But Nothing to Offer

The Western Evangelical Reformed church has been wringing its hands for some time now over the problem it has with men. And that introductory sentence can cut both ways. One way is that a good part of the church seems to think that it has a problem because men are masculine and toxic. The otherContinue reading “But Nothing to Offer”

Comedians Talk

Introduction Far be it from me to critique Mark Dever, I adore the man and am throughly appreciative of 9 Marks. I know that they have come under criticism lately for going woke. And frankly while I may have disagreed with some of their early in COVID thinking and I think that Thabiti Anyabwile hasContinue reading “Comedians Talk”

Clarifying the Melting Pot

Introduction One of the particulars of Protestantism that Eastern Orthodox and Papists can not wrap their heads around is our ability to be sectarian. They claim to be unified in all things, even though after a little letting your fingers do the walking for you that it becomes apparent that they manifestly are not. ForContinue reading “Clarifying the Melting Pot”

A Plea to Knock it off Already

There is a scene in the Brian Henson classic film, Muppet Treasure Island, where Fozzie Bear as Squire Trelawney keeps tossing “The finest brandy laid down but the brothers of Buckfast Abby” out of a window during an argument with Captain Smollett (Kermit) over the presence of alcohol on the ship. eventually a tourist shipContinue reading “A Plea to Knock it off Already”

A Call for Pastoral Prayers

“Above all – and again this I regard as most important of all – always respond to every impulse to pray… It is the work of the Holy Spirit… So never resist, never postpone it, never push it aside because you are busy. Give yourself to it, yield to it; and you will  find notContinue reading “A Call for Pastoral Prayers”

The Stories He Told

This is the final installment of this series. The previous posts can be found here, here, here, here, and here. Introduction I am still digesting the final episode of Mike Cosper’s Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. But am pretty sure my conclusion will not change too much after further pondering. The finale was, inContinue reading “The Stories He Told”

Is Mark Driscoll Leading Your Praise Team?*

One of the charges leveled in The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill was that in preaching the now famous/infamous “Who the Hell do You Think You Are!?” sermon out of 2 Peter everything was planned before hand and replicated at each service. A more honest commentator would have readily conceded that this kind ofContinue reading “Is Mark Driscoll Leading Your Praise Team?*”

The Stories He Tells Himself (Or Mike Cosper’s Ax to Grind)

Lets just jump in and admit that there was already very little chance that I was going to be a fan of Christianity Today’s new podcast The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. Four episodes in and I think I can put my finger on the major problems. It is customary to, on the frontContinue reading “The Stories He Tells Himself (Or Mike Cosper’s Ax to Grind)”

Lloyd-Jones and Four Chords

Introduction I think, by now, it is pretty apparent that I find modern evangelical worship highly suspect at best. I may be closer to the mark to say I utterly despise it. There are exceptions that sneak into the repertoire of of the four cord playing mono syllabic “worship leader”. But those are usually ofContinue reading “Lloyd-Jones and Four Chords”

The Wolves of Progress

I expect to be challenged by George Yancey’s forthcoming book One Faith No Longer: The Transformation of Christianity in Red and Blue America but perhaps not by the conclusions drawn by the work. Rather I expect my struggle will be over how to respond to the people I know that fall into the camp oppositeContinue reading “The Wolves of Progress”