Round the Sphere Again: Church History

The Fathers
Michael Haykin on why you might want to the church fathers, starting, perhaps with Augustine’s Confessions.

Isaac Watts
A few things we can learn from The Reformer You Know By Heart But Not By Name (Mike Cosper at The Gospel Coalition Blog).

• Worship leading is pastoral.
• Contextualization is about comprehension. 
• Worship should be concerned with truth and beauty—but beauty is a servant of truth. 
• Worship should be both wide and deep.

Read the whole post to see these points spelled out.

Called According to Paul: Romans 11:28-29

This is another repost of an old post in the Called According to Paul series. I’m reposting them all, one per week (sort of), so I can link to them in the sidebar under Favorite Posts. An explanation of this series can be found here, and the already reposted pieces are here.

 Here are the verses from Romans 11:

In regard to the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but in regard to election they are dearly loved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. (28-29 NET)

What I’m not going to do is explain exactly what these verses mean. I think we can glean at least a couple of things about the way Paul uses the word “call” without explaining exactly what it is Paul is teaching about the Jews here.

• The call is associated with God’s choice (election). This is a common theme in regards to calling throughout Paul’s writings, so it’s not the first time we’ve seen it.
  
  
• The call is irrevocable. There is certainty or surety in the call.

Is there more? What more can you see about the way Paul uses the word call from these verses?

Sunday's Hymn

The Strife Is O’er

The strife is o’er, the battle done;
The victory of life is won;
The song of triumph has begun: Alleluia!

Refrain

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

The powers of death have done their worst;
But Christ their legions hath dispersed;
Let shouts of holy joy outburst: Alleluia!

The three sad days are quickly sped;
He rises glorious from the dead;
All glory to our risen Head! Alleluia!

He closed the yawning gates of hell;
The bars from heaven’s high portals fell;
Let hymns of praise His triumphs tell! Alleluia!

Lord, by the stripes which wounded Thee,
From death’s dread sting Thy servants free,
That we may live, and sing to Thee: Alleluia!

 Other hymns, worship songs, sermons etc. posted today:

• And Can It Be That I Should Gain at threegirldad
• Of the Works of Christ I Sing at Tried With Fire
• Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken at Rosemary at Home
• At the Feet of Jesus at The Happy Wonderer
• O Day of Rest and Gladness at Field Stone Cottage
• Go, Labour On at Whatever Things
• Lord’s Day 15, 2010 at The Thirsty Theologian
• Voices of the Past - April 10, 2011 at The Upward Call
• The Flame of My Live Is to Worship You (Valley of Vision) at Daily on My Way to Heaven
• Sabbath Keeping at Thistle Cove Farm
• Holy, Holy, Holy at Theology for Girls
• Update: Your Weekly Dose of Spurgeon at Pyromaniacs: A Word in Defense of God’s Justice

Have you posted a hymn (or sermon, sermon notes, prayer, etc.) today and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by contacting me using the contact form linked above, and I’ll add your post to the list.