“In our daily reading of Scripture we come upon many obscure passages that convict us of ignorance” – John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 3.2.4 This statement from Calvin is striking. At the time Calvin is writing this he is widely regarded as the leading theologian of the Reformation. No one else had produced …
I am in the midst of the last proofreading of the forthcoming book, Forgotten Songs: Reclaiming the Psalms for Christian Worship and am really enjoying the essays even though I’ve been through them several times already. In Jack Collins’ essay on the liturgical purpose of the Psalms in their Old Testament context he helpfully discusses …
Here is another excerpt from Brueggemann’s sermon on Psalm 100 [“Psalm 100,” Interpretation 39 (1985): 65-69]. In this section he is making the point that worship along the lines called for in Psalm 100 is a summons to reorient life in light of the reality that God is our Creator and Shepherd. To sing in …
I have plenty of differences with Walter Brueggemann, but his sermon on Psalm 100 is very rich [“Psalm 100,” Interpretation 39 (1985): 65-69]. The following quote makes a profound point about praise and has helped me see more of the importance of praise. To praise is to reject alternative loyalties and false definitions of reality. …
The New Testament is clear about the duty of church members in watching out for one another and helping one another persevere (see esp. Heb 3:12-14; 4:1-2, 11; 12:15-16; James 5:19-20). Too often Christians have not learned to think this way. I also often find myself trying to help people see that evangelistic labors, properly …
While working on a project on what is taught about the church in Hebrews I came across this quote from F. F. Bruce (in his commentary). He is discussing Hebrews 13:17, the verse which provides the name for this site. This is a great comment: “There would always be a tendency throughout the churches for …
Continue reading ‘F. F. Bruce on the Importance of the Local Pastor’ »
The book of essays which came from the event KJV400: Legacy & Impact last fall at Union University, has now gone to the publisher. We are hoping for a fall release for the book. The table of contents is below. The aim of the book, like the event, is to recognize and celebrate how God …
Today is the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. This terrible tragedy was also the occasion of some very heroic deeds as men by and large supported a “Women and children first” policy. Sadly the heroic aspect has been obscured by a dubious movie. On this anniversary there is one specific story especially …
I am currently trying to finish up the book coming out of our festival last fall, KJV400: Legacy & Impact. As I have been thinking about the impact and influence of the KJV, I have appreciated the King James Bible Trust in London, who also helped to advertise our event as well as others around …
I previously posted the chapter titles for the forthcoming Forgotten Songs: Reclaiming the Psalms for Christian Worship, which is due out this fall from B&H. As the book makes its way through the publication process, some people have been kind enough to give the book an early reading and share their thoughts. I have been …