“Far better no pulpit at all than a pulpit that did not, as its chief business, solemnly address men as lost sinners, summon them to repentance, faith, and humility, and entreat them, in Christ’s stead, to be reconciled to God.” – William G. Blaikie, For the Work of the Ministry. 1896 (Solid Ground, 2005), 5.
Read MoreChristian ministers seek the lost, proclaim God’s gospel of faith and repentance to all who will listen, and refuse pastoral care to no one who seeks it. Their commitment leads them to minister in dark places of human depravity. The prison complex of the Palace of Justice in Nuremberg, Germany was such a place. Housed there in 1945-46 were prominent architects of the Nazi war machine and its “Final Solution,” standing trial for crimes against peace and humanity. With them was Missouri Synod Lutheran pastor and United States Army Chaplain Henry Gerecke, who provided pastoral care to the Protestants among them. At age 50 Gerecke joined the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps. His years of leadership at City Mission in St. Louis were distinguished by care for the poor, the sick, and…
Read MoreI enthusiastically sing the Psalms, both in private and public worship. Therefore, I am grateful to live in a time when new resources encouraging their use appear regularly. My friend John brought to my attention the iPhone/iPad app for the RPCNA’s The Book of Psalms for Worship. If you are unfamiliar with tunes in the Psalter, the app enables you to view printed metrical psalms while singing along to suitable tunes. The obstacle of not knowing the tune is overcome. Many books and articles extol the benefits of Psalm singing. Dr. Terry Johnson makes the case with clarity and brevity. Let me add another benefit of singing the Psalms: it promotes a pace of reading the text suitable for understanding, reflection, and prayer. During my four…
Read MoreHEAVENLY FATHER , who has adopted us to be thy children, grant that we, passing through this corrupt world in such integrity and cleanness that none have any just occasion to complain of us, may in the end be participant of that celestial heritage which is prepared for us in the heavens, through Jesus Christ, our only Saviour. AMEN. – Prayers on the Psalms from the Scottish Psalter of 1595 (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 2010), 50.
Read MoreI’m spending the week with these veteran pastors discussing nuts and bolts issues of Christian ministry. Our topics in the Doctor of Ministry class include the theology and practice of pastoral care, preaching, Presbyterian church government, and worship. Standing next to me (l-r): Clint Covington, Blackjack Baptist Church, Troup, TX; Eric Zellner, First PCA, Indianola, MS; Jim Gorski, Three Rivers PCA, Covington, LA; Steven Wright, Bethel PCA, Lake Charles PCA. Seated (l-r): Richard Cooper, Ponte Vedra PCA, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL; Hunter Brewer, The Mid-South PCA Church Planting Network; Don Sampson, Crossroads PCA, Dumfries, VA
Read More“It is much easier to lay down the law from the pulpit than to exemplify it in the home. We find it simpler to give directions about the way than to lead others in the way ourselves. . . . . God’s most powerful visual aid in the education of mankind is a consistent Christian.” – John R.W. Stott, The Preacher’s Portrait (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1961), 97.
Read More“MERCIFUL LORD, fountain of all righteousness, who knowest the dangerous assaults wherewith we are assaulted on all sides, refuse not our petitions; but let us have the sure experience of thy favor, and goodness; to the intent that, what affliction soever fall upon us, we may live in peace and quietness of spirit, awaiting the eternal rest which thou has promised to thy children, through thy dear Son, Christ Jesus our Lord. AMEN.” – Prayers on the Psalms from the Scottish Psalter of 1595 (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 2010), 42-43.
Read MoreFor as long as I can remember, I love to read, especially books. Below are the ones I completed during 2014. I reread favorites regularly, and a number on my list fall into that category, and particularly this year as I prepared my class syllabi at RTS. Shakespeare, Bunyan, Lloyd-Jones, Still, and Wells are among those that fall into that reread category. Some of this year’s most-liked: I enjoy no contemporary novelist more than Marilynne Robinson. In anticipation of this year’s release of Lila, I reread Gilead and Home, and enjoyed them even more the second time around. Her deep insights into human nature, the struggles of the soul, and the stresses of community and family life merit a pastor’s careful attention. Lila is the remarkable story…
Read More“O MERCIFUL AND HEAVENLY FATHER, who has created us unto blessedness and sovereign felicity, and has given unto us thy holy law, to be the only rule and measure, whereby we should live well and godly, make us by thy good grace to renounce our own carnal and fleshly desires, and all evil company , eschewing the way of sinners, that we may bring forth such fruits of the Spirit that, being always under thy holy protection, we may have perfect assurance and confidence; that when thy Son Jesus Christ, shall appear to divide the goats from the sheep, we may be accounted among the number of them that are redeemed by his blood. Amen.” –Prayers on the Psalms from…
Read MoreToday is the anniversary of the birth of Charles Hodge, a towering leader in American Presbyterianism. We do well to pursue biblical studies and theology with his disciplined passion. Evangelical believers of previous generations spoke of “the force of truth.” And rightly so. Paul rejoices that the Romans “obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered” (Romans 6:17). That the union of will (obedience), affections (heart), and intellect (form of doctrine) marked their mature faith is no surprise. Through his Word, God appeals to our hearts through the mind, creating godly affections and sanctifying behavior. Charles Hodge knew the force of truth. His teaching career at Princeton Seminary spanned 58 years (1820-1878). Relationships with six decades of ministerial…
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