It seems as if God has been placing me in numerous situations to discuss the nature of youth ministry. By no means am I anything close to an expert. But I have been doing youth ministry for over 7 years now with almost 5 of that at our current church. Through that time God has taught me much about ministry to students. For the past couple of years I have been trying to answer this question (both for myself and for a few others): What does youth ministry look like from a reformed perspective? I would love to be able to ask, "what does youth ministry look like from a biblical perspective". But that will not cut it--because hopefully everybody at least assumes that they are doing it from a biblical perspective.
The blog should be up and running in a couple of days. You can check it out by going here:
Reforming Youth Ministry
Pages: 160 pages
Publisher: Christian Heritage
Price: 7.99
Genre: Puritan/Church History
Quick Summary:
In the preface the author makes clear that his aim is to provide a middle ground to Puritan history. He does not attempt to exhaust the subject nor does he attempt to merely give a cursory reading of the rise and fall of the Puritans. Brown takes us on a journey from the early origins of Puritanism in the 1500s through its rise and downfall in the mid and late 1600’s.
Brown’s main concern in this work is not so much with outlining the theological convictions of the Puritans but in showing how their theological convictions created the Puritan political history. J.I. Packer describes the book well when he says, “John Brown’s account of the political history of the Puritans up to 1660 has not lost its freshness. It is a heroic, inspiring story and Brown tells it well.”
What I Liked:
Brown writes the story as if he were at every meeting and as if he is giving you the inner workings of the Puritan movement, therefore, it is intriguing and a very easy read. After reading the second chapter on the vestments controversy you come away with a bigger appreciation for how small things can have an effect on great things. Would I sacrifice my family’s livelihood for the sake of freedom of attire? Is it really that important of an issue? Brown does an excellent job of showing us the importance as well as consequences of such issues.
What I Disliked:
While the book is very readable it also leaves the reader in the dark on many things. The author makes clear that his aim is to provide a middle ground and not exhaust the subject. Therefore, such a work would serve well as an introductory book. However, because of the lack of footnotes the reader is forced to make notes and look up these names and events elsewhere. A work that attempts to not be exhaustive should provide footnotes for further research and explanation otherwise the book might find itself abandoned on the bookshelf.
Another aspect that is difficult for the typical American is that Brown writes as one familiar to the English political system. Without a thorough knowledge of this it can become difficult to understand the significance of what Brown is saying. This is more a result of my ignorance and not Brown’s, however, let the casual American reader be advised to at least familiarize himself with the English government.
Should You Buy It?
This depends on what you are looking for. If you are already pretty familiar with the Puritans and their movement then this would be an interesting read. If this is your first exposure to the Puritans (both historically and theologically), then perhaps you would be better served elsewhere. However, if you decide to skip this book in favor of studying the Puritans elsewhere I would suggest picking it back up after you are familiarized with the movement. It adds great insight into historical struggles.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
I wonder if this guy still has a job:
(HT: Irish Calvinist)
Sorry it has been so long since I have posted. Now that school is back in session I should be able to post a little more frequently....but we will see. These last few weeks have been quite hectic. My computer crashed. We had a great few days of vacation in Branson, MO. (And yes, I still don't like country music). We also were saddened during our vacation to hear that Nikki's grandfather had passed away. So, we also were busy with funeral stuff as soon as we got back home. And finally yesterday, thanks to my dear friend Brian, I got my computer back! So, hopefully I can post more in the upcoming months. I leave you with a quote from Sam Storms (I'll probably use it Wednesday):
"If you listen closely to what is being proclaimed on Sunday mornings, you will discern two dominant themes: conquering and coping. How can I conquer my world? How can I enter into my destiny? How can I triumph over my enemies and claim my inheritance? How can I better cope with life’s daily struggles? How can I relate more effectively with my peers and co-workers? If Christ is mentioned, and he usually is, he exists to aid us in our search for significance. He is important only so far as he awakens us to our importance. We talk about him so we can feel good about ourselves." -Sam Storms, from "How Rich the Word of Christ"
For some of you the last picture you saw of my son was his newborn photo. Here are a couple pics to update you:
All Eyez On Me
Pages: 41 pgs
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Price: 8.00
Genre: Theology
Quick Summary:
This small booklet is the compilation of an opening lecture given to Thielicke’s theological students. As the title says it is a little exercise for young theologians. This little booklet is Thielicke’s hope that doctrine will penetrate into the real life. He discusses such things as the “Anxiety of the Ordinary Christian About Theology” as well as the “Theological Change of Voice” that young students often go through. Every chapter is an attempt to ground the student’s doctrinal studies in the “faith at once delivered to the saints.”
What I Like
Thielicke does a wonderful job of grounding the young theologian. He speaks of the “hiatus between the arena of the young theologian’s actual spiritual growth and what he already knows intellectually about [an] arena”. This encourages the student to not settle for a “second hand” faith.
Thielicke also does a tremendous job of grounding theology in faith. As he says at one point, “every theological effort is bound up with the act of faith itself”. Faith (or rather Christ) is the goal and not theology itself. He even makes the bold statement that, “every theological idea which makes an impression upon you must be regarded as a challenge to your faith.”
Thielicke’s attempt in this work is to ground his students in the gospel—he succeeds.
What I Disliked
The book is obviously written to theological students; the language would be quite difficult for the typical beginning learner to swallow. Unfortunately, it is the typical beginning learner that really needs to hear this. Thielicke perhaps would have been better served using less lofty language.
The book first was translated into English in 1962. Some of the theological issues that cropped up in the Thielicke’s time are no longer as pertinent. The book is dated—but if the reader can filter through some of the specific issues and see the heart of the matter he will be blessed.
Should You Buy It:
It depends on who you are. If you plan on reading quite a few theological materials and growing in your knowledge of doctrine then get this little booklet. You can read it in a short setting and will benefit for a lifetime. If you are not going to be diving into many deep issues then your money could be better spent elsewhere.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
One of the principles of using an illustration is to serve the text being preached. As Bryan Chapell says, "The proper focus of illustrations lies in presenting biblical truth in such a manner that it can be understood deeply and applied readily, rather than in providing popular enjoyment or pastoral acclaim". Chapell also warns that, "the preacher who constructs sermons to serve illustration rather than solid biblical exposition inevitably drifts from pulpit to stage, from pastor to showman".
I know that I have overused an illustration if somebody remembers the "parakeet story"* without being able to match it to a biblical text or principle. I can remember some of Aesop's Fables--but I also remember the moral of the story. Do your hearers remember the story or do they remember the principle the story tells?
This may be an example of over doing an illustration: Pastor Injured in Dirt Bike Accident During Church Service.
*There is no parakeet story--I just use that as an example.
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Click to Buy for $9.99
Click to Buy for only $9.99