In this episode, Nick Bullock, senior pastor of Christ Church (PCA) in New Braunfels, Texas, joins Camden Bucey and Jim Cassidy to discuss an upcoming conference themed “Thy Word is
In this episode, Camden Bucey sits down with Carlton Wynne and Marc Harrington at the Reformation and Worship Conference hosted by Midway PCA in Powder Springs, Georgia. Together they reflect
What does it mean to worship God “with reverence and awe” (Heb. 12:28)? In this episode of Christ the Center, Dr. Camden Bucey speaks with Dr. David Hall and Dr.
How should Reformed churches approach the selection of psalms and hymns for corporate worship? In this video, Camden Bucey offers a rich, pastoral, and practical guide for choosing music that
In this final installment of our introductory series on Eastern Orthodoxy for Reformed Christians, Camden Bucey explores Orthodox worship and sacramental theology through a Reformed lens. This episode provides a
In this episode, we welcome back Michael Glodo, Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida. Rev. Glodo has written The Lord Bless You and Keep
Reformed worship is distinctive because it uses only the Bible and not human traditions or human wisdom for knowing how to worship aright. That leaves Presbyterians in a difficult position,
This week on Theology Simply Profound, Rob and Bob discuss the church, worship, and preaching in a post-covid society. Has the pandemic changed the fundamental nature of society such that
Glen Clary discusses the worship setting of Revelation 4–5 and its significance for the church’s present and future worship. While on the isle of Patmos, John was given a vision
Jonathan Landry Cruse speaks about worship. Cruse has written What Happens When We Worship (Reformation Heritage Books). Many churchgoers assume that worship is inherently boring, something we need to make
Rev. Dr. David Noe joins us to speak about John Calvin, God or Baal: Two Letters on the Reformation of Worship and Pastoral Service (Reformation Heritage Books), which includes translations
One of the highlights of the Christmas season is singing the Christmas hymns. Singing songs about the nativity of Jesus is one of the oldest traditions in the Christian church, and
Glen Clary speaks about the biblical basis and covenantal context of the call to worship and benediction. These elements of worship are rooted in Christ’s work on behalf of his
What was worship like in the early church? Did it differ significantly from our present practices? A letter written by a Roman official in 112 AD provides a window into
In this special quarantine episode, we discuss the theological issues and lessons learned from the initial weeks of staying at home during the global COVID-19 health crisis. Though many Christians
Faculty member and regular contributor on Christ the Center, Glen Clary recent spoke to our friends at Presbycast on worship and the second commandment. It was a great conversation on
The sabbath principle is established in Genesis 2:1–3, immediately upon the completion of God’s work of creation. This Sabbath rest principle is a function neither of redemption nor theocracy. It
Glen Clary compares and contrasts the Reformation liturgies of Martin Bucer, John Calvin, and John Knox. Studying each of these helps us to understand the significance of worship reformed according
Our situation calls for serious self-discipline because the days are evil, and joyful celebration because God has rescued us from that evil in Jesus Christ. Participants: Adam York, Glen Clary,
Jonathan Gibson and Mark Earngey speak about Reformation worship. Their new book Reformation Worship: Liturgies from the Past for the Present, is an irenic plea for the Church (and especially her
Hebrews 6 has been a challenging passage to interpret for ages. What does it mean to fall away? What is the specific nature of the apostasy? Do majority interpretations do
We took to Facebook to broadcast a live Q&A session. With questions submitted through email and the live comment thread, we covered Lord’s Day observance, fasting and gluttony, and membership
We celebrate five-hundred episodes of Christ the Center with an open discussion on worship, the regulative principle, and the apologetic impetus. Join us for a conversation that ties together many
Earlier this week, we exhibited at The Gospel Coalition 2017 Conference, “No Other Gospel: Reformation 500 and Beyond” in Indianapolis. We were able to share 900 copies of our new book No
On this episode, we are joined by Nathaniel Gray Sutanto, who speaks about the Theological Interpretation of Scripture (TIS). Gray is a PhD Candidate at New College, University of Edinburgh. His
As another year gets into swing, many people have begun new Bible reading plans. Reading through Scripture each day is a powerful and transformative discipline. We discuss the practice of
Several traditions within the Christian church have understood the second commandment differently. Some have understood it is a prohibition against statues. Others understand the commandment to prohibit images of God in worship.
We are pleased to announce the addition of Rev. Dr. Glen Clary to our list of 2016 Theology Conference speakers. Glen is the pastor of Providence OPC in Pflugerville, Texas, where we
Reformed theologians have regularly underscored the relationship between Word and sacraments. The sacraments are appended to the Word for the purpose of confirming or sealing it. The sacraments do not
If you’ve ever studied the letters of Paul, you know how difficult they are to understand. Christians in the New Testament era and apparently even the apostle Peter found Paul’s
Oscar Cullmann wrote several treatises on the subject of Christian worship. His treatise entitled Baptism in the New Testament was originally published in 1950 and was intended as a rebuttal of Karl Barth’s
In his “Summary of Doctrine Concerning the Ministry of the Word and the Sacraments,” Calvin articulates the idea of union and communion with Christ through the means of grace. The
What was the Communion service like in Calvin’s Geneva? One Catholic who attended a service gave the following description. Three or four times a year, according to the will of
According to some Pauline scholars, 1 Corinthians 10:14–22 “has been remarkably underused in most churches’ theology and liturgy of the Lord’s Supper.”[1] Theologians and liturgiologists tend to focus on what
Hughes Oliphant Old has been publishing articles and books on the subject of worship since the 1970s. [See select bibliography below.] His book entitled Worship Reformed According to Scripture is hands
In Calvin’s thinking, the signs of the sacraments should be distinguished from the realities which they signify, but they should not be separated from them. First Corinthians 10:1-4 says, For
Here’s my very brief introduction to baptism in the Didache. This topic deserves several articles, and I plan on following up with it in later posts. Stay tuned! What does
The Odes of Solomon is the earliest collection of Christian hymns. The forty-two odes in the collection were most likely composed in the late first or early second century by
Rumor has it that when Pope Leo X read Martin Luther’s 95 Theses, he said, “What drunken German wrote this?” It is also rumored that when Martin Luther read Jason
“Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” is the third petition of the Lord’s Prayer. The will of God is used in two senses in scripture:
“Thy kingdom come.” The second petition of the Lord’s Prayer is about the ultimate hope of God’s people—the coming of the kingdom of God. As devout Jews in the first century
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about my teacher Dr. Hughes Oliphant Old and reflecting on his insights into Reformed worship. Here are some of my favorite quotes from his
The teaching of the Lord through the twelve apostles to the Gentiles:[1] 1:1There are two ways, one of life and one of death. And there is a great difference between
The Lord’s Prayer has six petitions: three thy petitions and three us petitions. The first three petitions have in view God’s name, God’s kingdom and God’s will; the last three
The Lord’s Prayer may be divided into three sections (cf. LC 188). It begins with an invocation, “Our Father in heaven.” The middle section consists of six petitions. It ends
Since the beginning of the Christian church, the Lord’s Prayer has been used as a guide for daily prayer. The treatises of Tertullian, Cyprian, and Origen on the Lord’s Prayer
Now that Easter is over, this is a good opportunity to reflect on what just happened yesterday and to share some thoughts on the origin of the church calendar. As
The oldest extant Easter sermon from the ancient church is a sermon preached by Melito, the bishop of Sardis in Asia Minor at the end of the second century. This sermon
Having seven children, I’ve seen a lot of cartoons. Every now and then, I’ll take them to the theater to see a new release that they’re dying to see. Since
Infant baptism is forbidden unless it is commanded. Now, that may seem obvious to most Christians, but there are some who believe that infant baptism is lawful even if it
The term “liturgical theology” refers both to theology of worship and theology from worship: the former meaning doctrines about worship; the latter, doctrines derived from liturgical texts. More recently, however,
Why are Presbyterians worshiping like Anglicans? Why do some PCA churches have Ash Wednesday services? Why are they preaching the lectionary and following the church calendar? An Episcoterian (the term
In 1550, the Scottish Reformer John Knox wrote a brief summary of the Reformed doctrine of the Lord’s Supper. Knox entitled his document Here is briefly declared in a summary, according
What would it have been like to worship with the saints at Rome in the middle of the second century? One can only imagine how thrilling it must have been
In 1873, “Archbishop Philotheos Bryennios was browsing in the library of the Greek Convent of the Holy Sepulchre in Istanbul when, by chance, he noticed the text of the Didache
Most students of the Reformation recognize that Martin Luther discovered (more accurately re-discovered) the doctrine of justification by faith alone and that Ulrich Zwingli discovered the symbolic interpretation of the Lord’s
I’ve often heard that while the classical Reformers such as Martin Bucer, John Calvin and John Knox favored weekly Communion, their spiritual heirs (particularly, the Reformed experientialists of the seventeenth
In recent years, weekly Communion has become increasingly popular in Reformed worship. There are many advocates and also critics of weekly Communion within the Reformed church. I consider myself an
One of the primary goals of the Protestant Reformation was to reform the worship of the church according to Scripture, the only infallible authority. The Reformers gave careful attention to
In St. Peter’s Cathedral in Geneva there is a plaque commemorating the life and ministry of John Calvin, which simply describes him as “servant of the Word of God.”[1] Truly,
In this article, we will briefly survey the history of the public reading of Scripture in worship from Moses to the apostles with a view toward developing a biblical model
When Ulrich Zwingli began his ministry in Zurich on 1 January 1519, he announced from the pulpit that he intended to preach “the entire Gospel of Matthew, one passage after
Glen Clary walks us through a Reformed order of worship, explaining the Biblical precedent and rationale for elements such as the call to worship, invocation, different types of prayer, and
Glen Clary, pastor of Providence OPC in Pflugerville, TX, explains the origins, use, and wisdom of the regulative principle of worship. The Reformed understanding of this principle states that only those
In his book Worship Reformed According to Scripture, Hughes Oliphant Old orients Christian worship toward the right end using the proper means. This is a significant undertaking indeed, because sadly,
This Reformation Day, Pastor Glen Clary speaks about Ulrich Zwingli, leader in the reform of Christian worship at the time of the Reformation. Pastor Clary highlights “the affair of the
Today we welcome to the program hip-hop recording artist Shai Linne to speak about his brand new album Lyrical Theology: Doxology, part two of a three-part hip-hop album series. Shai’s album
Today we speak with Glen Clary about his DMin dissertation titled, “Celebrating Holy Communion According to the Customs of the Ancient Church: A Reformed Communion Liturgy Based on the Eucharistic Liturgy
Jason Helopoulos joins us to speak about his book A Neglected Grace: Family Worship in the Christian Home. The discussion covers what family worship is, its elements, and its relationship
Daniel Schrock reviews Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation by James K. A. Smith. In this first book of what is planned as a three-book set, Smith describes the liturgical
William H. Smith shares several thoughts on the conservative movements currently forming within the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). As a member of (and now pastor-elect in) a sister denomination,
Jazz pianist Pamela York speaks about her new album, Lay Down This World: Hymns and Spirituals. Pamela discusses the tracks on the album, the relationship of traditional structure to creativity, and
William Laud was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633-1645. He became obsessed with the liturgy, and his heavy-handed high church policies were seen as persecution by many Protestants. In his
Dr. Darryl G. Hart speaks about a key feature to Reformed worship, the regulative principle. Generally speaking, the principle seeks to allow worship to be governed strictly by the Word
In this episode, Nick Bullock, senior pastor of Christ Church (PCA) in New Braunfels, Texas, joins Camden Bucey and Jim Cassidy to discuss an upcoming conference themed “Thy Word is
In this episode, Camden Bucey sits down with Carlton Wynne and Marc Harrington at the Reformation and Worship Conference hosted by Midway PCA in Powder Springs, Georgia. Together they reflect
What does it mean to worship God “with reverence and awe” (Heb. 12:28)? In this episode of Christ the Center, Dr. Camden Bucey speaks with Dr. David Hall and Dr.
How should Reformed churches approach the selection of psalms and hymns for corporate worship? In this video, Camden Bucey offers a rich, pastoral, and practical guide for choosing music that
In this final installment of our introductory series on Eastern Orthodoxy for Reformed Christians, Camden Bucey explores Orthodox worship and sacramental theology through a Reformed lens. This episode provides a
In this episode, we welcome back Michael Glodo, Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida. Rev. Glodo has written The Lord Bless You and Keep
Reformed worship is distinctive because it uses only the Bible and not human traditions or human wisdom for knowing how to worship aright. That leaves Presbyterians in a difficult position,
This week on Theology Simply Profound, Rob and Bob discuss the church, worship, and preaching in a post-covid society. Has the pandemic changed the fundamental nature of society such that
Glen Clary discusses the worship setting of Revelation 4–5 and its significance for the church’s present and future worship. While on the isle of Patmos, John was given a vision
Jonathan Landry Cruse speaks about worship. Cruse has written What Happens When We Worship (Reformation Heritage Books). Many churchgoers assume that worship is inherently boring, something we need to make
Rev. Dr. David Noe joins us to speak about John Calvin, God or Baal: Two Letters on the Reformation of Worship and Pastoral Service (Reformation Heritage Books), which includes translations
One of the highlights of the Christmas season is singing the Christmas hymns. Singing songs about the nativity of Jesus is one of the oldest traditions in the Christian church, and
Glen Clary speaks about the biblical basis and covenantal context of the call to worship and benediction. These elements of worship are rooted in Christ’s work on behalf of his
What was worship like in the early church? Did it differ significantly from our present practices? A letter written by a Roman official in 112 AD provides a window into
In this special quarantine episode, we discuss the theological issues and lessons learned from the initial weeks of staying at home during the global COVID-19 health crisis. Though many Christians
Faculty member and regular contributor on Christ the Center, Glen Clary recent spoke to our friends at Presbycast on worship and the second commandment. It was a great conversation on
The sabbath principle is established in Genesis 2:1–3, immediately upon the completion of God’s work of creation. This Sabbath rest principle is a function neither of redemption nor theocracy. It
Glen Clary compares and contrasts the Reformation liturgies of Martin Bucer, John Calvin, and John Knox. Studying each of these helps us to understand the significance of worship reformed according
Our situation calls for serious self-discipline because the days are evil, and joyful celebration because God has rescued us from that evil in Jesus Christ. Participants: Adam York, Glen Clary,
Jonathan Gibson and Mark Earngey speak about Reformation worship. Their new book Reformation Worship: Liturgies from the Past for the Present, is an irenic plea for the Church (and especially her
Hebrews 6 has been a challenging passage to interpret for ages. What does it mean to fall away? What is the specific nature of the apostasy? Do majority interpretations do
We took to Facebook to broadcast a live Q&A session. With questions submitted through email and the live comment thread, we covered Lord’s Day observance, fasting and gluttony, and membership
We celebrate five-hundred episodes of Christ the Center with an open discussion on worship, the regulative principle, and the apologetic impetus. Join us for a conversation that ties together many
Earlier this week, we exhibited at The Gospel Coalition 2017 Conference, “No Other Gospel: Reformation 500 and Beyond” in Indianapolis. We were able to share 900 copies of our new book No
On this episode, we are joined by Nathaniel Gray Sutanto, who speaks about the Theological Interpretation of Scripture (TIS). Gray is a PhD Candidate at New College, University of Edinburgh. His
As another year gets into swing, many people have begun new Bible reading plans. Reading through Scripture each day is a powerful and transformative discipline. We discuss the practice of
Several traditions within the Christian church have understood the second commandment differently. Some have understood it is a prohibition against statues. Others understand the commandment to prohibit images of God in worship.
We are pleased to announce the addition of Rev. Dr. Glen Clary to our list of 2016 Theology Conference speakers. Glen is the pastor of Providence OPC in Pflugerville, Texas, where we
Reformed theologians have regularly underscored the relationship between Word and sacraments. The sacraments are appended to the Word for the purpose of confirming or sealing it. The sacraments do not
If you’ve ever studied the letters of Paul, you know how difficult they are to understand. Christians in the New Testament era and apparently even the apostle Peter found Paul’s
Oscar Cullmann wrote several treatises on the subject of Christian worship. His treatise entitled Baptism in the New Testament was originally published in 1950 and was intended as a rebuttal of Karl Barth’s
In his “Summary of Doctrine Concerning the Ministry of the Word and the Sacraments,” Calvin articulates the idea of union and communion with Christ through the means of grace. The
What was the Communion service like in Calvin’s Geneva? One Catholic who attended a service gave the following description. Three or four times a year, according to the will of
According to some Pauline scholars, 1 Corinthians 10:14–22 “has been remarkably underused in most churches’ theology and liturgy of the Lord’s Supper.”[1] Theologians and liturgiologists tend to focus on what
Hughes Oliphant Old has been publishing articles and books on the subject of worship since the 1970s. [See select bibliography below.] His book entitled Worship Reformed According to Scripture is hands
In Calvin’s thinking, the signs of the sacraments should be distinguished from the realities which they signify, but they should not be separated from them. First Corinthians 10:1-4 says, For
Here’s my very brief introduction to baptism in the Didache. This topic deserves several articles, and I plan on following up with it in later posts. Stay tuned! What does
The Odes of Solomon is the earliest collection of Christian hymns. The forty-two odes in the collection were most likely composed in the late first or early second century by
Rumor has it that when Pope Leo X read Martin Luther’s 95 Theses, he said, “What drunken German wrote this?” It is also rumored that when Martin Luther read Jason
“Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” is the third petition of the Lord’s Prayer. The will of God is used in two senses in scripture:
“Thy kingdom come.” The second petition of the Lord’s Prayer is about the ultimate hope of God’s people—the coming of the kingdom of God. As devout Jews in the first century
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about my teacher Dr. Hughes Oliphant Old and reflecting on his insights into Reformed worship. Here are some of my favorite quotes from his
The teaching of the Lord through the twelve apostles to the Gentiles:[1] 1:1There are two ways, one of life and one of death. And there is a great difference between
The Lord’s Prayer has six petitions: three thy petitions and three us petitions. The first three petitions have in view God’s name, God’s kingdom and God’s will; the last three
The Lord’s Prayer may be divided into three sections (cf. LC 188). It begins with an invocation, “Our Father in heaven.” The middle section consists of six petitions. It ends
Since the beginning of the Christian church, the Lord’s Prayer has been used as a guide for daily prayer. The treatises of Tertullian, Cyprian, and Origen on the Lord’s Prayer
Now that Easter is over, this is a good opportunity to reflect on what just happened yesterday and to share some thoughts on the origin of the church calendar. As
The oldest extant Easter sermon from the ancient church is a sermon preached by Melito, the bishop of Sardis in Asia Minor at the end of the second century. This sermon
Having seven children, I’ve seen a lot of cartoons. Every now and then, I’ll take them to the theater to see a new release that they’re dying to see. Since
Infant baptism is forbidden unless it is commanded. Now, that may seem obvious to most Christians, but there are some who believe that infant baptism is lawful even if it
The term “liturgical theology” refers both to theology of worship and theology from worship: the former meaning doctrines about worship; the latter, doctrines derived from liturgical texts. More recently, however,
Why are Presbyterians worshiping like Anglicans? Why do some PCA churches have Ash Wednesday services? Why are they preaching the lectionary and following the church calendar? An Episcoterian (the term
In 1550, the Scottish Reformer John Knox wrote a brief summary of the Reformed doctrine of the Lord’s Supper. Knox entitled his document Here is briefly declared in a summary, according
What would it have been like to worship with the saints at Rome in the middle of the second century? One can only imagine how thrilling it must have been
In 1873, “Archbishop Philotheos Bryennios was browsing in the library of the Greek Convent of the Holy Sepulchre in Istanbul when, by chance, he noticed the text of the Didache
Most students of the Reformation recognize that Martin Luther discovered (more accurately re-discovered) the doctrine of justification by faith alone and that Ulrich Zwingli discovered the symbolic interpretation of the Lord’s
I’ve often heard that while the classical Reformers such as Martin Bucer, John Calvin and John Knox favored weekly Communion, their spiritual heirs (particularly, the Reformed experientialists of the seventeenth
In recent years, weekly Communion has become increasingly popular in Reformed worship. There are many advocates and also critics of weekly Communion within the Reformed church. I consider myself an
One of the primary goals of the Protestant Reformation was to reform the worship of the church according to Scripture, the only infallible authority. The Reformers gave careful attention to
In St. Peter’s Cathedral in Geneva there is a plaque commemorating the life and ministry of John Calvin, which simply describes him as “servant of the Word of God.”[1] Truly,
In this article, we will briefly survey the history of the public reading of Scripture in worship from Moses to the apostles with a view toward developing a biblical model
When Ulrich Zwingli began his ministry in Zurich on 1 January 1519, he announced from the pulpit that he intended to preach “the entire Gospel of Matthew, one passage after
Glen Clary walks us through a Reformed order of worship, explaining the Biblical precedent and rationale for elements such as the call to worship, invocation, different types of prayer, and
Glen Clary, pastor of Providence OPC in Pflugerville, TX, explains the origins, use, and wisdom of the regulative principle of worship. The Reformed understanding of this principle states that only those
In his book Worship Reformed According to Scripture, Hughes Oliphant Old orients Christian worship toward the right end using the proper means. This is a significant undertaking indeed, because sadly,
This Reformation Day, Pastor Glen Clary speaks about Ulrich Zwingli, leader in the reform of Christian worship at the time of the Reformation. Pastor Clary highlights “the affair of the
Today we welcome to the program hip-hop recording artist Shai Linne to speak about his brand new album Lyrical Theology: Doxology, part two of a three-part hip-hop album series. Shai’s album
Publisher’s Description “Reformed Christians”, write D. G. Hart and John R. Muether, “are increasingly divided over how they ought to worship their God.” Considering it an urgent matter “to recover
Today we speak with Glen Clary about his DMin dissertation titled, “Celebrating Holy Communion According to the Customs of the Ancient Church: A Reformed Communion Liturgy Based on the Eucharistic Liturgy
Jason Helopoulos joins us to speak about his book A Neglected Grace: Family Worship in the Christian Home. The discussion covers what family worship is, its elements, and its relationship
Daniel Schrock reviews Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation by James K. A. Smith. In this first book of what is planned as a three-book set, Smith describes the liturgical
William H. Smith shares several thoughts on the conservative movements currently forming within the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). As a member of (and now pastor-elect in) a sister denomination,
Jazz pianist Pamela York speaks about her new album, Lay Down This World: Hymns and Spirituals. Pamela discusses the tracks on the album, the relationship of traditional structure to creativity, and
William Laud was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633-1645. He became obsessed with the liturgy, and his heavy-handed high church policies were seen as persecution by many Protestants. In his
Dr. Darryl G. Hart speaks about a key feature to Reformed worship, the regulative principle. Generally speaking, the principle seeks to allow worship to be governed strictly by the Word
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Miracle of Spring A strange thing has taken placeA labor overnight—That by the thousands apaceNew births brought forth to light.Till now my yard was winter,The wind turns south, I wingBack
Summer By Geerhardus Vos Translated by Daniel Ragusa Though thousands of signs do brimThat he the land has graced,How shall I ever find him?Where do his footsteps haste?What tidings, O
Autumn By Geerhardus Vos Translated by Daniel Ragusa Still lingers golden autumn, still stand harvest colors,Ripening in field, still roams through woods and gardensA lovely postlude of summer’s most pleasant
I had the privilege of participating in a panel discussion on Danny Olinger’s excellent biography of Geerhardus Vos at the Presbyterian Scholars Conference, held at Harbor House, Wheaton College, on
