Reflections November 28, 2011 I came across these statistics from David Well's book Losing Our Virtue (p. 44). Having studied a large number of modern hymnbooks, he cites these statistics below. Wells states that these
abraham Our Pilgrim Heritage November 23, 2011 This past Lord's Day was a rich one in our congregation. In the morning we had a baptism of a covenant child, where our featured text was Isaiah 59:21, which
He Left Not the Work November 17, 2011 What if in the late 1800's missionaries were sent to a foreign field and began seeing success? What if in the middle of last century an atheistic government drove all the
female Female Heart November 11, 2011 A few weeks ago, in sharing about speaking at a women's retreat, I used the term "female heart." Some comments on the post suggested concern about this phrase which
a capella An A Capella Fella November 01, 2011 Often when those of us in the Reformed Presbyterian Church are asked about our worship practices (someone just called me on the phone last week to do so), we can get a bit
Architecture Culture, Contradictions & the Cross October 25, 2011 In the Worldview class I am teaching in our church's academy, which is based on materials from Summit Ministries, we have been looking at postmodernism and its influence on culture. Through
Stronger Women October 21, 2011 At the Women's Retreat last week, I borrowed an idea from Jeremiah Burrough's work on contentment and gave the following definition to the ladies. The quiet strength of a
prayer Strong Women October 12, 2011 On the refrigerator in the kitchen at Sycamore, a magnet once held a card given to us by a former member. On the front was a picture of some middle-aged men dressed in
Bigger Bloggers October 05, 2011 Our children like to tell the joke, "Who is bigger? Daddy Bigger, Mommy Bigger, or Baby Bigger?" The answer? "Baby Bigger. He's a little Bigger." As baby
Lord's Day Deeds of Mercy September 29, 2011 Every year on the first Lord's Day of October, our church joins others in the area for the annual Life Chain. For an hour or so in the afternoon along busy
Edward Fisher Interview: Bill VanDoodewaard, Author September 22, 2011 Bill VanDoodewaard serves as Associate Professor of Church History at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. Recently Bill's doctoral work was published by Reformation Heritage Books under the title The Marrow Controversy and
Smiling September 20, 2011 With so much sadness and gloom in the world, it is important to see and to savor a bit the moments that make us smile. Such as... ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Do you know our church plant
Scripture Memories September 15, 2011 Fast forward your life for a moment. If God grants you length of days, imagine your body gnarled and dried-up, your eyes dim, your ears straining to hear, your mind confused. What will
9/11 9:11 Bible Verses September 07, 2011 As the tenth anniversary of 9/11 draws nigh, the media is saturated with reflections on this defining event of our generation. Watching or reading certain pundits can be a maddening experience, as
God Speaks in Tongues September 01, 2011 "For the missionary there is a tongue in every leaf, a voice in every flower." So stated Canadian Presbyterian missionary George Leslie Mackay as he chronicled how he would use the
Summer Beauty August 19, 2011 Funny how memories can be triggered by an object that in one minute can take you back thirty years. We are enjoying a week at beautiful Lake Michigan at my wife's
ABC Study August 17, 2011 From my early training under Dr. Roy Blackwood, I was taught the value of an ABC Bible Study. I have found with young and old Christians through the years that God’s people
Campus Crusade for Christ The Crusades & Islam August 12, 2011 Campus Crusade for Christ recently shortened its name to Cru. With this name change came their explanation as to why. Christianity Today reported on this and quoted one of their spokesman: "It&
Books When Books Die August 10, 2011 Whenever that time has finally come And they say, “The last printed book is done! Dusty covers and page-turning by hand? Forgotten for all the screens in the land!” When an I-Pad, Kindle,
bucket Rust Bucket August 09, 2011 A few months ago we made a discovery in our big, red Dodge Ram van (with no back seat it carries eight-passengers with lots of storage space). In the back, underneath the carpet,
Summer Thanks from Iowa August 04, 2011 Technology continues to amaze me. Here I sit at a camp in Iowa in the middle of the woods and I can get on the internet. From spider webs to the world wide
Heartbreak July 28, 2011 I hesitate to write about a fresh tragedy. I prefer to be a silent, weeping observer. Yet Scriptures come forth along with the prayers and tears. Indeed, does it not seem the Bible
When Presbyterians Shout July 25, 2011 Yesterday I preached a message from Isaiah 54 with the above title. Saying "when Presbyterians shout" sounds akin to responding to improbable news with "when pigs fly" or that
Doppelganger July 22, 2011 Behind the scenes here at Gentle Reformation we have a running joke about the "Doppelganger virus." For those who do not know what a doppelganger is, the German literally means "
Celebrating the World's Newest Country July 12, 2011 Last Friday evening, July 7th, we watched fireworks with friends from our front lawn. As we commented on how they had been delayed by a storm the prior weekend, our friend, with relatives
