I have long wondered why it seems hard for the psalms to get better traction in our worship services. Although some things might suggest the tide is turning, by and large the psalms seem to be met with at least disinterest, if . . . Continue reading →
Objective realities and subjective experiences are different things. They are supposed to match. In a fallen world, they often do not. John Andrew Bryant’s A Quiet Mind to Suffer With tells his story of wrestling with mental illness and coming to rest . . . Continue reading →
I remember being in a record store when I was younger (if you are of the younger stripe, a record store is like if your favorite streaming service was a building where music was for sale on discs that you took home . . . Continue reading →
An old Scottish tune, Skye Boat Song, about Bonnie Prince Charlie begins, Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing. Onward, the sailors cry! Carry the lad that’s born to be King Over the sea to Skye. If you are not . . . Continue reading →
There used to be a gameshow called American Gladiators in which amateur athletes competed in ridiculous tests of strength against professional “gladiators.” The culminating showdown was always a duel atop raised towers where the leading contestant faced down a gladiator, each wielding . . . Continue reading →
Covenant is an unavoidably and obviously important category in Scripture. Throughout the history of the church, beginning in the very earliest years of the post-apostolic church, there have been numerous attempts to account for the covenants, but it was not until the . . . Continue reading →
As we have worked through Psalm 2, the question running throughout is: Who rules the world? Are the nations going to overthrow God? For those in the know, namely those paying attention to the message of Psalm 2, the answer is clear. . . . Continue reading →
We can probably imagine how different the perspective might be between a photograph taken by an ant and a photograph taken from space. Imagine an ant who happened to have an ant-sized camera and happened to be riding on the back of . . . Continue reading →
Suffering is unfortunately part of our experience in this age. Until Christ returns, not all things will be right. Perhaps most things will not be right. The stark reality of life under the rainbow is that we live with provisional blessing, always . . . Continue reading →
The Reformation looms large as one of the pivotal moments of Western history. It stands alongside only a few other major events by which we segment the full sweep of the past two thousand years in our thought. For Christians in the . . . Continue reading →
One scholar has commented about Psalm 3 that while Scripture most often speaks to us, the Psalter speaks for us.1 It gives us the words we need as we cry out to God. It shows us what godly prayers look like so . . . Continue reading →
I have a few friends I have to call every now and then so they can put my backbone back in place. Courage is one of those finnicky things where, even if we have it, the perfect storm—or maybe even a weak . . . Continue reading →
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” It is one of those lines we tell our children to help them deal with aspects of life that can hit hard. It is also one of those lies . . . Continue reading →
Most history teachers at some point in their tenure face that deflating student question: Why does this matter? In other words, what use is it to study the past? Is it not the present that is the most important thing? Why should . . . Continue reading →
Looking to the past ought to have an encouraging place in the Christian life, especially if we apply that practice to how we pray. Psalm 9 models how we can find great hope for the present by recalling what God has previously . . . Continue reading →
Dan Borvan, Brad Isbell, Scott McDermand, Chris Gordon, and Harrison Perkins join Dr Clark to discuss pragmatism and Reformed church planting. Continue reading →
Good mystery stories maintain suspense until the big reveal. On a second reading, however, all the clues needed to deduce the big reveal should be obvious. The Apostles discovered this once Christ rose from the grave when they reread the Old Testament . . . Continue reading →
Psalm 9 is a lesson about why history matters. We can easily question why we need to learn our history. At least, the modern assumption is that only the present matters. Psalm 9 reorients God’s people to the importance the past has . . . Continue reading →
What should Christians do when it seems the world has gone mad? Many believers in the West face that question daily. Action seems more effective than theological precision when dealing with the madness of crowds. Isn’t theological precision a luxury for when . . . Continue reading →
When I was young and I asked to do something I really wanted to do, my dad had a line that drove me up the wall: “We’ll see.” It seemed like a “no,” but without outright saying it. It felt like the . . . Continue reading →