Charnock on Worship that is Consistent with its Object

One of my hobbyhorses is the concept that our worship–especially our worship expressed through music–must be consistent with the character of God. I’ve argued that the issue of acceptable worship music, though not entirely black and white, is much more objective than is often suggested, and that principles for determining what comprises acceptable worship [...]

Emotion is the Result of Worship, not the Goal

I’ve been burdened for some time that we fundamentalists have espoused what appears to me to be a stoic repression of our emotions when it comes to worship. Forgive the analogy, but to hear or watch some worshipers–both during specials and congregational singing–you would think that the goal of the true worshiper is to [...]

John MacArthur on the Pope and the Papacy

I know this is old, old news for many of you–the kind of news I think should be called “olds.” Anyway, I heard MacArthur’s message on “The Pope and the Papacy” for the first time today, so it’s “news” to me. It was given to me by someone at TCBC several months ago, [...]

Mama Sang Bass, Part 2

I introduced my mom’s college quartet here. The title of the LP they put out is “Harbored in Jesus.” The subtitle is “A selection of sacred songs to enrich your life.” All the songs are either a cappella or are accompanied by an organ or piano. I love the simplicity, the [...]

A White Christmas…Puppy

Well, our lives just got a whole lot busier (which is hard to imagine)!

We went Thursday afternoon to pick out our new Westie puppy. My four girls–er, five, if you include Lori–are just bouncing around the house. Unbelievable. Due to the timing and the need to choose a puppy before they were all [...]

Rejoice with Them that Rejoice

Merry Christmas, Murschells. :D

Mama Sang Bass: Fairest Lord Jesus

Someone once sang a little ditty about how his “Daddy sang bass” and “Mama sang tenor.” (Names withheld to protect the innocent–namely, me.) Well, my story’s a bit different: “Mama sang bass.”
This is true. My mom traveled with a singing group from Grand Rapids School of the Bible & Music (GRSBM) when [...]

Barrett’s Book on Worship Is Out

I’ve mentioned a number of times that I’ve been awaiting the release of Dr. Michael Barrett’s book on worship. Well, it’s out. “The Beauty of Holiness” is available here from the publisher (or here for $5 less). :)
As I’ve said before, Dr. Barrett has had a tremendous impact on my understanding of the [...]

A Trip Down Memory Lane, A Day to Remember and Nice People

Here are some miscellaneous thoughts that I’ll combine into one post:
You know you’re getting old when memorable events in your life are noted on their 20th anniversary. (sigh)
Here’s a story that is fun for me, both personally and even more so as a “kid brother.” In 1986-87 I was a freshman at Rampart High School [...]

Dan Brooks on Christian Liberty

This overview of the Christian liberty question was recommended to me recently.  It is quite good.  I especially appreciate Dan’s argument that liberties are not an “end in themselves.”  The passage, I Corinthians 9:1-18, is all about the Gospel.  Paul lived for the Gospel, not his own (legitimate) liberties.
What a great example Paul provides for [...]