Why do we “say a blessing” before eating?

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In most of the Christian circles I know, people are accustomed to saying a prayer of thanks before their meals- “returning thanks,” “saying a blessing,” “saying grace.” I have also found that many like me who grew up with this practice also somewhere along the way began to wonder where this practice came from. I can remember (I think I was in college) reading 1 Timothy 4 and realizing this must be the origin of this practice. In that passage Paul mentions those who forbid certain foods and counters:

foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. (4:3b-5, ESV)

With that background I found this section of Calvin’s sermon on this text interesting and helpful. In fact, I remember well parents and preachers making similar points (“Pigs are the only ones around here that eat without returning thanks”), though without reference to this text.

let us mark that which Saint Paul says, ‘that God ordains the foods for those who are believers. This shows us that if we desire to use God’s creatures rightly, we must cast our eyes on him who is their creator, as he also adds that we must receive God’s gifts with thanksgiving. Let us not be as these dogs and swine that devour and consume God’s blessings, and yet neither know him, nor his goodness. And not only that, but they take occasion to forget him through their inordinate and intemperate manner of devouring his creatures, and make that unclean which he had appointed to good use. Do we desire, then, to use God’s creatures soberly, in such a manner as we may receive them lawfully? Let us take them with thanksgiving, that is to say, let us dedicate ourselves wholly to God, and know that it is he that is our nourishing Father, and give him thanks for all his benefits that he bestows upon us. Let us never come to the table without calling upon God’s name. Let us never rise from the table without giving thanks. For it is certain that all those who eat this way, and do not pray to God, are for the most part worse than beasts. Let a man go through the Taverns, and into men’s houses, and see what manner of life they use there. There is not a word of calling upon God, nor giving him thanks, insomuch that the Turks condemn us in this. For yet they have some fashion of honoring God. And yet it is true, that we would not be able to eat one morsel, but it would be accursed before God, were it not that we acknowledged him who gives us the foods, to the end that we should serve and honor him, and confess that he calls us to himself, showing us that he is a compassionate Father towards us, so that we are truly his children, submitting ourselves quietly to him and to his word, as he made us for that end, and placed us in the world.

Growing up with Psalm Singing

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Today I read this wonderful article by Petra Verwijs, Lessons I Learned from Singing the Psalms: Growing Up with the Genevan Psalter. This article captures much of what has captivated me about the singing of the Psalms. I did not grow up singing them, but I want to appropriate their riches in this same way so that they become a natural part of my prayers and praises, indeed that they become part of the fabric of my life.

I commend the article to you.

Is Forgiveness Conditioned Upon Confessing Each Individual Sin?

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Along the way, growing up, I encountered various people who believed or taught that in order to have your sins forgiven you had to confess each sin specifically. I saw this cause trouble in a number of lives. Even though, at the time, I was not prepared to argue against the idea, I did not “buy” it because it just seemed impossible. Of course nothing is new, and I recently came across a section in Calvin’s Institutes where he dealt with this very issue. His pastoral answer is quite helpful.

“But it is utterly unbearable that they lay down a law on the recounting of all sins, that they deny that sin is forgiven except upon the condition that an intent to confess has been firmly conceived, and that they prate that no entrance to paradise would remain if the office of confession were neglected.

Are all sins to be recounted? Now David, who in himself had, I believe, rightly pondered confession of sins, exclaimed: ‘Who will understand errors?  Cleanse thou me from my secret errors, O Lord’ [Ps. 19:12 p.].  And in another place: ‘My iniquities have gone over my head, and like a heavy burden they burden me beyond my strength’ [Ps. 38:4; cf. Ps. 37:5, Vg.].  He understood only too well how deep is the pit of our sins, how many are the faces of crime, how many heads this hydra bore, and what a long tail it dragged along.  Therefore, he did not catalogue them.  But from the depths of his evil deeds he cried out to the Lord: I am overwhelmed, I am buried, I am choked, ‘the gates of hell have encompassed me’ [Ps. 18:6; cf. Ps. 17:6, Vg.], I am sunk down into the deep pit [Ps. 69:2-3, 15-16], may thy hand draw me out, weak and dying.  Who would now think of reckoning up his sins when he sees that David cannot begin to number his? . . . . For experience convinces each one that, when we have at evening to examine the transgressions of only a single day, the memory is confused; so great is the multitude and variety of them that press upon us!” 641-642

“Over against such lies I put freely given remission of sins; nothing is more clearly set forth in Scripture” (651).

Martin Bucer, plurality of elders & the oversight of souls

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I have previously commended the excellent book Concerning the True Care of Souls, by Martin Bucer. In his discussion of Titus 1:5-7 Bucer argues the text (and others like it) require a plurality of elders and that these elders are to be pastors engaged in the oversight of souls (not a corporate board as is too often the case today). No one serves as a pastor/elder/bishop/overseer unless he is engaged in the care of souls.

“From this it can be clearly seen that the apostle here means elders who will be bishops, that is, the proper overseers, carers of souls, and shepherds of the flock of Christ. That is why it is the Holy Spirit’s rule that each church should have several elders, who are all shepherds and bishops, that is, overseers to carry out the care of souls and the pastoral office” (35-36).

Zwingli the Pastor

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“But if any master of ceremonials ventured to preach other than the truth to the sheep entrusted to me, I declared I would not stand it”

-“Letter of Huldreich Zwingli to Erasmus Fabricius about the Proceedings, on the 7th, 8th, and 9th of April, 1522, of the Delegates Sent to Zurich by the Bishop of Constance,” April 1522; cited in Ulrich Zwingli, Early Writings, ed. Samuel Jackson (Durham, NC: The Labyrinth Press, 1987), 127.

Stephen Ambrose on Men & Friendship

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I recently read Stephen Ambrose’s little book, Comrades Brothers, Fathers, Heroes, Sons, Pals, (Simon & Schuster, 1999) and thoroughly enjoyed his celebration of male friendships.  He pursues the theme of friendship by examining his own life (brothers, father, and other friends) and friendships of men he’s already written significant volumes about (Eisenhower, Custer, Crazy Horse, Lewis and Clark, and Easy Company).  He also has a chapter on Nixon, “Nary a Friend.” Ouch. I have no idea where Ambrose was coming from theologically, but he captures a number of things about men, friendship, and the humility required and blessings received from sharing life with like-minded, devoted friends.

Perhaps the best way to briefly mention some of the insights and provide a feel of the book is to list some key quotes.

The natural rough and tumble of boys:

Edgar Eisenhower describing growing up in the Eisenhower household with four other brothers including the future president:

“There was no animosity in our fights. We fought for the sheer joy of slugging one another. We had to get rid of our energy and I think that when a fight was over we probably thought more of one another than we did before it began”- (24)

On his own father:

Ambrose says his father was firm and busy, an anchor of stability though he was not able to spend much “play” time with the boys and was not free with compliments.

“But if we wanted to be big men- honest, trustworthy, capable of doing what we said we were going to do- why, we imitated him” (131).

The importance of character and virtue, despite any other gifting:

A man’s character is his fate, according to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus. Nixon had gifts in abundance- brains, acceptably nice looks, good health, a marvelous memory, knowledge, superb acting ability and stage presence, a faithful family and awesome willpower, among others. Indeed, he had nearly every gift that the gods could bestow. The one he most lacked was character. Virtue comes from character. That is why Nixon despised virtue and railed against it” (70).

What man does not long to face a significant challenge and be able to say to a friend the sort of things Lewis and Clark communicate here (in correspondence where Lewis invites Clark to join him on his great expedition):

“Thus my friend, you have a summary view of the plan, the means and the objects of this expedition. If therefore there is anything under those circumstances, in this enterprise, which would induce you to participate with me in it’s fatiegues, it’s dangers and it’s honors, believe me there is no man on earth with whom I should feel equal pleasure in sharing them as with yourself” (100, Lewis to Clark).

“This is an undertaking fraited with many difeculties, but my friend I do assure you that no man lives with whome I wuld perfur to undertake Such a Trip &c. as yourself” (101, Clark back to Lewis, original spelling in both quotes)

The quotes could go on. Ambrose notes that the maintenance of friendships can be difficult, but describes how much we need them and how investment in one another leads to flourishing (or the lack of it, e.g. Nixon, leads to withering).  The story of Lewis and Clark, how Lewis was given sole command by President Jefferson but chose a shared command with Clark (told more fully in Ambrose’s Undaunted Courage which is well worth reading), is a powerful example of friendship in a day enamored with solo leadership. Ambrose writes, “What Lewis and Clark had done, first of all, was to demonstrate that there is nothing that men cannot do if they get themselves together and act as a team” (105).

Regarding the benefits of friendship Ambrose frankly discusses how friends helped him and his wife through troubles with drinking and how he helped some of them through marital difficulties. He also describes the intellectual and professional growth which has come through interaction with friends, as each one did not simply pursue his own purposes in isolation but instead gave time and energy to each other, finding themselves enhanced in the process. He wrote, “Sharing your knowledge with someone who will appreciate it and take advantage of it is just about the best thing to come out of friendship” (93).

Ambrose singles out a colleague, Gordon “Nick” Mueller in the category of “Dearest Friend.” He mentions how Nick suggested the approach he should (and did) take on a number of his most popular books (e.g., D-Day as an epic, re-reading Homer on the Trojan War; Lewis and Clark as an odyssey, re-reading The Odyssey). Interestingly, from the suggestions he mentions that came from Nick, I think you can see his influence on this book as well.  Of this friend Ambrose writes:

I love Nick and he loves me. He would die for me and I for him. We have no secrets. Next to my wife and children and grandchildren, he is the most important person in my life and the one who is dearest to me. Our trust in each other is complete. And we still have projects and fantasies that will go on for as long as we live [at this point they had already accomplished numerous things together including the establishment of the National D-Day Museum in New Orleans]. Our relationship has been a joy and a privilege, indeed an ecstasy. I can’t imagine life without Nick.

This is what friendship could, should, might be. Growing together, supporting one another, keeping the other guy’s dreams alive. It is not like the competition of youth. There is no element of struggle in it, no pushing, only lifting, drawing the other guy on, teaching, working in partnership without ever having to ask for help” (96-97).

This is a powerful portrait of the brotherly love which is supposed to flourish in the soil of the gospel. By common grace this flower appears in the wild sometimes. The church ought to be a greenhouse full of such flowers and in that way drawing humanity to this richness for which people long.

Zwingli on Love & Useless Quarreling

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This is a challenging word from Zwingli. He roots this in 2 Timothy 2:23.

“[Those] who bring hatred upon the gospel are those who are more inflated with knowledge of the gospel than ignited with love. They exercise themselves more with quarreling than with gentle Christian living. They see in others what is lacking in their own Christian lives, but in themselves they see no fault. In their minds the way they act is the right way; where they tread, there is a violet or a rose. “If they are to see first their inward state, their eyes should be turned inward. But since they are turned outward, they do nothing but judge and condemn those who are before them and quarrel about external thing” (Zwingli’s Treatise on Rebels and Rebellion, Zurich, 1524).

Video of Messages at Charlotte Chapel Conference

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Earlier this year I mentioned The Call conference for pastors to be held at Charlotte Chapel in Edinburgh, Scotland. I was blessed to be apart and benefited from all the messages. I have mentioned some of them along the way but just recently noticed that video of all the messages has been posted online. So, here are the messages:

The Shepherd’s Soul: Jeremy Walker (video)
One of my joys in this event was the opportunity to get to know Jeremy. His message was a searching and powerful one on the call to holiness, sure to remind us of our need of grace.

The Shepherd’s Ministry to the Church: Brian Croft (video)
Brian, who is well known for his practical insight and advice concerning pastoral ministry, summarized the key aspects of pastoral ministry as seen in Scripture.  You will notice that many of the top priorities he lists come under what I refer to as “oversight.”

The Shepherd’s Ministry beyond the Church:  Matthew Spandler-Davison (video)
Matthew gave a strong call for outreach and evangelism. He is living what he preaches with his church’s regular mission trips to specific places. He is also leading his church not simply to collect attendees at their church but to actively plant from their membership.

The Shepherd’s Call: Ray Van Neste (video)
This is a modified version of what appeared previously in print and in audio. It is my attempt to demonstrate from Scripture and the testimony of the church across the ages the centrality of soul care, the oversight of souls, to the work of pastoral ministry.

My Week at the Sovereign Grace Pastors’ College

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This past week I taught a week-long course for the Sovereign Grace Pastors’ College in Gaithersburg, Maryland. It was an invigorating and particularly blessed time. Over three and a half days I walked through Hebrews through Revelation with 23 guys from a wide range of ages, and experience both practical and academic- some fairly new, others with decades of experience, one with a DMin and another finishing a PhD. But there was a unified eager, humble, servant spirit, loving one another and ready to revel in the beauty of God as we experience Him in His word.

A humble graciousness permeated the place from students, to staff, to leadership. I am encouraged to see the work they are doing and excited to see the men who are being sent out whose love for Christ is translated into shepherd hearts for the people of God.