I love to hear fresh arrangements of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. The latest Sovereign Grace album, “30: Three Decades of Songs for the Church“, contains new takes on the fifteen most popular SG songs.
Here are my six favorite cuts from an all-around outstanding effort.
My first seminary class at RTS was with that great Welshman Derek Thomas. His syllabus included a major project that caused me to go a bit bug-eyed: punctuation perfect memorization of the first 38 questions from the Westminster Shorter Catechism.
The project took me quite a while, due in large part to how those 17th century divines employed commas and semi-colons, but it proved to be the most profitable project of my entire seminary education. In fact, it was so helpful that I went on to memorize the whole thing.
While I am running the risk of universalizing my experience, I do think catechism memory can be one of the most beneficial things a pastor can commit himself to. Why? Here are three reasons.
First, memorizing a catechism helps a pastor be precise. Clear and precise definitions are best friends for personal and pastoral theological discussion. As pastors faithfully engage in discipling relationships they will inevitable meet with members who ask questions like, “What is justification?” How helpful would it be to have memorized a definition like this:
Q. 33. What is justification?
A. Justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.
You need not communicate the oddities of the King’s language to a church member, but when talking about justification you want to make sure to cover the bases and Question 33 does it with precision. Every word is carefully weighed and the fluff of verbosity finds itself on the cutting floor.
One of the most common issues I confront in pastoral ministry is helping people to understand what biblical repentance is. This frequently shows up in counseling situations and discipline cases. You’ll never know how many members have heard some variation of Question 87:
Q. 87. What is repentance unto life?
A. Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience.
A catechism will help your ministry be a precise one.
Second, memorizing a catechism helps a pastor be concise. We want to not only be precise in our presentation of truth, but concise as well. I think precision and concision are the two sides of a coin named “Clarity.” When the apostle to the Colossians to pray for him, he said, “Pray that I might make the gospel clear, which is how I ought to speak.” Catechisms help us in this endeavor, for what is a good catechism if it isn’t clear?
Consider how concisely Question 6 articulates an orthodox understanding of the Trinity:
Q. 6. How many persons are there in the godhead?
A. There are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.
Now that is precision and concision. I had a large group of our men at IDC memorize that definition last year, and I still have people remark about its usefulness. But let’s move away from the finer points of doctrinal discourse and venture in the fields of practicality. Faithful ministers will want to train their people unto a healthy understanding and application of the means of grace. Notice how useful the catechism definition of prayer is:
Q. 98. What is prayer?
A. Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.
That’s a worthy weapon for helping our people apply Ephesians 6:18’s command to pray at all times in the Spirit. It hits on all the necessary parts of prayer (according to God’s will, in Jesus’ name) and uses of prayer (petition, confession, thanksgiving).
So, where could a pastor start in this worthy endeavor of catechesis? First, select which catechism you will use. I’d use one of these three:
Second, select with questions and answers you want to memorize. Start small and then work your way up to more if you find it valuable.
Finally, do the project in community with other church members or leaders. You will probably need the accountability and the ensuing discussions about “the deep things” will do wonders for your soul’s adoration of God.
As a young child I loved the newspaper; and when I say newspaper I mean the sports page of The Dallas Morning News.
Every so often, however, I would dare to venture beyond the league standings, players statistics, and bombastic opinions of columnists. One such venture was the weekly citizen profile in the metro section. The profile would take a notable citizen in the county and ask him or her several questions so readers could get to know them better. One of the most common questions was, “If you could invite any three people do a dinner party, whom would you invite?”
What would you say if I adjusted the question to ask, “If you could invite any one person from church history to a dinner party, whom would you invite?”
For me, the answer must be, “Charles Haddon Spurgeon.”
No man in church history stirs my soul like the Prince of Preachers. His energy, intellect, wit, and eloquence would make that dinner party one to remember for a lifetime. I have never read Spurgeon without finding my heart filled with the majesty of God and the glory of Christ. Have you ever experienced the lion of the Metropolitan Tabernacle?
If not, let the good Dr. Piper introduce you to him.
In 2012 RTS Orlando established the Nicole Institute of Baptist Studies and invited Piper to give the first “Spurgeon Lecture”, an annual message designed to equip and inform the audience on a broad range of theological, historical and cultural issues. And what a lecture it was!
Carve out an hour of your day and let the Prince stir your soul in ministry.
“He Will Hold Me Fast”
Lyrics vv. 1-2 Ada Habershon (1861-1918), Public Domain;
Alt words vv.1-2, lyrics v.3, and music: Matt Merker, © 2013
LYRICS
When I fear my faith will fail,
Christ will hold me fast;
When the tempter would prevail,
He will hold me fast.
I could never keep my hold
Through life’s fearful path;
For my love is often cold;
He must hold me fast.
He will hold me fast,
He will hold me fast;
For my Savior loves me so,
He will hold me fast.
Those He saves are His delight,
Christ will hold me fast;
Precious in his holy sight,
He will hold me fast.
He’ll not let my soul be lost;
His promises shall last;
Bought by Him at such a cost,
He will hold me fast.
For my life He bled and died,
Christ will hold me fast;
Justice has been satisfied;
He will hold me fast.
Raised with Him to endless life,
He will hold me fast
‘Till our faith is turned to sight,
When He comes at last!
Every once in a while I come across a section of a book that makes the given title worth its weight in gold.
John Piper’s Counted Righteous in Christhas just that kind of gold-layered section, one titled “Growing a Church without a Heart for Doctrine.” Spend the next 3-4 minutes and give some ballast to your understanding of the church’s worship:
[T]he older I get, the less impressed I am with flashy successes and enthusiasms that are not truth-based. Everybody knows that with the right personality, the right music, the right location, and the right schedule you can grow a church without anybody really knowing what doctrinal commitments sustain it, if any. Church-planting specialists generally downplay biblical doctrine in the core values of what makes a church ‘successful.’ The long-term effect of this ethos is a weakening of the church that is concealed as long as the crowds are large, the band is loud, the tragedies are few, and persecution is still at the level of preferences.
But more and more this doctrinally-diluted brew of music, drama, life-tips, and marketing seems out of touch with real life in this world–not to mention the next. It tastes like watered-down gruel, not a nourishing meal. It simply isn’t serious enough. It’s too playful and chatty and casual. It’s joy doesn’t feel deep enough or heartbroken or well-rooted. The injustice and persecution and suffering and hellish realities in the world today are so many and so large and so close that I can’t help but think that, deep inside, people are longing for something weighty and massive and rooted and stable and eternal. So it seems to me that the trifling with silly little sketches and breezy welcome-to-the-den styles on Sunday morning are just out of touch with what matters in life.
Of course, it works. Sort of. Because, in the name of felt needs it resonate with people’s impulse to run from what is most serious and weighty and what makes them most human and what might open the depths of God to their souls. The design is noble. Silliness is a stepping stone to substance. But it’s an odd path. And evidence is not ample that many are willing to move beyond fun and simplicity. So the price of minimizing truth-based joy and maximizing atmosphere-based comfort is high. More and more, it seems to me, the end might be in view. I doubt that a religious ethos with such a feel for entertainment can really survive as Christian for too many more decades.
Amen.
One of the greatest things a pastor can do is sit under the preaching of God’s word. It’s also one of the hardest.
The difficulty, for many pastors, is their tendency to hear a sermon with critical ears. They are quick to point out where the exegesis was wrong or how the delivery was less than desirable. And many guys I know where this as a badge of ministerial honor. But is it really a good thing? I think not.
What is good is hearing and receiving God’s word with discernment, which is a very different thing than receiving it with criticism. The line between discernment can criticism can be quite fine, but it is nevertheless one on which we would do well to faithfully tread.
I am in the midst of a two week stretch of not preaching at IDC and am thus learning this lesson once again. I recently listened to a Q&A session at Westminster Theological Seminary with John Piper where he was asked to speak to this very issue. His answer is characteristically wise and helpful.
Any preacher would do well to listen to this challenging and edifying five minute clip.
I love to read. By God’s grace I am a pretty fast reader; I usually read a couple books each week. I find it helpful to summarize my thoughts on each book and I offer those thoughts in the hope that you will be encouraged to either read or pass over the given title.
Taking God at His Word: Why the Bible is Knowable, Necessary, and Enough, and What that Means for You and Me by Kevin DeYoung. The praise for the book is high, with some people already calling it the most important book of the year and one DA Carson recommending churches purchase it “by the case.” The praise is not excessive, the book is that good. DeYoung’s characteristic clarity and wit permeate the book, which is largely structured around Scripture’s four attributes: sufficiency, clarity, authority, and necessity. I can’t remember the last book I read where the margins were so marked up with simple agreements like, “Yep,” and “Right!” The annotated bibliography at the end is brilliant and makes it all the more useful. If you can afford it, buy a case for your church.
The Gospel: How the Church Portrays the Beauty of Christ by Ray Ortland. If you are looking for a clear and concise summation of what it means to be “gospel-centered” this is it. I appreciated Ortland’s continual focus on how we can and ought to move from gospel doctrine to gospel culture in our churches. The book is particularly helpful in the diagnostic questions sprinkled throughout; for example, “Is there some place in your church’s life where obedience to Christ is being withheld but his blessing is expected anyway?” (84). Also useful is his gospel matrix:
Gospel doctrine – gospel culture = hypocrisy
Gospel culture – gospel doctrine = fragility
Gospel doctrine + gospel culture = power
The book does unfortunately slip into cliches and reductions that have come to typify the gospel-centered resurgence, but that shouldn’t discouraged pastors and church members alike to read the book. We want our churches to be model homes of the new neighborhood that Christ is building for eternity and The Gospel will help encourage you unto faithfulness in the gospel.
On Being a Pastor: Understanding Our Calling and Our Work by Derek Prime and Alistair Begg. Originally published in 1989 as Pastors and Teachers the revised edition came out ten years ago and remains a welcome contribution. Derek Prime had a vibrant ministry in Scotland and, for a time, had a pastoral assistant named Alistair Begg. The great value of On Being a Pastor is it’s conversational breadth. With clarity and warmth the authors cover everything essential to faithful ministry: calling, praying, preaching, shepherding, leading, and caring for one’s family. Undoubtedly the lasting value of the books is the insertion of personal commentary from both authors on whatever topic is at hand. Many of the comments will stir a pastor to reevaluate or revamp his pastoral practice, and just as many will have you smiling. Prime tells us why wearing slippers in study makes him feel lazy, and thus he must wear shoes. Begg comments on why he won’t let any of his pastoral team where facial hair, saying the fact that he would have to exclude Spurgeon causes him no small loss of sleep. A thoroughly enjoyable and edifying read.
Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand. Many people know Hillenbrand today as the author of the runaway bestseller Unbroken, a page-turner on the incredible life of on Louie Zamperini. Before helping Zamperini become a national hero late in his life, Hillenbrand reminded 21st century readers about the most famous American figure of 1938-1939, a horse named Seabiscuit. While the European continent was teetering the edge of World War II, thorough bred racer Seabiscuit captivated America in a way few sporting figures have ever done. I don’t have enough superlatives in my vocabulary to rightly sings this book’s praises. Seabiscuit represents a pinnacle of narrative history, a fact all the more stunning when you discover it was Hillenbrand’s first book. Hillenbrand is a master and I have every reason to expect her next work to be another masterpiece.
The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw. For years I have meant to read this book as I have heard the phrase so often in other World War II readings, but it wasn’t until last week I actually took it off the shelf. Brokaw’s method is simple: tell the stories of those American citizen heroes and heroines who battled through The Great Depression and World War II. With simple prose and moving reflection Brokaw gives flesh and blood to this generation that almost now entirely rests in the grave. An excellent contribution.
“Resolved, to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.” – Jonathan Edwards
Two weeks ago I wrote briefly about a new endeavor to put Edwards’ ninth resolution to work in my life, an endeavor I am affectionately calling “The Deathbed Confessions.” As morbid as it might sound, I actually find it quite liberating and hope my somewhat sporadic musings on death might serve you.
The crux of the issue is eschatological. Jesus is coming back and calls us to be ready. He says in Mark 13,
Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.
Ultimately then, “The Deathbed Confessions” are not just about my hope to be some small reflection of Edwardsian piety, they are actually a means to help me stay awake. Spiritual Redbull you might call them. Here then is the first confession:
Deathbed Confession #1:
I want to lay on my deathbed with a Scripture-soaked mind.
Just yesterday the month of May dawned on us and I happened to pull up a file named “Books Read in 2014.” Through April I have completed sixty books and am thus on pace for a righteous 180 books in 2014. Disclaimers are probably useful here: I read fast, many of those books are small, and my job description includes reading. But as I stared at that number I thought, “Should this number be a cause of celebration or lamentation?” Such thoughts resulted in a new motivation for meditation.1
Part of the reason I read so many books is because I simply love to read. Any free moment of the day is likely occupied with reading something. Now, I will be the first to say that such use of time is quite often faithful and fruitful. But the more I thought about it in light of Resolution 9 the more I realized, that should I die today, I would go to glory with a mind possibly filled with more truths from books than truth about the Book. O my soul, this should not be so.
Truths from books, not matter how practical or valuable, have no power in and of themselves. But truth from the Book, well, that is a living blade for the soul. Let me then consciously slow down the external reading in order for the Word to find an internal home in my heart. May I go to my deathbed with a mind and heart overflowing with truth stashed away from years of meditation.
Like a towel that soaks up water, let my soul soak up Scripture, so that its goodness my ring out for all eternity. For books and histories will fade, but His word will last forever.
I have written before (here, here, and here) about the great weight I often feel after preaching. That descent from the sacred desk is a walk normally filled with steps of despair and discouragement.
I am always helped to know I am not alone in the struggle. Such encouragement came earlier this week from On Being a Pastorby Derek Prime and Alistair Begg. Their chapter on preaching ends with a section on “The Perils of Preaching,” which mentions the peril of “despair and sense of failure.”
The following back and forth between Prime and Begg was valuable for me to hear, as I bet it would be for any preacher.
Derek Prime: “I doubt if there has been a Sunday I have preached when I have not had some [despair or sense of failure]. On occasions I have known deep despair because I have felt I have been so clumsy in my presentation of the truth. At such times we need to remind ourselves of God’s call. I have come to recognize that God allows such things to happen so that I cultivate the humility that befits a teacher of His word and to teach me my constant dependence on Him. One of the most humbling experiences I know is to discover afterward that on the occasions when I felt I did badly, God has been pleased to work in a special way in people’s lives!”
Alistair Begg: “I am encouraged to know that Derek feels this way. I had hoped that this sense would pass with time. But it hasn’t. As I stood to preach this past Sunday, I felt as though I was standing in a telephone box, and, although I could see the people outside and could hear my own voice (usually a bad sign), I had no assurance that they could hear me. Eric Alexander told a gathering of ministers that when he left the pulpit and returned to his vestry, he found himself saying out loud, ‘Lord, I am sorry.’ Lloyd-Jones was as outspoken on this matter as any I have read. ‘Any man who has had some glimpse of what it is to preach will inevitably feel that he has never preached. But he will go on trying, hoping that by the grace of God one day he may truly preach.'”
So preacher, if you often sense despair take comfort from these brothers, and by God’s grace, go on preaching!
“The more thoroughly your mind is steeped in the Spirit of prayer, and of communion with God, when ascend the sacred desk, the more easy and delightful will it be to preach; the more rich and spiritual will your preaching be; the more fervent and natural your eloquence; and the greater the probability that what you say will be made a blessing.” – Samuel Miller
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