Proc Trust EMA 2024 First Afternoon
Proc Trust EMA 2024 First Morning
It was good to be for the first time in a long time at the 41st Evangelical Ministry Assembly organised by The Proclamation Trust. The EMA has been in the Emmanuel Centre for a while now but it was my first time here. We began with an excellent expositon of Genesis 38 by Kevin DeYoung. It was very thorough, helpful and well executed. It was a privilege to be here. In the second half of the morning Mike Reeve spoke of evangelicalism, remindng us of the central matters of the faith in his usual clear tones. Loads here, some of whom I know. Had a nice chat with Dave Gobbett who I had enjoyed listening to on catch up on Sunday. See here.
Steve Taylor retires from the Evangelical Library
A little group of us gathered recently at the Evangelical Library in Bounds Green to say farewell to the Librarian, Steve Taylor as he steps into retirement (at least from this job). It was good to be able to thank Steve for all his work over these many years (38 altogether). We wish him and his family all the best for the future. The new librarian is Shaunee Deleon.
Lord's Day June 23 2024
A fairly typical Sunday last Snday I guess - good congregation in the morning though plenty missing for unknown reasons and in the evening just creeping into double figures. We carried on in the Sermon on the Mount in the morning and did our penultimate famous text Ephesians 2:8, 9 in the evening. One Iranian family are still not sorted out for the future yet and so we keep prayig for them.
London Seminary end of year 2024
Leonardo de Chirico
I was at the London Seminary once again today for two sessions. The first was a mini-conference with Leonardo de Chirico from Rome, the author of Same words; different worlds. He very helpfully described Roman Catholicism and spoke of the way to reach such people. It was a master class. So much in Catholicism seems to be the same as Protestantism but there are aubtle differences we need to understand. This meeting was organised by AGBCSE as a shop front for their group and was much appreciated. Jim Sayers chaired and Andrew King spoke about the association. Our churh does not belong to an association but if we did join one this would be the obvoous move.
10 Shapers of Christianity
Spending the week listening to Nick Needham has reminded me that in 2022 and 2023 Nick did a series of articles in the Banner of Truth Magazine on Shapers of Christianity. I think there were 12 all told. Here are ten
- 705 Irenaeus of Lyons (fl 175-195)
- 706 Gregory of Nazianzus (AD 330-390)
- 707/8 Anselm of Canterbury (AD 1033-1109)
- 709 Theophylact of Ochrid (1050–1109)
- 710 John Wycliffe (c 1320-1384)
- 711 Peter Martyr (1499-1562)
- 712 Tikhon of Zadonsk (1724–83)
- 713 J Gresham Machen (1881-1937)
- 716 Frances Turretin (1623-1687)
- 717 John Wesley (1703-91)
What's So Funny About God? Steve Wilkens
This is the second of my birthday books that I have now read (or almost read in this case). The great things about this book is that it is full of jokes. Some of these I would personally reject as unwholesome but there are not too many of these. Wilkens is a philospher but he attempts a general theology of humour and has some good things to say on the whole. He has read all the other books on this subject, it seems, and footnotes a number of these books. His subject is not humour in the Bible but he does include two interludes on Sarah and Esther and he inevitably touches on the subject. A very interesting read.
The Nazis and the Occult Paul Roland
I read quite a few books on Nazism and such matters and was immediately drawn to this volume when I saw it going cheap. It was the title that grabbed me. I had assumed the author would try and argue the case that the Nazis were greatly influenced by occult forces. However, he does not do that. The book is quite well written but its sources are often dubious, as he admits, and so the reader gets a little frustrated by it.
William Robertson Smith and B B Warfield
The last two subjects in the series of ten biographies were the Scots heretic William Robertson Smith 1846-1894 and the American theological giant B B Warfield 1851-1921.
The mystical tendency is showing itself in our day most markedly in a wide-spread inclination to decline Apologetics in favour of the so-called testimonium Spiritus Sancti. The convictions of the Christian man we are told, are not the product of reasons addressed to the intellect, but are the immediate creation of the Holy Spirit in his heart. Therefore, it is intimated, we can not only do very well without these reasons, but it is something very like sacrilege to attend to them. Apologetics, accordingly, is not merely useless, but may even become noxious, because tending to substitute a barren intellectualism for a vital faith.
Christian men, under the pressure of their race antipathy, desert the fundamental law of the Church of the Living God, that in Christ Jesus there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bondman, freeman.
Warfield quoted William James with approbation saying
And here religion comes to our rescue and takes our fate into her hands. There is a state of mind, known to religious men, but to no others, in which the will to assert ourselves and hold our own has been displaced by a willingness to close our mouths and be as nothing in the floods and waterspouts of God. In this state of mind, what we most dreaded has become the habitation of our safety, and the hour of our moral death has turned into our spiritual birthday. The time for tension in our soul is over, and that of happy relaxation, of calm deep breathing, of an eternal present, with no discordant future to be anxious about, has arrived. Fear is not held in abeyance as it is by mere morality, it is positively expunged and washed away.
Dr Needham ended by saying
The treasure-trove of Warfield’s writings shows us one of the finest intellects that ever lived, expounding the many-sided truths of biblical Christianity with profound scholarship and in crystalline prose. When (if I may so put it) I have nothing better to do on a Sunday afternoon, I know I can use my time to excellent effect in picking up and perusing a volume of Warfield, whether on the Divine Messiah of Old Testament prophecy, the emotional life of Jesus, or any of a hundred other topics.
10 Church Leaders in the 19th Century
- Friedrich Schleiermacher 1768-1834
- Samuel T Coleridge 1772-1834
- Edward Irving 1782-1834
- Félicité de La Mennais 1782-1854
- John Henry Newman 1801-1890
- John W Nevin 1803-1886
- Soren Kierkegaard 1813-1855
- Albrecht Ritschl 1822-1889
- William R Smith 1846-1894
- B B Warfield 1851-1921
10 Leaders who left the Church of Scotland in 1843
- Thomas Chalmers
- James Bannerman
- James Begg
- Andrew and Horatius (and James) Bonar
- David Brown Aberdeen
- James Buchanan
- Robert Candlish
- William Cunningham
- ("Rabbi") John Duncan
- George Smeaton (Also Patrick Fairbairn, etc)
Nevin, Newman and Ritschl
Fake History by Graeme Donald
The Escape Artist by Jonathan Freedland
Edward Irving and Félicité de La Mennais
Today at the seminary we looked at two more nineteenth century figures with Nick Needham - Edward Irving (1792-1834), of whom I had heard thanks to Arnold Dallimore's book (see here), and Félicité de La Mennais (1782-1854), of whom I knew nothing. La Mennais was a Catholic liberal in a word. On Irving's death, M'Cheyne famously said "I look back upon him with awe, as on the saints and martyrs of old. A holy man, in spite of all his delusions and errors. He is now with his God and Saviour, whom he wronged so much, yet, I am persuaded, loved so sincerely."
Schleiermacher, Coleridge and Kierkegaard
10 People who may have been addicted to opium
- Samuel T Coleridge
- Thomas De Quincey
- John Keats
- Francis Thompson
- George Crabbe
- Charles Baudelaire
- William Wilberforce
- Hector Berlioz
- Elizabeth Siddal
- Branwell Brontë
Justification by Faith
It was good to be over in Cranford, West London, on Saturday night for a meeting where John Benton spoke very helpfully on the subject of justification by faith (the meaningm the grounds and the instrument - faith). The meeting was organised by my good friend and former assistant, Robin Asgher and pastor friends among the Teugu speakers of London. The bonus was some very nice Siouth Indian food to follow. It is hoped that further such meetings will be possible.
10 Song Titles containing the word Best
- “You’re My Best Friend” Queen
- "Simply the best" Tina Turner
- "My best friends' girl" The Cars
- "The girl of my best friend" Elvis Presley
- “Best Years of Our Lives” Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel
- "Bestof my liive" The Emotions
- "The Best of my Love" The Eagles
- (Arthur's Dream) "Best that you can do" Chris Cross
- "Best Day" Taylor Swift
- "Diamonds are a girl's best friend" Marilyn Monroe
10 Song Titles Containing the Word Better
- Better Regina Spektor
- Better Day Ocean Colour Scene
- Better Things The Kinks
- Getting Better The Beatles
- It's Getting Better Mamas and the Papas
- Gonna Get Better Gabrielle
- I Should Have Known Better The Beatles
- You Better You Bet The Who
- Nobody Does It Better Carly Simon
- I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better The Byrds
Catalyst Conference 2024 Day 3
Day 3 has lived up to the promise of the first two days. We had the same speakers as before and all four of them did well. Sinclair Ferguson took us to the New Testament for the final part of his triptych, focusing powerfully on Romans 8. David Filson, as dapper as ever, then spoke on the whole gender question. After lunch, Matthew Mason gave a long but helpful esposition of the matter of mrtification of sin. For the fonal session Kent Hughes took us to the final verses of 1 Corinthians 13. Very helpful. He began with this quote from David Brown
Two stories
At the conference, David Filson framed his message around two contrasting stories, one from Nietzsche and one from C S Lewis in The Silver Chair.
Midweek Meeting June 12 2024
Just five of us gathered last night for our midweek meeting. We looked at Romans 4:1-17 and then after gathering materials for prayer, we prayed.
Catalyst Conference 2024 Day 2
Catalyst Conference 2024 Day 1
Some 280 are booked in for this year's IPC Conference. It was good to be there once again. We followed the usual pattern of two messages before lunch and two after. Sinclair Ferguson started us off looking at Genesis 3 and seven aspects of Satan's rebellion (the first part of a three part triptych, as he described it). We had lots of wonderful things here - eg the importance of the atmosphere of a text of Scripture, the importance of the affections, the way the references to the LORD God disappear when Satan comes in (he never refers to the LORD) and the idea (drawing on Alfred North Whitehead's similar statement about Plato) that the whole of the Bible is really a footnote to Genesis 3:15. We then had a wonderfully flamboyant man called Dr David Filson, Pastor of Theology and Discipleship for Church and Academy at Christ Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Nashville, Tennessee. He gave a wonderful introduction to Westminster Seminary style apologetics and the whole matter of our battle with the world that was gripping.
Lord's Day June 9 2024
10 Things about the New Testament Missionary Barnabas
- He was a Jewish man
- He was from the priestly tribe of Levi
- His name was Joseph
- He was nicknamed Barnabas (son of encouragement) by the Apostles
- He was wealthy but generous; he sold a field and gave the proceeds to the Apostles
- He was from Cyprus but moved to Jerusalem
- He was cousin to John Mark
- He was a pastor in Antioch
- He was the one who went to Tarsus and brought Paul to Antioch
- He accompanied Paul on his first missionary journey
Living in a pricey area
One of the issues that faces us here in Childs Hill is the prohibitive cost of housing. Over the years many have had to move away because it is so costly here.
10 ministers ordained but only later converted
This list was prompted by this week's lecture. It can probably be improved and may need correction but I think it's right.
- Alexander Henderson c 1583-1646
- Elias Keach c 1665-1699
- John Wesley 1703-1791
- William Grimshaw 1708-1763
- Samuel Walker Truro 1714-1761
- Thomas Scott 1747-1821
- Alexander Stewart Moulin 1754-1821
- Thomas Chalmers 1780-1847
- William Haslam 1818-1905
- Abraham Kuyper 1837-1920
The Art of Shepherding 2024
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Aaron |
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Jonny |
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Brad |
I have spent the day at my second Art of Shepheding Conference. About 60 ministers met in St Giles Mission, Islington (up from 40 last year). This free conference had four sessions and plenty of time for coffee and chat and even a mid-day meal. We also met at the end of the day for a curry. The sessions were led by Phil Heaps, Aaron Prelock (visiting from the USA) and Brad Franklin with a final session from Jonny Prime. Phil took us to Acts 20 and the lessons for pastors there and Aaron spoke on pastors and authority. Brad brought us some insights from the writings on pastoralia of Eugene Peterson. Jonny Prime spoke form his own long experience on the priority of patience, the protection of purality, the problem of professionalism, the pain of pastoring and the peril of power. So a great day.
Evangelical Library 2024
For the first time in a long time, it was possible to hold an in person meeting at the Library in Bounds Green last Monday (June 3). The lecturer was David Campbell, a Baptist pastor in Preston. He spoke on Alexander Stewart of Moulin 1764-1821. The only disappointment was that only 15 people were there to hear the lecture. Stewart entered the ministry as an unbeliever but was not only converted by the grace of God but saw revivial in Moulin. David Campbell drew attention to this and urged us to pray for unconverted ministers and befriend them where possible. He also pointed out how it was the fortitude in suffering of the sister of Stewart's friend David Black that was a catalyst for Stewart's conversion. Hopefully, the lecture will appear on the Library's YouTube channel soon and a written version will be published in In Writing next Autumn.
Lord's Day June 2 2024
I wasn't preaching on Sunday morning but I led the communion. Some 21 were present including two visitors. Eddie then preached from 2 Corinthians 4 on Christ the light. We were a good number (about 40?) but lots missing for various reasons. One of our members has begun to make a sound proof creche in the corner of the auditorium, under the gallery. That changes the look of things. Hopefully, it will be useful to the two families in membership with babies and maybe others when it is complete. In the evening, I preached on another famous text, Philippians 4:6, 7. We were into double figures and it was good to have a lady back with her daughter who has not been in ages.
Holiday Near Ross
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All the family |
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Gwilym, Ezra and Betsan |
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With the grandchildren |
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Gwion and the hotshots |
We had a wonderful family last week near Ross in an eccentrically furnished old farmhouse surrounded by old cars found on AirBnB by my wife. On the Monday we actually gathered ahead of time so that we could have a stag do event for the men. This is because Gwion is getting married this month. So dressed in a pink cap with the words Dance Captain, as arranged by his brother and best man Rhodri, he led about 13 of us in a clay pigeon shooting event (two fathers, six brothers or brothers to be, two friends, a cousin and an uncle). As I expected, I could hit the disc sometimes but never worked out how to be consistent. Others did much better. This part of the day concluded with Chinese food at the farmhouse and a Mr and Mrs quiz with the prospective groom and bride.