As we come to the Table together, I would like to speak a word to the children who have been gathered here with us. You are named by the name of Jesus Christ. Just as you were born into a particular family, and no one asked you whether or not you wanted your last name, …
Unity and Conflict
The unity of the faith is dependent upon unity of faith. While we have an objective unity with all who share one Lord, one faith, one baptism, Paul does on to say that there is another unity that we must grow up into. There is a unity we must preserve, and there is a unity …
And Not the Rhymey-Dimey Stuff Either
“At all events, Milton was a Puritan born, and bred at the Puritan University, Cambridge, one of those Puritans out of whom came the civilization of our New England, and by that token essentially the prevailing civilization of our whole American Commonwealth” (Osgood, Poetry as a Means of Grace, p. 82). Although there are a …
How Do You Solve a Problem Like Sharia?
“A faction of Islamic leaders in Great Britain waited until about 1 million Muslims had immigrated to or otherwise managed to infiltrate the country. Then they boldly announced the establishment of an Islamic parliament. Britons urged Muslims to call it an association, a foundation, a society—anything but a parliament. But Muslim leaders remain adamant. Their …
Getting It Backwards
“Yet there is still a vast amount of talk about the isolated and uncommunicable spirit of the man of genius; about how he has in him things too deep for expression and too subtle to be subject to general criticism. I say that that is exactly what is not true of the artist. That is …
A Little More Standing Around
“A sound hermeneutic of anything can never be sustained without discipline. If a man wants a garden full of weeds, he does not need to do a thing. If a man wants his ability to play the piano to get rusty, he needs to do nothing. And if a church wants its lampstand removed, in …
Applied Catholicity
“Thus Bishop Davenant, in his rules for peace, writes, ‘Those may not be cut off from communion with particular churchces who remain joined to the catholic church'” (Burroughs, Irenicum, p. 97).
Mr. Sandeman, Bring Me a Dream
Here is a short audio snippet from John Piper’s talk on Fuller. This is the section where he references my recent discussion with Scott Clark on Heidelblog. I think Piper is exactly right about the relevance of this discussion. As he points out, the handles are in slightly different places than they were in the …
Following Him Together
We have been considering the presence of our children together here with us at this Table. We have noted that nothing is required of them except the capacity to receive, the capacity to be shaped and taught. We have seen from Scripture that all who are bread get bread. All who are the covenant get …
By the Root
James tells us the source of quarreling and wars. He says, authoritatively, that people fight and quarrel because of their covetousness. Covetousness, in its turn, a violation of the tenth commandment, is the opposite of contentment. When you are weeding in a garden, it is not enough to simply clip the weed so that it …