Seventeen82

  Have you ever taught a teenager how to drive? Thrills await around every corner. Imaginary brake pedals will swim through your mind and your foot will instinctively respond. However, the fun of getting on the interstate and the white-knuckled fear gives way the moment they confidently push the pedal down and merge. Pro tip – use dated references such as: “Fast Mover, coming in hot” which is a Vietnam-era phrase that can be utilized when approaching stoplights. “Let’s roll, Ponch” is a  CHiPs  reference used when the light turns  green  and the car does not move. Or when the learner seems intent on doing something foolish, grab hold of something, channel your inner Maverick, and exclaim “Negative, Ghost Rider, the pattern is full.” Ultimately, the joy of handing the keys over increases with their maturity, training, and confidence.    Maturity Have you ever taught a man to presbyter? The pressure to fill slots can be profound. This is especially true ...

Voltaire, the French Enlightenment author and philosopher, famously defined history as “a pack of tricks we play on dead people.” (1)   His quip represents a  pessimistic view of history—it is  generally  unknowable , indiscernible,  and therefore it has nothing to teach us. Christians familiar with God’s Word ought to heartily disagree with Voltaire. Not only does the Bible teach that we serve a God who has revealed himself in the time and space of human history, it is full of commands to  remember.  In my adult years, I have grown in my love for and appreciation of the history and chronology of the Bible  (I love a good timeline!), but I have only recently discove red an  interest in church history. I can’t take any credit for this ‘disco very ’ and I should mention that its context is the two church history courses that are required in my degree program at Erskine Seminary. However, having not anticipated actually enjoying the content of t...

It was Saturday morning and my dad needed gas. My wife and I had moved back to Florida just a few days earlier, and so I jumped in the car with my dad, still hungry for reconnection and fellowship. We drove to the station on the corner, the station where he always went, but there was no gas at the station. Off we drove, further into town, past one, then another, and then another station, but there was no gas to be found at any of them. We pressed on to the next town over and then the next. There was no gas anywhere and the generator powering my parent’s refrigerator would need to be replenished soon. Like gasoline, the food supply was now becoming an issue in the region, as extended power outages, road closures, and excessive demand, had stressed the normal supply chains. We pressed on and on until we finally saw what seemed an oasis in a world without fuel — a gas station with a line of cars and fuel pumps without yellow bags draped over the handles. We got the gas we needed and we dr...

  Recently, the yearbook staff at Murray High elected to dedicate this year’s yearbook to me. Receiving accolades from other teachers or administrators is one thing, but receiving them from the students made me feel honored and accepted. After receiving this honor, I couldn’t help but recall a conversation I had recently overheard. A group of students was talking about end-of-year awards: prom court, student council elections, and other “popularity contests.” One of the students talked about the importance of receiving those kinds of recognitions because he didn’t want to be among the “forgettable students” at Murray High. They further categorized “forgettable students” as those who no one will remember because they didn’t do anything “important” and weren’t recognized by the students or the teachers. In the days following my yearbook recognition, these statements caused a swirl of emotions. I reflected quite a bit on it, then I’ll reflect upon my reflections. This kind of cycle ...

  Christianity has an objective definition. There are certain beliefs that  must  be held in order for one to be, in any meaningful sense, called a Christian. One cannot simply say they are a Christian, and then “cherry pick” their desired doctrines and proclaim, “This is Christianity.” Christianity cannot simply be what someone “feels” it means to be a Christian. The beliefs that are necessary in order for someone to be called a Christian were set forth by Christ and then hammered out in the early centuries of the church. We take the ecumenical creeds to give us the broadest definition of what it means to be Christian. Take for instance the first two articles of the Athanasian Creed, “Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith; Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.” This is saying, that unless you believe this set of doctrines (as stated by the third article: ...

  "Pray without ceasing." ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:17 "What is prayer? Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, in the name of Christ, by the help of his Spirit; with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies." This is how the Westminster Larger Catechism defines prayer (WLC Q. 178). As Presbyterians, we would look at prayer as a means of grace (WLC Q. 154). As Christians, prayer should be one of the most fundamental aspects of our faith. It is a true communing with God, and it is only possible because of the intercessory work of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we are believers in Jesus Christ, we will want to pray. Prayer meetings for the church have fallen on hard times recently, but this is nothing new. I recently came across an address from over a century ago by Charles Haddon Spurgeon entitled "Only a Prayer Meeting." In it, Spurgeon expresses some of the concerns that are echoed in our day: It is good for us to draw nigh unto ...

Christian worship may be discussed both as the lifestyle of a Christian (Rom. 12:1-2) and as something observed on public and private occasions (Heb. 10:19-25). The latter is the focus of this discussion of worship as a means of grace.  God calls us to worship him. In that call that we see how worship, an end in itself for the Christian, is also a means of grace. Just as God calls us to himself in salvation, he also calls believers to “come into his presence” (Ps. 100:2) to participate in  central  elements of worship:  the  Word, sacraments, and prayer. God initiates and we respond by the power of his work in us. Therefore, as we engage in worship, we are growing in the benefits of redemption communicated to us by the Holy Spirit through the mediation of Jesus Christ.  As  Marva  Dawn states, by him making “it possible for us to enter into his presence; God is the one who gives us himself in the Word, the water, the supper.”  The observance ...

      In a light-hearted post this last week my compatriot and dear friend, the Rev. Tim Phillips, posted a meme on an ARP Facebook page that opened up a discussion about the so-called "Three-Office" view and the "Two-Office" view. After much back and forth there was seemingly a lot that needed said. This is a question which has vexed primarily American Presbyterianism for over two-centuries. The issue I want to look at in this brief essay is: Why does this matter? What effect does one or the other have in real life? We'll look at one particular example, because to look at too much more would tax your time.      Often well-meaning people will push back at any discussion over things of this nature with the often misused phrase, "...it's like arguing over how many angels can fit on a pin!", implying that the value of the answer is so unimportant that spending much effort entering into the fray either gets in the way of ministry, or wastes vital time ...