Coming Under Care

Just a quick note to keep friends up to date...

This morning (Saturday, 25 Aug), at a meeting of the North Texas Presbytery, I came under care of Presbytery and my internship at Park Cities Presbyterian Church was approved.

This means that in terms of credentials I am still in need of license and ordination (which also assumes a call!). I am considering pursing licensing this year while at PCPC, but haven't decided yet on how important or beneficial this might be.

I am also preparing for RUF assessment. RUF is Reformed University Fellowship, the campus ministry of the PCA. I'm hoping to minister in this context after my internship. The cost to attend assessment is $1000, so I am beginning a fund raising campaign with letters to go out in the coming weeks. If you would like to contribute, or at least receive a letter, please don't hesitate to contact me at matt.bradley [at] pcpc.org. All contributions are deductible and you will receive a receipt from RUM (Reformed University Ministries, the mothership).

The Sign and Seal of the Covenant

Yesterday our sons, Ian (7) and Xavier (2) were baptized into the covenant community at Park Cities Presbyterian Church. It was a long journey from the Baptist church, and I don't regret my roots. But it's hard to describe the satisfaction of seeing your sons receive the sign of the covenant, not because of something they did, but because of who God is. God is faithful to keep his promises to his people. This quality of faithful love is "hesed" in the Hebrew of the OT, and is used often to invoke the all-encompassing truth that YHWH is a God that loves his people and is faithful to keep his promises, both to them and to their children. Peter reminds us of this in Acts 2:39.

Not only was yesterday a reminder of his faithfulness, but of our responsibility as parents to raise them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Deut 6; Eph 6:4).

We praise God for his loving faithfulness and rest in him for the salvation of ourselves, and our children.

New iTunes Widget

I've just added a new widget to the blog: iTunes. This widget (in the column to the right) lists the albums and songs I've purchased recently. If I'm buying it, it's because I'm listening to it, so this widget will serve to give you some idea what I'm listening to lately. Click on the lower right hand corner of the widget to add your own to your website.

Book Review: Calendar: Christ's Time for the Church by Laurence Hull Stookey

This book serves admirably as both a primer on the liturgical calendar and a refreshing reconsideration of our approach to the interpretation of the liturgical year.

Stookey's strengths lay in his brevity and clarity. And yet he manages to interpret the calendar with great pastoral warmth and theological integrity.

Although the book is as much apologetic for the observation of the church year as it is an explanation of that observation, Stookey easily avoids sounding as if he has a chip on his shoulder. He also manages to avoid the temptation to argue for the liturgical year as being biblically mandated. Although it couldn't be more apparent that he has a strong conviction with regard to its observance, his polemic (at least in the book) is based more upon the wisdom and benefit of such observance as well as historical precedent.

I only found one fault while reading, but upon reflection, I believe the fault was my own!

I highly recommend this book to anyone along the spectrum of liturgical observance. Roman Catholics and Anglicans will inevitably learn more about their own observance while members of the free or restoration churches that tend to neglect explicit observance will find that just because it isn't commanded doesn't mean there is no benefit.

This will be the text I use as a primary recommendation to anyone interested in embarking upon a study of the liturgical calendar.

More than an academic exercise, I found myself drawn to the Savior and inspired to take a more considered approach to my observance of time and the Christian cycle.