The Starting Place…

I want to revisit a quote I made from Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion about the starting place for all theology, worship, doctrine and morals. This is what he said:
“Man never attains to a true self-knowledge until he have previously contemplated the face of God, and come down after such contemplation to look into [...]

The importance of Contemplation of Christ

The Sunday School class I teach is studying Hebrews. Hebrews 3:1  says “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;”
Consider here is κατανοησατε in the Greek. It means to “observe fully.” Thayer’s lexicon renders it “consider attentively, fix eyes or mind upon.” How important [...]

Prayer’s Vital Accompaniment

Recently, I ran across this quotation from W.H. Griffith Thomas in his excellent little book Life Abiding and Abounding (Chicago: The Bible Institute Colportage Association). Thomas is largely forgotten today–but that does a disservice to his astounding and varied literary labors. He deserves to be widely read because of his keen scholarship and clear writing, [...]

Contentment!

Whate’er My God Ordains Is Right.

Can we always affirm that assertion in our lives? I think God desires us to do so, and I think as we mature in the faith we can.
In 1676, this hymn was composed by Samuel Rodigast in German, and the English translation was done by Catherine Winkworth in 1863.
Indelible Grace [...]

God Often Speaks in the Silences

In the calendar of the Church of England, August 30 corresponds with the “Twelfth Sunday After Trinity.” The Gospel reading selected for that day is Mark 7:31-37.
Sometimes I follow this old lectionary with my own preaching, for it affords a way of keeping the great themes of Scripture before my people, especially in connection with [...]

Quality Children’s Christian Books

Little Son asks almost every night for the Parson to read to him before he goes to bed. We’ve run through the gamut of the familiar classics–there are some fine stories out there  about unruly trains who go off the tracks, slow-moving puppies, and tugboats who get too big for their britches. Fine works, all–but [...]

The Secret Things of God

Sunday Morning’s Sermon
Deuteronomy 29:29  The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
The whole chapter is a time of renewing the covenant between the children of Israel and the LORD. [...]

Which is friendlier? The Church or A Pub?

I have heard it said many, many times over the last decade by people who really ought to know better that churches need to learn from bars how to be more friendly. Maybe you’ve heard it too:  people supposedly find more sense of belonging in bars, pubs, etc. than they do in churches.
Really?
I’ve heard of [...]

Three Things Every Christian Should Do

I want to give you three simple things that every Christian can do to make the churches of our nation stronger. While I am personally committed to doing what I can to help my congregation in particular to grow, the truth is that I hope that all of the Evangelical, orthodox churches in our nation [...]

A week at Beeson Divinity School

This past week, I enjoyed my seventh time at Beeson Divinity School’s Pastors’ School. This year’s theme was “Reality: It’s Coming to Your Congregation and Community in Ways You Never Imagined. So What’s A Pastor to Do?” I’m really grateful to my church for sending me once again.

Beeson Divinity School is housed on the campus [...]