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There are many books on Christian worship: some helpful and some not-so-helpful. Nicolas Alford’s Doxology: How Worship Works clearly belongs in the former category. Though affirming the broader sense of worship (as a way of life), the book intentionally focuses on congregational worship. Alford is preeminently concerned that God’s people worship by the Book. Drawing from the Reformed tradition, he concisely expounds and…

(Repost from 2022)

A confession: Veterans Day is not a holiday that usually ranks high in my awareness. There’s no tradition of family gathering, no feasting, and almost no special decorations or merchandising. Most people don’t even get the day off.

So, these reflections are partly a kind of penance. I want to compensate a bit for my customary Veterans Day obliviousness—and maybe help a few others do the same.

When I give it some thought, reasons to be thankful for veterans come quickly to mind. These are just a few.

1. I’m…

I was driving home late at night during these early days of November, and all across the radio dial I heard … Christmas songs!

Now, on the one hand, it is actually quite amazing that secular radio stations take two months out of the year to devote their schedule exclusively to the music of Christmas. And if you enjoy listening to that, and it helps you to think about Christmas this early—while everything around us is still a beautiful shade of burnt orange—go for it!

Yet, I am not convinced that this is the best strategic choice for promoting one’s spiritual growth.…