Pastor’s Blog

Tim Challies has an article on his blog about why he prefers paper books to electronic readers such as the Kindle. Here’s an excerpt:

Books are the perfect technology. I’m convinced of it. This is why the Kindle experience failed me—it was an attempt to make the book better. And this is impossible to do. There is no technology more perfectly suited to its purpose than this one. In comparison to the book, any e-reader falters and fails.

Click here for the full article.

(posted 6/11/09)

Yesterday saw the conclusion of our 2009 Vacation Bible School, The King Is Coming, produced by Great Commission Publications. Think of it! Covering the scope of redemption history in five days:

1. Creation: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

2. The Fall: By his sin man plunged himself and all creation into sin.

3. The Covenant: God entered into a covenant with Abraham by which he would bless him and the world through him.

4. Salvation: God provides for us a substitute in Christ that we might live.

5. Glory: Christ the King will return to bring in the glorious new heavens and new earth.

God answered many prayers for the week, including good weather. (We did have light rain on Thursday, which didn’t slow us down much at all.) We enjoyed a record enrollment, which made for some pretty full classrooms. Many thanks to our director, Amy Lahr, and all who helped to bring about a great week. Pray for much fruit to come from seeds planted.

(posted 6/6/09)

It’s hard to believe Memorial Day 2009 has come and gone, and summer is here. June brings with it a couple of major events in the life of our church.

June at OPPC means Vacation Bible School. Our VBS this year is June 1-5. The theme is The King is Coming, and we will be learning from the Bible how the kingdom of Christ is advancing. We will cover the Bible in a week: Creation, the Fall, God’s Covenant, His plan of Salvation, and then Christ’s return in Glory. And no VBS would be complete without the outdoor recreation followed by delicious snacks.

Many thanks to this year’s director, Amy Lahr, and all our teachers and workers, for their hard work in  preparing for this week. Please be in prayer for God to be at work in the lives of our children, and the children of our community, to draw them to himself in Christ. Pray for good health for everyone and for good weather. With God’s blessings VBS could be a life-changing event in the lives of many children.

The other big event coming up in June is the General Assembly of the PCA. I like to describe the GA as part business meeting, part trade show, and part PCA family reunion. The Assembly is meeting this year in Orlando. Disney won’t just be nearby; it will be all around us as we’re meeting at the Coronado Springs Resort at Walt Disney World. One major question before us: Will the commissioners be able to resist the urge to adjourn to the Magic Kingdom? Among other questions before the Assembly are overtures having to do with the role of women in ministry in PCA churches. For more information, or to follow live webcasts of the Assembly, go to www.pcaga.com or www.pcanet.org.

Mike Sloan, Jon Richards, and I will be representing Old Peachtree. Jon will serve on the Overtures Committee, which always involves some of the hardest work at GA, since they discuss the various overtures referred to them from the presbyteries and make recommendations on them to the Assembly. I am again an alternate on the Committee on Constitutional Business, whose chief responsibility is to make sure that any proposed changes to our Book of Church Order do not introduce a conflict with another part of it. Mike will be attending his first General Assembly. We promise to spend more time on the floor of the Assembly than on the rides in the theme parks.

Please be in prayer for the Assembly: for safety in travels and for wisdom and the leading of the Spirit in our meetings.

(Posted 6/3/09)