The subject of family worship is simultaneously one of the most frequently espoused, consistently cataloged, and thoroughly proffered topics in the history of Reformed and Presbyterian teaching, and (at least in our day) one of the most neglected practices in many Christian . . . Continue reading →
In this episode of the Heidelcast, the Superfriends talk about, “What is the Ideal Method for Confessional Subscription For Office Bearers?” Continue reading →
In this episode of the Heidelcast, the Superfriends give advice for couples who are from different Christian traditions. Continue reading →
In this episode of the Heidelcast, the Superfriends discuss ministry & evangelism. Continue reading →
In this episode of the Heidelcast, the Superfriends discuss sermon preparation and more. Continue reading →
Yet we should be very careful that our ears be not more attentive to the melody than our minds to the spiritual meaning of the words. Augustine also admits in another place that he was so disturbed by this danger that he . . . Continue reading →
In this episode of the Heidelcast, the Superfriends discuss women sharing the gospel. Continue reading →
In this episode of the Heidelcast, the Superfriends discuss prayer and good works. Continue reading →
In this episode of the Heidelcast, the Superfriends discuss prayer and good works. Continue reading →
In this episode of the Heidelcast, the Superfriends discuss Sandemanianism. Continue reading →
In this episode of the Heidelcast, the Superfriends discuss seminary and repentance. Continue reading →
In this episode of the Heidelcast, the Superfriends discuss the command to “Be Fruitful and Multiply”. Continue reading →
In this episode of the Heidelcast, the Superfriends talk about worship. Continue reading →
The song “Dare to Be a Daniel” is yet another reason to adopt Mr. Murray’s view that, in public worship, we should sing only God’s Word (I reached the same conclusion in Recovering the Reformed Confession).1 Not only is the song itself . . . Continue reading →
The Reformed church today embraces John Calvin as one of our great spiritual predecessors and acknowledges his dedication to purity in the church, and so-called Calvinists champion his ideas on predestination and the sovereignty of God. Continue reading →
I tried to imagine what John Calvin’s reaction would be if he walked into your run-of-the-mill worship service today, complete with a full band and contemporary worship songs. The image was ruined by the fact that the only facial expression I can imagine on the great theologian is what I have seen in paintings of him. Continue reading →
During the summer before my freshman year of high school, I volunteered at my church’s Vacation Bible School program to lead games for the preschoolers. Something I noticed was that the students were more likely to listen to directions to do something than directions not to do something. I remember telling a girl to please refrain from putting her hands into the water bucket. And what do you think she did? She put her hands in the water bucket. Continue reading →
When I first read Calvin’s Institutes, the clarity with which he described the absolute transcendence and holiness of God struck me, especially as I considered how often my younger, more charismatic self was willing and eager to dismiss concerns about my preferences in worship, even if the concerns came from Scripture itself. Continue reading →
To be fair, congregational singing has been under assault for a century or more. The “contemporary” worship of 100 years ago in some P&R churches already suffered from invasive species propagated by Oxford Movement’s high-church, Anglo-Catholic tendencies. Low churches got high. Organs . . . Continue reading →
Walk into any corporate worship service today and you will almost certainly observe that the congregational singing is accompanied by instruments. There is no doubt that the common worship style of today, filled with various instruments and too often supplemented by stage lights and smoke machines, differs significantly from the worship one would have observed in a seventeenth-century Reformed church. Continue reading →