Monthly Archives: March 2015

The Most Important Thing in Your Future

Posted on by under Soul

Are you stuck right now? Or should I say are you stuck in the now?

A symptom of this is when you seem glued to ‘the feed’ whether Facebook, Twitter or your social media of choice. You stare at it fearing you might miss out if you don’t scroll a bit more. Life in the now is just a merry-go-round. Up, down, round and round without any sense of destination or destiny. ID-1006096

We can forget about the future and only be caught up in the whirlwind of the now. But consider what is the most important thing in the future. Your future.

Don Carson has the answer to that hefty question:

In our generation, which reflects too little on the future and almost never on eternity, it is distressingly obvious that we need help, help from God, so as to be able to know the hope to which we have been called. Only then will we become more interested in living with eternity’s values constantly before our eyes. What we will have to show before the great King on the last day will be infinitely more important to us than what we leave behind here. (A Call to Spiritual Reformation)

Are you ‘living with eternity’s values constantly before your eyes?’

Start thinking about your future. And what is the most important thing in your future.

5 Assessments of Pastors According to Calvin’s Geneva

Posted on by under Preaching

In the Draft Order of Visitation of the Country Churches January 11, 1546 [1], there are some points made about what to watch for in assessing the ministries of pastors.

1. Doctrinal unity.

The first order of business was to make sure that the pastor maintained, “proper uniformity of doctrine in the whole body of the Church of Geneva.” This was done by having two Genevan pastors visit the country churches in order to, “enquire whether the Ministry of the place have accepted any doctrine in any sense new and repugnant to the purity of the gospel.” So the churches weren’t little labs where pastors could exercise their speculative experiments. They were expected to be fairly conservative, that is, unchanging in their doctrine.

2. Wise Application

Not only was the doctrine to be in line with the other Genevan churches, there was an expectation that the minister would preach with wise applications. He wasn’t to preach, “anything at all scandalous, or unfitting to the instruction of the people because it is obscure, or treats of superfluous questions, or exercises too great rigour.” In applying his expositions, the pastor wasn’t grinding axes or riding hobby-horses. How many ‘Calvinist’ pastors today are guilty of ‘exercising too much rigour’.

3. Congregational Support

The pastor wasn’t the only one who was held accountable. The congregation was urged to be diligent not only in attending church services, but “to have a liking for it, and to find profit in it for Christian living.”  Many congregations need to be reminded of their responsibility to support the pastor’s ministry, and to like it.

4. Pastoral Care

Pastors were supposed to be engaged in ministry outside of the pulpit, through visitation of the sick and counselling. Specifically pastors were to confront those who needed it, as well as applying counsel to prevent patterns of sin.

5. Pastoral Integrity

The last element that was examined was whether the pastor had a testimony marked by integrity.  Basically, did the pastor live as an example to others, leading “an honest life”? Also, the pastor’s reputation was checked to see if people viewed areas of his life as lacking self control (“dissoluteness”) or being flaky (“frivolity”). Finally,the pastor needed to have a harmonious relationship to the congregation. And above all of these he needed to have his family life in order.

These priorities are quite basic. But how often do pastors fail to maintain these basic emphases? May God grant us mercy to fulfill our duties.

[1] JKS Reid, Calvin: Theological Treatises, (SCM Press, 1954), 74

The Unchained Bible

Posted on by under Theology

At the Reformation, when the chained Bible was brought from the cloisters, given to the press, and scattered over Europe, it was like the bright rising of the sun: the darkness was dissipated; the Church arose from the dust, and put on her beautiful garments, for the glory of God had arisen upon her.

Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology

Saint Patrick Miscellanies

Posted on by under World

irish

Saint Patrick’s Day. I’m not Irish, but I have happy memories of frequenting some of the great Irish pubs in downtown Toronto during my teaching days. Ian Clary (of Irish descent) and I would frequent McVeigh’s which at the time had the look of a front for the IRA. Looks like some fresh paint today, though the murals remain. We would also go to the flashier PJ O’Brien‘s regularly. Although it is said to have “the best pub food in the country” according to the National Post, it is the place where my wife had the worst food poisoning in her life. I still loved O’Brien’s and the bad food experience was a one time anomaly. I was usually irritated by the Sunday Saint Patrick’s Parade because it meant that getting across downtown after church was a task of nearly unending futility.

Such are some of my memories on Saint Patrick’s Day.

If you are looking for a Patrick biography, read Michael Haykin‘s. Great stuff on Patrick as a missionary and a model of Christian piety.

On the history of the celebration of St Patrick’s Day, read Meagan Fitzpatrick’s piece for CBC here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/st-patrick-s-day-tradition-made-in-u-s-not-ireland-1.2997187

Finally, this is my article at the National Post from a few years ago:

http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/03/17/st-patrick-knew-all-about-human-trafficking/