For individuals who are already in confessional Presbyterian churches, Horton’s words will be preaching to the choir. Worship centered around the means of grace, catechismal instruction, and family worship have long been staples of the Reformed faith.
Book Review: NIV Integrated Study Bible
The NIV Integrated Study Bible is both the best chronological Bible available and the best-suited single volume for studying parallel passages. The simplicity and ease with which this can be accomplished is an added benefit. Laymen and teachers alike will benefit greatly from the efforts put forth in this study Bible.
Libertarianism For (Reformed) Dummies
Libertarianism is sometimes treated as a complicated moral, political, and economic system. While there may be some relatively complicated positive applications of it, libertarianism is a simple system of principles.
Book Review: Christian Bioethics by C. Ben Mitchell & D. Joy Riley
Karl Barth once said, “theology is ethics.” If Barth was correct, this symmetry would explain why a general understanding of ethics requires a thorough understanding of theology.
Beer and Babies: Raising Kids in a Beer Loving Home
Regardless of the reason behind the stinkeye, the point remains -- people often don't understand, or may downright disagree with, our decision to raise our kids around brewing and beer. However, there are several lessons we can teach our kids by doing just that.
Marriage & Community
All of our current confusion over sexuality and marriage has only been made possible through the prior disintegration of communities. Both city life and suburbia give the guise of community by either placing one amongst many people (city) or by placing the family in a "guarded" castle (suburbia). Yet in both instances community (for the most part) is far, far away.
2014 Reflections: A Year in Review or An Open Letter to 2013 Me
P.S. The mustache will look awful but stick with it. You're still permitted to look like a fool at work and home. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Baffled by the Torture Debate
Fear for life and loved ones has given strength to our fallen natures, ensnaring precious brothers and sisters in the lie that torture may be defined/redefined/justified by a Christian.
Liturgy Series: Part 9 – The Sermon
As stated above, just like all stories, a sermon opens up a world of possibility to God's people. Yet, unlike secular liturgies that call us to guilt or transaction, the Christian sermon tells us that Jesus has already opened up that world of possibility; it is already before us, already amongst us!
2014 Reflections: An Open Letter to TG Writers
This is an open letter to every single individual who found their name attached to a Torrey Gazette blog post in 2014. Some of these names and posts remain to be publish but this letter is for you too!
2014 Reflections: Top Beer
This year was the great expanse of beer trying. With books being sent to me I spent all my monies on the beers. This included some more expensive beers than I'm use to drinking and essentially a whole new Top 5 List.
Is Wendell Berry Making Me A Pacifist?!?
What I'd like to do in this post is simply share some of the most powerful quotations from this essay with you all. I found, as I read this essay, that many of the deepest presuppositions the Modern West surround the concept of war. Consider the following as an extra dose of "food for thought:"
2014 Reflections: Less is More
2014 was a year of considerable places where "less was more." So I'm going to recount some of them in a loose format.
Postmillennialism 101: Believe Your Christmas Carols
My admonition to you all is that you listen and believe in the words you will hear and sing this Sunday in
2014 Reflections: Top 5 Books
At somewhere over 50 books reviewed, after starting in the March timeframe, the sheer number of pages and topics are staggering. Admittedly, these are my Top 5. They are controversial, thought provoking, and utterly excellent for what I needed this year.
Am I Reading Wendell Berry or N.D. Wilson???
Each day is filled with "miracles." N.D. Wilson likes to point out that bats really do fly blind, plants really do turn sunlight into food, and caterpillars really do turn into butterflies; these aren't just stories we tell children. If we would heed Christ's admonition to consider the lilies and birds we would be filled with the miraculous wonder that God always intended us to see in His creation.
Book Review: Duck Commander Faith and Family Bible
I did not want to like this Bible. I remain convinced that my reservation for study Bibles and devotional Bibles is valid. But the Duck Commander Faith and Family Bible is worth the price of admission. For individuals looking for more than a simple NKJV text, I find myself surprised to say I can recommend this Bible in its entirety.
Presbyterian without Promise (Murray Edition)
"The efficacy of infant baptism principally consists in this that it is to us the certification or seal that God works in accordance with this company provision and fulfills his covenant promises. It is, after all, the Lord's own nurture which infant baptism signifies and seals."
No View Apart From Fog
The time was wonderful and the destination, Vancouver BC in Canada, almost perfect and rather inspiring.
Liturgy Series: Part 8 – The Creed
Like most parts of the liturgy, a weekly recitation of a Creed or confession of faith doesn’t really make sense to our modern selves.