“it’s important to observe that if we say that the ‘old style’ of music communicates, the ‘new style’ does as well. That is to say, it is incoherent to say, ‘Music is neutral and shouldn’t be judged, and also the old style of music is terrible’ ” - Michael Riley

“52% of American Protestant churchgoers say their church teaches God will bless them if they give more money to their church and charities, with 24% strongly agreeing. This is up from 38%” in 2017. - Lifeway

“many Christians have either taken an apathetic stance on the church’s place in the arts or abandoned the arts altogether… retreat from a sphere that has become increasingly secular as Christians have vacated it.” - TGC

“First Baptist Church, Meridian, Idaho, is now a host location for Shepherds Theological Seminary’s cluster classroom program.” - GARBC

“the position of “CDO” incurs 40 percent higher turnover than other human resources jobs and saw a 75 percent dip in the number of searches in the past year, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal.” - World

The “ministry with the most-watched Christian apologetics program has been ejected from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) for insufficient oversight and dishonest fundraising.: - CToday

Read the series.

The fifth biblical command for us in caring for our pastor leads me, as they say, to go from preachin’ to meddlin’.

The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching (1Ti 5.17).

“…the devastating result is an invitation not only for unbelievers to ‘come as you are’ or ‘just as I am’—but for believers to do the same—and to feel comfortable staying that way.” - DBTS Blog

“Now, more than a dozen Christian colleges offer video game majors, minors, and concentrations, giving students called to game design the chance to learn in settings that integrate their faith.” - CToday

“Girls now get better grades than boys do, in every subject, in every grade K-12. Women at university in the United States now outnumber men by roughly 60/40….The all-boys format creates the opportunity to do things differently” - IFS

“Worship isn’t like brunch. It’s more like breathing…. I expect, the perspective of anyone serious about the practice of any faith. But this is an increasingly uncommon perspective.” - CToday

“Howe is the Executive Committee’s fifth top leader in five years.” - RNS

Related: Howe to serve as interim SBC EC president and CEO - BPNews

“The North Carolina General Assembly on Aug. 16 overrode Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of House Bill 808 among three veto overrides of bills impacting transgender youth.” - BPNews

This article (part 3 in the series) posted at Sharper Iron in 2019. It is reposted here with original comments included. Read the series.

“I have noticed a striking difference when I speak to groups today….Despite the clear teaching of Scripture, the pushback against the New Earth used to be very strong, now it’s milder and some are totally onboard.” - Alcorn

“Worship is about believers speaking the message of Christ to one another. But when the focus of the service becomes about everyone on the platform doing the right thing at the right time, worship begins to look more like a performance than a gathering of believers.” - Lifeway

“George Carey’s 1984 collection Freedom and Virtue: The Conservative/Libertarian Debate still speaks to our moment. Re-reading those essays now impresses on the reader the overlap between the libertarian and conservative positions.” - L&L

“McLaurin, who had claimed on his resume that he held degrees from North Carolina Central University, Duke University Divinity School and Hood Theological Seminary confessed to SBC EC leaders on Thursday that this was untrue.” - CPost

More at Baptist Press News and RNS.

“someone… whose faith is under fire from great trials or a particular attack from the tempter. How would you minister to this person? Paul gives us a model in his letter to the church in Thessalonica.” - Colin Smith

“Maximus defines himself by the duties he fulfills…. He does not aggrandize himself. Any glory he gets is by fulfilling his duties to those to whom he is responsible. He isn’t trying to impose his will. He is trying to do the will of others in accordance with justice.” - Current

Read Part 2 and Part 1.

As we conclude this short series, I’d like to try to unlock the meaning of an obscure phrase, found twice within the letters to the seven churches of Revelation. which has always intrigued me. The references are quite easy to remember, as they both end in the number nine.

Christ told “the church in Smyrna” (Rev. 2:8):

I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. (Rev. 2:9)

“Whiners focus on the negative and thrive on complaining – often about the most insignificant things you can imagine…. If you’re a leader, you can confront them, but it’s much more difficult if you’re a co-worker.” - Phil Cooke

“39% say drinking in moderation is bad for one’s health, up 11 points since 2018” - Gallup

“The properties of the universe and of life—specifically as they pertain to understanding their origins—are just ‘what we should expect’ if a transcendent and purposive intelligence has acted in the history of life and the cosmos.” - Denison

“An Australian court found Brian Houston, co-founder and former head pastor of the Hillsong megachurch and media empire, not guilty for concealing his father’s sexual abuse and not reporting it to the police.” - RNS

“Bruce Pilbeam said the phrase ‘compassionate conservatism’ was mostly dead ‘thanks to its association with an administration that lost popularity in its second term even among conservatives.’ He concluded, though, that the concept at local levels will have an ‘enduring legacy.’ I agree.” - Acton

Lately, the words of this classic hymn have echoed in my head. The stirring melody by Jean Sebelius has become the theme music for my summer. Be Still My Soul.

As Chris Anderson argues in his book, Theology That Sticks,* the great hymns of the faith often remind us of the truths of God’s Word far longer than any book we read or sermon we hear. Let’s walk through the lyrics of Be Still My Soul and discover what Scripture passages German hymnwriter Kathrina von Schlegel (and translator Jane Borthwick) reference throughout this hymn.

“Isaiah records one of God’s invitations to be quiet: ‘Thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength’” (Isaiah 30:15).” - Desiring God

“As for RICO, Georgia has a much more expansive law than the federal government, with many more state laws that can be used for charges…. also requires less proof to show a criminal enterprise has been formed and less proof to show a comprehensive conspiracy.” - World