I posted here on the planned assembly debate regarding the call of a man living in a homosexual relationship to a pastorate in Aberdeen. The date and time of the discussion has now been confirmed:
The Assembly begins today Thursday 21st May, and the debates concerning the Complaint from the dissenting Presbyters of Aberdeen and the Overture from the Presbytery of Lochcarron and Skye are scheduled to take place on Saturday 23rd at 6.30pm.
If you want to see and hear some or part of this debate, it may be available by webcast at:
http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/generalassembly/galive.htm
Friday, 22 May 2009
MLJ mug and merchandise
I'm sure the Doc would dissaprove, but next time I have a bit of spare income, here's where its going!
Also available from the pyromaniacs:
Also available from the pyromaniacs:
Thursday, 14 May 2009
Words I love to hear…
I noticed on Sunday that both deacons who prayed at communion used the phrase “we have been reminded this morning…” I love to hear this phrase in communion prayers because it means that people are making connections between the Sermon and the Supper, the Message and the Meal!
We should always be able to pray “we have been reminded this morning” as we give thanks for the bread and the wine, as every message should be a Gospel message. That is, every message; whether its on salvation by grace through faith, the role of church leaders, hospitality, or an Old Testament story, every message should relate clearly to the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Friday, 8 May 2009
Let Glasgow Flourish
Here's a wee video put together by the guys at the Tron. Its both a walk through Glasgow, and a walk through the Gospel. What more could you ask for!..
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
I Signed the Petition...
The Fellowship of Confessing Churches petition has hit the headlines and got people talking recently. It urges the C of S Assembly not to support the decision of the Presbytery of Aberdeen to induct a minister living in a homosexual relationship.
I wasn’t surprised at the hostile response received in many circles, but I was surprised to see one evangelical describe the petition as arbitrary and potentially homophobic, so here’s four reasons why I signed the survey:
Firstly
It’s going to be hard, really hard, for those who will stand up for truth in the Assembly later this month. I know how lonely the C of S can be for evangelicals, particularly those in leadership. Maybe the thousands of names on the petition will prove an encouragement and a reminder to them that they are far from alone.
Secondly
I wasn’t surprised at the hostile response received in many circles, but I was surprised to see one evangelical describe the petition as arbitrary and potentially homophobic, so here’s four reasons why I signed the survey:
Firstly
It’s going to be hard, really hard, for those who will stand up for truth in the Assembly later this month. I know how lonely the C of S can be for evangelicals, particularly those in leadership. Maybe the thousands of names on the petition will prove an encouragement and a reminder to them that they are far from alone.
Secondly
This is an issue where the world and the Bible are poles apart. The Bible proclaims its message very clearly (Lev 18, Romans 1…) The world proclaims its message very clearly- just watch Home and Away (or any soap) and observe how the issue of homosexuality is presented. The families are shocked when they find out, but they love their brother\sister\child and so offer their full support, the reasonable normal people of Summer Bay (that is the people like you and me) love and support the gay couple, but there are one or two nasty, one dimensional, small-minded, unthinking bigots who attack the couple.
We are watching the world’s sermon on sexuality.
(Even the word ‘homophobia’ implies that it is impossible to hold to a reasoned and reasonable position against homosexuality. It suggests that those who believe homosexual practice to be wrong are acting out of irrational fear rather than reasoned thought.)
The issue is so clear cut- God’s wisdom or the World’s wisdom. If the C of S does not take a stand on this, then I’m not at all sure it will take a stand on anything. It also sends out the message to the world that the Church's role is essentially to affirm the wisdom of the world rather than to tell the world what God has to say.
Thirdly
This, for me, is a Gospel issue. W. Philip, says
"this is an issue of enormous magnitude: not just about sexuality, nor even only about the authority of Scripture, but about the nature of humanity, and indeed the nature of the gospel itself, a gospel not of affirmation of sin, but which demands repentance from sin, and brings liberation and transformation from sin."
Fourthly
The statement itself is well worded. That is to say, it clearly articulates its arguments, what is and is not being said about homosexuality and homosexual people, and is careful to avoid the risk of being caricatured by those who hold to other views.
~ ~ ~
One final word, I do agree that to be in a homosexual relationship is no worse a sin, or any more of a disqualification for leadership than preaching certain false doctrines – for example denying the uniqueness of Christ and His saving work, but as DA Carson says:
“…at some juncture churches have to decide whether they will, by God’s grace, try to live in submission to Scripture, or try to domesticate Scripture. I suspect that in our generation , for better and for worse, the homosexuality issue is becoming one of those triggering issues (like indulgences at the time of the Reformation) that is forcing upon us some profound reflections on whether we will submit to Scripture or not.”
(Carson, Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church, 172)
You can read the statement and sign up if you want here.
The debate will probably be hosted on Sat evening 23 May, please pray- petitions are well and good, but your prayers are more potent than your pen!
We are watching the world’s sermon on sexuality.
(Even the word ‘homophobia’ implies that it is impossible to hold to a reasoned and reasonable position against homosexuality. It suggests that those who believe homosexual practice to be wrong are acting out of irrational fear rather than reasoned thought.)
The issue is so clear cut- God’s wisdom or the World’s wisdom. If the C of S does not take a stand on this, then I’m not at all sure it will take a stand on anything. It also sends out the message to the world that the Church's role is essentially to affirm the wisdom of the world rather than to tell the world what God has to say.
Thirdly
This, for me, is a Gospel issue. W. Philip, says
"this is an issue of enormous magnitude: not just about sexuality, nor even only about the authority of Scripture, but about the nature of humanity, and indeed the nature of the gospel itself, a gospel not of affirmation of sin, but which demands repentance from sin, and brings liberation and transformation from sin."
Fourthly
The statement itself is well worded. That is to say, it clearly articulates its arguments, what is and is not being said about homosexuality and homosexual people, and is careful to avoid the risk of being caricatured by those who hold to other views.
~ ~ ~
One final word, I do agree that to be in a homosexual relationship is no worse a sin, or any more of a disqualification for leadership than preaching certain false doctrines – for example denying the uniqueness of Christ and His saving work, but as DA Carson says:
“…at some juncture churches have to decide whether they will, by God’s grace, try to live in submission to Scripture, or try to domesticate Scripture. I suspect that in our generation , for better and for worse, the homosexuality issue is becoming one of those triggering issues (like indulgences at the time of the Reformation) that is forcing upon us some profound reflections on whether we will submit to Scripture or not.”
(Carson, Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church, 172)
You can read the statement and sign up if you want here.
The debate will probably be hosted on Sat evening 23 May, please pray- petitions are well and good, but your prayers are more potent than your pen!
Thursday, 30 April 2009
A Blog is Named
As I discovered 6 months ago childbirth (for a man) is easy. But naming the new baby can be tough. In the providence of God, my first 100 or so attempts at Blog Titles had already been taken. Eventually, I settled upon “that which thundered”.
I’m now rather pleased with my blog title.
As you can see from the Blog's subtitle, it comes from a Spurgeon quote:
"John Knox's gospel is my gospel, that which thundered through Scotland must thunder.. again"
I confess I’ve “Purpose-Driven-ified” the quote a bit (ie lifted the line from its context and used “…” to subtly change the meaning ever so slightly. In my defense I’ve not used the Message ‘translation’ of Spurgeon’s sermon. Nevertheless I ask your forgiveness and post the wider context below...
Firstly though a few words about why I like “that which thundered” as a title:
1- I love the Gospel.
2- I love Scotland.
3- I am profoundly concerned about modern evangelicalism in Scotland.
The Gospel no longer thunders through Scotland. We whisper it, we are happy to use (some of) it to entice, but never to confront. We are happy to converse, but never to proclaim. We confuse uncertainty with humility. Evangelicalism is, in general, ashamed of the Gospel and afraid of the world.
In the early Church, The Gospel thundered, lives were changed, and God was glorified.
I would love to see Knox’s Gospel thunder through Scotland again.
Here's the Spurgeon excerpt, from a sermon preached 151 years ago. How we need to hear and heed these words:
“…And men that stand up to preach as those men did, with honest tongues, and know not how to use polished courtly phrases, are as much condemned now as those men were in their time; because, say they, the world is marching on, and the gospel must march on too. No, sirs, the old gospel is the same; not one of her stakes must be removed, not one of her cords must be loosened. "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." Theology hath nothing new in it except that which is false. The preaching of Paul must be the preaching of the minister to-day. There is no advancement here. We may advance in our knowledge of it; but it stands the same, for this good reason, that it is perfect, and perfection can not be any better. The old truth that Calvin preached, that Chrysostom preached, that Paul preached, is the truth that I must preach to-day, or else be a liar to my conscience and my God. I can not shape the truth. I know of no such thing as the paring off the rough edges of a doctrine. John Knox's gospel is my gospel. That which thundered through Scotland must thunder through England again. The great mass of our ministers are sound enough in the faith, but not sound enough in the way they preach it. Election is not mentioned once in the year in many a pulpit; final perseverance is kept back; the great things of God's law are forgotten, and a kind of mongrel mixture of Arminianism and Calvinism is the delight of the present age. And hence the Lord hath forsaken many of his tabernacles and left the house of his covenant; and he will leave it till again the trumpet gives a certain sound. For wherever there is not the old gospel we shall find "Ichabod" written upon the church walls ere long. The old truth of the Covenanters, the old truth of the Puritans, the old truth of the Apostles, is the only truth that will stand the test of time, and never need to be altered to suit a wicked and ungodly generation.”
I’m now rather pleased with my blog title.
As you can see from the Blog's subtitle, it comes from a Spurgeon quote:
"John Knox's gospel is my gospel, that which thundered through Scotland must thunder.. again"
I confess I’ve “Purpose-Driven-ified” the quote a bit (ie lifted the line from its context and used “…” to subtly change the meaning ever so slightly. In my defense I’ve not used the Message ‘translation’ of Spurgeon’s sermon. Nevertheless I ask your forgiveness and post the wider context below...
Firstly though a few words about why I like “that which thundered” as a title:
1- I love the Gospel.
2- I love Scotland.
3- I am profoundly concerned about modern evangelicalism in Scotland.
The Gospel no longer thunders through Scotland. We whisper it, we are happy to use (some of) it to entice, but never to confront. We are happy to converse, but never to proclaim. We confuse uncertainty with humility. Evangelicalism is, in general, ashamed of the Gospel and afraid of the world.
In the early Church, The Gospel thundered, lives were changed, and God was glorified.
I would love to see Knox’s Gospel thunder through Scotland again.
Here's the Spurgeon excerpt, from a sermon preached 151 years ago. How we need to hear and heed these words:
“…And men that stand up to preach as those men did, with honest tongues, and know not how to use polished courtly phrases, are as much condemned now as those men were in their time; because, say they, the world is marching on, and the gospel must march on too. No, sirs, the old gospel is the same; not one of her stakes must be removed, not one of her cords must be loosened. "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." Theology hath nothing new in it except that which is false. The preaching of Paul must be the preaching of the minister to-day. There is no advancement here. We may advance in our knowledge of it; but it stands the same, for this good reason, that it is perfect, and perfection can not be any better. The old truth that Calvin preached, that Chrysostom preached, that Paul preached, is the truth that I must preach to-day, or else be a liar to my conscience and my God. I can not shape the truth. I know of no such thing as the paring off the rough edges of a doctrine. John Knox's gospel is my gospel. That which thundered through Scotland must thunder through England again. The great mass of our ministers are sound enough in the faith, but not sound enough in the way they preach it. Election is not mentioned once in the year in many a pulpit; final perseverance is kept back; the great things of God's law are forgotten, and a kind of mongrel mixture of Arminianism and Calvinism is the delight of the present age. And hence the Lord hath forsaken many of his tabernacles and left the house of his covenant; and he will leave it till again the trumpet gives a certain sound. For wherever there is not the old gospel we shall find "Ichabod" written upon the church walls ere long. The old truth of the Covenanters, the old truth of the Puritans, the old truth of the Apostles, is the only truth that will stand the test of time, and never need to be altered to suit a wicked and ungodly generation.”
A Blog is Born
I suspect its customary to open a blog with a brief statement, detailing its raison d'etre, well that’s easy for me- I can just provide this link:
6 reasons pastors should blog
Piper’s article was the sole reason for the birth of my blog.
I think particularly pertinent is Piper’s fourth reason- to recommend. I frequently read wonderful articles, quotes and insights which for one reason or another would not be suitable for the pulpit. I hope this blog will provide a more appropriate setting to highlight some helpful quotes\videos\resources relating to the Gospel.
6 reasons pastors should blog
Piper’s article was the sole reason for the birth of my blog.
I think particularly pertinent is Piper’s fourth reason- to recommend. I frequently read wonderful articles, quotes and insights which for one reason or another would not be suitable for the pulpit. I hope this blog will provide a more appropriate setting to highlight some helpful quotes\videos\resources relating to the Gospel.
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