and wrote “Amen.”

At this time of year when the burden of papers and exams weigh us down and anxieties about our uncertain futures gnaw at us, our spirits may dry up and our hearts grow weary. With the Psalmist we may ask ourselves, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?” Like Elijah in the wilderness we may even feel like saying to God, “I have had enough, Lord. . .Take my life.” Like William Cowper, we may experience doubt and depression.

But God does not leave us. He leads the downcast Psalmist to write, “Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” He nourishes Elijah with bread and water and sends him on his way with important work to do. He ministers to William Cowper and inspires him to write “Oh for a Closer Walk with God.” And at Calvin Seminary, too, he provides so many ways to help us walk more closely with our God. Let all God’s people say. . .

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