In my last post I mentioned Andrew Blackwood’s book, The Fine Art of Public Worship. He has a good chapter on the public reading of Scripture, a historic part of Christian worship rooted in Scripture which is sorely neglected today. Much needs to be said on this aspect of worship, but here I will simply …
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One of the voices from the past which I have come to appreciate is Andrew Blackwood (1882-1966), pastor and professor for many years at Princeton. He wrote much on pastoral ministry which remains quite helpful today. Because he wrote in a different day some of his points are dated, but also he often exposes blind …
My copy of this book, The Psalms as Christian Worship: A Historical Commentary by Brucke Watlke and James Houston, just came today, and already I am hooked. This is a significant book in so many ways. In general Waltke provides exegesis of key psalms and Houston provides a history of reception and interpretation. Together they …
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“Nothing, in fact, nothing so uplifts the soul, gives it wings, liberates it from the earth, looses the shackles of the body, promotes its values and its scorn for everything in this world as harmonious music and a divine song rhythmically composed.” “From profane songs, you see, harm and damage and many dire consequences would …
On September 15-17 the R. C. Ryan Center for Biblical Studies at Union University will host the festival, “KJV400: Legacy & Impact.” Some today may wonder why celebrate the 400th anniversary of the King James version. This festival is not a call for everyone to use only the KJV or an exercise in mere dusty …
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“Hearken, I entreat you, all ye that are careful for this life, and procure books that will be medicines for the soul. If ye will not any other, yet get you at least the New Testament, the Apostolic Epistles, the acts, the Gospels, for your constant teachers. If grief befall thee, dive into them as …
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Every Christian who would abound in prayer and piety ought, in all reason, to make the Psalter his manual; and, moreover, it were well if every Christian so used it and were so expert in it as to have it word for word by heart, and could have it even in his heart as often …
In describing the elements of public worship in the apostolic (1st century) church, Philip Schaaf lists “The SONG, a form of prayer, in the dress of festive poetry and the elevated language of inspiration.” This practice, he writes, “passed immediately, with the psalms of the Old Testament, those inexhaustible treasures of spiritual experience, edification and …
“Do you wish to be happy? Do you want to know how to spend the day truly blessed? I offer you a drink that is spiritual. This is not a drink for drunkenness that would cut off even meaningful speech. This does not cause us to babble. It does not disturb our vision. Here it …
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At my blog on children’s literature, The Children’s Hour, I comment on books we read together as a family giving recommendations or warnings. This is the most recent entry from The Children’s Hour: Through My Eyes, Tim Tebow with Nathan Whitaker (Harper Collins, 2011), hb., 260 pp. Ages 10+ My boys and I really enjoyed …