Cream of blog 11.03.21
March 21, 2011
Here are some niceties:
- Photos and brief introductions to the ten oldest surviving church buildings in the world.
- Great biographical introduction to Patrick, written by Mark Driscoll. I didn’t know Patrick was never canonized by the Church of Rome.
- “A Prayer about God’s Sovereignty and Our Sanity” by Scotty Smith. Does watching FoxNews or MSNBC make you nervous or angry? If so, meditate on this.
What we want
February 4, 2011
A great expression of what a gospel-driven church should want, adapted to FPC Kosciusko’s context. The original is from Kevin DeYoung of University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan. It makes an excellent prayer guide. I used it as such in our Session meeting a couple of days ago.
We want what God’s people have always wanted:
• We want God to bless us that we might be a blessing.
• We long to see sinners saved by God’s free grace.
• We aim to raise up pastors and missionaries to serve near and far.
• We want to see neighborhoods and apartments converted.
• We want the stony hears of teenagers and children, and of colleagues and neighbors, to be turned to flesh.
• We want a church where the good news of justification by faith alone in Christ alone by grace alone to the glory of God alone is preached boldly and gladly to as many as the Lord brings.
• We want children nurtured in the word of God.
• We want to make disciples and teach them to obey all that Christ has commanded.
• We want to shepherd wisely and faithfully the flock that God has entrusted to us.
• We want to cultivate a caring, loving communion of saints that use their gifts to build up the body and fan out into our community to promote Christ in word and deed.
• We want to keep doing the things we do well, and grow in the things we can do better, all to the glory of God, by the power of the Spirit, for the joy of all peoples.
• We want to help one another know Christ, serve Christ, tell of Christ, and live for Christ.
The Church has waited long
December 28, 2010
A hymn from the great Horatius Bonar:
“The Church Has Waited Long”:
The Church has waited long,
Her absent Lord to see,
And still in loneliness she waits,
A friendless stranger she.
Age after age has gone,
Sun after sun has set,
And still in weeds of widowhood,
She weeps a mourner yet.
Saint after saint on earth
Has lived, and loved, and died;
And as they left us one by one,
We laid them side by side;
We laid them down to sleep,
But not in hope forlorn;
We laid them but to ripen there,
Till the last glorious morn.
The serpent’s brood increase,
The powers of hell grow bold,
The conflict thickens, faith is low,
And love is waxing cold.
How long, O Lord our God,
Holy, and true, and good,
Wilt Thou not judge Thy suffering Church,
Her sighs, and tears, and blood?
We long to hear Thy voice,
To see Thee face to face,
To share Thy crown and glory then,
As now we share Thy grace.
Should not the loving bride
Her absent bridegroom mourn?
Should she not wear the signs of grief
Until her Lord return?
The whole creation groans,
And waits to hear that voice
That shall her comeliness restore,
And make her wastes rejoice.
Come, Lord, and wipe away
The curse, the sin, the stain,
And make this blighted world of ours
Thine own fair world again.
Cream of blog 10.05.11
May 11, 2010
A few blog posts worthy of your time
- Kevin DeYoung on that feeling of perpetual guilt you may have.
- Kevin DeYoung on questions we should ask when people are disappointed with the church. (part one, two, and three)
- Got a “Swagger Wagon”? You might want one after watching these two videos.
- And another thing: Is your worship contemporvant? Let these guys show you how to fix that.
- Jonathan Dodson on 5 reasons you may not be seeing spiritual growth.
Jesus is pure; his bride wasn’t
March 10, 2010
Russell Moore gives a gospel-saturated answer to a young woman asking about what she has a right to know about her boyfriend’s sexual past and when she has a right to know it. Take and read.
Also read Jeremiah 3.
A thankful pastor
November 24, 2009
Much of my week is spent addressing problems, listening and talking to people, directing traffic and preparing to preach and teach. I have a front-row seat to individual problems and our shortcomings as a church. Sometimes it all gets me down. Thanksgiving has come along at just the right time and made me think about the mercies of God to me. I ought to share some of those thoughts with you.
I am thankful for First Presbyterian Church–a congregation…
- which loves the Word of God and values sound doctrine and expository preaching,
- which has such a keen interest in blessing the whole world with the good news of Jesus Christ,
- which is willing to let its leaders lead,
- which is willing to let its leaders alter vehicles of ministry without too much fuss,
- which has so many people who regularly remind me that they are praying for me,
- which weeps with those who weep and rejoices with those who rejoice,
- which expresses its love for little ones and our community through its children’s ministry, Preschool, and Presbyterian Day School,
- whose deacons work really hard,
- whose elders genuinely want to see people converted and nurtured in the Christian faith,
- which pays me generously so that I can preach, lead and serve without worrying about how to make ends meet, and
- which doesn’t mind having fun along the way.
I am thankful to God that you let me be your pastor.
Disaster relief and church planting on the Gulf Coast
August 12, 2009
The Rev. Curt Moore of Lagniappe Presbyterian Church in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi has been named Mission to North America’s Disaster Response Specialist for the Gulf Coast Region. This past spring Lagniappe Church made a transition out of relief work and is now focused solely on development as a church plant and as a ministering presence in the community. Much confusion about this still exists. Every couple of weeks someone comments to me about “Lagniappe shutting down.” This is not the case. Please read this excerpt from Curt Moore’s latest newsletter, courtesy of MNA:
After hosting more than 17,000 volunteers since hurricane Katrina, Lagniappe Church has moved from relief to development. According to Pastor Jean Larroux, “Lagniappe embarks on exciting transition….Over 20 new homes….over 400 rebuilds/rehabs….more sheds than we could count….and nearly 17,000 volunteers- God has done wonderful things in Bay St. Louis. God is doing something else wonderful now! I As I have told hundreds of volunteer teams, ‘Lagniappe is NOT a construction company, we ARE a church.’ That truth has never been more evident.” You would think that after participating in relief work for almost four years Curt would be ready to move on like an evacuee away from the path of an approaching storm, however that’s not the case. These years of service have provided Curt with a renewed desire to move toward the brokenness and need of individuals with the love of Christ. “The Church has become relevant for many non-believers,” says Curt. “When the declaration of the love of God is wed with the demonstration of that same love it is a powerful apologetic. Many people have come to know Christ as a result of their experience with suffering and loss. It provides an incredible bridge for the Gospel. I look forward to serving in a region with such profound need and opportunity.”
On a related note, MNA Disaster Relief offers summer internships on the Gulf Coast. You college students out there, think about this.
Dark day in Church of Scotland
May 25, 2009
The General Assembly of the Church of Scotland has voted to sustain a call to a minister who is in an openly same-sex partnership. Here is the story as covered by Scotland on Sunday. Here are links to pieces by two outstanding Scottish brethren:
- David Robertson (of the Free Church congregation of St. Peter’s, Dundee) with spot-on commentary and a summary of what he told his congregation yesterday about the matter.
- David Meredith with thoughts on whither for the Confessing Churches.
Just walk away
April 23, 2009
The biographies of Southern Presbyterians from the 19th century show them bringing biblical teaching to bear on the ethical question of the duel, which was a common means of settling disputes among gentlemen of the aristocratic class. For example, a young James Henley Thornwell observed in an 1829 letter to a New England patron,
Is it not to be lamented that a squeamish sense of false honour is so prevalent? It is contrary to human dignity, which it should be our pride to support. Every character has motives of the strongest obligation to support it. The parent should consider the interest of his child; the patriot, the welfare of his country; and the philanthropist, the good of mankind.
Vice-President Aaron Burr (grandson of Jonathan Edwards) killed Alexander Hamilton in an 1804 pistol duel. Andrew Jackson, later to serve seventh president of the U.S., fought 2 duels. On May 30, 1806, he killed prominent duelist Charles Dickinson, suffering himself from a chest wound which caused him pain for the rest of his life. And what would a good “Western” be without a gunfight in the street?
Twin Lakes Fellowship audio
April 21, 2009
Thanks to Josh Espinoza, the sermons and lectures from last week’s Twin Lakes Fellowship are available for streaming or download here. While each one is worth your time, I would highly recommend listening to Dr. Douglas Kelly’s sermon from Deuteronomy 23:3-6, “God Turns Curses into Blessings,” and Dr. Derek Thomas’ sermon from Romans 11:33-36, “The Majesty of God.“
