At present, two popular–yet antithetical–positions about sexuality and identity exist within the orthodox Christian community. In their recently book Transforming Homosexuality, authors Denny Burk and Heath Lambert identify these as the traditional and neo-traditional positions. Both of these positions exclude…
I attended a highly patriotic Christian school from kindergarten to fifth grade. It would definitely have been categorized as a nationalistic, God-and-country school. We pledged allegiance to the American flag and then to the Christian flag (which seems awfully Charlemagne-esque in…
What is creation? Quite often, when asked that question, everyday Christians would immediately direct attention to what has been made. One might say, “Look at the vast sky above, with its moon and stars, its sun and clouds which give…
In the previous post, we considered the rationale behind a local church model of theological education. In this post, we want to turn our attention to five potential benefits of such a church-based theological education model: In-person instruction, mentoring, and…
At the risk of being labeled a musical snob, I venture a comment or two on one of the twentieth century’s greatest composers, the centenary of whose birth we celebrate this year–Dmitri Shostakovich (1906 – 1975). He is to music…
I am not sure if it is possible for me to find anything I care about less than the royal wedding. I care more about how liver is cooked and I don’t eat liver. So I have no interest…
Recently, I had the privilege of meeting a new family in our church. They’ve spent the last several years of their life in Connecticut where they struggled to find Christian fellowship, and by God’s providence, they have been able to…
I recently wrote about a sermon that Andy Stanley, pastor of one of the largest churches in America, North Point Community Church near Atlanta, GA, preached titled Aftermath, Part 3: Not Difficult (you can watch it here). In the sermon,…
I’ve heard it uttered dozens of times. Friends, family members, and strangers have looked at me, a Presbyterian pastor, and said, “Well, you know what the Bible says, ‘God helps those who help themselves.’” I politely smile, but inside I’ve…
Often, potential exceptions to the Westminster Standards take this form: “If the Confession is saying ‘x’, then I must state my difference with that section.” One particularly common example of this is found in WCF 21.5, which reads, If the…
