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online... | on the go... take us with you  | on air... Thurs. 9PM, Sun. 8AM WZMO 107.5 FM  | description The Reformation reclaimed the Scriptural teaching of the sovereignty of God over every aspect of the believer's life. All of life is to be lived to the glory of God. As the Westminster Shorter Catechism asks, "What is the chief end of man? Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever." In contrast to the monastic division of life into sacred versus secular perpetuated by the Roman Church, the Reformers believed that all of life - every activity of the Christian is to be sanctified unto the glory of God. Tune in as our hosts discuss "Soli Deo Gloria" - the Reformation teaching of Glory to God alone. |
Warning: The following video is an example of clever satire.
Viewer discretion is advised.
satire |ˈsaˌtīr|noun
the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity, particularly in the context of contemporary trends and fads which are shortsighted or counterproductive
the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity, particularly in the context of contemporary trends and fads which are shortsighted or counterproductive
Thanks to the Lutheran Satire team for making this video.
You gave me a jolly-good, gobsmacking, codswallop of a laugh that should last a fortnight!
You gave me a jolly-good, gobsmacking, codswallop of a laugh that should last a fortnight!
Wisdom from a notorious criminal on the anniversary of his death.
 | “Sir, I do not share your faith. But if I did – if I believed what you say you believed – then although England were covered with broken glass from coast to coast, I would crawl the length and breadth of it on hand and knee and think the pain worthwhile, just to save a single soul from this eternal hell of which you speak.” |
Charles Peace (May 14, 1832-February 25, 1879) was an English career criminal whose burglaries and murders eventually led to his execution 136 years ago today. During his final walk to the gallows the condemned man was visited by a nameless pastor who told Peace to repent of his sins and to seek God’s mercy before meeting the hangman and going on to meet God as judge.
The pastor, who had made such an appeal many times before to convicted men facing execution seemed to deliver his appeal with all of the passion of a man reading aloud from the yellow pages. There was no zeal, no winsomeness, & no urgency in what the pastor had to say, particularly when he mentioned of the reality of hell. Charles Peace, just moments from his execution was shocked at the lifelessness of the pastor's words and he responded with what would be his last words on earth:
The pastor, who had made such an appeal many times before to convicted men facing execution seemed to deliver his appeal with all of the passion of a man reading aloud from the yellow pages. There was no zeal, no winsomeness, & no urgency in what the pastor had to say, particularly when he mentioned of the reality of hell. Charles Peace, just moments from his execution was shocked at the lifelessness of the pastor's words and he responded with what would be his last words on earth:
On the 136 anniversary of his execution, let us hear the wisdom and answer the challenge of a condemned man. Moreover, let us commit ourselves to the communication of the gospel even as we seek to live in the light of its eternal claims with winsomeness, passion, and sympathy for our fellowman. Let us remember the never-dying soul of man, the reality of eternity, the certainty of judgment, and the mercy of God in the gospel. Also let us embrace afresh the words of the apostle Paul who reminds us:
“…we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
2 Corinthians 5:20
“…we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
2 Corinthians 5:20
On This Episode:
"The Fall"
* Did you ever wonder what is meant by "The Fall of Man?"
* Are new born babies innocent or are they sinners?
* Isn't it a little unfair that all of mankind should have to suffer because Adam ate a piece of fruit?
On this episode of Reformation Roundtable we answer these questions and more as we discuss "The Fall."
How Old School Christianity Has Helped Me
Ridiculous Things Replaced Generations Ago By Less Ridiculous Things Are Making Huge Comeback Among Self Identified Ridiculous Segments Of Society, Poll Finds For some strange reason it seems that certain segments of our society are embracing something called “the old school.” From tattoos, to fashions, to the cars people drive, this return to “old-schoolism” is an interesting development in a society so often focused on the next big thing. Less than six months ago I actually came across an article suggesting that monocles are coming back among the young and trendy… you can’t get much more old school than that, just ask perennial old school capitalist, Mr. Peanut.
An Actual Example Of The Old School Junk That Graces My Office Now, though I am an admirer and collector of old school eclectic vintage junk (just ask anyone who has stepped into my office) I do not see the point of old-schoolery for its own sake. That is to say, I don’t see any reason to embrace old things – be they clothes or cars, shoes or songs – unless said old things are better than new things... And I attempt to apply this same principle to my beliefs as a Christian. Yes, I am a pastor with a clerical collar. Yes, I like some very old hymns. Yes, I love church history. No, I do not think that older is better just because it is old...
Now, having said all of this, there is something of an old school movement afoot in Christianity that I do like. In my opinion it embraces old-schoolism for all of the right reasons.
Allow me to introduce you to something called the Young, Restless, and Reformed Movement (sometimes called New Calvinism) and let me to tell you that I am a BIG fan. If you haven’t heard of this movement it is basically a grassroots doctrinal uprising within a large segment of Evangelicalism seeking to return the church to the fundamental teachings of the Protestant Reformation. In addition to this it is also a movement that seeks to bring our transcendent biblical beliefs to bear upon contemporary culture.
Now, having said all of this, there is something of an old school movement afoot in Christianity that I do like. In my opinion it embraces old-schoolism for all of the right reasons.
Allow me to introduce you to something called the Young, Restless, and Reformed Movement (sometimes called New Calvinism) and let me to tell you that I am a BIG fan. If you haven’t heard of this movement it is basically a grassroots doctrinal uprising within a large segment of Evangelicalism seeking to return the church to the fundamental teachings of the Protestant Reformation. In addition to this it is also a movement that seeks to bring our transcendent biblical beliefs to bear upon contemporary culture.
Over the last decade and a half and without a great deal of fanfare this movement has gained so much steam that even the overtly secular, Time magazine had to sit up and take notice. In March 2009 the massive groundswell of evangelicals returning to the teachings of the Reformation was included as one of the “10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now.” If statistics compiled since 2009 are to be believed a massive swath of the most vibrant, evangelistically-fruitful, and healthy churches in America are churches discovering (or perhaps, rediscovering) their true Reformation roots.
As I mentioned earlier, I am a big fan of this movement and it has helped me in a number of ways. Among other things, it has helped me personally gain a better grasp of what we Christians believe and why we believe it. In addition to this it has helped me gain a better sense of our historical heritage as Protestants.... surely without these understandings, All Souls Church would never have come into being.
As I mentioned earlier, I am a big fan of this movement and it has helped me in a number of ways. Among other things, it has helped me personally gain a better grasp of what we Christians believe and why we believe it. In addition to this it has helped me gain a better sense of our historical heritage as Protestants.... surely without these understandings, All Souls Church would never have come into being.
| For me the Influence of this movement is particularly remarkable in light of my background. I was raised in a denomination that had/has a somewhat uninformed suspicion of Calvinism. In fact just a handful of years ago a top denominational leader gave a speech about threats to her denomination in which she suggested that “Calvinism” and “Reformed Theology” were two separate hazards – which is a little like claiming that “Red Delicious” and “Apples” are two separate fruits.... But anyway, I digress... (see video for fun). | |
Wildly Popular T-Shirt My point in mentioning all of these things is to stress that I have greatly benefited from the Young Restless and Reformed Movement – and not because I came of age in a church that was in any way sympathetic to the teachings of the Reformation… but because I compared the teachings of the Reformation with the Bible and found that they made sense.
But now, perhaps, you're asking, what is this movement about? What are its hallmarks? How can I identify a church shaped by the Reformation? Below I offer some key distinctives that may be helpful.
( adapted from http://www.federaltheology.org/sof.htm )
But now, perhaps, you're asking, what is this movement about? What are its hallmarks? How can I identify a church shaped by the Reformation? Below I offer some key distinctives that may be helpful.
( adapted from http://www.federaltheology.org/sof.htm )
Monocle Usage Among Aging Hipsters At Record Levels To Be A Reformed Church Means....
To affirm the great "Solas" of the Reformation.
To affirm and promote a profoundly high view of the sovereignty of God.
To affirm the doctrines of grace. . . to see God as the author of salvation from beginning to end.
To be creedal. . . to affirm the great creeds of the historic, orthodox church. (See e.g. the Nicene Creed)
To be confessional. . . to affirm one or more of the great confessions of the historic orthodox church. (see e.g. the Westminster Confession)
To be covenantal. . . to affirm the great covenants of Scripture and see those covenants as the means by which God interacts with and accomplishes His purposes in His creation, with mankind. (see Covenant Theology)
To take seriously the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20. . . to affirm the primacy of mission and understand that mission.
To have a distinctly Christian worldview that permeates all of life.
To be properly old-school... to go back to the bible and back to the teachings of the Apostles... old-school enough to embrace the faith once for all delivered to the saints.
To affirm the great "Solas" of the Reformation.
To affirm and promote a profoundly high view of the sovereignty of God.
To affirm the doctrines of grace. . . to see God as the author of salvation from beginning to end.
To be creedal. . . to affirm the great creeds of the historic, orthodox church. (See e.g. the Nicene Creed)
To be confessional. . . to affirm one or more of the great confessions of the historic orthodox church. (see e.g. the Westminster Confession)
To be covenantal. . . to affirm the great covenants of Scripture and see those covenants as the means by which God interacts with and accomplishes His purposes in His creation, with mankind. (see Covenant Theology)
To take seriously the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20. . . to affirm the primacy of mission and understand that mission.
To have a distinctly Christian worldview that permeates all of life.
To be properly old-school... to go back to the bible and back to the teachings of the Apostles... old-school enough to embrace the faith once for all delivered to the saints.
Reformation Roundtable
(an unapologetically orthodox radio program)
Expands To New Radio Station
Reformation Roundtable's new radio home, WZMO FM. MARION - Since its initial launch last autumn, Reformation Roundtable, a program hosted by 4-area pastors of the Protestant-Reformed tradition, has expanded its footprint significantly. Starting as a local radio broadcast the program now spans the globe as an iTunes podcast with feedback coming in from as far away as Europe and Asia.
Today, in keeping with their pattern of upward growth the Roundtable team are pleased to announce the formation of a new partnership with WZMO 107.5 FM, and accomplished radio journeyman, Tom Wagner.
Radio veteran, Tom Wagner (seated, rear) hard at work in the WZMO 107.5 studios. Bringing his 30-plus years of broadcast experience to the table, Wagner joins the Roundtable team as the program's new engineer and producer. Roundtable co-hosts, Rev. Brett Cornelius (Gethsemane Lutheran Church), Rev. R Crabtree (All Souls Church, Green Camp, Ohio), as well as Pastors Tim Pasma & Josh Hause (LaRue Baptist Church, Larue, Ohio), are delighted to welcome Wagner to the Roundtable team and look forward to a long and fruitful future together.
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 Latest Episode: "10 Questions Every Pastor Should Have An Answer For" Initial Broadcast Date: February 12, 2015 |
Continuity Problems...
Girl in Gold Boots - Winner of 1968's Cinematic-Stinker Of The Year Award. Have you ever watched a film with continuity problems?
A continuity problem is simply a jumble, a mishmash, an occurrence in which whatever is happening in a given scene has no meaningful, logical, or didactical connection with what proceeded it. One of the most glaring examples I’ve ever witnessed was in the 1968 cinematic-stinker, Girl in the Gold Boots. In one scene three characters are sitting at a diner having a conversation when a fourth actor inexplicably materializes out of nowhere and enters into the conversation as if he’d been there all along. It was a continuity problem so bad that I had to laugh out loud. Some continuity problems, however, are far from laughable especially when they are found within the Body of Christ – His Church. That is to say, when modern Christianity becomes more or less detached from the redemptive history that came before it, the church finds herself in a fairly difficult place. Indeed, recent studies show that many American Christians are leaving evangelical churches for other branches of Christianity with more seemingly solid historical foundations, such as Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, etc. If you are an evangelical facing this temptation let me prescribe a healthy dose of historic continuity.
A continuity problem is simply a jumble, a mishmash, an occurrence in which whatever is happening in a given scene has no meaningful, logical, or didactical connection with what proceeded it. One of the most glaring examples I’ve ever witnessed was in the 1968 cinematic-stinker, Girl in the Gold Boots. In one scene three characters are sitting at a diner having a conversation when a fourth actor inexplicably materializes out of nowhere and enters into the conversation as if he’d been there all along. It was a continuity problem so bad that I had to laugh out loud. Some continuity problems, however, are far from laughable especially when they are found within the Body of Christ – His Church. That is to say, when modern Christianity becomes more or less detached from the redemptive history that came before it, the church finds herself in a fairly difficult place. Indeed, recent studies show that many American Christians are leaving evangelical churches for other branches of Christianity with more seemingly solid historical foundations, such as Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, etc. If you are an evangelical facing this temptation let me prescribe a healthy dose of historic continuity.
Why Continuity Matters...
Encouragements To "Stop, Collaborate, & Listen," Go Increasingly Unheeded, Study Finds Americans are addicted to the latest fads and trends.
We are always on the lookout for the next big thing and eager to cast off yesterday’s styles as old fashioned, irrelevant, and out of date. In such an environment it is incredibly important that the Church embraces its innate transcendence while avoiding the temptation to rely upon trendiness. To be trendy today is to be irrelevant tomorrow – just ask Vanilla Ice.
Secondly, historical continuity matters because bible believing Protestants have a more solid historical foundation than any of the other branches of Christianity. Yes, the Protestant Reformation did not begin until the 16th century but it was at its heart a movement to return the Church to her historic, biblical, and apostolic roots.
Moreover, historical continuity matters because the Bible teaches that God’s redemptive purposes have been and are being worked out in history. The God of the Bible is involved in an ongoing, hands-on relationship with His creation and has been since He first spoke it into existence. Therefore a knowledge of redemptive history as well as a willingness to let this history inform our activities in the present is of tremendous importance for the modern evangelical church.
We are always on the lookout for the next big thing and eager to cast off yesterday’s styles as old fashioned, irrelevant, and out of date. In such an environment it is incredibly important that the Church embraces its innate transcendence while avoiding the temptation to rely upon trendiness. To be trendy today is to be irrelevant tomorrow – just ask Vanilla Ice.
Secondly, historical continuity matters because bible believing Protestants have a more solid historical foundation than any of the other branches of Christianity. Yes, the Protestant Reformation did not begin until the 16th century but it was at its heart a movement to return the Church to her historic, biblical, and apostolic roots.
Moreover, historical continuity matters because the Bible teaches that God’s redemptive purposes have been and are being worked out in history. The God of the Bible is involved in an ongoing, hands-on relationship with His creation and has been since He first spoke it into existence. Therefore a knowledge of redemptive history as well as a willingness to let this history inform our activities in the present is of tremendous importance for the modern evangelical church.
How to Identify Continuity Problems In Your Church...
Chances are if you are an American Evangelical you have continuity problems.
I offer this opinion not as a harsh critic of my evangelical brothers and sisters but as an encouragement for them to examine themselves and their churches.
What is the ethos of your church? What is the focus of its ministry? What are the emphases of your minister? Is all of church-life more or less rooted in the “here-and-now” as if the previous 2000 years of church history had nothing to say to us today? Are influences like pop-culture, pop-phycology, and pop-marketing driving your church’s message, ministry, and outreach? Or is there a deep and abiding awareness of your place in God’s redemptive historical drama? Depending on your answers to these question you might need to fix your continuity problem.
How Continuity Problems Are Fixed...
We fix continuity problems by first reassessing our view of God.
It is important to note that a skewed view of God’s Redemptive activity in history stems from a skewed view of the Redeemer Himself. The God of the Bible is not the localized deity of 21st century America. He is the Lord of History and the transcendent Triune Creator who sustains, and upholds all things.
Secondly, we need to admit that we are by nature chronological snobs. We love to entertain the view that we are infinitely more sophisticated and clever than the generations who came before us. But are we? Not really. Therefore, we need to open the windows of our minds and allow the “breeze of the centuries” to air out all of our stale and snobbish 21st century thinking. We need to allow the saints of the past to enter into the conversations of the present. We need to read the bible not as a book of random fortune-cookie sayings but as a sweeping redemptive-historical drama. We need to return to the historic Reformed Confessions of the Christian faith (I highly recommend the Westminster Confession of Faith which is readily available online and in print). We need to attend churches where the ecumenical creeds of Christianity are confessed, believed, and reinforced through solid, consistent, expository preaching Lord’s Day by Lord’s Day.
These solutions will help us correct the unfortunate jumble and mishmash of continuity problems in the Church. Thank God that we in the 21st century are not alone on our own little desert island in time but we are the servants of the One who owns history itself.
It is important to note that a skewed view of God’s Redemptive activity in history stems from a skewed view of the Redeemer Himself. The God of the Bible is not the localized deity of 21st century America. He is the Lord of History and the transcendent Triune Creator who sustains, and upholds all things.
Secondly, we need to admit that we are by nature chronological snobs. We love to entertain the view that we are infinitely more sophisticated and clever than the generations who came before us. But are we? Not really. Therefore, we need to open the windows of our minds and allow the “breeze of the centuries” to air out all of our stale and snobbish 21st century thinking. We need to allow the saints of the past to enter into the conversations of the present. We need to read the bible not as a book of random fortune-cookie sayings but as a sweeping redemptive-historical drama. We need to return to the historic Reformed Confessions of the Christian faith (I highly recommend the Westminster Confession of Faith which is readily available online and in print). We need to attend churches where the ecumenical creeds of Christianity are confessed, believed, and reinforced through solid, consistent, expository preaching Lord’s Day by Lord’s Day.
These solutions will help us correct the unfortunate jumble and mishmash of continuity problems in the Church. Thank God that we in the 21st century are not alone on our own little desert island in time but we are the servants of the One who owns history itself.
Rev. R Crabtree
"...a son, a husband, a father of 6, a friend, a Presbyterian
(not the liberal kind), an eccentric, and a minister of the gospel... I am also the Pastor of All Souls Church and a Professor of Religious Studies at OCBC."
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