Dennis Prager has written a wake-up call to our society regarding our thoughts about modern families and respecting our elders. The fodder is the recent Doritos Super Bowl ad. He makes an interesting point. Some of the things we laugh at as a society are some of the sadder points of our corporate existence.
The New York Times reports on an experiment in Vail, AZ in which the school district has outfitted a school bus with a mobile WiFi router. Interestingly, disciplinary problems have all but disappeared. But one has to ask, is this really a productivity booster or are we further capitulating to the entertainment “needs” of today’s students?
The Kaiser Family Foundation has released their study of the use of media among 8 to 18 year olds. The figures are simply astounding. Just to highlight a few of the key findings, overall media use was up to – on average – 7 hours and 38 minutes per day while total media exposure was at 10 hours 45 minutes per day. Many media categories saw increases in use, but music/audio was the biggest category gainer over the 2004-2009 time period. One of the most interesting findings of the study was that more than one media is often being consumed at any given time. Kids are listening to music, streaming Internet video and watching television at the same time. As you might guess, the foundation reports an inverse relationship between media use and academic performance. Read the report and adjust your understanding of today’s reality.
photo from rashdan
The following is an excerpt from John Owen’s The Glory of Christ. John Owen sheds great light on the theological and practical implications of the second commandment in the midst of a chapter explaining the difference between faith and sight.
Crucifixes, Images, and Paintings – An Imaginary Christ
I cannot refrain here from a necessary short digression. This transforming efficacy, from a spiritual view of Christ as proposed in the Gospel, being lost, as to an experience of it, in the minds of men carnal and ignorant of the mystery of believing (as it is at present by many derided, though it be the life of religion), fancy and superstition provided various supplies in the room of it. For they found out crucifixes and images with paintings to represent him in his sufferings and glory. By these things, their carnal affections being excited by their outward senses, they suppose themselves to be affected with him, and to be like him. Yea, some have proceeded so far as, either by arts diabolical, or by other means, to make an appearance of wounds on their hands, and feet, and sides; yea, to be wholly transformed into his image. But that which is produced by an image is but an image. An imaginary Christ will effect nothing in the minds of men but imaginary grace. Read the rest of this entry »
Speaking to your children about sex certainly isn’t on your list of most anticipated things to do. But certainly it’s something that should not be avoided. This was the subject of a recent Albert Mohler Radio Program.
No Christian approves of worshiping idols or disapproves of honoring parents. No brother or sister will accuse you of being legalistic if you’re against stealing or are in favor of telling the truth. But I know many people who object to Sabbath keeping and approve of using the Lord’s Day for work or personal pleasure. We don’t argue about the other nine; why is the fourth commandment a catalyst for more heat than light?
These are some of the questions the Rev. Bruce Ray considers in his book, Celebrating the Sabbath: Finding Rest in a Restless World. Ray laments the low view of the fourth commandment in churches today. Churches today cater to the busy lifestyles of churchgoers by creating more services on more days for shorter periods of time. Ray uses the term “McSabbath” to describe the state of the Lord’s Day in most churches in America. Read the rest of this entry »
Some reformed church members may find it difficult to know whether they should allow their children to partake of the Lord’s supper. Reformed churches vary on this important doctrinal issue. Christ the Center welcomed Dr. Cornelis Venema to discuss the issue of paedocommunion, or admitting non-communicant members to the Lord’s supper. Dr. Venema has written a book on the subject entitled Children at the Lord’s Table: Assessing the Case for Paedocommunion.
For a limited time, Westminster Books is selling a gift set of three children’s books from Ligonier Ministries. The set includes The Prince’s Poison Cup, The Lightlings, and Sammy and His Shepherd: Show Me Jesus in Psalm 23.
R. C. Sproul’s latest children’s book is available.
The Orthodox Presbyterian Church has provided a very helpful resource by including the Trinity Hymnal on its website. This is much more than a help for pastors who are putting together an order for worship. The online hymnal is tremendously useful for families who would like to sing through the hymnal, but may not have anyone who can read music and/or play the piano. The reason being is that along with a searchable index of lyrics comes the ability to listen to the hymns. After getting a feel for the hymn the family could then either sing a cappella or sing right along with the computer-generated accompaniment. Now we only need to ask if computer accompaniment is inside or outside the bounds of the regulative principle!
