The similar phrase 'Worldly Christianity' is one used by Bonhoeffer. It's J Gresham Machen that I want to line up most closely with. See his Christianity and culture here. Having done commentaries on Proverbs (Heavenly Wisdom) and Song of Songs (Heavenly Love), a matching title for Ecclesiastes would be Heavenly Worldliness. For my stance on worldliness, see 3 posts here.

Busy again

It's been busy again - as always.
On the Lord's Day I was in Lower Ford Street Baptist Church in Coventry. I'd not been there before but I know the minister, Paul Watts, who is currently taking a sabbatical. The church was a Strict Baptist one on the Gospel Standard List but has been moving away from that position for some time and now has the feel of a regular evangelical church. I suppose around a hundred gathered in the morning and less in the evening (60?). Of all ages, multi-ethnic, most dressed casually though not all, we sang from an overhead with Praise! hymn book being available (not my cup of tea but I can think of worse hymn books). They use the NKJV. I preached on the feeding of the 4000 in the morning and on Revelation 15, 16, pm. They are available here on the church website (low sound quality but they download in seconds). That Sunday there was lunch in chapel to follow. It was nice to speak to various ones, some of whom I knew of. I went on with others to the home of Peter and Janet Cordle for further fellowship before the evening meeting. Coventry is about two hours away so it was a long day but a blessed one indeed.
On Monday morning I headed off to the Tyndale Academy in Forest Gate where I'd agreed to take a lesson on David Brainerd. We had a lovely time discussing the great man and I sat in on the beginning of their further work on the subject before heading off. One of my members works there alongside Ferris Lindsay who is a man of vision and commitment. The Academy is often struggling but they continue to look to the Lord. See here.

On Tuesday we had two meetings here run by the Newcastle based organisation The Christian Institute. Over the lunch time we had a meeting for ministers, to which about 10 came and then in the evening around 40 were present. Mike Judge and David Greatorex spoke explaining the work and reminding us of the various issues of the day - chiefly the Sexual Orientation Regulations, passed recently and the upcoming Human Embryology Bill. It was also useful to have the background to cases in the past, to hear them answer questions and to talk to them personally.

I should really have a permanent link to their site on this page. It's here.

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