April 2008 Archives

I've enjoyed rereading the republished essays of Dr Packer on the atonement in the new Packer-Dever volume from Crossway volume, In My Place Condemned He Stood. Must-reads for all those tired of the childish -- and blasphemous -- superficiality of... continue

I had the great pleasure last week of meeting Rev Danny Hyde, pastor of Oceanside URC in California (a pleasure enhanced by his introducing me to Flanagan's in Grand Rapids).  Danny is pastor, so he told me, to a whole... continue

Reading John Wyclif `On the Pastoral office' with a ThM class this morning, I was struck by how he fulminated against the fact that clergy in his day only wanted to minister at big, lucrative, socially prestigious churches.  Imagine my... continue

"It takes no courage to sign up as a Protestant. To live by the truths of historic Protestantism, however, is an entirely different matter. That takes courage in today's context." Why? Wells answers: "The truths of historic Protestantism are sometimes... continue

In his interview with Derek Thomas, Sean Lucas confessed to being a fan of country music. Since he's given the genre his imprimatur, I'll 'fess up, too. I, however, came to country music rather recently, when I met Tom... continue

If you are looking for adult Sunday School material, written from a "means of grace", confessional point of view, I am enthusiastically suggesting that you take a look at the material being produced by the ARPs (Associate Reformed Presbyterian): The... continue

Well, he finally made it.  Word from Rome is that John Henry Newman is to be canonised.  You can read the story here:http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=12435I love Newman's writings -- he was perhaps the greatest prose stylist of the Victorian era; and in... continue

Solid Ground Christian Books have republished as a booklet the chapter on the fear of God from John Murray's Principles of Conduct.  I confess that I've never been a fan of the book, mainly on the grounds that it is... continue

My friend, Sheena Strain, sent me this link to an article by Camille Paglia (we are not worthy!) on Hillary Clinton.   Of course, I don't have a vote so can't support B or H in the coming contest, but... continue

Having preached a sermon that touched in part on the Christian Sabbath (the text was John 5:9-18), I followed it up with a pastor's letter that gave advice to those learning to keep the Sabbath.  I though it might be... continue