A couple of years Michael Horton wrote the following in a Christianity Today article on Lent: “For the most part, the Protestant Reformers continued to celebrate Lent, but in a more evangelical way. They inveighed against the connection between fasting and penance ‘as a work of merit or . . . . Continue Reading »
Hugh Latimer preached three series of Lenten sermons before Edward VI. In the seventh of his 1549 sermons, he explained the purpose behind Lent (I have updated the spelling): “All thing that be written, they be written to be our doctrine. By occasion of this text . . . I have walked this Lent . . . . Continue Reading »
In his explanation of the German Mass, Luther wrote, “Lent, Palm Sunda, and Holy Week shall be retained, not to force anyone to fast but to preserve the Passion history and the Gospels appointed for that season. This, however, does not include the Lenten veil, throwing of palms, veiling of . . . . Continue Reading »
In chapter 12 of de Regno Christi , Bucer’s programmatic treatise on reformation of church and state, the Reformer of Strassbourg, and mentor of Calvin, discusses “Lent and other fasts.” He begins with a brief summary of the history of Lent, pointing out that the early church had . . . . Continue Reading »
Revelation 19:7, 17-18: Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready . . . And I saw an angel standing in the sun and he cried with a loud voice to all the birds which fly in midheaven, Come, assemble for the great . . . . Continue Reading »
The church calendar teaches us about Jesus, so we can be faithful disciples. In Epiphany, we focus on the manifestation of Jesus, culminating today in His glorification the Mount of Transfiguration. On Wednesday, we enter the season of Lent, when we re-focus on the suffering and sacrifice of . . . . Continue Reading »
Isaiah 35 is divided into six sections, which form a rough chiasm: A. The desert blooms and rejoices, vv 1-2 B. Encourage the faint, vv 3-4 C. Bodies restored, vv 5-6a C’. Water in the desert, vv 6b-7 B’. A highway of return, vv 8-9 A’. Joy of the returned exiles, v 10 This . . . . Continue Reading »
In Selling Worship , Pete Ward’s thoughtful assessment of “how what we sing has changed the Church,” Ward notes that certain aspects of contemporary culture “will fit well with what we are doing while some other characteristics of the culture will be problematic.” He . . . . Continue Reading »
Isaiah 28:28: Grain for bread is crushed. You are God’s field, God’s vineyard. You are His planting, yield from the seed of His Word planted in the ground of your heart. You are the grain and the grapes of His harvest. The Lord is a wise farmer. He knows His land, knows just how much . . . . Continue Reading »
Deuteronomy 6:7: You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. We don’t worship simply by putting a service on the calendar and showing up. We put the service on the . . . . Continue Reading »
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