Wit and Wisdom1/31/2008
I wonder too if the drift to Rome isn't caused by the dramatic loss of a sense of humour in Protestantism. Frankly, Catholic writers seem to have more fun most of the time; and humour is a great way of coping with the slings and arrows of life. I am struck by the comment of Eric Gritsch on Luther:
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Hey, where's my Protestantism?1/30/2008
I think the attraction of Rome is in large part generated by the fact that one needs a reason not to be Catholic, and that the classic Protestant reasons for not being so have largely vanished -- three of the key issues for Luther in the Reformation (as for others) were perspicuity of scripture, justification by grace through faith, and the interconnection of these two in the matter of authority. Given that contemporary evangelical Protestantism has largely abandoned the first two, with clear implications for the third, there is no real reason for many to remain Protestant.
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Inductive Bible Studies and the Road to Rome1/30/2008
It certainly is remarkable to witness such core evangelical institutions as InterVarsity and Urbana now showing openness and (is it possible?) even turning to Roman Catholicism. But I think that with hindsight, we can see at least some of the forces at work.
One of these forces is the relationship between inductive Bible studies, spiritual individualism, and the road to Rome.
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So what's up with Urbana and Roman Catholicism?1/29/2008
Here. And here. And here.
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Interview with Packer on Anglicanism1/29/2008
"In a wide-ranging interview, the Canadian Anglican theologian J.I.
Packer talked with David W. Virtue about the state of the Anglican
Communion at the Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMiA) Winter
Conference in Dallas, Texas."
Note this line in particular: "Liberal theology, without the gospel, proves to be the smell of death rather than of life."
HT: James Grant
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How Long?1/28/2008
Today I received an anonymous prayer card from someone who was at Tenth Presbyterian Church yesterday for worship. The card asked us to pray for a baby whose heart is failing and may need a transplant.
The baby's parents are believers in Jesus Christ. On Saturday the mother, fearing for her daughter's life, asked her husband, "How long will God continue to show us mercy?"
"Always," he replied.
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The Family Worship Book1/28/2008
Anyone who wishes to respond to Rick Phillips's stirring call to family worship will find a helpful resource in Terry Johnson's recent publication, The Family Worship Book. In addition to a rationale for family worship and helpful hints for getting started, Terry provides outlines, suggested orders for worship, resources for singing psalms and hymns, and many other valuable tools. And all between the covers of one book.
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A Sabbath Conundrum for the weekend1/26/2008
I'm just on my to Taiwan to teach Koreans about the puritans (how they love the puritans! It's their experiential theology that appeals to the Asian mindset, or should I say, heart-set?). Anyway, here's a weekend puzzle to think about:
If I fly to Kaohsiung in Taiwan leaving the USA on Saturday morning, I pass the international date line arriving in Taiwan a few minutes before midnight on Sunday evening, effectively having skipped Sunday (almost) altogether! Have I broken he Sabbath? Any casuistic scholars among you who can throw some light?
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Savoring Luke1/24/2008
Today I crossed a finish line that had long been stretched out before me: I finished editing Phil Ryken's two-volume Luke commentary for the Reformed Expository Commentary. Phil was enormously gracious to me, since due to work overload and a church transition I was a full six months late in completing my edits. But it was certainly worth the effort: Phil's Luke will be, in my opinion, the finest expository commentary published since Jim Boice's award-winning Romans commentary. So mark your calendars for Feb. 09 when it is planned for release, because you will definitely want a seat at this expository feast.
For those interested in knowing, we have the following commentaries in the works for release in 08 and 09:
Daniel, Iain Duguid
Matthew, Dan Doriani
Luke, Phil Ryken
Ephesians, Bryan Chapell
Acts, Derek Thomas
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Workshop on Biblical Exposition 20081/23/2008
It has been so long since I have made a post that I am (almost) embarrassed to return. But I wanted to make sure that people knew about the upcoming Workshop on Biblical Exposition at Tenth Presbyterian Church on February 6 to 8.
The workshop is sponsored by the Charles Simeon Trust, which promotes the exposition of Scripture through 1) talks on preaching; 2) model sermons; and 3) sessions in which pastors work together through specific texts of Scripture with a view to preaching.
I have been involved as a participant and instructor for a decade now, and find these workshops to be the best available tool for improving my preaching. There are workshops across the country this spring; for details and online registration, visit the Simeon Trust website.
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Christ and/or Muhammad1/23/2008
I want to thank John Piper for his bold rejoinder to A Common Word, an ecumenical movement to foster peace among Muslims and Christians.and especially to the Christian response from over 300 Christian leaders, including many leading Evangelicals. As Piper points out, the problem with this initiative is not the sincere desire to promote peace and mutual respect, but in what it concedes in order to do so. In short, the Christian endorsers of A Common Word laud the "common ground" that Muslims and Christians share in our convictions regarding the love of God and our calling to love our neighbor. Piper points out, however, that the Muslim ideas of God and God's love are radically opposed to the Christian beliefs of God and His love. The unavoidable effect of this joint resolution is strongly to suggest that when it comes to God and His love, Muslims and Christians believe substantially the same thing. Piper calls on Christians to seek peace and respect with greater honesty, i.e., that which refuses to downplay the fundamentally different beliefs of Islam and Christianity -- not merely in degree but in kind -- and which refuses to demure from calling all men to faith in God's only Son and our only Savior.
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2008: A Year for Family Worship1/23/2008
Returning to our editor's theme for the start of this year, I would make another suggestion for "the most important issue facing the church in 2008?" Having already suggested a renewed passion for world missions and the support of the growing church in the developing world, I would also like to consider the situation here at home. I believe that one of the most pressing needs is for evangelical Christians to respond to our staggering failure to lead our children into a saving discipleship with Jesus Christ. Both statistics and experience reveal that an appallingly low number of "Christian" youth are transitioning into adulthood with a living faith. I would suggest that the main causes of this are 1) the way so many Christians live compartmentalized lives, with Christian discipleship relegated to Sunday mornings only, so that their children are turned off by the obvious lack of authenticity in their parents' faith; 2) the superficial approach to everything, but especially youth ministry, in evangelical churches today; 3) parents' failure to personally disciple their children in the faith. Given this dire situation and its alarming sources, I suggest that a need of vital urgency among Christians is for believing parents to recommit to a hands-on approach to the Christian nurture of their children. The most significant way to address this is by a renewed commitment to family worship in the home.
A couple of weeks ago, I addressed this in my pastor's letter to my congregation. Perhaps our readers might benefit from it as well:
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Congratulations to Mark Dever1/22/2008
Mark Dever's The Gospel and Personal Evangelism, has been nominated in the Apologetics and Evangelism category for the Christianity Today Book Awards for 2008. Mark has previously received a 2007 CT Award of Merit.
Visit www.crossway.org to view excerpts, or to browse the full-text online.
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Roe @ 351/22/2008
A few links in light of this most unholy day, the 35th anniversary of the decision in Roe v. Wade.
Scott Klusendorf on being a pro-life pastor.
An interview with Klusendorf about his forthcoming book and books he recommends on defending life.
A visual graph to show how many lives have been lost in the US due to abortion.
An interview with Princeton's Robert George on why Roe v. Wade was legally wrong, whether it will be overturned, and what can be done.
A chapter by John Piper on Fasting for Little Ones.
A picture worth a thousand words.
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An Interview with Dever on Sibbes1/22/2008
Timmy Brister interviews Mark Dever on Richard Sibbes.
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