One Thousand Thoughts About Church…#849

“That which the Lord Jesus aimed at and intended principally in giving pastors and teachers to his church was, that they might carry on the work of the ministry for the perfecting of  the saints, and their filling up the measure allotted unto them ; and this they do by revealing the whole counsel of God unto them, keeping back nothing that is profitable for them” -  John Owen”

The Wordy Shipmates

Back in 2009, Sarah Vowell wrote The Wordy Shipmates, an exploration of sorts into the Puritans that came over to New England and their lives in the new colony. I happened to listen to to an interview Penguin did with her.  I am intrigued by this book. Not only does she seem a bit plucky, but she seems to have a genuine interest in the Puritans from a different angle than I am used to.

What is particularly interesting to me is that (at least from the interview) she neither approaches them from neither a totally distanced condescending smugness (that many critical commentators and modern non-Reformed scholars would exhibit) nor a strong fondness and passionate interest in their theology (that us “Reformed” people would have).  She seems to really admire the intelligence and scholarly attitude of their society, if not following them in their religious and polemical endeavors and is really interested in John Winthrop.

Having read highly critical histories and highly admiring histories, I think, based on the interview, this one would be an interesting ride.

One Thousand Thoughts About Church…#858

“All Christians, especially pastors, should be men of meekness ; otherwise while they pretend to take birds with their nets, they drive them away with their noise. The house of God is not  built up with blows, with blows it is beaten down. God loves to see holiness and peace, and without peace and holiness no man shall see God,” – William Bridge