One of the major reasons I wrote Recovering the Reformed Confession was to call attention to a weird sort of two-way traffic. Some in the Reformed Churches in North America and apparently in Scotland seem ready to abandon the very thing that . . . Continue reading →
Worship
Shane is Reading Ames
On worship. You can get your own copy of the first volume of the CRT series by clicking on the image to the left.
Kuyper on Worship
When folk call themselves “Kuyperian” they aren’t usually referring to his views on worship. See also this related post by Danny Hyde on Ames regarding the#mce_temp_url#.
Kuyper: The Minister Serves the Church
Shane explains at RR. You can get your copy of Kuyper on worship at The Bookstore at WSC.
Has the Experiment Succeeded?
Not according to Bob Godfrey (HT: Brenden): “One obvious effect of psalm-singing was that Reformed worshipers had the psalms well planted in their minds and hearts. If we should hide God’s Word in our hearts that we might not sin against him . . . Continue reading →
Calvin on Psalm Singing in Worship
As for public prayers, there are two kinds: the one consists simply of speech, the other of song…And indeed, we know from experience that singing has great strength and power to move and to set on fire the hearts of men in . . . Continue reading →
"Sectarians" v "Relevants" in the PCA and the Strategic Plan
“Nowhere has the disagreements between the “sectarians” and the “relevants” been more evident than in the discussions regarding the Regulative Principle of Worship, women in diaconal ministry, and the cultural mandate of the Church. The Metro New York Presbytery of the PCA, . . . Continue reading →
Bob Godfrey on Psalm 95
One of the great pleasures of being at Westminster Seminary California is that we get to hear Bob Godfrey in chapel twice every semester. The president opens the semester and he closes. Chapel is always well attended because the students know that . . . Continue reading →
Deformation or Reformation?
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 →
The Origins of the Dialogical Principle
Brandon has a nice passage from J.—D. Benoit.
Audio: Godfrey on the Psalms, Calvin, and Contemporary Worship
Thanks to Jeff Downs and the folks at GPTS for posting these: The Psalms and Contemporary Worship Calvin and the Worship of God
Now in the Bookstore: Tributes to John Calvin
The latest volume in the Calvin500 series is the publication of the conference papers delivered last summer in Geneva as part of the year-long celebration (Calvinpalooza) of John Calvin’s 500th birthday. This is a wide-ranging collection of essays by a diverse, international . . . Continue reading →
Office Hours: Terry Johnson on Worship
This week Office Hours talks with the Rev Terry Johnson, Senior Minister, Independent Presbyterian Church, Savannah, GA. This episode is available now on iTunes. It should be available on the website later today. We’re still taking calls at 760 480 8477. Leave . . . Continue reading →
What We Can Learn From the Free Church About Conservatism and Sola Scriptura
The Free Church of Scotland, by a narrow margin, has voted to allow the introduction of musical instruments and non-inspired songs into its public worship services. As unfortunate as that decision is, if news accounts are to be believed, the grounds for . . . Continue reading →
So You Think You Can't Sing Psalms Acapella?
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 →
Hart: It’s Not About Style
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 theology of the Lord’s Day, when Christians assemble with all the angels . . . Continue reading →
As I Was Saying
After much deliberation, prayer, and encourage from some friends and readers the HB is back. Thanks to a dear and loyal friend who did an amazing amount of work to make it happen. The last HB post was in May 2011. Much . . . Continue reading →
Slouching Toward New Orleans
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 →
Sing Scripture and Psalms
At the Escondido URC in addition to 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 so . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 11b: Reforming Worship, Confession, And Marriage
Rummaging around the old hard drive I found a lost episode of the Heidelcast from December 2009. Sam wrote to ask about whether and how to approach his church about reforming their worship service. He also asked about the degree to which . . . Continue reading →