Trongate: The Scandal of Glasgow
The great city of Glasgow has a motto – ‘Let Glasgow flourish”. Actually the full motto is or was, ‘Let Glasgow flourish through the preaching of the Word’
Whilst in the great scheme of things what I am about to write about is not of the same scale as some of the much deeper and wider injustices in our society and world today, nonetheless what is going on is indicative of a deep malaise within the church in Scotland in general and the Church of Scotland in particular.
Not a Celebrity Pastor’s Wife? That’s Okay!
You are not ordinary because God forgot to make you famous. You are ordinary because, from the beginning of time, He had good works planned for you to do
Ordinary women, being relational creatures, often see well-known men and women in ministry--the ones who write books, speak at conferences, launch ministries, or are married to people who do--and retreat into feelings of worthlessness. Stop it. Right. Now.
The Church and Israel in the New Testament
Some covenant theologians have adopted a view that many dispensationalists describe as “replacement theology.”
One of the most common questions asked by students of the Bible concerns the relationship between Israel and the church. We read the Old Testament, and it is evident that most of it concerns the story of Israel. From Jacob to the exile, the people of God is Israel, and Israel is the people of God. Despite the constant sin of king and people leading to the judgment of exile, the prophets look beyond this judgment with hope to a time of restoration for Israel.
Six Reflections on Protestant Decline in America
We need to re-examine how we define Christian discipleship in a culture coming apart.
Why this trend? The Pew report only touches on a few of the reasons—but all kinds of causes have been suggested: a move away from the gospel, failure of Christians to live out their faith, identifying Christianity too closely with politics, suffocating materialism, the pluralism of our global age, a spiritual but post-Christian worldview pumped... Continue Reading
PCUSA’s Highest Commission to Hear Case of Lesbian Clergy Who Married Her Partner
The case will be argued before the Permanent Judicial Commission on Oct. 26 in Louisville, Ky.
In October 2009 Rev. McNeill, then a pastor at Central Presbyterian Church at Newark (NJ) Presbytery, went to Massachusetts where she married her partner in a ceremony held at an Episcopal Church which was overseen by clergy from The Episcopal Church and the United Church of Christ.
A “Moderate” Makeover
Moderate has this advantage: no odor of hype. No excessive hopes that breed disillusionment. No danger of overpromising but underdelivering.
I find myself weary of dramatic hyperbole in descriptions of the ideal Christian life. Extreme! Radical! Passionate! Awesome! Edgy! On fire! Dramatic! I can understand the emotional appeal of such hyperbole. After all, who wants to live half-baked, mediocre, listless, dull, bland, and boring?! But the opposite of listless is not necessarily all fired up. Our faith contains a wonderfully curious surprise.
Asking Questions Like Jesus
What kinds of questions did Jesus ask, and how can we learn from them?
My mentor in college assigned our discipleship group the task of studying Jesus’ questions in the gospels as a means of becoming more effective in evangelism. He then assigned us to go out and ask questions – specific in number and type. That study changed my life.
Seven Reasons Why Evangelism Should be a Priority of Your Church
What are you doing to lead your church to become more evangelistic?
Evangelism is dying in many churches today. No, that’s not an overstatement. I am not speaking hyperbolically. Evangelism is dying.
New Birth Evangelism
Personally, I question inserting the Johannine emphasis on regeneration into the Pauline ordo salutis
We may join Whitefield, moving casually back and forth from new birth to justification! Isn’t that timely for the proclamation of the gospel? Aren’t people much more conscious that their lives need changing than that they need forgiveness? Don’t they yearn more deeply for transformation than for justification?
Is “Living the Gospel” an Acceptable Term?
How does Scripture itself use the word “gospel”
The term “living the gospel” has become a popular one in the past few years, being used by people such as Tim Keller, J.D. Greear, David Platt, and many others. Many variations on the term exist: “living out the gospel,” “living in light of the gospel,” “being the gospel,” and so on. While most people probably hear the terms and skip right past them without a second thought, there are others who have repeatedly and loudly declared opposition to all such uses of the term.