This will makes sense only to those who realise that in the final match of the Six Nations Rugby Union championship last Saturday Wales hammered England 30-3.
Monday, 18 March 2013
Spot the Welshman
This will makes sense only to those who realise that in the final match of the Six Nations Rugby Union championship last Saturday Wales hammered England 30-3.
Saturday, 16 March 2013
Roger Williams at the Evangelical Library
If you are interested in the roots of religious and civil liberties and the theological arguments that surrounded them in the seventeenth century, then Roger Williams is essential and very good company.
I shall be endeavouring to give a brief introduction to him on Monday 18th March at the Evangelical Library at 1.00 pm. No charge; it would be good to see you there if you can make it.
Here is a brief extract from what I shall probably say.
'Remember that it was no part of the general Puritan vision to separate from the Church of England. Winthrop and those with him, unlike the separatist Pilgrim Fathers of the Mayflower who had settled further south in Plymouth a decade earlier, strongly desired to remain attached to their nation and church, though a purified church. Indeed on leaving old England, Winthrop had been at pains to assure those he was leaving that he was no separatist. The reasons for leaving England were not merely political or economic, nor even to escape religious persecution and seek freedom. There was a strong positive sense of mission, expressed for example in Winthrop’s famous sermon A Modell of Christian Charity written and preached on the Arbella . This sermon sets out, according to Francis Bremer (The Puritan Experiment p 90) many of the key elements of the Puritan view of society – awareness of community and individual interdependence, awareness of the various callings of men, and a sense of mission. More significantly for our purposes, it sets out the strong sense of New England being a new Israel and the conviction of a commission from God and a covenant with God that the settlers had.
'Roger Williams was to profoundly challenge the Puritan status quo on just these issues: that any nation could be in the same place in relation to God as Israel had been; and that a nation could be in covenant with God. This was the great ideological and theological cleavage that divided Williams from Winthrop and the settlers in Massachusetts. It was a difference greater than eight months (i.e between Winthrop and Williams)in arriving in the new world; a difference greater than 3,000 miles across the Atlantic. It was the difference between the old and modern worlds'.
Leading Worship
What principles should direct our leading of worship?
There are many good books dealing with this (and I still like Robert Rayburn's 'Come let us worship', Baker 1980, as well as any). Here are some basic guidelines I put down recently as a discussion starter for some men in my congregation who sometimes lead worship, either in our church or elsewhere.
Some key principles
What is worship?
Rendering to God the glory, honour and submission that are his due. Pss 29:2; 95:6,7.
How is it to be done?
With reverence and awe – Heb 12:28. We come to God as he has revealed himself in the person and work of Christ. We worship in the power of the Holy Spirit and in faith: ‘For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father’ (Eph 2:18). Worship is above all a spiritual activity.
What directs our worship?
The Bible. Apart from incidentals and the ‘circumstances’ of worship (eg whether we use chairs of pews, the times of our services) we should only do what Scripture commands. This is called the Regulative principle and has been basic to Reformed worship since the 16th C. It is an expression of the seriousness with which Reformed Christians take (i) worship, (ii) the sufficiency of Scripture, (iii) human ignorance of what pleases God unless he tells us and (iv) the need to ensure that so far as possible we do not offend the consciences of worshippers by imposing on them something which cannot be justified by God’s authority.
This is different from Anglican or Lutheran churches whose tradition has been that whatever is not forbidden is allowed.
In practice this has meant that Reformed worship is characterised by simplicity and reverence, using as little outward adornment or sensory stimulus as possible, in an attempt to do some justice to the spirituality, character and greatness of the God whom we approach, who seeks to be known by his Word, and to worship, as Jesus teaches, in spirit /Spirit and in truth.
Such worship will usually consist of (i) Scripture reading and preaching; (ii) prayer; (iii) the singing of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs; (iv) the sacraments; (v) in some churches, the offering. The Word is central. The Bible should be read, preached, prayed, sung and (in the sacraments) seen.
How we worship God is hugely important. In his tract On the Necessity of Reforming the Church John Calvin in 1543 stated that the two defining elements of Christianity were ‘a knowledge, first, of the right way to worship God; and secondly of the source from which salvation is to be sought.’ How we worship God will tell people a great deal about who he is and what we think of him.
The Lord has promised to be where two or three of his people meet in his name (Matt 18:15-20). If the Lord is graciously present, then that is the most important thing about our meetings. No-one should be willing to be easily absent from such a gathering. As we lead in worship it is our task to lead people into the awareness and experience of this presence of God and to enable them to offer to God what is his due – true worship.
Getting practical
What are you aiming at in leading a service of worship?
How do you dress?
How do you order the service?
The ‘dialogue’ principle – God addresses us, we respond.
How do you begin?
How do you choose the readings?
What should the content of the times of prayer be?
Adoration
Thanksgiving
Confession
Assurance of forgiveness
Intercession
Petition
How do you choose hymns? What factors influence you?
How do you choose each hymn for different parts of the service?
How much talking should you do?
What principles guide you in preparing a children’s talk?
What about getting others to take part in the service?
How will you close the service?
There are many good books dealing with this (and I still like Robert Rayburn's 'Come let us worship', Baker 1980, as well as any). Here are some basic guidelines I put down recently as a discussion starter for some men in my congregation who sometimes lead worship, either in our church or elsewhere.
Some key principles
What is worship?
Rendering to God the glory, honour and submission that are his due. Pss 29:2; 95:6,7.
How is it to be done?
With reverence and awe – Heb 12:28. We come to God as he has revealed himself in the person and work of Christ. We worship in the power of the Holy Spirit and in faith: ‘For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father’ (Eph 2:18). Worship is above all a spiritual activity.
What directs our worship?
The Bible. Apart from incidentals and the ‘circumstances’ of worship (eg whether we use chairs of pews, the times of our services) we should only do what Scripture commands. This is called the Regulative principle and has been basic to Reformed worship since the 16th C. It is an expression of the seriousness with which Reformed Christians take (i) worship, (ii) the sufficiency of Scripture, (iii) human ignorance of what pleases God unless he tells us and (iv) the need to ensure that so far as possible we do not offend the consciences of worshippers by imposing on them something which cannot be justified by God’s authority.
This is different from Anglican or Lutheran churches whose tradition has been that whatever is not forbidden is allowed.
In practice this has meant that Reformed worship is characterised by simplicity and reverence, using as little outward adornment or sensory stimulus as possible, in an attempt to do some justice to the spirituality, character and greatness of the God whom we approach, who seeks to be known by his Word, and to worship, as Jesus teaches, in spirit /Spirit and in truth.
Such worship will usually consist of (i) Scripture reading and preaching; (ii) prayer; (iii) the singing of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs; (iv) the sacraments; (v) in some churches, the offering. The Word is central. The Bible should be read, preached, prayed, sung and (in the sacraments) seen.
How we worship God is hugely important. In his tract On the Necessity of Reforming the Church John Calvin in 1543 stated that the two defining elements of Christianity were ‘a knowledge, first, of the right way to worship God; and secondly of the source from which salvation is to be sought.’ How we worship God will tell people a great deal about who he is and what we think of him.
The Lord has promised to be where two or three of his people meet in his name (Matt 18:15-20). If the Lord is graciously present, then that is the most important thing about our meetings. No-one should be willing to be easily absent from such a gathering. As we lead in worship it is our task to lead people into the awareness and experience of this presence of God and to enable them to offer to God what is his due – true worship.
Getting practical
What are you aiming at in leading a service of worship?
How do you dress?
How do you order the service?
The ‘dialogue’ principle – God addresses us, we respond.
How do you begin?
How do you choose the readings?
What should the content of the times of prayer be?
Adoration
Thanksgiving
Confession
Assurance of forgiveness
Intercession
Petition
How do you choose hymns? What factors influence you?
How do you choose each hymn for different parts of the service?
How much talking should you do?
What principles guide you in preparing a children’s talk?
What about getting others to take part in the service?
How will you close the service?
Sunday, 10 March 2013
Lloyd-Jones and Roman Catholicism
The media's attitude to Roman Catholicism is bizarre. One minute there is a 'feeding frenzy' as some cardinal admits to 'inappropriate advances' to young priests (they can't condemn anything homosexual now, of course - it has to be the manner in which the 'advances' were made). The next moment, it is fawning over the Vatican as if it were a favourite maiden aunt. When Alan Little, the 'special correspondent' of the British Broadcasting Corporation pronounces with a straight face that the papacy is in direct line to the apostle Peter, one wonders where the journalistic objectivity of that once august said Corporation has gone.
It was therefore refreshing recently to come across some robust common sense on Roman Catholicism. Having been stimulated by a discussion at the Westminster Fellowship last week I discovered at home a photocopy of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Roman Catholicism, preached on Sunday morning, 29th January 1961, and published in the Westminster Record in May 1963. It was part of his series on Ephesians 6:10-13, on the subject 'the wiles of the devil', specifically heresies. For some reason it does not appear in the Banner of Truth Ephesians series, which is a shame.
In his typical methodical fashion, Dr Lloyd-Jones makes the following points:
1. He is alarmed by the rapprochement that some Protestants seem to be envisaging with Roman Catholicism.
2. He does not believe a 'Protestant Society' of any sort is the answer, but rather a straightforward preaching of Christian Truth and the great Reformed doctrines.
3.The increase in RCism is due to a 'weak and flabby Protestantism that does not know what it believes'.
4. He is not talking about individuals - you can be a Christian and RC - but in spite of the system, not because of it.
5. RCism is 'the devil's greatest masterpiece'.
6. Certainly RCism believes in many important Scriptural truths, but adds with a 'damnable plus' things which are utterly unscriptural.
7. She has many guises, depending on the country she is in.
8. Passages relating to the man of lawlessness (2 Thess 2) , the beast from the earth in Revelation 13 and the 'great whore' of Revelation 17, apply to RCism.
9. Three main headings describe how she has brought unrighteous deception into the church:
(i) she has introduced idolatry and superstition (relics etc).
(ii) her whole system comes between the believer and the Lord Jesus Christ. (a)No salvation outside this church. She claims our totalitarian allegiance. (b) The Pope is a manifestation of the man of lawlessness - he speaks as God (2 Thess 2). (c) Also the priests are a class apart - no salvation without them. (d) The Virgin Mary is more important than Jesus Christ in many representations of Catholic teaching and art. (e)The saints and their 'merit' imply that the merit of Jesus in insufficient.
(iii) she not only robs Christ of his glory but robs his salvation of its sufficiency. They add human works to justification. The rites are essential. No assurance of salvation. Purgatory.
10. RCism has not changed - she boasts of not changing.[This may need to be augmented after Vatican II but not retracted - Rome has changed in ways which embrace what we might call postmodernism, enabling her to be even more chameleon-like in adapting to changing times. The fundamental doctrines remain the same].
He concludes: 'May God give us enlightenment and understanding of the times in which we are living, and awaken us ere it be too late'.
It was therefore refreshing recently to come across some robust common sense on Roman Catholicism. Having been stimulated by a discussion at the Westminster Fellowship last week I discovered at home a photocopy of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones' sermon on Roman Catholicism, preached on Sunday morning, 29th January 1961, and published in the Westminster Record in May 1963. It was part of his series on Ephesians 6:10-13, on the subject 'the wiles of the devil', specifically heresies. For some reason it does not appear in the Banner of Truth Ephesians series, which is a shame.
In his typical methodical fashion, Dr Lloyd-Jones makes the following points:
1. He is alarmed by the rapprochement that some Protestants seem to be envisaging with Roman Catholicism.
2. He does not believe a 'Protestant Society' of any sort is the answer, but rather a straightforward preaching of Christian Truth and the great Reformed doctrines.
3.The increase in RCism is due to a 'weak and flabby Protestantism that does not know what it believes'.
4. He is not talking about individuals - you can be a Christian and RC - but in spite of the system, not because of it.
5. RCism is 'the devil's greatest masterpiece'.
6. Certainly RCism believes in many important Scriptural truths, but adds with a 'damnable plus' things which are utterly unscriptural.
7. She has many guises, depending on the country she is in.
8. Passages relating to the man of lawlessness (2 Thess 2) , the beast from the earth in Revelation 13 and the 'great whore' of Revelation 17, apply to RCism.
9. Three main headings describe how she has brought unrighteous deception into the church:
(i) she has introduced idolatry and superstition (relics etc).
(ii) her whole system comes between the believer and the Lord Jesus Christ. (a)No salvation outside this church. She claims our totalitarian allegiance. (b) The Pope is a manifestation of the man of lawlessness - he speaks as God (2 Thess 2). (c) Also the priests are a class apart - no salvation without them. (d) The Virgin Mary is more important than Jesus Christ in many representations of Catholic teaching and art. (e)The saints and their 'merit' imply that the merit of Jesus in insufficient.
(iii) she not only robs Christ of his glory but robs his salvation of its sufficiency. They add human works to justification. The rites are essential. No assurance of salvation. Purgatory.
10. RCism has not changed - she boasts of not changing.[This may need to be augmented after Vatican II but not retracted - Rome has changed in ways which embrace what we might call postmodernism, enabling her to be even more chameleon-like in adapting to changing times. The fundamental doctrines remain the same].
He concludes: 'May God give us enlightenment and understanding of the times in which we are living, and awaken us ere it be too late'.
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