The Church in Light of the Trinity
What is the church? Is it a building? Is it a bride? Is it a body? Evidently it’s all of the above. Scripture gives us a myriad of pictures for how we might understand the gathering of believers (Eph. 2:21; 5:22-33, 1 Cor. 15:20-23).[1] Each picture offers a different perspective. But none of them describe the Church in her entirety. Throughout history, the church has been understood largely by her marks and/or attributes. According...
An Interview with Dr. Donald Whitney
I first came across Donald Whitney’s writings while taking an undergrad course on spiritual disciplines at Welch College. It was there that I read his premier work Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. I’ve since read the book numerous times—each time gaining a greater understanding of biblical spirituality. In many ways, Dr. Whitney’s book played a key role for me in better understanding how God uses His ordinary means of...
Book Review: Gospel-Centered Youth Ministry: A Practical Guide
In my job to teach future youth ministers, I come across a myriad of different youth ministry resources. The majority focus on the practical: how to equip volunteers, how to organize amazing lock-ins, etc. In their own right, these books are often very helpful. However, a variety of these books focus on the theological side. These often offer helpful, theological principles for ministry, but they often fail to lead the reader into a...
Ministering in an Age of Distraction
An image has recently surfaced on Twitter showing the intense hold that electronic media has on children The picture portrays a gathering of students in front of one of Rembrandt’s most famous and moving pieces, The Night Watch, at Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum.[1] What’s interesting, although not surprising, is that none of the students are observing the painting, but all of them are looking at their phones. With the opportunity to look at...
Tracing the Crimson Thread
An earlier edition of this article was first published in The Brink Magazine, Vol. VII, Issue 1, Fall 2015 September – November. George MacDonald writes in his delightful little children’s book The Princess and the Goblin about a silvery thread Princess Irene’s grandmother makes for her. This thread is made to lead the young princess back to her grandmother—especially in the midst of danger. The problem is, the thread only works if...
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