What Does the Death of Cultural Christianity Cost?
To lament the decline of cultural Christianity is to lament not simply the loss of a Christian consensus, but the loss of the social capital born of common grace that secular society was borrowing from.
Some of the critiques against “cultural Christianity,” or those who depict all cultural manifestations of Christianity as motivated by power, leave me thinking in response: Would we rather the church be permanently relegated to the margins? There is no intrinsic benefit to existing on the margins. Should we not pray for the gospel’s advance in... Continue Reading
The Logic of Westminster’s Confession
He supposes that the Westminster theologians wanted to first consider God’s acts followed by man’s response. He was on the right track.
To lose this basic context and methodology is to lose something of the richness of the theology itself. Today we are indebted to those who are calling us back to the roots of our Confession of Faith, which Warfield so aptly described as the “ablest and ripest product of that Great Reformation, which was so... Continue Reading
The Vital Signs of American Christianity: Critical but not Terminal?
Churches should certainly be doing outreach, but more than that, we need to do a lot more “in-reach.”
Every major wing of American Christianity declined just in this latest six-year period. To make matters worse, these were the alarming vital signs well before the COVID-19 tsunami. By all accounts, church involvement has plummeted enormously since Spring 2020, and will struggle to revive to even close to these dismal 2019 levels. The only question... Continue Reading
What the World Needs Now: Zacchaeus
What propelled this corrupt tax collector and agent of the oppressive Roman government, to climb like a child up into a tree for just a chance to see Jesus.
Perhaps when we look at Zacchaeus sitting awkwardly perched on the limb of that tree, we are supposed to see what Jesus is worth. Perhaps when we look at a man like Zacchaeus, climbing a tree just to get the opportunity to see Jesus — not talk to, recline at table with, or discuss the... Continue Reading
What’s Wrong with Our Church Praise Music?
Much of what is so called praise today in worship is not received by the Lord.
True praise in worship doesn’t come cheaply. Praise is not: “1,2,3 let’s go” as the band jams for twenty minutes. Praise is not created by a hip worship band and leader up front manipulating emotions to bring people into an ecstatic state as the congregation watches, mostly in silence, the great performance. People who live... Continue Reading
Perspicuity and the Pastor
The doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture ought to be a treasured truth for pastors in particular.
A recurring theme in the pages of Scripture is the connection between light and truth (Ps 43:3 (“O send out Your light and Your truth, let them lead me”); John 3:21 (“But he who practices the truth comes to the Light”)). Scripture, having originated with God, is truth. And Scripture is truth which has been... Continue Reading
Pre-PCA General Assembly Conference: “For Such a Time as This”
This pre-Assembly Conference will June 29, 2021, 10:00 – 11:55 a.m., at the St. Louis Holiday Inn Downtown-Convention Center, across the street from the PCA GA site.
This seminar will explore the nature of laws passed by local, state and federal bodies which appear antithetical to God’s moral law, and to provide guidance and options for the church’s biblical response. Join with us to discuss the spiritual, moral, and social issues of our day, and to find encouragement and resources on how... Continue Reading
On the Apostle Paul’s Above Reproach Criterion
When we consider whether the Apostle’s above reproach criterion allowed for individualized judgments about fitness for eldership when it came to men experiencing homosexual inclinations, we have to deny that claim and oppose those who affirm it.
When weighing the question of whether a man who experiences same-sex inclination should be ordained to or remain in the eldership of the PCA, it seems prudent to begin with the premise that evaluation of a man for office will include but will not be limited to his self-description. In addition, his doctrine and practice... Continue Reading
When Presbyterian Rubber Meets the Road
When we meet next month we’ll publicly be taking up serious issues that are affecting (and possibly infecting!) our congregations and our denomination’s witness.
As one of my friends likes to say: “Presbyterianism exists because conflict and differences exist in the church.” In recognizing the minority’s right and privilege to be heard as publicly and broadly as possible, Presbyterianism fosters an environment where each side can be heard publicly and openly, evidences and reasons can be carefully weighed, and... Continue Reading
Cape Coral church responds as FDLE arrests four in ‘Operation Thou Shalt Not Steal’
"That this isn’t just a crime against our community, they’ve stolen from their creator." - Lauder
The suspects, all Romanian citizens, are accused of stealing donation checks from church mailboxes, hitting as many as 85 churches a day. A variety of aliases were used to deposit stolen checks into numerous bank accounts as well as sending high-value wire transfers to Romania. “We’re more concerned for the peril of the thieves, at... Continue Reading
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