Many of his hymns, which are now very traditional, have richly blessed the church. Perhaps none has been so beloved as his famous song written to assist men and women in preparing for the table of the Lord, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.” This hymn was based on the doctrine found in Galatians 6:14, “But far be... Continue Reading

Basically, when I’m talking to Reformed people, I say something like “Think of him as Anglicanism’s John Calvin.” He became within a few decades after his death the preeminent theologian of the tradition that came to call itself “Anglican,” even though Hooker wouldn’t have thought of himself in these terms.”   I’m pleased to host... Continue Reading

“In the past few years, much has been written, advocated, and modeled to help us understand why we should be concerned about leading services in ways that people actually comprehend what we’re doing and saying so that they are impacted in the right ways (Mike Cosper’s Rhythms of Grace is one example). That might mean changing... Continue Reading

“For the Apostle, true contentment was not complacency, and it was not a condition, on this side of glory, that could admit no feelings of discontent and dissatisfaction. After all, Paul frequently expresses such feelings in his epistles as he considers the sins of the church and his own shortcomings.”   Blaise Pascal, the famous... Continue Reading

“While many of my colleagues at Reformed Theological Seminary are already thinking about 2017, most of us are not aware of a very important church history anniversary this fall. I’m thinking, of course, of the 500th anniversary of Luther’s lectures on the Book of Romans, which helped pave the way for the Reformation of 1517.”... Continue Reading

“Faith and optimism can add years to your life,” he told those at the banquet. “A bad attitude is like a flat tire. Until you change it, you’re not going anywhere,” he said, urging the audience to “use the power of prayer in everything we do.”   Hollywood star Denzel Washington, the son of a... Continue Reading

“As the attractional church accumulates more complexity, it becomes more rigid, despite all its claims to innovation and cultural relevance. And as more programmatic development takes place, the more inwardly focused the church must necessarily become.”   Nearly every evangelical, when pressed, would insist that the church is people, not a place. A building is... Continue Reading

“In 2011, a young adult disclosed to me, her pastor, that my own father had sexually abused her as a young child. Three days later, my mother and I were sitting in a police station reporting my childhood hero. How was this possible?”   It’s a cold February day and I’m standing on stage eyeing... Continue Reading

“He noted in 1538 that wives were effectively reduced to the status of servants by the law, being turned out of the house upon their husbands’ deaths with little more than the clothes on their backs and their knitting accessories. When Luther finally got around to writing his will in January of 1542, he made... Continue Reading

“Most feelings of failure come when we compare ourselves to other human beings. In other words, there are always people who do it better than us, no matter what the task—athletics, academics, work, preaching, teaching, parenting and so on. Typically, we are not the worst at something, we are merely average. But average, in today’s... Continue Reading