David writes with a question on worship, which we may paraphrase thus: If we can do something in worship on a Wednesday night Bible study or in personal devotions why can’t we do it in a Sunday morning service? Ken asks whether . . . Continue reading →
Reformed Churches have long posted a rooster-shaped weather vane atop their church buildings as a silent warning to their members not to deny Christ (Matt 26:34). The Church By the Sea in St Petersburg, FL is a congregational church founded in 1944. . . . Continue reading →
Quest. 1. If it be not lawful to make the image of God the Father, yet may we not make an image of Christ, who took upon him the nature of man? Resp. No. Epiphanius seeing an image of Christ hanging in . . . Continue reading →
At the Escondido URC in addition to the the 1959 Psalter-Hymnal we use a collection of songs that includes selections from a recent Psalter published by the Free Church of Scotland, Sing Psalms. We sang a terrific setting of a psalm yesterday . . . Continue reading →
THERE is no day commanded in scripture to be kept holy under the gospel but the Lord’s day, which is the Christian Sabbath. Festival days, vulgarly called Holy-days, having no warrant in the word of God, are not to be continued. Nevertheless, . . . Continue reading →
The musical instruments he mentions pertained to the time of instruction.1 Nor should we stupidly imitate a practice which was proper only for God’s old [covenant] people…. They were for use under the legal cult.2 John Calvin, From his commentary on Ps . . . Continue reading →
Word came yesterday that a presbyterian church, in a NAPARC denomination, cancelled its Sabbath day service yesterday in order to allow its members to go out and spend time with sinners on and, only incidentally, watch the Super Bowl. We might call . . . Continue reading →
Aimee Byrd at Housewife Theologian asks a great question about what to do with ourselves after a baptism. How do you celebrate this moment? Let me ask you readers, do you clap in your church after a baptism? Our church congregation doesn’t. . . . Continue reading →
Part of Saturday was spent trading tweets with Matthew Milliner, who teaches Art History at Wheaton College. We had a good, genial conversation from two different confessional traditions. I’m not sure but judging by his arguments I inferred that Matthew may identify . . . Continue reading →
Michael Kearney writes: “The vivid image of howling, prowling dogs, occurring not once but twice in Psalm 59, is completely omitted from the text, as are the references to the “swords in their lips” (v. 7) and “the sin of their mouths” (v. 12).” Continue reading →
James Oord summarizes a provocative passage from Eugene Peterson about worship: Peterson points out that experience-driven worship was the hallmark of Baalism, the religion of the Canaanites in the Old Testament era. Their entire worship structure was focused on catering to emotions. . . . Continue reading →
Jonathan W. Williams writes, By “Anglican Tradition” I have in mind a number of elements that include but are not limited to the following: use of language from The Book of Common Prayer in the worship liturgy; corporate confessions of sin/declarations of pardon/absolution; weekly . . . Continue reading →
So Psalm 58 invites us to have patience under persecution, to take comfort in the justice and judgment of God. Why? Because we know that that judgement – all the curses of Psalm 58 and the rest of the Bible – was borne for us by Christ. We, too, were children of the devil, deserving of all of this curse. But now, because that curse was carried for us, we know that when that last trumpet shall sound we will in Christ be found. So we need not fear the judgment. Rather, we look forward to it, knowing that finally God will be ultimately vindicated and glorified. Continue reading →
Darryl writes: “…pipe organs are no more beautiful than guitars, and upper-, middle-, and lower-class aesthetics have no standing in “traditional” Reformed worship. The reason has everything to do with the theology of the Lord’s Day, when Christians assemble with all the . . . Continue reading →
Did I just see young people on television singing a capella (without musical accompaniment)? One of the things that everyone thinks they know about worship is that no one wants to sing without instruments. Is that really true? That there’s a television . . . Continue reading →
Collin Hansen has a fascinating series of interviews on the Gospel Coalition today asking a variety of pastors whether they allow those who make no Christian profession, who regard themselves as non-Christians, non-believers, those we used to call “heathen” or “pagans” to . . . Continue reading →
Wes has good stuff from Herman Selderhuis.
Brandon has a nice passage from J.—D. Benoit.
Several people have forwarded various news stories from the UK regarding the possibility that the Free Church of Scotland may decide at GA this summer to permit the playing of musical instruments and the singing of uninspired, non-canonical songs in worship. It . . . Continue reading →
Who says Charles Finney is dead? Thanks to Brad Kelley for the link.