THE CHRISTIAN AFRIKANERS - The Works of F. N. Lee

eturn. Nothing wrong with that. But then the State decided to sweeten the pot. It decreed that eachweek, a number would be drawn from a hat -- and the "lucky" person whose number was drawn,would be given a prize of one or two thousand dollars.The Church was furious! This led to a major Church-State confrontation in South Africa. Though itlost that battle, the Church warned the State that its action was going to bring the curse of AlmightyGod onto the nation -- by introducing this gambling element into the matter.The State told the church it respected her view-point and right to say this. Yet the State felt itneeded to do this in order to raise the money needed so as to be able effectively to fightcommunism.So you do get these Church-State clashes on these matters from time to time. Can you imaginesomething like that, a Church-State clash on such an issue, taking place in any other country of theworld today? But it is that way in South Africa.Of course, there have been occasions when the State is right and the Church is wrong! We havealready referred to the State's decision to have the Romish cross removed from Devil's Peak. I canalso recall an occasion when the State rightly prohibited a Church from immersing totally nakedwomen in public -- and another occasion when the State prosecuted a blasphemy case in the teethof opposition from some of the denominations.There is also a massive missionary outreach of the South African Reformed Churches -- intoRhodesia, into Nigeria, and into various other parts of Africa. There are also denominationalmissions to Jews and Moslems. There are even missions to the Portuguese and the Czechs, to Japan,to European embassies throughout Europe, and soon also in North America. There is even adenominational mission to the Communists. It evangelises Russian and Polish seamen that call inand around Cape Town, and "bombards" them with Bibles.There is a tremendous emphasis on Reformation Sunday in the South African Reformed Church.The pulpit is always in the middle of the church -- with a massive Bible on it, and a communiontable in front of it (at a much lower level). The liturgy is simple, and strictly Genevan. The Eldersempower the Preacher to proclaim God's Word. The announcements are made at the beginning ofthe service, so that they will not interrupt the service once it gets underway.The first thing that is sung is generally a Psalm -- not a Hymn. The Hymns may be sung later. TheTen Commandments are read every Sunday from the pulpit. Thereafter, the people sing a Hymn tothis effect: "O Lord, we have broken Thy Law! Grace is all that we appeal to. But work in our heartthrough Jesus Christ -- a new desire to keep Thy Law!"The Apostles' Creed is then professed by the people. They then give their affirmation to that Creed.Then the Preacher, in the Name of Jesus Christ, pardons and absolves all those who have made thisConfession of their faith -- according to the true condition of their hearts before God.Only organs are used in public worship. Pianos, violins, guitars and such like are regarded asinstruments not generally worthy enough to accompany the singing of the praises of the Almighty.The music in the church consists of all 150 Psalms, together with a few extra melodies of some ofthem -- and also 180 really excellent Hymns (all of them indexed chronologically in the order ofthe Apostles' Creed). Very recently, they strode back over the 17th century Dutch and Germanmelodies, and went all the way back to the original Genevan melodies of the French ReformedChurches at the time of the Protestant Reformation).