Imagine that you get free reign to design the plans for your dream home. You get to pick the kind of rooms you have, you get to decide the layout for where those rooms go, and you get to determine all the . . . Continue reading →
Rule of Worship
Psalters!
When I began to become Reformed (c. 1980–81), the Reformed churches I knew were hymn-singing congregations. Typically, they used the blue Trinity Hymnal (1961), published by the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (and later by Great Commission Publications). There are Psalms (for singing and . . . Continue reading →
Video: Bob Godfrey On How God Wants Us To Worship Him
Chris Gordon and Dr. Robert Godfrey discuss Reformed worship. Continue reading →
Is All Of Life Worship?
Is all of life worship? That was the question set for Dr Clark at the Great Lakes Reformed Conference October 14, 2023. Audio RESOURCES Resources On The Rule Of Worship Subscribe To The Heidelblog! The Heidelblog Resource Page Heidelmedia Resources The Ecumenical . . . Continue reading →
Heidelminicast: Preview — Great Lakes Reformed Conference
It’s a preview of the Great Lakes Reformed Conference coming up on October 14, 2023 with Harrison Perkins. Continue reading →
Is the Offering an Element, a Circumstance, or Neither?
The Reformed churches order their worship services according to the Regulative Principle of Worship (RPW) This principle says that we must do only that which God has commanded in his Word. When planning the elements (see below) of a service, the only . . . Continue reading →
Saturday Psalm Series: Psalms, Hymns, Spiritual Songs, and Instruments in the Vulgate (Part 2)
The Latin Bible was a major formative influence on the way the Reformed theologians interpreted Scripture. The King James Version/Authorized Version (1611) particularly reflects the influence of the Latin Bible, but its influence reverberates in many English translations. It influenced their word . . . Continue reading →
George Gillespie and the Regulative Principle of Worship (Part 2)
A Dispute Against the English Popish Ceremonies (1637)
In each of his four main arguments, Gillespie stayed true to the Rule of Worship. He steadfastly contended against the Anglican bishops by asserting the authority of God’s Word in binding the conscience of the Christian in the worship of God. This was the same defense employed by the Reformers before him and it is the same doctrine which Reformed Christians find in their confessions and catechisms in the present day. Continue reading →
George Gillespie and the Regulative Principle of Worship (Part 1)
During the Protestant Reformation of the 16th and 17th centuries, one of the doctrines in which the Reformers saw a particular need for reforming was the doctrine of worship. In his 1543 treatise The Necessity of Reforming the Church, John Calvin (1509–64) wrote, . . . Continue reading →
PCA Worship Is Better But It Has Some Distance Yet To Go
The state of worship in the Presbyterian Church in America is arguably better than it has ever been, at least as far as liturgy goes. More churches now use recognizably Reformed liturgies than at any point in the denomination’s history. These are . . . Continue reading →
Heidelminicast: David’s Journey Away From Reformed Worship And Back
These are some of our favorite Heidelquotes. Something to think about from the Heidelcast. If you are subscribed to the Heidelcast or the Heidelblog (see below) you will receive these episodes automatically. All the Episodes of the Heidelcast How To Subscribe To Heidelmedia . . . Continue reading →
Heidelminicast: The Reformed Churches In Nassau Rejected Instruments In Public Worship
These are some of our favorite Heidelquotes. Something to think about from the Heidelcast. If you are subscribed to the Heidelcast or the Heidelblog (see below) you will receive these episodes automatically. All the Episodes of the Heidelcast How To Subscribe To Heidelmedia . . . Continue reading →
The Sturdy Legs Of Worship
Why will unscriptural, man-centered, culturally conditioned, over-contextualized worship undermine confessional orthodoxy? Because worship by its very form (which ought to be according to spirit—uppercase and lowercase— and truth) communicates certain things about the nature of God and man, thus theology proper and . . . Continue reading →
The Antecedent To Worship
We all agree there should be truth in worship. But shouldn’t worship also be in truth? There’s a big difference between having truth in worship and worshipping in truth. Having truth in worship means you got some Bible in there. But worshiping . . . Continue reading →
Psalmody And The Sexual Revolution: Or Yet Another Reason Why We Should Only Sing God’s Word
It was only a matter of time. There is a story on CNN about the the 2019 publication of a LGBTQ hymnal, Songs For The Holy Other: Hymns Affirming the LGBTQIA2S+ Community. This collection is published by the Hymn Society, which is . . . Continue reading →
The Idea Of Reverent, Orderly Worship Did Not Begin In The Reformation
A reverent restraint in worship did not begin with the Reformation. Clement of Alexandria in the second century A.D. decried all sorts of revelry in the church, which he called “an inebriating pipe” serving only to arouse the sensuous passions. “For,” he . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 224: From Every Tribe, Tongue, And Nation (2)—Introduction To The Canons Of Dort (2)
In this episode Dr Clark continues the series on the Canons of Dort (1619). There is a popular narrative among Arminians (and perhaps others) that the Arminians were the victims of an unprovoked theological, ecclesiastical, and political attack by Calvinists. Nothing could . . . Continue reading →
D. G. Hart To Speak At NW Atlanta Reformed Conference May 21, 2022
D. G. Hart, Distinguished Associate Professor of History at Hillsdale College is the featured speaker at the second annual Northwest Atlanta Reformed Conference Saturday, May 21, 2022 (9:00–Noon) to be held at Christ Orthodox Presbyterian Church (495 Terrell Mill Rd., Marietta, GA). The . . . Continue reading →
Waters Contra Intinction: We Must Observe The Sacraments In The Way Christ Instituted Them
We must observe the sacraments in a way that submits to the teaching of Scripture. In the public worship of God, we may only do what God has authorized us to do. What he hasn’t expressly authorized in Scripture is thereby forbidden. . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 203: A Christmas Story (With A Santa Clause)
We’re interrupting our series on the Apostles’ Creed to talk about Christmas. Usually at this time of year I post or repost some of the essays on the Heidelblog about Christmas but this year I thought it might be useful to talk . . . Continue reading →