Deus Misereatur

{This is a prayer I have used for years as I have prayed for myself and the elders in the churches I have pastored. It's a borrowed prayer that I have tightened up a bit. Maybe it will be useful for you and your congregational leadership} O Lord Jesus Christ, who did come to seek and save that which was lost, and has committed to us the ministry of reconciliation; give us {.. .mention yourself, and the names of fellow elders and pastors ...} a discerning spirit to judge and advise aright. Grant that we may never make sad the hearts that you would not have saddened, nor heal slightly the hurts of your people, speaking peace, peace, where there is no peace; but may faithfully and lovingly, firmly and considerately lead those who seek our help in the paths of truth and peace, for your mercies' sake. Amen. {from " Prayers for Pastor and People ", p. 161} ----- Oremus, Mike

Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry Paul David Tripp Crossway 1300 Crescent Street Wheaton IL 60187 http://www.crossway.org ISBN: 978-1-4335-3582-6; $15.99; 2012. Reviewed by Dr. Michael Philliber for Deus Misereatur (03/13) Digging Deep (4 stars out of 5) The news regularly reminds us that ministers can easily lose their way, fall into traps, fumble, and just outright mess up their lives. The trouble is not primarily that this happens, but that so many pastors are caught off guard, and blind-sided. There is something like a fraternal fallacy poisoning the air of the pastoral brotherhood that seems to dull the clerical senses, so that pastors can’t see the wheels coming off, or the red warning lights angrily flickering on the dashboard. Paul David Tripp has sought to bring some remedy to this condition with “Dangerous Calling: Confronting the Unique Challenges of Pastoral Ministry”, a 224 page hard-back. The book is written...

{This was the invocation for this morning's worship service. Feel free to use it} Father, who’s deep, rich love for humankind was displayed in Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God who became man, and so was and continues to be God and man in two distinct natures and one person forever; we rejoice in your costly love, and celebrate his humility and obedience, an obedience to the point of death, even the death of the cross. And with the Jerusalem crowds and Hebrew children we join our voices, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! The King of Israel!” And yet, we remember that these same crowds called for Christ to be enthroned on a cross and crowned with thorns. Come Holy Spirit, fill us with unflinching faith that our worship may not be about pleasing crowds, but the pleasure of the Father in whom there is now shadow of change; and fill our hearts and mouths with heavenly praises, joy and thanksgiving. Finally, in harmony with your people...

Imaginative Apologetics: Theology, Philosophy and the Catholic Tradition Foreword by John Milbank Andrew Davison (editor) Baker Academic 6030 East Fulton Road Ada, MI 49301 http://www.bakerpublishinggroup.com ISBN-978-0-8010-3981-2; $25.00; 2012. Reviewed by Rev. Dr. Michael Philliber for Deus Misereatur (3/13) Approaching Apologetics (4 stars out of 5) After having completed reading a rather tedious book written by some over-the-top Atheists, I was quite delighted to receive a copy of “Imaginative Apologetics: Theology, Philosophy and the Catholic Tradition”. In this 198 page paperback edited by Andrew Davison, he and his co-writers have pulled their heads, and keyboards, together to produce a useful little resource. The book begins with an intriguing foreword by theologian John Milbank, who defines the apologetic endeavor as part of the ongoing contestation between Christ and Caesar; simultaneously defending the faith and defending “a true politics of civic virtue” (xxii). It then ...

{Feel free to use and employ wherever you can. And if you like it, share it. MWP} Lord, you are a merciful and jealous God. Convert your (and our) enemies, and draw to you those that are going astray…; but restrain the malicious persecutors of your Church and the willful corruptors of your truth. Bring their counsels to naught, and show that you are the Lord. Build your Church (here at this location, in Edmond and OKC, and in all places), and make her a city upon a hill for the salvation of many, through Jesus Christ {adapted from Reading the Psalms with Luther, p. 225}. Lord, hear our prayer. More specifically, we call upon you, our God and Father, to strengthen your luxurious and generous mercies in the congregations of the Southern Baptist Convention, LC-MS, PCA, OPC, Ev. Free Church, ACNA; as well as Sherwood Shores Chapel in Gordonville TX. Enrich their communion with you, direct their decisions and actions in the way of faithfulness, and fill up that which they lack. Lor...

( I was just asked these questions by some local college student. He was surveying several ministers from very different denominations, and I just happened to get pegged. After sending him my answers, I realized that maybe some readers of this blog might benefit from my answers. His questions are in the bold print; my answers are below. ) 1.) What are the benefits of someone who attends seminary, as opposed to someone who does not attend seminary, if they both want to be in full-time ministry? I can answer this from both sides. I used to be a Church of Christ minister, who had no seminary training, just some “preacher-training school” classes. Here, my Biblical knowledge was only surface, and guided by my own reason as I pieced things together. After I left the CoC and became Presbyterian, I started seminary (Reformed Theological Seminary-Jackson MS). My depth of Bible knowledge grew exponentially, as well as my ability to discern worldview trends in church and culture. Also, I gained...

At the outset, these are only my personal reflections on the election of Pope Francis I (Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina) today, 13 March 2013. As a Protestant, and a Presbyterian, I affirm wholeheartedly the 1788 American edition of the Westminster Confession of Faith’s clear statement, “There is no other head of the Church but the Lord Jesus Christ. Nor can the Pope of Rome, in any sense, be head thereof” (25.6). This will disappoint my Catholic friends, no doubt, but it is what I affirm and agree with; and I believe that both Scripture and the earliest traditions of the Church teach the same. But now I speak to my Protestant, Evangelical and Independent friends, recognizing that I may likely dissatisfy many. There is a hard reality we must acknowledge, no matter what we may prefer or profess. The “Pope of Rome” is the human face of Christianity in the eyes of the world in which we live. If he is an abysmal failure, immoral, weak, or injudicious, all of Chri...