William always gets top billing...

The odd, happy, William shots

Conference on Mark

Have just returned from a day conference where we heard David Cook, Abraham Kuruvilla and Malcolm Gill on preaching narrative in Mark's Gospel. All-in-all, it was very useful and I really enjoyed Abe's sermon on Mark 14:1-11. I was challenged to serve sacrificially. A good day.

Discipline

...is sorely lacking at the moment, blog-wise. I have not posted as I should, mea culpa. I am intending however (I'm gunna) to introduce a sideshow blog on the Theological Reflections of Jonathan Edwards (Taken from his Works, Banner of Truth edition). As a discipline, he would regularly consider a theological issue. Sometimes, one with a very basic answer and straightforward, other times probably unanswerable and intricately convoluted. 

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is...

I have just returned from Synod which was , surprisingly, a wonderful time of encouragement and blessing. Church business had to be conducted as well, but the times of devotion before each session were brilliant. Also encouraging was that, despite some differences over certain matters, brotherly love prevailed (Psalm 133). Those of us placed in positions of authority in our congregations need to remember that we are there to serve in leadership, and not to be served. When we forget that the church does not belong to us then we are sinning against the Bridegroom, and his Bride. 

  

Prayer points

I'm heading off for our church synod next week and preparing for the upcoming end of morning and evening series (Luke and Deuteronomy respectively), deciding what I might cover as a few "one offs" before delving again into another book. I have been pondering the nature of prayer and thinking about the idea that MORE people praying makes prayer more effective. The trigger for this deliberation is the practice of obtaining a quota of prayer partners for outgoing missionaries with various agencies. Prayer is vital - it is commanded and therefore essential; prayer is corporate and individual in the Bible (but does the first accomplish more than the second?); the support of Christians is important- I'm not saying that we pray enough, but is the notion that the work prospers exponentially because of 10, 20 , 50, 1000 (whatever is an exponential progression) pray-ers? I'm looking at James 5:16 and this will be the subject of an upcoming sermon, I feel.  

Anyway, this from Calvin:

"It is strange that by promises of such great sweetness we are affected either so coldly or hardly at all, so that many of us prefer to wander through mazes and, forsaking the fountain of living waters, to dig out for ourselves dry cisterns [Jeremiah 2:13], rather than to embrace God’s generosity, freely given to us. “The name of the Lord is an impregnable citadel,” says Solomon; “the righteous man will flee to it and be saved.” [Proverbs 18:10] But Joel, after he has prophesied the frightful ruin that threatens, adds this memorable sentence: “All that call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered” [Joel 2:32; Romans 10:13]. This we know actually refers to the course of the gospel [Acts 2:21]. Scarcely one man in a hundred is moved to

approach God. He himself proclaims through Isaiah: “You will call upon me and I shall hear you. Nay, before you call, I will answer you” [Isaiah 65:24 p.]. Elsewhere he also vouchsafes this same honour to the whole church in common, as it applies to all the members of Christ. “He has called to me and I shall hearken to him; I am with him in tribulation to rescue him.” [Psalm 91:15.]"

Let a man examine himself...

We are approaching the "Communion Season" here at church. It is a sombre joy to be able to reflect on the immense grace of Christ and to examine my own heart in the light of that. 

Faith takes flight

We have just been doing a Bible study on saving faith (as opposed to historical, temporary, or faith in miracles) and I introduced the analogy of a pilot and aircraft to explain the elements of faith: Knowledge, Assent and Trust. 

Someone may know that planes fly. They then agree or assent to the truth that the plane in front of them is airworthy and the pilot is capable. But it takes trust in that pilot to board the aircraft. Boarding the plane is the active part of faith, the living faith that James speaks of, and the Holy Spirit is the one who leads us in this. I know that Jesus Christ is Lord, I believe that He alone is my Saviour. I agree to all the truths of Scripture and God's glory revealed in it. I trust that the Lord Jesus is the author and finisher of my faith. But, too often, I feel that I am still stuck on the tarmac worrying about turbulence.  

Butter wouldn't melt

It's hard sometimes to maintain perspective and see my son as born in original sin and totally depraved. I guess I'll have to wait until he's two and able to give a stubborn little voice to his thoughts and desires to prove that Pelagius was wrong. 

Beginnings

Being entirely new to this, an atrocious diarist, and lacking time to call spare I may be producing something very short lived. I have a prejudice against anyone and everyone pontificating on subjects beyond their ken, yet here I am joining them. I offer what may follow in coming days (week, months - I hesitate to even think - years, DV) as a collection of thoughts about Christ and Christianity, a notebook of ideas for sermons et al, an agglomeration of writings gleaned from others...and perhaps a few photos and such nonsuch as the Internet affords. 

I chose to call this blog 'Catechism' because I hope it will be just that - a series of questions and answers about the fundamentals of the Christian faith intended to break down and make easily digestible the great revelation we have in the Bible. I hope that the Holy Spirit will guide, that Philippians 4:8 would be my editorial policy, and that this might be useful in some way and not just a primp for my vanity or a sinkhole of procrastination.  

Soli Deo Gloria.