Worship

The Quest for Biblical Worship (Part 1)

Terry L. Johnson
Jul 27, 2017
Which is more likely today, liturgical sameness or liturgical strangeness ? Which is more damaging to the integrity of Protestant denominations? Are we suffocating from liturgical uniformity--encountering the same old predictable things in the Reformed churches we attend? Or, are we unsettled by...

Liturgy, Priesthood and Genuine Worship

Mark Johnston
Jul 13, 2017
The debate over worship and liturgy has been both long running and many faceted. Its spectrum ranges from the ultra-free self-expression of certain types of contemporary worship through to the high liturgies of traditional Roman Catholicism and its Episcopalian counterparts. A debate that is very...

The Family Altar (1)

Amy Mantravadi
Jul 12, 2017
I f there is one Christian book that everyone seems to be talking about this year, it is The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher. Subtitled “A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation,” it discusses how can respond to changes in our culture through the development of communities loosely modeled...

The Regulative Principle of "Liturgical Sameness?"

Stephen Tipton
Apr 25, 2017
In the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA)--the denomination in which I serve as a minister of the Gospel--quite a number of ministers lament the fact that you can attend five of our churches (all within the same city) only to have five very different worship experiences. Additionally, these same...

Redemptive History, Union with Christ and the Liturgical Calendar

Nick Batzig
Feb 28, 2017
The word "liturgy" continues to be a trendy--yet often indeterminate--buzzword among young(er-ish) Christians. This is especially so with regard to those who have recently made the shift away from broad evangelicalism and toward historic worship practices of Christendom. Alongside this phenomenon...

The Public Reading of Scripture--Presbyterian-Style

Brian Tallman
Feb 6, 2017
In 2011, the session of the church that I pastor sought to educate and assist the members of the church regarding proposed changes that we had decided to make to an important aspect of our corporate worship services. Prior to these changes, unordained men would regularly lead the congregation in...

Audio: Danny Hyde on John Owen

Jan 26, 2017
D anny Hyde, was recently interviewed on "Common Places: A Podcast of Protestant Resourcement" about John Owen, his views of the Holy Spirit and prayer, and his lasting impact on Christian theology. Have a listen here .

Creation Calls For Wonder

Aaron Denlinger
Jan 26, 2017
"The work of creation is, God's making all things of nothing, by the word of his power, in the space of six days, and all very good." Thus the Westminster Shorter Catechism summarizes the Christian doctrine of creation (WSC 9). What response should this doctrine elicit from us? Too often, I think,...

John Knox and the Lord’s Supper: Worship In General

Donald John Maclean
Jan 19, 2017
H aving briefly surveyed the debates over the Lord’s Supper at the Reformation ( part 1 ), before proceeding to John Knox (1513-1572), it is important to consider the broader place the reform of worship had at the Reformation. The sacraments, of course, are an important part of worship and so, as...

When in Babylon...

Adam Parker
Dec 21, 2016
Regard for the Lord's Day is on a steep decline, and, sadly, has been for quite some time. Disregard for the Lord's Day is evidenced by the fact that many churches have decided to cancel their worship services this Sunday in order to encourage families to spend time together on Christmas. The...