Fences and Fellowship
I’ve tried not to be, but I can’t help it…I’m a Baptist. I’ve read all I could about pedobaptism, I’ve talked to many friends, I’ve prayed for wisdom and clarity, and in the end, I’ve been all the more convinced…
Category Reformation21
Whate’re My God Ordains is Right
May 10, 2018 was the most beautiful yet painful day of our lives. Our long-awaited daughter, Dayna Euphemia, safely entered into the world and became part of our family. This is our family’s story about the pain, hope, sorrow and…
Identifying Our Identity
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…
God’s Special People?
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…
Defining Creation
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…
Benefits of Theological Education in the Local Church
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…
Truth in Minor Keys
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…
Neither Poverty nor Riches
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…
Andy Stanley, the Ten Commandments and Jesus
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,…
God Helps Those Who Help Themselves?
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…