Yesterday, I posted a note about the PCUSA’s decision to drop the hymn “In Christ Alone” from their hymnbook. Reports say that the song’s reference to “the wrath of God” was just too much for those making the decision. The songwriters refused to give permission to amend the language, so the PCUSA decided to leave it out. I have to say that I have been quite surprised at the response to this short post—a response that is still ongoing. I am not surprised, however, that the topic still provokes strong responses from people—strong reactions on both sides of the issue.
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PCUSA rejects popular hymn “In Christ Alone”
Timothy George explains why the Presbyterian Church USA has recently rejected the hymn “In Christ Alone” from its new hymnal: Recently, the wrath of God became a point of controversy in the decision of the Presbyterian Committee on Congregational Song to exclude from its new hymnal the much-loved song “In Christ Alone” by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend. The Committee wanted to include this song because it is being sung in many churches, Presbyterian and otherwise, but they could not abide this line from the third stanza: “Till on that cross as Jesus died/the wrath of God was satisfied.” For this they wanted to substitute: “…as Jesus died/the love of…
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How churches should respond to allegations of abuse
Carl Trueman and Todd Pruitt have put out a very helpful discussion about how churches should handle allegations of abuse. It appears on their podcast “Mortification of Spin,” and you can download it here or listen below. [audio:https://s3.amazonaws.com/mos.alliancenet.org/M020.master.mp3] Trueman and Pruitt also take up the question of whether an abused spouse has biblical grounds for divorce. Working from the assumption that the Bible permits divorce in cases of adultery and desertion, Trueman argues that abuse is a form of desertion and thus can be used as a legitimate basis for divorce. For him, desertion cannot be reduced simply to abandoning a certain space. It must also include the abandonment of…
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Follow-up on “evicted” NYC church
Last week, I wrote about a restaurant in New York City that “evicted” a church that had been renting out space for their Sunday morning meetings. That post generated a good bit of discussion in the comments, some of which contended that the restaurant was within its rights to put the church out. Fox News personality Todd Starnes has since picked up the story, underlining that the church had been “evicted” from the space it was renting. On Friday, the restaurant put out a statement telling their side of the story and apparently objecting to the use of the term “evict.”
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Three cheers for President Bush
This story began making the rounds earlier today, and for good reason. President George H. W. Bush was photographed with a two-year old boy suffering with Leukemia. The boy—a son of one of Bush’s secret service men—had lost his hair during chemo treatments, so President Bush and the rest of his security detail shaved their heads as well. Brian Williams has the entire story below. They say that integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching. Perhaps we might suggest a variation on this adage for politicians: Character is doing the right thing when you’re not running for office. President Bush is a fundamentally decent man, and…
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A Christian vision for gender non-conforming boys
Slate.com has an article about a youth camp for gender non-conforming boys. It’s a retreat for prepubescent young men who behave in ways that are feminine. The camp provides a place for parents and children to feel “protected” as these young boys act out in ways that they wouldn’t normally do in public. The article pictures boys wearing dresses, parading down runways, and putting on makeup—all of it with their smiling parents looking on in approval.
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Reactions to Zimmerman verdict split down racial and partisan lines
The Washington Post and ABC News have released a poll about the public’s reaction to the Zimmerman verdict. The results of the poll are not that surprising, but they are disappointing. The poll suggests a deeply divided country in which people’s perspective on the verdict is shaped largely by ideology and experience. Politico reports: Eighty-six percent of African-Americans disapproved of the not guilty verdict with just 9 percent approving… That’s compared with 51 percent of whites who supported the verdict and 31 percent who disapproved. Reactions to the verdict also split across party lines, with 22 percent of Democrats approving of the verdict and 62 percent disapproving, while 65 percent of…
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Jordan and Jessica’s Story
From the Reformed African American Network, here’s the story about Jordan and Jessica. After both were widowed in their twenties, they found each other.
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Manhattan church evicted for preaching the Bible
Last April, I preached at a church in New York City called The Gallery Church. It’s a small evangelical congregation meeting in a restaurant right in the heart of Manhattan. Pastor Freddy T. Wyatt had planned a series on sexuality and gender, and my contribution was on the meaning of marriage. A few weeks after my part in the series, another speaker brought a message on what the Bible teaches about homosexuality. As a result of that message, the owners of the restaurant informed The Gallery Church that they could no longer meet in their establishment. Pastor Freddy describes what happened this way:
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President Obama: “Trayvon Martin could have been me.”