Rut Etheridge III - Gentle Reformation

Doing Righteousness with Indignation

May 14, 2020

The Psalms encourage, engender, and express the “patience of the saints” (Revelation 13:10) and the imprecatory Psalms let us voice how hard it is to have and maintain. In our culture, we need these patience-inspiring, peace-seeking Psalms now, rather urgently.

pandemic

Wri(gh)ting a Wrong

April 03, 2020

...in itself, agnosticism is not a more authentic state of mournfulness, much less is it a more Christian state of lament.

Coronavirus

To Meet, or Not to Meet: Is it even a question?

March 18, 2020

How contrary to a shepherd’s heart! To move away from the sheep, when they feel and sometimes are most vulnerable! And oh my, the weight of what one beloved, seasoned pastor calls “the guilt of the unpaid visit”!

eschatology

"It's the End of the World As We Know it," and Calvin would feel fine (albeit slightly chippy) ...

March 12, 2020

Christians among the most materially blessed people in the world and in history advocate an eschatology that gets us off the planet before “things get really bad.” Try selling that “end times” theory to Christians in ancient Rome’s gladiator arenas! Or now, to Christians in North Korea.

Paternity, Prepositions, and Painful Prayers

January 09, 2020

This week while taking a wonderful class in apologetics, I came in the assigned reading to a soul-nourishing statement from Francis Schaeffer, one with loads of import for apologetic methodology. In his 1968

James 1

(Anti)Virtue-Signaling

December 12, 2019

Virtue-signaling is a vicious, ever-present temptation for preachers and teachers of God’s Word. How can we, especially in our day, publicly promote righteousness without being and sounding self-righteous?

good advice

The Best Advice I've Gotten All Semester . . .

November 14, 2019

I’ve been privileged these past many months to be a student again, and as such to sit under some fine, soul-stretching, heart-and-mind enriching teaching. The semester is at its most intense with

Man up, Men!

October 10, 2019

Not content to let these works stand on their own, subject to scholarly scrutiny as any published work is, some of our brothers have subjected these sisters - who operate firmly within a Reformed and even Westminsterian framework, no less! - to ad hominem attacks ad nauseum.

God Breathed

"After Further Review ..."

September 12, 2019

This review comes from Laura Cerbus, a fellow teacher and a writer on theological and practical topics, with the particular focus of demonstrating that the latter is bound up in and required by the former.

narcissism

"A Comprehensive, Cathartic Compendium of Crass Self-Promotion" Or: “Buy My Book (several times, please)”

August 08, 2019

Promoting one’s own work is both frustratingly difficult and disturbingly easy.

Post-Christian culture, millenials, music, young adults

Playlist for Pastors / Or: Put Down the Books and Pick Up the Earbuds

July 11, 2019

As teachers and preachers, we must be every bit as concerned with how we’re heard as we are with what we say. Listening to lyrics such as these can help.

Westminster Confession

Patronizing Pastors - or: Capitalism meets Catechism

June 13, 2019

One of the blessings of being at any Synod meeting is the plethora of book tables available to peruse and from which to purchase unwise amounts of printed wisdom. (“I might need this someday!” is a favorite excuse among us pastor-types).

Puritanism, preaching, postmodernism, KJV, post-Christian

(Re)Incarnational Ministry?

March 13, 2019

Preaching to the spiritually dead (Ezekiel 37, Ephesians 2) does not mean preaching to the ghosts of the past.

Good Grief

February 13, 2019

So many have felt and continue to endure this kind of searing pain, or other potential soul-breakers, and Liesel has made it a professional priority to walk alongside such people by way of her work and the online writing I’ll share with you ...

suffering, sympathy, empathy, redemption

A Sympathy for Empathy

January 10, 2019

I can do absolutely nothing to know that pain from my children’s perspective, much less to lift it from them and bear it myself. But I’d do it in a heartbeat if it were possible. I can help them in some ways, but in no way can I actually be them.

Christmas, preaching, exegetical, worship, topical, advent, holiday

'Tis the Season for Topigetical Sermons

December 12, 2018

To what degree should the season affect what happens in worship on the Lord’s Day? Let me respectfully make the case that the answer of “Not to any degree; zero” is too cold. And let’s focus in particular on the preaching.

Thomas, resurrection, doubt, faith

Doubting the Traditional Take on Thomas

October 11, 2018

After Jesus rose from the dead, a disciple named Thomas would not believe it when others told him that they’d seen the Lord. They were thrilled, ecstatic. But Thomas wasn’t having

Is Your Church a Safe Place for Kids (or adults for that matter)?

August 10, 2018

As a society, we’re scrutinizing much more closely the adults and young adults who want to work with and on behalf of children. And rightly so. We should do all we can

Soul Food

August 08, 2018

As we ramp up for another year of chapel services during the academic year at Geneva College, it’s a blessing to reflect back upon the many Spirit-blessed proclamations of his holy Word

How Romantic Comedies are (Still) Destroying the World

July 11, 2018

Have you ever, even as a Christian, found yourself rooting for people to break God’s commandments and even cheering when they achieve their Satanic aspirations? This is far easier to do, and

Messianic Politics

April 11, 2018

I cringe when I hear/read political advocacy which says something like, “If Jesus was alive today, he would support this policy …” The first part of such statements denies the core biblical truth

Christian living

A Beautiful Offense

March 07, 2018

Last month Geneva College had the privilege of hosting Dr. Carl Trueman of Westminster Theological Seminary for a day of preaching, lecturing, and lots of edifying informal interactions as well. During our weekly

Church

A Regrettable Future

January 10, 2018

Imagine a terrible situation. Imagine yourself off at some point in the future, and that you have ruined your family or friendships; you’ve brought great pain and misery to those who trusted

childlike faith

Child-like Maturity and Childish Adulthood

November 03, 2017

What does it mean to have a child-like faith? And how in the midst of their stormy youth are we adults to guide little ones away from childishness and toward the child-like maturity

crucifixion

Fallen Towers, Risen Savior

September 13, 2017

Another September 11th has passed, a date of national and global significance ever since the terrifying events which darkened that bright morning back in 2001. Sadly and predictably, as the years have gone