Just a few quick comments on Lane’s latest post so that we can continue to work through Venema’s book. Lane says that baptism “means” inclusion in the visible church, according to the Confession, and that all the other stuff (regeneration and so forth) only applies when the individual baptized has the thing signified. Lane goes …
Growing Up Around Us
As we seek to grow and mature in our understanding of music, and we learn more about the kind of music that best glorifies God in worship, we have to be careful to balance certain things. The first thing is that we have to recognize where we are—we are living in a time when general …
Food in the Ark
When the Lord gave food to Adam, He gave him the world as food. Only one tree was off limits, and every other tree in the garden, and from there to the world, was given into his hand. But after the arrival of sin, and the great judgment on sin that we call the flood, …
An Apostate Nation
Our Father and God, You have established Your Church as a royal priesthood in this world, and so we intercede for the nations of men now, confessing on their behalf so that the grace of Your forgiveness will soon be extended to them all. Father, we live as Christians in an apostate nation, a nation …
That He Might Listen
As we continue to meditate on the role of music in our worship of God, we need to settle something early on. We worship God using means that He has given us in order to worship Him. When we worship God, we are returning something. Nothing appropriate that we offer to Him originates with us. …
The Death of Death and the Life of Nations
The Lord gives us rich food, and we must take a moment to consider how this can be. At first glance, it appears very plain—simple bread and red wine. How is this a banquet? The Lord declared through the prophet Isaiah (25) that in the time of the new covenant, on the mountain of the …
No Empires Without a Cross
Our Father and God, You have established Your Church as a royal priesthood in this world, and so we intercede for the nations of men now, confessing on their behalf so that the grace of Your forgiveness will soon be extended to them all. Father, we live in a time when men turn naturally and …
Slicing It Lengthwise
Just a quick response to Lane’s latest, and then we can continue to move on through Venema’s book. I believe that the issues Lane raises here are really worth pursuing, and I hope we do that as our discussion proceeds. Lane says that baptism belongs to the administration of the covenant of grace because it …
The Devil is a Musician
This is a solemn and joyful occasion, and so our music should match that kind of occasion. This means that we need musicians to teach and lead us. At the same time, in the ordinary course of things, we the people of the congregation, not musical experts, are to be the ones offering the sacrifice …
He Prepares a Table
Our practice of taking a day to honor our mothers is certainly a practice in accord with Scripture. It is not a holy day, marking an important event in the life of Christ, but it is a fine cultural practice. But what could it have to do with the Lord’s Supper? Everything in the world …