• The Pastor’s Kid (1)

    April 2, 2013 By in Pastoral Ministry, Raising Children

    510px-Hasenclever_The_Parson's_ChildrenMy Dad is a pastor. Same for Grandpa, uncles, brothers-in-law, and husband. Growing up in a family of pastor’s kids (there were six of us, plus cousins) has given us a different experience than many of our peers, simply because dad was a minister. From not having him in the pew with us on Sunday, to going to every funeral and wedding in the congregation, our growing up years were shaped by his calling.

    I haven’t seen much written on the pastor’s kid – pk’s tend to be tight-lipped, sometimes rebellious. So in the next couple weeks, we’ll be posting about different aspects of being a pk. Our hope is to give pk’s encouragement, give their parents some insight on a child’s perspective, and open up the topic for discussion in families.

    Last week I was on a panel about growing up in the manse. Future pastor’s wives submitted questions ahead of time, and then a mix of pastor’s children answered. We’ll start this series with some thoughts I jotted down in preparation for that evening. Continue reading →

  • Sanctification: Take it for Granted?

    March 26, 2013 By in Holiness

    irisLast month, we had a couple over; she was American, but he had been born and raised in the middle east. He had a lot to say about his Muslim upbringing, his conversion, and his experience in the U. S.. But it was what he said about sanctification that really grabbed me.

    As a Muslim, this man had always lived with a strict set of rules: things he must not do if he was to attain paradise. But even when he and Muslim friends were outwardly conforming to the law, they would still inwardly want the sin. Sometimes they didn’t keep the law because they couldn’t. Other times they did keep the law, but their hearts weren’t in it. They weren’t drinking, but they wanted to. They were praying, but they didn’t want to. This believing man described this as an inescapable bondage: you do (or don’t do) certain things with no heart, no love, and no power. Continue reading →

  • Heart, Mind and Prayer

    March 20, 2013 By in Devotional, Prayer

    skyDo you ever find it hard to stay focused in prayer or in worship? Why is that? This paraphrase from Thomas Boston, a Scottish theologian, provides some insightful analysis of the pervasive sinfulness of the human heart and mind:

    “When God is speaking to men by His Word, or they are speaking to Him in prayer, doesn’t the mind often leave them before the Lord, like so many ‘idols that have eyes, but see not, and ears, but hear not’? The body is bowed down before God, but the world gets the heart. Though his eyes are closed in prayer, a man sees a thousand things; the mind in the mean time, is like a bird escaped out of a cage, skipping from bush to bush, so that, in effect, the man never comes to himself till he is gone from the presence of the Lord. As you reflect on this, don’t say, it is impossible to keep the mind focused in prayer–it is hard, but not impossible. Grace from the Lord can do it (Psalm 108:1), and there are objects of our attention that easily do it. A pleasant idea easily captivates our minds; Continue reading →

  • Hate is a Strong Word

    March 13, 2013 By in Christian Living

    220px-Bologna_lunch_meat_style_sausage Once, a couple decades ago, I was playing at a friend’s house and said that I hated something. I don’t remember what it was, but I’m sure it was nothing serious – bologna, or sweat, or having to clean my room. My friend’s mother overheard and told me off: “Hate is a strong word!”

    I remember looking at her thinking, “It’s a strong feeling: I chose the word carefully!” What was wrong was not so much my hatred as the object of my hatred. Bologna is far to blah for an emotion like hate. Continue reading →

  • What About Those Who Have Never Heard?

    March 6, 2013 By in Christian Living, Missions

    Vanuatu_blondeThe following article is a guest contribution by Peter Kemeny, pastor of Good News Presbyterian Church in Frederick, Maryland. It first appeared in the March issue of the church newsletter and is reprinted here with permission.

    The Bible is unyielding in its claim that Christ’s work on the cross is God’s only provision for the salvation of sinners. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Peter preached, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Paul wrote, “there is one mediator between God and men” (I Timothy 2:5). Continue reading →

  • Minding Our Own Reproductive Business

    February 26, 2013 By in Church Life, Motherhood, Women

    9 monthsA couple weeks ago I talked with some young mothers about inappropriate questions that they have had to answer. I’ve had the same questions, and though answering them has not caused me any grief, they easily could have. Questions like, “Are you pregnant?” “Do you guys have a hard time getting pregnant?” “How many kids do you want?” “Is this one a surprise?” “Why don’t you guys have (more) kids?” These questions are different than learning how to think through an issue like family planning by asking someone for their thoughts. Genuine learning questions are in a separate category.

    But inquiring into very personal matters out of curiosity, a desire to know, an inability to make conversation on other topics, or as a misapplied expression of care, is a bad idea. Such questions, and any like them, are ones that only very close family and friends should ask, and even then with caution, forethought, and not in the church foyer. If you are not a very close family member or friend, it’s a good idea to stay away from this topic. Why? Because: Continue reading →

  • What do you believe?

    February 21, 2013 By in Confessional Church, Faith

    220px-WestminsterAssemblyHow would you answer that question? There have been many statements that answer it: some short and succinct, like the Apostles’ Creed, and some long and more substantive, like the historic Protestant confessions. Over at the Reformation21 blog they’ve started an excellent series on the Westminster Confession of Faith. I’ve been enjoying reading (and later writing, Lord willing) about the confession of faith I share with many in North America and around the world. If you want to be refreshed and challenged by this summary of the rich truths of God’s Word, check it out. It will help you “be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine…” (1 Timothy 4:6).

  • Why I Don’t Watch Downton Abbey

    February 13, 2013 By in Conscience, Current Issues

    Downton AbbeyJust so you know, I want to watch Downton Abbey. There are a lot of reasons to. One, it’s pretty. I love pretty things, especially buildings and clothes. If the storyline was set in an Arkansas trailer park, I wouldn’t be interested. Two, it’s set (at least initially) in Edwardian England, a period I’ve always liked (did I mention pretty clothes?). Three, it’s everywhere, and not watching it makes me feel out of the loop, big time. Four, loads of Christians I know are watching it – godly, mature believers. So that must mean it’s okay, right?

    I actually started watching episode one, season one, and got as far as the scene where Thomas kisses the visiting duke in his room. I turned it off. Later, when season three was going to come out and I realized that all sorts of believers were watching it (some admitting they were addicted), I thought that maybe I was missing something or being reactionary. Continue reading →