Children of the Covered Wagon

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Children Of The Covered Wagon, by Mary Jane Carr
Revised and edited by Michael McHugh
(Christian Liberty Press, 2005), pb., 275 pp.
Ages 8+

This is an older book which has been revised and edited, though there was no indication of the previous publication date or the extent of the revising and editing. The story itself “chronicles the trials and tribulations of a company of pioneer men, women, and children who braved the dangers of the Oregon Trail in 1844″ (from the Preface). The story focuses on a particular company’s travel to Oregon relating, primarily from the perspective of one of the young boys, the difficulties, adventures, sufferings, and joys of the people along the way.

My boys had been learning abut this era, and this book really helped us grasp more of what it must have been like for the people who made this journey. The book “humanized” the Oregon Trail for us. As we read of them leaving family behind, eventually having to dump prized possessions along the trail in order to keep moving and fearing Indian attack we were brought into the story. More than once my boys commented along the lines of “Wow, that would have been hard!” The story was not as consistently exciting as some others, but it was valuable in coming to a better appreciation of this era in American history.

The Prince’s Poison Cup

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The Prince’s Poison Cup, by R. C. Sproul
Illustrated by Justin Gerard
(Reformation Trust, 2008), hb., 35 pp.
Ages 4+

R. C. Sproul’s writings have meant a lot to me for many years, so several years ago I noted with interest when he began writing children’s books. This is the first of his children’s books I have read however. I am now all the more interested to get his other children’s books.

This story is a good allegorical retelling of the gospel. The story begins with a little girl who loves to hear stories from her grandfather. She asks him, “If medicine helps us get better, why does it always seem to taste so bad?” From this question the grandfather tells her a story of how “sometimes things that seem terrible are actually very good.” What follows then is medieval story of a people who rebelled against their good King (the King of Life) and drank from a forbidden fountain. As a result the people became wicked and abandoned the King. Eventually the King’s Son, the Prince came and drank the deadly poison himself. The poison killed him, but the King brought him back to life. The Prince’s action also turned the poisoned fountain into a life giving fountain that restored the people to the King.

The story is well woven bringing in many facets of Christ’s ministry and giving a good grasp of the atonement in basic terms. A discussion guide is also provided in the back to help parents discuss the book with their children. This is a great tool, because although the connections will seem obvious to those raised in the faith, this guide ensures that you can give this book to people with no background in the faith and they will be sure to see the connections being made.

I commend this book heartily. Books like this are wonderful on various levels. For one, I like to be able to present the gospel regularly to my children from various angles. Secondly, this is a great tools for parents, helping them as they read to their children to better grasp the gospel and to learn to interpret some of the imagery of the Bible. Then, this is helpful not only for believing parents, but it can also be a good evangelism tool as you give books like this to non-Christian parents. Often time parents who do not profess faith will want their children to have some exposure to Christianity. Anyone reading this book- young or old- will hear the gospel, and that gospel is still the power of God unto salvation (Rom 1:16)!

Lastly, the book also portrays a healthy family situation where a grandfather is involved in the life of hid grandchildren, where he is considered a source of wisdom, and where adults take time to tell stories and explain the gospel to children.

Applying the Doctrine of Hell

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We must teach our people doctrine. As we do so, we must also apply the doctrine well- thoroughly, convincingly, pastorally, searchingly- so that it cannot be no mere mental exercise but having addressed the mind it moves the heart bringing about conviction, joy, repentance, worship, etc.

I am currently teaching our church’s Sunday School class on the Doctrines of Sin, Man and the Person of Christ. This week the topic was the doctrine of Hell with an emphasis on its reality and eternality. Here is the portion of my notes dealing with applying this sobering truth.

What are the practical, pastoral, every-day implications of this truth that those who die in their sins will suffer eternal torment as their judgment?
1. Evangelism– If you care about people, and realize the truth of this doctrine you cannot help but labor, pray and speak the gospel so that souls might be saved from this result.

2. Pity on the lost– In addition to seeking their salvation, this truth should cause us to have extra pity on unbelievers, even if they mock, mistreat, or abuse us. It is this truth which will allow us to forgive them as we see that they will be judged.

3. Don’t envy the unrighteous– Psalms 73 & 37. It will seem at times that those who ignore God get ahead, but as the Psalmist notes, contemplation of their final end will keep us from dishonoring God by envying the wicked.

4. Forgive- We can forgive those who wrong us, not hold grudges, and forego retribution because we know that God will punish all sin, even those which go unpunished here & now. This is what enables people to go on when justice is not meted out.

5. Greater awareness of Christ’s suffering on the cross- If the punishment deserved for an individual’s sins requires eternal torment, what must Christ have suffered as he received in his body the punishment deserved by thousands/millions in a period of no more than three hours?
With this in mind we are all the more prepared to sing “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” and many more of or hymns.

6. Worship- The more you realize the horror of what we deserve and see that God has graciously rescued you from that, your heart should well up in worship! Regardless of what troubles beset us today, this greatest of our troubles- receiving the fury of God’s righteous wrath- has been removed by the cross of Christ! Let us then exalt the Lord our God. Let us bear this in mind as we come to the Lord’s Table this morning.

Amend ETS, Vote Next Week

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I have commented here previously about the proposal I am co-sponsoring with Denny Burk to amend the doctrinal basis of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS). Next week the Society will meet in Providence, Rhode Island where our proposal will finally come to a vote. Today Denny posted a very helpful summary of the discussion which I would encourage you to read. It has been seven years since I first delivered a paper challenging the adequacy of the doctrinal statement, and this year their will be a vote on the proposal.

Here is the schedule for the discussion of and vote on the proposal:
11/20 – Thursday

5:20-6:00pm – Van Neste, Burk, and Executive Committee discuss the proposal followed by a Q & A with audience. Rhode Island Convention Center Ballroom E

8:30-9:30pm – Business Meeting: Discussion of the Amendment proposal. Rhode Island Convention Center Ballroom

11/21 – Friday

8:30-9:00am – Business Meeting: Vote on the Amendment proposal. Rhode Island Convention Center Ballroom A

This is an important conversation about the definition of evangelicalism and doctrinal clarity.
To quote Denny:
If you want to get acquainted with the rationale for our amendment, there are three items that you need to read:

1. Our website: www.AmendETS.com
2. Our 2007 article in Criswell Theological Review: “Inerrancy Is Not Enough”
3. Van Neste’s 2004 article in SBJT: “The Glaring Inadequacy of the ETS Doctrinal Statement”
If you are a member and are interested in signing up to support our amendment, please visit here. Thanks for your help.

The Pulpit, Cowper

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Ray Ortlund posted today this excerpt from William Cowper’s lengthy poem, “The Task.” It is a wonderful, power description of the role of preaching. It is thrilling, convicting and humbling.

The pulpit, therefore, (and I name it filled
with solemn awe, that bids me well beware
with what intent I touch that holy thing;)
the pulpit (when the satirist has at last,
strutting and vaporing in an empty school,
spent all his force, and made no proselyte;)
I say the pulpit (in the sober use
of its legitimate, peculiar powers)
must stand acknowledged, while the world shall stand,
the most important and effectual guard,
support, and ornament of virtue’s cause.
There stands the messenger of truth. There stands
the legate of the skies; his theme divine,
his office sacred, his credentials clear.
By him, the violated law speaks out
its thunders, and by him, in strains as sweet
as angels use, the gospel whispers peace.
He ‘stablishes the strong, restores the weak,
reclaims the wanderer, binds the broken heart,
and, armed himself in panoply complete
of heavenly temper, furnishes with arms
bright as his own, and trains, by every rule
of holy discipline, to glorious war,
the sacramental host of God’s elect.

– William Cowper, 1731-1800.

The Journal of Modern Ministry

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I subscribed to this journal about a year ago and have enjoyed it. I admit that “modern” does not typically bring positive connotations to me when connected to ministry, but this journal, edited by Jay Adams, is devoted to exploring various aspects of day to day ministry from the perspective of absolute confidence in scripture. It is published three times a year. More information can be found at the journal’s website.

What I particularly appreciate about the journal is the fact that it contains articles which wrestle with very practical, “nitty-gritty” issues from a substantive theological basis. For example the latest issue (Winter 2008) contains a helpful, two-page item by Lou Priolo titled “Postmarital Checkup Questions.” It consists primarily of a list of questions he uses in a follow up session (about 3 months after the wedding) with couples for whom he has done pre-marital counseling. This is not necessarily earth-shattering stuff, but it is very helpful for me in prodding my thoughts in following up with new couples in our church. There is also a detailed article on “Helping People with Crippling Fear.” This is an issue which I know is dealt with within our church, so I appreciate items to help me think of how to help my people.

Now, I know there are debates about different ways Christians understand the counseling ministry, and Adams is identified with a certain approach. I have critiqued elsewhere places where I think Priolo has pushed some passages too hard. For Priolo and Adams, both, their use of Greek is sometimes lacking. With all that said, however, I benefit from dialoguing in this way with faithful brothers who are seeking to mine all the riches they can from scripture in order to shepherd the flock of God.

Visit the Sick

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Visit the Sick: Ministering God’s Grace in Times of Illness, by Brian Croft
(Day One Publications, 2008), pb., 92 pp.

I was very pleased recently to receive a copy of this book and to see that it was now available. It was my privilege to read a pre-publication copy of it and to write a commendation for the book. Here is my blurb found in the book:

“Visit the Sick is an excellent and much-needed resource today when the actual practice of ‘shepherding souls’ is so often neglected. Many younger pastors (and not so young ones as well) have never received the sort of very practical guidance which Brian Croft gives in this book. This book has the potential to be a great blessing to pastors and those they shepherd. It will now be a recommended text in my Pastoral Ministries class and I heartily commend it to others.”

Brian Croft is pastor of Auburndale Baptist Church in Louisville, where former students of mine and former members of our church are members and serve. Brian is a faithful pastor who seeks to oversee souls, and he has particular experience in this realm of visiting the sick (as Mark Dever discusses in the foreword).

Visiting the sick used to be one of the top things thought of in pastoral ministry but today it is often overlooked or shuffled off to others as much as possible. This ought not be the case. Even as we hold up the importance of preaching and teaching, we may not neglect shepherding such as in this area. This is not what was done by those who went before us.

I commend this book to all pastors. Brian Croft has done us a great service.

The Very First Christmas

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The Very First Christmas, Paul Maier
Illustrated by Francisco Ordaz
(Concordia, 1998), hb., 32 pp.
Ages 5+

I was so impressed with Maier’s book on Luther that I wanted to see this book of his on Christmas as well. Maier’s chief concern here is to relate the real events of the birth of Christ to reassert to reality of the event. In his introduction Maier states:

Children’s Christmas books are often long on fancy but short on fact. Many of them ignore the central theme of the first Christmas and opt instead for Grimm’s fairy-tale settings …

This is certainly correct in assessing much of children’s literature, though there is an increasing number of good books on the topic (here is one example). Maier sets up his story as a conversation between a mother and her “bright eight-year-old son” who is inquisitive and has decided he only wants true bedtime stories from now on. The mother has done some study and tells the story of Christ birth in an engaging way filling in various historical details which are at times overlooked (for example the fact that the word the Bible uses for Joseph’s vocation can refer to someone who works with stone and well as one who works with wood).

In the end, this is as good a book though not as good as the Luther book. The illustrations here are not as good as the ones in the Luther book. I also take issue with the way Maier essentially slights fairy tales. I appreciate and affirm his point on the historicity of Christ’s birth, but I see no need to pit that against fairy tales. Probably this is the influence of C. S. Lewis on me as he affirmed the value of fairy tales as another way to express important truths.

This critique, though, affects only a bit of the positioning of the book. The story is well done and this book will be a good resource for families. I recommend it warmly and will plan to get a copy for our church library.

Introducing Your Church to Psalm Singing

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I mentioned a few weeks ago here an upcoming project on the Psalms and worship. One of the key inspirations to me in this realm is my friend and fellow pastor James Grant. James has thought much about this topic and has successfully brought Psalm singing into his church. He has just posted some of his advice on how to begin this process in a church that has no previous history of singing the Psalms. This is very useful, practical advice and well wroth reading.