From the Heidelblog: You Mean That There’s More Than “Shine, Jesus Shine”?
This selection from R. Scott Clark points us to the Psalms of David: “Dear Reformed friends, we’re not revivalists and we’re not Anglican and we’re not Pentecostal or Charismatic and we shouldn’t try to be. We have resources from which to draw. Yes, Virginia, there is more to worship than “Shine, Jesus Shine.” I suggest that we start with Ps 23 and Ps 100.” “
The Reformed Presbyterian Church of Scotland (RPCS) has announced a new church plant in Stirling! From their website:
“Having been considering since April 2012 the possibility of Stirling as the next location for a church plant, the RPCS Presbytery recently took the decision to proceed and begin holding worship services in the city.
The Presbytery has called Mr. Donnie Mackinnon, a licentiate of the RPCS, to be the organizing minister. Mr. Mackinnon has accepted the call and will be ordained and installed as the organizing minister at a meeting to be held, God willing, on Friday the 30th August 2013 at 7.30pm in the Glasgow RP Church.
This new church plant will be overseen by the Glasgow RP Session until such time as the RPCS Presbytery adopts a policy for the oversight of church plants.
We give thanks to God for this development and are very conscious that “nothing can hinder the Lord from saving by many or by few.” “
A new church plant has started in Harrisonburg, VA! Grace and Truth Reformed Presbyterian Church is a work of the RPCNA. From their website:
“Grace & Truth Reformed Presbyterian Church is a Mission Church established in the name and by the authority of Jesus Christ through thePresbytery of the Alleghenies, which is an organized group of congregations of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA). On June 25th, 2013, the Presbytery of the Alleghenies met during the 2013 RPCNA Synod Meeting and received the core group of families in Harrisonburg, VA as a mission work. This is an excerpt from the minutes:
“The Church Extension Committee recommended the group in Harrisonburg, VA be organized as a Mission Church with the Trinity RPC Session serving as the TGB (temporary governing body). The recommended was approved. Pastor Jerry O’Neill offered prayer establishing the Harrisonburg group as a Mission Church in the name and by the authority of Jesus Christ the King and Head of the Church.”
The temporary governing body, consisting of Pastor Steve Bradley, Elder David Merkel, Elder Tony Gazo, and Elder Brad Stewart, met as a Session on July 9th, 2013. They decided that Grace & Truth RPC will begin evening worship services at 6:00 pm on the first and third Lord’s Days beginning on August 4th, 2013, at Good Shepherd School, 342 Neff Avenue, Harrisonburg, VA. On the second, fourth, and fifth Lord’s Days, Grace & Truth will meet at 6:00 pm at Good Shepherd School for a time of fellowship and Bible Study.
The next step for the Mission Church is to become an independent, fully-organized congregation by God raising up a Session of elders in Harrisonburg, Virginia, for the oversight of the congregation. Also, there will need to be a Board of Deacons responsible chiefly for the ministry of mercy and stewardship.”
“Grace & Truth Reformed Presbyterian Church will be meeting at the Good Shepherd School, 342 Neff Ave, Harrisonburg, VA 22801″
I received a copy of Exploring Psalms a few months ago by Tom Mann available here. I had intended to get it read before now, but it has been a busy summer this year! Here is a review by Amazon and some brief comments from me. Sorry for the long delay Tom!
From the Amazon site: “Exploring Psalms attempts to encourage an appreciation of the Book of Psalms in everyday Christians. The book covers the history of the writing of the Psalms, their usage through the times of the early church. Different genres of the psalms are discussed, including the imprecatory psalms. An emphasis is placed on the usage of the Psalms by Jesus, the Apostles and the early church. The book is suitable for both individual and group studies.” Amazon
This little book is a very helpful introduction to the Psalms. It has many facts and interesting observations along the way, including some useful charts that show the use of the Psalms in the New Testament. The book is divided into short lessons with discussion questions that would be well suited for a Sabbath School class or a small group of Christians who are becoming more familiar with the Psalms. Every chapter begins with an illustration that is always thought provoking, contemporary and applicable to the chapter at hand. Several of these illustrations are very powerful and stick with you! One in particular involved a very expensive painting that was hung in a prison and lost, always visible but rarely noticed. In addition to groups who want to learn more about the Psalms in general, I think this would be a good introduction for a group preparing to study the subject of exclusive Psalmody. It lays some of the foundation for the more difficult work of proving not only that we should sing the Psalms in worship, but that we should only sing the Psalms in worship.
“Tom Mann is a teacher, lawyer and mediator who has a love for the Book of Psalms. As a former English teacher who instilled an appreciation in literature to hundreds of students, he wants to share his passion for the jewel of the Scriptures, Yahweh’s songbook, in this little book. As a lawyer and mediator, he wants others to see how God’s law, love, mercy and grace are so beautifully unfolded in the Psalms as nowhere else in the Scriptures.”
Buy a copy! Lets support publications that promote the singing of Psalms. If you get a chance to read it, please post your thoughts below.
Exclusive Psalmody 