Last month I came across a very interesting discussion of the loss of discipline in Southern Baptist churches. This topic has been much discussed recently, but what made this essay particularly interesting is that it was written 50 years ago as part of a discussion held at Southern seminary when it was much less conservative. …
I recently came across Edward Judson’s book, The Institutional Church: A Primer in Pastoral Theology(New York: Lentilhon, 1899; link is to a reprint) and found an interesting discussion of communion. Judson was the son of Adoniram Judson and had been born on the mission field. He served as pastor of Memorial Baptist Church in New …
The “Southern Baptists, Evangelicals and the Future of Denominationalism” Conference at Union University will begin Tues of next week and run through Friday. I am excited about this conference and the conversation that will be taking place here during it. Three brief videos have recently been produced with three of our speakers talking about the …
For several years now I have enjoyed Elizabeth Prentiss’s poem collection titled Golden Hours (now nicely reprinted by Solid Ground Christian Books). I came back across this poem this week as I have been contemplating communion. “In Remembrance of Me” Dear Jesus, Thou this feast hast spread, Invited guests are we; We come as Thou …
“This ordinance hath a direct and peculiar tendency to the improvement and strengthening of faith. It is a pledge superadded to the promise for faith’s sake: Heavenly and sublime mysteries do therein stoop down to your senses, that you may have the clearer apprehensions of them; and the clearer the apprehensions are, the stronger the …
Gerald Bray is the Scholar-in-Residence at Union University this Fall. It is a great privilege for us to host Dr. Bray who is an amazing scholar and good friend. His intellect and wit are both legendary! He will give a series of public lectures on the theme, “God is Love.” All the lectures will be …
My friend and fellow pastor, B J Maxwell, has written a wonderful and powerful exhortation on ministering to those who have lost a spouse titled, Cry for Her Now (or Thoughts on Ministry to Widow(er)s). He rightly notes the biblical mandate for this ministry (and how we might tend to avoid it) and then gives …
“Whoever believes and holds to Christ’s Word, heaven stands open to him, hell is shut, the devil is imprisoned, sins are forgiven, and he is a child of eternal life. That is what this book teaches you – the Holy Scripture – and no other book on earth.” – Martin Luther (WA 48:155) “You must …
The Lutheran Study Bible: English Standard Version General Editor, Edward Engelbrecht (Concordia Publishing House) This is a significant, well done new study Bible. I have been really encouraged looking through this study Bible because of the faithful, reverent approach to the Scriptures. Since I am not a Lutheran, I will differ in places, but this …
Adolphe Monod, AN UNDIVIDED LOVE: Loving and Living for Christ Translated by Constance Walker (Solid Ground Christian Books, 2009), pb., 200 pp. Solid Ground Christian Books continues to do the church a great service by reprinting great old books, that many of would not know of otherwise. One of the latest examples is this wonderful …