Read The Christian’s Reasonable Service in a Year

“This brings us at once to the heart of the matter. À Brakel wrote this work for church members—not for theologians.” – Bartel Elshout, Translator A NEW 2015 Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/ChristiansReasonableService/) has been created where a one-year reading plan is provided and members may engage in lively discussion of Wilhelmus à Brakel’s The Christian’s Reasonable Service.… Read More Read The Christian’s Reasonable Service in a Year

December 4, 2014 The Vicar's GardenLeave a comment

I Asked the Lord that I Might Grow

Precious are the times when a classic hymn transfixes you. One did this week. Under pressure for a sermon draft deadline, my head was down and the fingers moving across the keyboard as iTunes played a shuffle of songs behind. That’s when I heard Anglican John Newton’s 1779 hymn, “I Asked the Lord that I… Read More I Asked the Lord that I Might Grow

April 5, 2014 The Vicar's Garden3 Comments

Summer’s here, and that means…

Here at St. Mary’s we pick-up our verse by verse study of Paul’s letter to the Romans. This life-changing letter has been a focus each summer since 2010. This year is the last. We started at the final great hinge of the letter, Romans 12.1-2, two Sundays ago. And as we go through the 40… Read More Summer’s here, and that means…

June 25, 2013 The Vicar's GardenLeave a comment

The Deeps

Each day in my daily devotions I pray slowly and meditatively through a set prayer from The Valley of Vision published by The Banner of Truth Trust. Today’s prayer, The Deeps gave voice to the longing of every believing Christian: LORD JESUS, give me a deeper repentance, a horror of sin, a dread of its approach;… Read More The Deeps

April 11, 2013 The Vicar's GardenLeave a comment

A Tale of Two Richards

This is a tale of two Richards: George Richards and Richard Rohr. George Richards was a minister in the Reformed Church in the USA in the late teens/early twenties of the last century. He was the chairman of the American Council on Organic Union, what became the twentieth-century ecumenical movement. Richard Rohr is a present-day… Read More A Tale of Two Richards

February 5, 2013February 5, 2013 The Vicar's GardenLeave a comment

The Early-Warning System

One of the most glorious joys of the pastorate is in the conversion of the lost and one of the saddest is the falling away of one who professed faith in Christ and his work to save them. You continue to preach the Word of God in the Scriptures and watch as their hearts are… Read More The Early-Warning System

January 16, 2013January 16, 2013 The Vicar's GardenLeave a comment

A bit of à Brakel

Readers of this blog will know that I like to spend time in the 16-17th centuries to relax. In between finishing my final revision of my sermon for Sunday on Romans 10.14-21 and my wife off to the hairdresser, I had a bit of time for Wilhelmus à Brakel. Here he is on the way… Read More A bit of à Brakel

August 4, 2012September 27, 2012 The Vicar's GardenLeave a comment

The Vicar's Garden

“But tho’ an old man, I am but a young gardener.”

Tag: Deepening Discipleship