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.

Barry King at LTS



It is always refreshing to hear Barry King, pastor of Wood Green Baptist Church, North London, and church planter. It was good to be present with about 50 workers, students and others with an interest in church planting at LTS yesterday.
With a great mix of
Illustration from local church history (eg Belvedere, Bexleyheath, Thamesmead and Miles and Proud at Ilston)
Personal anecdote (eg planting his first church with three octogenarians and the great success of recent months in Thamesmead)
Scripture (Acts 17:1-4 and Romans 15:14ff)
Debunking (you don't necessarily need a building, 50 people, £50K and 5 full time workers?)
Alliteration (church planting requires a sower, the right soil, the seed and suffering. Romans 15 reveals Paul's Desire (Rome) Dream (Spain) and Duty (Jerusalem))
An emphasis on preaching (reasoning, explaining, proving, proclaiming, persuading) an emphasis on the sufficiency of Scripture.
Very positive but always realistic his definition of church planting was "Going to a place where they don't want you to be and staying until they don't want you to leave" which is basically the story of the church in Ephesus. Great to be there.
It was good to hear Robert Strivens plugging the seminary too. A website for Grace Baptist Partnership is forthcoming here.