A native of Scotland, my maternal grandfather, Robert Walker Maclagan, served as a ruling elder at Central Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, Georgia. I never knew him; he died more than two decades before my birth. He had two sons, my Mother’s only siblings. Robert, Jr. lived less than a month. John Malcolm died a few weeks before his third birthday in 1922. I am named after Malcolm (my middle name). The early deaths of his young sons explain my grandfather’s special interest in the baby clinic. Robert Maclagan arrived in New York in February 1915, and joined Central Presbyterian Church later that year. He was elected deacon in 1916 and ruling elder in 1931. My mother, Roberta Emma Maclagan Wingard, made…
Read MoreO LORD, who never leavest imperfect that which thou hast begun, although our wickedness and unthankfulness deserve that we should be deprived of all thy benefits, nevertheless we beseech thee of thy great mercy to cast away our sins; and grant that we may fear and serve thee in such sort that thou maintain us in peace and tranquillity, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN. – Prayers on the Psalms from the Scottish Psalter of 1595 (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 2010), 96-97.
Read MoreDear RTS Jackson Family – Grace Chapel will be open at 4:00 this afternoon to pray for Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, and for its many grieving friends and members. I hope you can join us. Yours in Christ, Charlie
Read MoreWhen ministers visit the flock, they bring the ministry of the word to homes, hospitals, prisons, and any other place where God’s people find themselves in need of a pastor’s care. Ministers should give special attention to the sick, for they often struggle with discouragement and doubt. They need reassurance of God’s love for them in Christ Jesus our Lord. The Presbyterian Church in America’s Book of Church Order helpfully reminds ministers that they “should visit the the people at their homes, and especially the sick” (8-3). Learning to visit and care for the sick skillfully requires a thorough knowledge of God’s word, sympathy for the afflicted, lots of experience, and the personal example and wise counsel of seasoned pastors, which is…
Read More“O HEAVENLY FATHER, who never ceasest to pour thy benefits upon thy children, although by our ingratitude we have often and many times provoked thy fury against us, yet, we pray thee, remember the covenant made with our fathers, that thou wouldst be their God and the God of their seed. Have pity upon us. Give us thy grace, that we may so walk before thee that we may be participants of thy heavenly felicity through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.” – Prayers on the Psalms from the Scottish Psalter of 1595 (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 2010), 96-97.
Read More“O GOOD GOD, who through the multitude of thy benefits, heaped upon us, ceasest not to incite us to honour and serve thee, nevertheless our wicked nature and unfaithfulness is such that we give not that obedience which is thy due unto thee. Yet we beseech thee that thou wilt not put forth thy anger upon us, but put away all our iniquities out of thy sight through thy mercy, and have pity upon us, the poor sheep of thy pasture who are redeemed by the blood of thy Son, Christ Jesus. AMEN.” – Prayers on the Psalms from the Scottish Psalter of 1595 (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 2010), 94-95.
Read More“ETERNAL GOD, the only refuge of comfortless creatures, hear our payers and requests, and forget not to show thy mercy upon us. Lord, give us grace in such sort to acknowledge thy marvelous works which thou hast shown to thy people in times past, that we may be more and more confirmed in the assurance of thy goodness, by the which thou hast freely elected and adopted us in thy well-beloved Son, Jesus Christ. AMEN.” – Prayers on the Psalms from the Scottish Psalter of 1595 (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 2010), 94.
Read MoreCharles Simeon (1759-1836) argues that “it is under sufferings that the superiority of the Christian’s state is to be seen to the greatest advantage.” He comments on Romans 8:28: “The Christian may be called to bear the heaviest afflictions; but they shall bring him to consideration, stir him up to prayer, wean him from the world, and lead him to seek his rest above — He maybe assaulted also with the most distressing temptations; but these will shew him the evil of his heart, and the faithfulness of his God: they will also teach him to sympathize with his tempted brethren: even death itself will be among the number of the things that shall prove beneficial to him. This is the most…
Read MoreThe pageantry of the 1936 Berlin Olympics was a triumph for Hitler’s propaganda machine. Evidences of the Reich’s virulent anti-semitism were swept from the streets. Gone for the duration of the games were the “Jews not welcome” signs in stores and shops. On display were the orderliness, architectural grandeur, and growing military muscle of Nazi Germany. Berlin would be the last Olympic contest until 1948, long after Hitler was dead and the city reduced to rubble. Among the athletes competing in Berlin were Americans who became famous for not only their athletic skill, but their unconquerable courage: Jesse Owens, Glenn Cunningham, Louis Zamperini, and the men of the United States Olympic rowing team. Daniel James Brown’s The Boys in the Boat tells the story of…
Read MoreTake a few minutes of your Memorial Day to listen to the story of Master Sergeant Roy Benavidez. Truthful, earnest, and orderly speeches, backed up by the speaker’s physical and moral courage, compel an audience’s attention. Seargeant Benavidez exemplifies each of these virtues as he speaks after receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor. Of the many speeches I showed my rhetoric and debate students at Westminster Christian Academy, this one became a class favorite. After President Reagan’s summary of his battlefield valor, Mr. Benavidez speaks.
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