The Primacy of Preaching
Among the myriad of responsibilities that come with pastoral ministry, preaching stands head and shoulders above the rest in importance. Paul emphasized repeatedly throughout his writings the continual necessity of not just preaching, but preaching from God’s Word. The early church emphasized it, church history has displayed it, and the Scriptures themselves verify the critical nature of biblical preaching. Preaching is God’s ordained...
The Preference Problem
Society has taught many of us to avoid discussing two things: politics and religion. Even regular churchgoers know to avoid certain topics pertaining to worship–particularly music. When we happen to find ourselves discussing music, often we attempt to construct a defense for our favorite style of music. However, such a conversation often results in either one party being angry or both parties “agreeing to disagree”. How do we...
Christianity and Creation Care: Living Faithfully in the Age of Efficiency
The 21st Century: A Culture of Efficiency Many have described the 21st century as “busy”. There are emails to check, bills to pay, kids to feed, grass to cut, work to finish, ad nauseam. As a result, people view the standard of efficiency as a good thing. And indeed it is! It is no wonder that we appreciate people who arrive to a meeting on time or who are not unnecessarily wasteful. Whether in the context of time constraint,...
Evangelism’s Hidden Assumptions: When Theory & Praxis Contradict
Central to the Christian faith is the task of evangelism. Orthodox Christians affirm this need for witnessing in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth (cf. Acts 1:8). Nonetheless, bearing witness to the cross of Christ comes with its own unique challenges and principles about its content, as well as its approach or method. Among these challenges are some important basic assumptions. For example, the...
What Does It Mean to Think Theologically?
When a discussion concerning a theological matter arises, it is often greeted by a blank look of indifference and a general lack of concern for what follows. People may twiddle their thumbs or remain silent until the conversation has subsided and the opportunity to change the discussion has presented itself. All too often this lackadaisical attitude is found present in the minds of Christians. This presents a particular challenge when...
Clarifying the ‘Culture’ Debate
Culture is unquestionably a buzzword of the contemporary era. Evangelicals seek to “engage the culture” for Christ, while PBS journalists aim to capture the cultural moment in documentaries. Even politicians speak of cultural developments and trends in public speeches [1]. However, when using the term ‘culture’, do these parties mean the same thing? Whether it is T.S. Eliot’s classic Notes Toward the Definition of Culture, Alan...
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