Blogs by Phil Ryken

At the risk of doubling Derek's envy, Eschenbach played Mozart piano concertos 23 and 24 to rapturous applause.  Our seats are on the back side of the orchestra, in the third tier -- perfect for this concert because we could... continue

In a November 24 letter to the editor of The Wall Street Journal, Dan Heneghan of Monkton, Maryland, decries the defense of plagiarized sermons:"The Rev. Steve Sjogren preaches that 'attribution is a waster of time,' a perspective not embraced by... continue

This may be old news, but I first learned of it yesterday and thought it would be good to share: Our friend Michael Horton has been named the initial holder of the J. Gresham Machen Chair of Systematic Theology and... continue

I believe I am right in saying that Derek Thomas is now a grandfather, and for the first time.  Derek, would you care to give us any personal reflections on this significant milestone in the Thomas family?... continue

From Charles Spurgeon's sermon on "Peter's Restoration" ("And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord"; Luke 22:60-61):"I like to think of the... continue

My friend Chun Lai recently traveled home to Hong Kong and Australia to minister to his family after the death of his father.  The invitation to participate in the funeral service posed some real challenges, as Chun explains:"The Lord... continue

John Piper gave a rousing address on William Tyndale yesterday at the annual meetings of the Evangelical Theology Society (ETS).  The address was sponsored by Crossway Books as part of its ongoing effort to promote the English Standard Version (ESV). ... continue

For the sake of clarity, I believe Derek means Richard Dawkins, the high priest of evolution as a worldview.  And I wonder if maybe the Stephen came from another eminent scientist: Dr. Hawking.... continue

A friend sent the following link to an article about two Ohio congregations that have voted to leave the Presbyterian Church USA: http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/living/people/family/16007379.htmI was particularly struck by Pastor Weyrick's comments about investing time and energy in fighting denominational issues.  Some... continue

Writing in relevantmagazine.com, Daniel Holland describes his traumatic experiences as a waiter in a small restaurant (location unknown), serving the "Christian table" on Sunday nights:"I'd heard from counteless others that the 'Church crowd' is hands down the worst group of... continue