The CREC in Moscow, ID and Epiphany Blessings

You never come back from Moscow bored!

The CREC has always found a home in Moscow since the three initial congregations that formed the CREC had direct ties to the ministry of Jim Wilson and the early labors of his son, Douglas. But as the denomination has grown, many other centers of CREC congregations spread around the country. Large congregations exist in Pensacola, FL; Huntsville, AL; Fort Worth, TX; Spokane, WA; and many others.

My region of the country has five CREC flocks within a 1-3 hour range. This shows our growth and that various other contributions are taking place alongside Moscow’s labors.

As the denomination grows, this alliance will take some of the pressure off Moscow for having to answer all questions regarding the CREC and free them to continue their good work undistracted.

In many ways, this is already happening. While Moscow is still very much attached to the CREC, we now have many churches spread around the country to bless the denomination and uphold the disproportionate pressure Moscow receives. I can assure you those guys can handle it, but seeing their work inspiring other flocks to go and do likewise has been remarkable.

Moscow is on my mind because I have just returned from that Northern Idaho town. You can read my adventures getting up there.

I had received a kind invitation from the Session of Trinity Reformed Church, one of the seven congregations in Moscow. Trinity is the second-largest flock in town, with over 500 members. My talks were precisely on the nature of the CREC. But of course, someone may ask, why would a Moscow church want to know about the CREC? And the answer is that most congregants have better things to do with their time than find out about polity and constitutional procedures.

My talks delved into our history, culture, distinctive, and liturgy. Turns out, you can have a lot of fun talking about a denomination.

These talks will eventually be available. I am not sure anything like this has been done before, but I did want to offer a bit of a layout of who we are and where I believe we are going.

There was a little snow, a 30-degree temperature, and a windy evening as a precursor to my talks. The circumstances were awful for an evening conference, yet there was an incredible showing. It’s very clear that wherever I travel, people are increasingly interested in knowing precisely what the CREC is and why a denomination of 20,000 people draws so much attention from the broader Reformed world and hatred from antagonists in the old and new media.

Four Lectures on the CREC

We should have arrived on Friday, but the Thursday rerouting had other plans. Our host took us from Spokane Airport to Moscow, ID. The conversation was delightful and full of joyful anecdotes. When we arrived, we had been approximately 30 hours without much sleep at all, unless you count the 30-minute naps on Seattle’s luxurious airport carpet. We were rather disoriented by sleeplessness.

But we finally rested, grabbed an early dinner at the beloved Tapped on Main St., and headed to Sword and Shovel. And, of course, I see my giant amigo whose friendship I cherish. If you haven’t met Joffre, you are missing out on the jolliness.

I even got a poem dedicated to my gastronomical meanderings.

My four talks on Friday evening and Saturday morning were well received, and the extensive Q&A was clarifying and also gave me a pulse on how the local parishioner thinks about the denomination and the sorts of perceptions they may receive from online trolls.

I can attest to the love these saints have for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and I can heartily commend the shepherding care of Pastors Appel, Bowen, and Handermann as they lead Trinity Reformed.

Sunday Epiphany Showers

The Lord’s Day at Trinity feels very much like our service at Providence in Pensacola. There are clerical collars, vestments, paraments, etc. It was the perfect setting for my sermon on Epiphany discipleship in Isaiah 60 and Matthew 2. The color green was present in the paraments and was a tangible sermon illustration.

The appearance of the magi before our Lord provided glimpses into a needed discipleship model of worship (they bowed down) and gifts (they gave gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh).

There was plenty of time for fellowship between both services and I was honored to meet so many of their beautiful congregants and see some of my old parishioners who are now at Trinity Reformed serving. The saints in Moscow are thriving, and the worship of God’s people is strong and uncompromising.

Their Sunday evening feast marks the end of their Epiphany weekend! And what an occasion that was! Finest wine, meal, fellowship, comedy, and singing!

I couldn’t have wished for a busier yet fruitful and blessed time! Til’ next time Idaho!

Uriesou T. Brito

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