From the blog of Andrew Barnes, Editor There are many questions circulating out there by some elders of the PCA concerning the future of our denomination. I believe it a good thing to look back at some of the writings of the fathers of our denomination as they were nearing the end of the PCUS... Continue Reading

A landmark federal ruling on California Proposition 8 has thrust the issue of “gay marriage” back into the national spotlight. Following are five questions and answers about the ruling’s significance. First, the questions: — What did the judge rule? — What happens next? — Why is this case more significant than other “gay marriage” cases?... Continue Reading

Part 3 of a multi-part series of posts on corporate worship: what it is and why it’s important In the opening verses of Isaiah 6, what the prophet encounters first in the house of God is the glory of God: “I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train... Continue Reading

If I’ve said it once I’ve said it a thousand times: America has lost its moral compass. Our country has fallen into the pit of depravity and if we’re going to emerge from this seemingly bottomless pit we’ve dug for ourselves and win the culture war, Americans have got to get busy. The ability to... Continue Reading

Part 2 of a multi-part series of posts on corporate worship: what it is and why it’s important Contrary to what many modern people believe, we can’t approach God any way we please. Trying to do so is extremely dangerous, as the Bible makes clear (see Cain, Nadab, and Abihu, for example). In the Bible,... Continue Reading

Part 1 of a multi-part series of posts on corporate worship: what it is and why it’s important At sixteen I dropped out of high school. And because my lifestyle had become so disruptive to the rest of the household (I’m the middle of seven children), my grieving parents had no choice but to kick... Continue Reading

“I do not know to what end God will bring Ripley’s encounter with leukemia. However, I DO know that it will be a good one. This is because who God IS and what God DOES are always united.” On June 22, 2010, our 3-year-old daughter Ripley was diagnosed with leukemia. Initially, the doctor had thought... Continue Reading

“Could it be that the denomination once renowned for sending evangelical missionaries around the world…could now be aptly described as pagan?” The first charge of paganism I heard at the Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly came from the lips of an Iowa farmer who serves as a Commissioned Lay Pastor in his small town church.... Continue Reading

“The language of the Strategic Plan suffers enormously from imprecision, and this is not something I expect from a committee of educated theologians.” Defining the Terms Clarity and precision of language is rapidly becoming a lost art.(1) Modern culture revels in the destruction of the English language and it’s not uncommon to hear a younger... Continue Reading

My single greatest joy is giving myself to others and seeing them grow in return. You cannot discover that without commitment. Certain characteristics are so inherent to Christianity that to neglect them is to become a walking oxymoron. A Christian without commitment is such an oxymoron. That’s why I was so disturbed when a friend... Continue Reading