The minister’s house has historically been much more than a place for the man of God to hang his hat. It was a base for mission, a fountainhead of mercy, a refuge for strangers.
Private residences of course played a major part in the growth of Christianity in the early church. “Greet the church that meets in their house.” This strategic utilization of private brick and mortar passed into the practice of successive generations and particularly the Reformers and their successors. As I understand it, ministers often resided in large manses (‘parsonages’ in America) precisely because they were to be used as tools for doing Christian good in the community. Just look at Solomon Stoddard’s home in Northampton, Massachusetts here.
Here, I think, is one major strategy we can glean from the past in our witness to modern day communities. Let Christians use their homes as tools: and especially ministers. May they become once again channels of Christian mercy to God’s people and catalysts for recreating Christian communities from our socially atomized neighborhoods. Our home can be an oasis in the spiritual desert of those who reside near us. From the living waters God has put in our home, let us irrigate the streets, lanes, and drives nearby. And may God give us the increase.
“Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it.” — Psalm 127:1
For several years, the Presbyterian Reformed Church of Corbin City has prayed and searched for an opportunity to acquire a school property and strengthen the work of Christian education. This summer, the Lord answered that desire through a remarkable series of providences that none of us could have arranged beforehand.
As Presbyterians, we believe the education of our covenant children cannot be separated from the lordship of Christ. God commands parents concerning His Word, “Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children” (Deuteronomy 6:7). Education is therefore more than preparation for employment. We desire to assist parents in raising children who know Christ, understand His world, love His Church, and are prepared for useful Christian service.
Westminster Christian Academy (WCA), a fully confessional Christian school, was established in 2009 and for 17 years met at First Presbyterian Church of Ocean City. The PRC of Corbin City has long supported WCA by supplying teachers and sending students.
WCA serves grades K–12 and has a special relationship with Rowan College that permits qualified students to begin college coursework while still enrolled at WCA. Some students can earn substantial college credits and even an associate degree while completing high school.
WCA traditionally met Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8:00 a.m. until noon. This allowed families to combine classroom education with homeschooling and made it possible for gifted volunteers to teach without assuming a five-day commitment. Under this model, enrollment grew to approximately 125 students.
This is the third episode in a short series in the West Port Experiment podcast, featuring the Rev. D. Douglas Gebbie, minister of the Presbyterian Reformed Church of Chesley, Ontario. We’ve been looking at the great Scots Presbyterian “statesman,” Alexander Henderson. Our last episode dealt with his Government and Order of the Church of Scotland, while this discussion focuses on his masterful sermon before parliament on John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world.” This is original “Reformed Two Kingdoms” theology!
If you’d like to study this sermon before or after listening, a PDF is available below, and I’ve recorded it in audio here. Naphtali Press also produced a very handsome volume (do they ever otherwise?) some years back that includes this sermon. Regrettably, it’s out of print, so you’d have to find it on the used book market.
About the WPE podcast. I have completed the first ten episodes before releasing any to make sure I wasn’t overcommitting or underperforming. But I’m hoping that this podcast fills a niche in a crowded digital area. While this site’s theme is about “parish missions, the care of souls, and all things reformed,” the first season is dedicated specifically to the Scottish Presbyterian tradition to which my denomination is devoted. God willing, I’ll continue to focus mainly in this area. But if it continues, I may branch off into other related areas, especially my great interest in Thomas Chalmers and the theory of practice of parish missions. And as for posting on other podcast platforms or YouTube, we’ll see.
For now, the episodes focus on a text or texts for discussion with various friends as conversation partners from within and beyond my presbytery. In this first season, we are dealing with John Willison, Samuel Rutherford, Hugh Binning, Alexander Henderson, David Dickson & the Stewarton Revival, James Guthrie, and Thomas Boston. I hope to release them about once per month.
“Conspiracy Theories – Bryan Wolfmueller,” Issues, Etc. My only critique on this one is that it would have helped for him to speak more in terms of “conspiratorialism” than “conspiracy theory.” Being open to a particular conspiracy theory is one thing. The disordered appetite for them is another, and I think that’s what the speaker really had in mind.
“The Conjunction Conundrum,” The Outlaw God. This is was very rich theologically. I so appreciate Luther. But not surprisingly at the very end, they take things to ubiquity and consubstantiation. Ugh. Why can’t they be content with the spiritual presence of Christ in the sacrament? That is real and mystical. What more do they need without having to resort to their convoluted ideas?
“He was baptized as Man — but He remitted sins as God — not because He needed purificatory rites Himself, but that He might sanctify the element of water. He was tempted as Man, but He conquered as God; yea, He bids us be of good cheer, for He has overcome the world. John 16:33. He hungered — but He fed thousands; yea, He is the Bread that gives life, and That is of heaven. He thirsted — but He cried, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink. Yea, He promised that fountains should flow from them that believe. He was wearied, but He is the Rest of them that are weary and heavy laden. Matthew 11:28. He was heavy with sleep, but He walked lightly over the sea. He rebuked the winds, He made Peter light as he began to sink. He pays tribute, but it is out of a fish; yea, He is the King of those who demanded it. John 19:19. He is called a Samaritan and a demoniac; — but He saves him that came down from Jerusalem and fell among thieves; the demons acknowledge Him, and He drives out demons and sinks in the sea legions of foul spirits, Luke 8:28-33, and sees the Prince of the demons falling like lightning. He is stoned, but is not taken. He prays, but He hears prayer. He weeps, but He causes tears to cease. He asks where Lazarus was laid, for He was Man; but He raises Lazarus, for He was God. John 11:43. He is sold, and very cheap, for it is only for thirty pieces of silver, Matthew 26:15; but He redeems the world, and that at a great price, for the Price was His own blood. 1 Peter 1:19. As a sheep He is led to the slaughter, Isaiah 53:7, but He is the Shepherd of Israel, and now of the whole world also. As a Lamb He is silent, yet He is the Word, and is proclaimed by the Voice of one crying in the wilderness. John 1:23. He is bruised and wounded, but He heals every disease and every infirmity. Isaiah 53:23. He is lifted up and nailed to the Tree, but by the Tree of Life He restores us; yea, He saves even the Robber crucified with Him, Luke 23:43; yea, He wrapped the visible world in darkness. He is given vinegar to drink mingled with gall. Who? He who turned the water into wine, John 2:1-11, who is the destroyer of the bitter taste, who is Sweetness and altogether desire. Song of Songs 5:16. He lays down His life, but He has power to take it again, John 10:18; and the veil is rent, for the mysterious doors of Heaven are opened; the rocks are cleft, the dead arise. Matthew 27:51. He dies, but He gives life, and by His death destroys death. He is buried, but He rises again; He goes down into Hell, but He brings up the souls; He ascends to Heaven, and shall come again to judge the quick and the dead, and to put to the test such words as yours. If the one give you a starting point for your error, let the others put an end to it.”
Gregory of Nazianzus (ca. 329-390), Theological Orations 3.20
CHAP. III. If any of the People of God may be carried away with grosse delusions.
From these doctrines several questions may be raised. And, 1. Whether any of the people of God may be carried away with such abominable errors in doctrine? We shall answer in the following assertions.
Assertion 1. There is no error so gross in its substance that believers may not fall into it. For although they have a promise that error shall not wholly separate Christ and them, nor that they shall finally be carried away by it, yet, seeing they have corruption capable of being tempted to every sin, and therefore to this among other sins, they cannot be absolutely exempted from it. Neither is there any promise by which they can expect absolutely to be preserved from heresy any more than from murder or adultery, which, together with this, are fruits of the flesh. Indeed, except for the sin against the Holy Ghost and final impenitence, there is no absolute exemption of the believer from any sin. The Lord has wisely ordered it so, that the believer may be kept from security even in reference to such temptations.
Besides, experience shows that grace does not exempt a person from error in judgment. For it is likely that Solomon, even if he did not actually commit idolatry himself, yet became too inclined toward it, as we may gather from what Scripture records concerning him. Neither can we altogether condemn, as to their spiritual state, those in Corinth, Galatia, and other Churches who were drawn away from the truth after their conversion, as though none but unregenerate professors had been so drawn away. Indeed, it is possible, if not probable, that some of those whom the Lord calls His servants, and who nevertheless were seduced in the Church of Thyatira, were not still in the state of nature.
This is the next episode of the West Port Experiment podcast, featuring the Rev. D. Douglas Gebbie, minister of the Presbyterian Reformed Church of Chesley, Ontario. In this episode, we continue our discussion of Alexander Henderson, looking specifically at his Government and Order of the Church of Scotland. Our last episode dealt with the life and ministry of Henderson, and the next installment will treat his sermon before parliament on John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world.”
If you’d like to study this treatise before or after listening, a PDF is available below, and I’ve recorded it in audio here.
About the WPE podcast. I have completed the first ten episodes before releasing any to make sure I wasn’t overcommitting or underperforming. But I’m hoping that this podcast fills a niche in a crowded digital area. While this site’s theme is about “parish missions, the care of souls, and all things reformed,” the first season is dedicated specifically to the Scottish Presbyterian tradition to which my denomination is devoted. God willing, I’ll continue to focus mainly in this area. But if it continues, I may branch off into other related areas, especially my great interest in Thomas Chalmers and the theory of practice of parish missions. And as for posting on other podcast platforms or YouTube, we’ll see.
For now, the episodes focus on a text or texts for discussion with various friends as conversation partners from within and beyond my presbytery. In this first season, we are dealing with John Willison, Samuel Rutherford, Hugh Binning, Alexander Henderson, David Dickson & the Stewarton Revival, James Guthrie, and Thomas Boston. I hope to release them about once per month.
If you would like to be kept updated about WPE podcast releases, subscribe to this site at the right, just under the banner. If any links are broken, please drop me a note at michael@reformedparish.com.
[Instrumental music in podcast courtesy of Ernst Stolz.]
CHAP. XII.Concerning what ought to be done by private persons, when Church-officers spare such as are scandalous.
We come now to the last question proposed: namely, supposing that Church-officers should be defective in trying and censuring scandalous persons, what is the duty of private Christians in such a case? And whether, notwithstanding this, they ought to continue in the communion of such a Church, or to separate from her?
This question has troubled the Church and been the occasion of many evils in many ages. The devil thereby, under the pretense of indignation at offenses, has caused them to abound in the Church, as Church histories and the writings of the Fathers concerning the Novatians, Donatists, and such like fully demonstrate. And although we have great ground to acknowledge God’s mercy in the sobriety of His people among us, so that we have unity with purity, yet, seeing that this topic follows in order, we shall answer briefly by laying down these grounds.
First, it cannot be denied that such a case may occur, and often actually does occur, in which Church-officers are defective in exercising discipline upon scandalous persons. This may arise from negligence, unfaithfulness, faintheartedness, or from some other sinful infirmity at best, as may be gathered from the second and third chapters of Revelation.
The tremendous, firsthand account of New England Puritan John Eliot’s mission to the Massachusett and Wampanoag Indians during the 17th century. Listen and be blessed. Then, pray and go!
