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 →
Worship
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 →
Heidelcast 12: Worship, Baptism, And Romanism
On Worship, Baptism, and Romanism
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 →
Sola Scriptura And Public Worship
We believe that those Holy Scriptures fully contain the will of God, and whatsoever man ought to believe unto salvation is sufficiently taught therein. For since the whole manner of worship which God requires of us is written in them at large, . . . Continue reading →
Of Musical Instruments, Worship, Choirs, Levites, And Blood
The use of instruments in worship was admittedly part of the Temple service. It had no place in the Tabernacle before David’s day, beyond the use of two silver trumpets made by Moses, in the hands of the priests. There is not . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 16: Being Relevant is Harder Than It Looks
An HB Classic
This episode of the Heidelcast, from January, 2010, takes a look at Chicago radio legend Steve Dahl’s reaction to being forced to go to church for Christmas. It’s useful to hear how silly Christians appear to unbelievers when we try to be . . . Continue reading →
Could Instruments Be Idols?
Friday, in the Medieval-Reformation course I gave a lecture on Calvin’s doctrine of worship during which a student asked about instruments. I replied that Calvin (and most of the Reformed) would have viewed the introduction of instruments into the service the same . . . Continue reading →
On Elements and Circumstances
An HB Classic
The Reformed confessions distinguish between the elements of worship and the circumstances of worship. In Westminster Confession 21 we say, “…the acceptable way of worshiping the true God is instituted by himself, and so limited by his own revealed will, that he . . . Continue reading →
Calvin: Instruments In Public Worship Is The Restoration of Shadows
For even now, if believers choose to cheer themselves with musical instruments, they should, I think, make it their object not to dissever their cheerfulness from the praises of God. But when they frequent their sacred assemblies, musical instruments in celebrating the . . . Continue reading →
In Case You’ve Never Heard
One of the reasons why people resist the call to return to historic Reformed (and catholic) worship practices, e.g., singing God’s Word without musical instruments is because it is completely unfamiliar and thus seems implausible or entirely theoretical. It isn’t. Thanks to . . . Continue reading →
You Mean That There’s More Than "Shine, Jesus Shine"?
Do you realize that, for people of a certain age, let’s say those born since 1980, “Shine, Jesus Shine” (published in 1987) is now a “traditional hymn”? It’s about as “traditional” for those generations as revival songs from the early 20th century . . . Continue reading →
Online Now: Worship Matters
Earlier this summer (Summer ends 21 September 2013) the good folks of the Associated Presbyterian Church invited me to contribute an essay on worship to the denominational magazine, APC News. It appeared as “Worship Matters” in APC News, 160 (July/August 2013), 5–9. It’s . . . Continue reading →
Tyndale’s Application of the Regulative Principle
Mark well how many parsonages or vicarages are there in the realm, which at the least have a plow-land a-piece. Then note the lands of bishops, abbots, priors, nuns, knights of St John’s, cathedral churches, colleges, chauntries, and free-chapels. For though the . . . Continue reading →
On The Wisdom Of Screens
Until very recently, if I mentioned screen and church in the same sentence one would have thought of a rood (Saxon for “cross”) screen, which separates the nave from the chancel. There, in the chancel, is the altar and the choir in . . . Continue reading →
Tell Me Again, Why Don’t We Sing The Psalms?
Only it appeared to me to be requisite to show in passing, that this book makes known to us this privilege, which is desirable above all others — that not only is there opened up to us familiar access to God, but . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 52: Images Of Christ Don’t Affirm His Humanity, They Deny It
In some Reformed quarters to it is considered clever to argue that to reject images is to deny the humanity of Christ. That Reformed writers should make such an argument would shock our Reformed forefathers, who were convinced that images of Christ . . . Continue reading →
Wisdom On Introducing Psalm Singing
1) Many people do not know you can sing the psalms (at least, other than Psalm 23, 62, and 100). “The psalter” is a foreign term, and even after people are introduced to singing psalms, they find it incredibly awkward to actually . . . Continue reading →
Calvin On Instruments In The New Covenant: Restoring Shadows
It is evident that the Psalmist here expresses the vehement and ardent affection which the faithful ought to have in praising God, when he enjoins musical instruments to be employed for this purpose. He would have nothing omitted by believers which tends . . . Continue reading →
On The Absence Of Musical Instruments From The Synagogue
Ancient Jewish cultic music was valid only in connection with the cult, and the cult was valid only at the Temple in Jerusalem. When Jerusalem fell to the Romans in 70 CE, and the Temple destroyed, the cult ceased, and with it . . . Continue reading →