C.J. Mahaney is president of Sovereign Grace Ministries, a family of churches which exists to start, establish, and strengthen local churches with the gospel, for God's glory. After 27 years of pastoring Covenant Life Church in Gaithersburg, MD, he handed the senior pastor role over to Joshua Harris. Read more…

Response From a Reformed Charismatic

by cjmahaney

Excellent post my friend!

My response will be even more brief.

I completely agree with you!

And for further study on this important topic I recommend:

"The Morning I Heard the Voice of God" by John Piper

"Thou Our Guide" chapter 20 in Knowing God by J.I. Packer

"Gudiance" chapter 6 in God's Plan for You by J.I. Packer

"Finding the Will of God" by Bruce Waltke

Posted on February 20, 2008 | Link to this Post | Comments

Making Thanksgiving Memories

by cjmahaney

Mark, thanks for asking about Thanksgiving customs. Initially, I was concerned about the title of your post and didn't find the idea of "Thanksgiving Exercises" too appealing. But I really appreciate the content of your post and the care and leadership you are providing for your family and friends.

Although I’m an “every day alike” kind of guy, this holiday is a wonderful opportunity for our family to express gratefulness to God for the many evidences of grace we have experienced this past year, and most of all, for the substitutionary sacrifice of His Son for our sins.

Thanksgiving Day is also a time for unhurried serious and hilarious conversation with one another—which produces fresh closeness and gratefulness for the love we share as a family.

It’s also about building memories with my children and grandchildren that will last a lifetime, and creating traditions that God-willing can be passed down to future generations I will never live to see. (You can learn all the specifics about the Mahaney family Thanksgiving traditions from my wife and daughters at the girltalk blog here, here and here.)

And of course, our Thanksgiving holiday would not be complete without an appropriate accent on athletics. The Mahaney-family "Turkey Bowl" has been a tradition since the kids were little and takes place every year, regardless of the weather.

Most of all, it is my hope that an overwhelming gratitude for the cross of Jesus Christ be the distinguishing mark of our Thanksgiving Day, and every day throughout the year.

Posted on November 22, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

"Above All Earthly Powers"

by cjmahaney

Mark, Lig and Al—since I was the only one who was able to attend the Desiring God conference, “Above All Earthly Powers,” I thought I would do a brief post relating my experience. Brief, because I would have to type all day to adequately recount all I learned and enjoyed at this great event. I wish you guys could have been there.

As much as I appreciated the content of the excellent messages, the highlight for me was the time I spent with my very good friends Jeff Purswell (Dean of the Sovereign Grace Pastors College) and Joshua Harris (my favorite Senior Pastor). Conferences provide unique and all-too-rare opportunities for priorities that pastors can easily neglect, such as deepening friendships, unhurried discussions about doctrine, and strategic planning for the church. I have discovered that when I am away at a conference, and removed from the daily demands and responsibilities of ministry, I tend to think more creatively and evaluate more effectively.

Therefore, it has been my practice over the past 30 years to take my pastoral team to at least one conference or class at Reformed Theological Seminary each year, for the purpose of learning and deepening our friendship. (BTW, If you want to hear some entertaining stories, ask Don Carson about what it was like to have the Covenant Life pastoral team attend his classes, with me in the back row.) During these trips, we’ve heard great preaching and teaching. But we’ve also used our meal times (and late evenings) for discussion and application. We look into our hearts, we encourage and correct each other, and we contemplate the future together. We laugh much, think much, and eat much—all to the glory of God.

So I would encourage all pastors to build into their schedule and church budget at least one conference a year for you and your pastoral team. And if you are leading a church alone (you have my deepest respect) I would encourage you to attend at least one conference a year with a pastor(s) from another church. As I look back and consider all the wonderful memories and momentous conversations I’ve had at conferences with my friends, I am simply amazed.

Now, I’m not a conference “live blogger,” so I won’t even attempt to give a comprehensive overview of the exceptional content from this past weekend.  I think the messages will be online in just a few days, and CD’s will be available from Desiring God Ministries in the near future.

As you would expect, the conference was a feast of outstanding preaching; but I want to highlight a few moments that stood out to me. Particularly moving were Don Carson and John Piper’s comments to and care for the pastors of smaller churches during one of the panel sessions. There were two panel sessions that were both effectively led by Justin Taylor. In response to a question from Justin, Don and John wisely seized the opportunity to encourage pastors of smaller churches and those who labor faithfully but seem to see little fruit. Don’s tears as he described his father’s faithful pastoral ministry for decades in a rural setting were deeply moving. You could feel the deep effect of his words and his tears upon the souls of all pastors present, but especially those who are faithfully and heroically serving in obscurity. More importantly, you could feel the pleasure of God.

And one other moment that stood out was John Piper’s opening remarks before his message at the final session. John addressed those present who are a part of the emerging church movement and communicated his fatherly concern for them. Since it is clear (and was made clear throughout the conference) that serious doctrinal deficiencies exist in the emerging church, John wanted to communicate his care for those present with whom we disagree. John didn’t want the conference to simply be a series of critiques. Instead, he wanted to persuade and provide the doctrinal discernment that appears to be absent from this movement. And he wanted them to know how much he loved them—even with all his concerns. Again, I felt the pleasure of God.

Then, before he began his message, John made one more comment regarding observations he had previously shared about Mark Driscoll. Earlier in the conference, at the end of a panel session, John had informed us that he had received much criticism for inviting Mark Driscoll to speak at the conference. He explained why he invited Mark and what he appreciated about Mark’s message. He went on to express a concern he had regarding the content of Mark’s message. Though I would have expressed this concern to Mark privately and personally before expressing it publically, I have no doubt that his motive was to serve Mark and those present at the conference. John's critique and concern was related to Mark’s clever comments about culture throughout his message. After the panel session, someone had approached John and observed that John had a tendency to be similarly clever in his comments about the academic world. So before he preached the final session, John acknowledged the accuracy of this observation and correction and its application to his preaching. It was humble for John to inform us of this private conversation and its corrective content. I believe that long after the messages of this conference are forgotten, John’s compelling example of humility will not be forgotten. It will continue to inspire us all to true greatness—to walk humbly before God and with those we have the privilege to serve. Once again, I felt God’s pleasure.

Well, my son Chad just came and asked me if we were going to lunch, like we do each Monday. Immediately and with great joy I informed him that we were. So it’s time for this post to end. I have something much more important to do. Although I am deeply grateful for what I experienced with my friends at this conference, there is nothing that compares to returning home to the arms of the wife I missed so terribly, the son I love so deeply, the hugs of my daughters and sons-in-law, the kisses of my grandchildren, and the encouragement of the local church I love the most.

I look forward to applying all I’ve learned so that by the grace of God I might grow in godliness, serve more effectively, reach out to the lost more consistently and hopefully bring some pleasure to God, who in the mystery of his mercy killed His Son for me.

Posted on October 2, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

A Painful Picture

by cjmahaney

Mark, that picture from your previous post (This One’s for You, CJ) added more pain to my already burdened soul. It’s bad enough that the Yankees just swept the Red Sox, but to make matters worse, I have to root for a United States basketball team led by Coach K in the FIBA World Championship!  I did not need a fresh reminder of Duke Basketball at this time.

Seriously, I am very grateful to God you don’t know anything about sports, my friend. I am glad that you didn’t grow up in my neighborhood where all we did was play hoops. Otherwise, you may not have read the Encyclopedia Britannica in its entirety by age seven. But I’m most grateful to God for your friendship and leadership (great post on SBC mistake).

Now, it appears that the much-appreciated readers of our blog refuse to let me ignore your earlier question, “What is CJ?” By the way, what kind of question is that?

What am I? Well, here is what I am. I am the worst sinner I know. And by the grace of God I am doing better than I deserve. For I deserve the righteous wrath of God because of my sin. I deserve to be punished eternally. But in the mystery of His mercy, God sacrificed and crushed His Son on the Cross--as my substitute--so that I might be forgiven of my sin and know God as my Father rather than my Judge. What am I? I am truly amazed by the grace of God. That’s what I am.

Of much lesser importance, I have the privilege to serve and lead Sovereign Grace Ministries in its mission to plant and support local churches. And I am especially blessed to be a member of Covenant Life Church, “the dearest place on earth.”

Posted on August 23, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

Cross-Centered Relevance

by cjmahaney

Mark, Lig and Al, your biblical insight on this topic of faithfulness and relevance is critically needed in the church today. Thank you for serving us.

The most effective way that I can serve is to post excerpts from my favorite article on this issue: "The Power of the Gospel in the Church Today" by our friend Ray Ortlund, Jr. (Trinity Journal 18, NS, no. 2, Spring 1997). Check out Ray's theologically informed discernment, on what it means to be relevant in ministry, written with remarkable forsight nine years ago:

"We might get the wrong impression from Paul, when he writes in 1 Corinthians 9:22 that he has become 'all things to all men,' that he might by all means save some. Paul was not unbending in meeting people as they were, where they were. He was widely adaptable. But we might get the wrong impression from this passage, if we read it in isolation from Paul's other statements about ministry, as if 1 Corinthians 9 were the whole of his mind. The fact is that Paul was not infinitely flexible in his outreach strategies. He had limits, and in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 he explains one of his boundaries:

'When I came to you, brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God, in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in much fear and trembling; and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. (RSV)'

Paul deliberately chooses ('I decided') not to meet the culturally conditioned expectations of his hearers....The most embarrassing aspect of the gospel—a crucified Savior, a loser Messiah—was the very thing Paul concentrated on. Paul is here exposing to view the controlling center of his ministry strategy. 'Jesus Christ and him crucified' was for Paul, the ultimate criterion for what we today call 'relevance.' And with his typically refreshing outlook, the apostle defined relevance not as we tend to do. For him, relevance had to be defined not in terms of meeting audience expectations but in relation to the centrality of the Cross. His preaching agenda was set by that theological center, not by his audience....

Now, what lessons may we preachers today learn from this amazing passage of Scripture?

First, a biblical preacher critiques his methods, his forms of contextualization, his adaptations to culture, his style, not primarily by the standard of culture but by the superior standard of the gospel itself....The message of the Cross must discipline and control us—indeed, limit us—even though that puts us at a disadvantage in winning an audience.

What one observes in evangelicalism today is that, while many preachers can declare allegiance to all the right doctrines, their theology makes little difference in their preaching beyond drawing the widest, most amorphous and seldom alluded-to boundaries. Their formal credentials may be in order, but the theology they affirm sits very lightly on their actual practice of ministry. It is invisible to their people. Such ministers demonstrate little doctrinal specificity or even discernment—intentionally so?—in their message and style. The biblical gospel may be formally obligatory, but it is personally uninteresting and strategically incidental. Such ministers may be exacting in their methodology, but they are vague in their theology—a curious arrangement of priorities! For Paul, such thinking would have been completely alien to his soul. For him theology reigned supreme in every aspect of his ministry. Theology for him, energized him, cheered him, emboldened him. It was his ministerial fountain of youth. One wonders how far we may drift from Pauline ministry and still retain a plausible claim to biblical authenticity in our work."

I could go on and on with more great stuff from this article. I recommend every pastor obtain and read it for himself, and apply it to the leadership and preaching of your church.  Assign the article to your pastoral team or eldership and together evaluate your church in relation to the content of this article. We must do more than nod our heads as we read, we must make application to our pastoral ministry in very specific ways.

How about your pastoral reading list—is it more focused on the latest pragmatic pastoral fad than the cross of Jesus Christ? Are there more books on your desk from the business section of Barnes and Noble than there are the great works of Calvin, Edwards, Owen and Spurgeon?  Let us not be numbered among those for whom "theology...sits lightly on their practice of ministry" or pastors who are "exacting in their methodology, but vague in their theology."

May it never be said of our pastoral ministry that the gospel was "formally obligatory...but personal uninteresting and strategically incidental."  Instead, by following the example of Paul, let "theology reign supreme" with the message of "Jesus Christ and him crucified." May this be the "the controlling center" of our preaching content, the structures and practices of our church and our evangelistic strategy. Then, and only then, will the church be truly relevant to our culture.

Posted on July 5, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

Deliberate Complementarian Pastors

by cjmahaney

Mark, Lig and Al, thanks for serving us big time with your insightful posts on this important topic. Please keep this stuff coming, boys. And Al and Mark, any possibility you guys could live-blog the Southern Baptist Convention this week? How exciting would that be?  So, how about if you cover the SBC this week, and I will take responsibility for the U.S. Open (that would be an important golf tournament, Al and Mark)? Lig, who ya got in the World Cup?

Well, you have heard from three of my favorite scholars; and now it’s time to hear from a simple, but athletic pastor. Here’s my concern: It is all too easy for us to affirm biblical manhood and womanhood and humbly contend for the complementarian position, and yet fail to intentionally and consistently apply this body of teaching to our lives and churches. So this post is a reminder to us as pastors that we must not only proclaim truth but practice truth. Preaching on biblical manhood and womanhood is not enough--we must transfer this body of truth to every member of our churches. Complementarianism must be functional in our personal lives and in our churches, not simply professed. And we must not lose sight of the difference biblical manhood and womanhood can and should make for husbands, wives, children and singles. 

Our responsibilities as pastors fall into two categories: Personal Application and Pastoral Strategy.

1)    Personal Application

Our teaching on this topic will only be as effective as our personal example. Modeling precedes teaching. Biblical instruction cannot be divorced from personal example. We must provide our churches with a genuine (not perfect) model of biblical masculinity. It is possible to skillfully teach Genesis 1-3 or Ephesians 5 and yet neglect to apply these passages to our lives. So, let me ask you: Where and how are you going to demonstrate biblical manhood to your wife and children this week? What difference is your complementarian position going to make in your life and for those you love, lead, and serve? If I spent the week with you, would your conviction about biblical masculinity be obvious?

Gentlemen, here is a gift you can give to your wife this week. Set aside a few hours of uninterrupted time, and ask her to honestly evaluate your personal example of godliness and your leadership in the home.

I dare you to ask her this question:

Where do I need to grow in serving and leading you?

For bonus points, ask this question:

Where do I need to grow in serving and leading the children?

This one conversation could initiate dramatic changes in your life.

After you’ve talked to your wife, I would encourage you to relate the details to a fellow elder, pastor or friend. Invite their questions and observations and make yourself accountable to them for application. This step will weaken pride and cultivate humility. Because God gives grace to the humble, this is a very smart thing to do. In fact, it would be stupid not to, since God opposes the proud. So, let us avoid being mere advocates of the complementarian position. By the grace of God we must be functional complementarians, and this must be evident for all to see.

I double dare you to ask your wife that question.

2)    Pastoral Strategy

Do you have a strategy for helping your church demonstrate biblical manhood and womanhood? If so, what is your strategy? What is your plan to clarify, cultivate and celebrate biblical manhood and womanhood in your church? This must be done intentionally, strategically and consistently--not occasionally. And it won’t get done if you don’t lead humbly, wisely, and boldly.

Here’s why: The members of our churches are daily being assaulted by a feminist worldview and culture. They are breathing feminist air each and every day. So do not assume that your statement of faith or last year’s teaching series are sufficient to protect your church from cultural or evangelical feminism.

Here’s how: Begin by thinking through each ministry in your church. Is biblical manhood and womanhood modeled and explicitly taught in each ministry? What about your children’s ministry? How about the youth ministry? The worship team? The counseling ministry? Thoroughly evaluate every aspect of your church, including the teaching diet on Sundays. Then devise a specific plan to channel this important body of teaching through each ministry of your church to every member of your church for every year you pastor the church.

Although I attempted to be brief and concise, this has once again become the never-ending post. My apologies. The fact is, I am not sufficiently gifted to be concise. But before I conclude, I must reaffirm that our motivation for biblical manhood and womanhood is the gospel. I am convinced that the complementarian position will strengthen the church in her God given-role to proclaim and protect the gospel. And the most effective apologetic (apart from Scripture) for the complementarian position is marriages, families and singles who radiate the beauty and wisdom of God’s plan for men and women. Biblical manhood and womanhood is the life-transforming effect of the gospel on full display. When a church teaches, practices and honors gender distinctions determined by our good and wise God, the gospel will advance. But this will only happen where there are humble and courageous pastors who lead every member and ministry of the church by personal example and with strategic pastoring.

Posted on June 11, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

New Attitude

by cjmahaney

Mark and Al, I am looking forward to our time together tomorrow night. Lig, it won’t be the same without you, my friend, but I am glad you can join us by phone later in the evening. I’m sure our conversation will prove to be edifying and exhausting (from laughing and staying up late).

The reason Mark, Al and I will be together in Louisville is because we are speaking at the New Attitude conference, led by my favorite Senior Pastor, Joshua Harris. This event equips college students with the gospel. As I play the back nine of life, few things bring me more joy than to see the next generation passionate about the gospel and the local church.

And speaking of joy, I just now glanced at a Spurgeon quote displayed on my desk. It’s my daily reminder about the importance and priority of joy:

“Moreover, labor is easy to those of a cheerful spirit; success waits on cheerfulness. The ones who work while rejoicing in God and believing with all their hearts have success guaranteed.”

My challenge each day is not so much working hard, but cheerfully working hard.  If I understand Scripture accurately, I will not glorify God simply by working hard. To truly bring Him honor, I must labor with a cheerful spirit. Therefore, I must not only serve my family each day, but I must serve them with joy. I must not only prepare a sermon, I must do it cheerfully. I must not only labor faithfully in the church, I must do so happily.  Merely working hard is not sufficient. It must be done with gladness.  It is for my good and His glory that God has given this sweet command, ‘Serve the Lord with gladness” (Psalm 100:2).

So, Mark and Al, thanks for gladly serving at this conference. Lig, Mark will be teaching a session on Biblical Theology (“The Story: Understanding the Storyline of the Bible”), and Al will be addressing “Cultural Discernment from a Biblical Worldview.” I have the privilege of speaking on “The Cross: A Meditation on Jesus’ Atoning Death (Isa. 53).” Again, Lig, you will be missed, but I respect you for joyfully serving the local church you love.

Posted on May 25, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

Mahaney as Grateful

by cjmahaney

Mark, your encouragement in your most recent post (Mahaney as Bunyan) is very kind, very meaningful and very humbling, my friend. I want to communicate how deeply grateful to God I am for the education you have pursued and the difference this has made in my life. The theological training you have received and the hard work you have invested in the study of God’s Word has been a gift to all of us who learn so much from you. And I sure hope you are enjoying all the encouragement and fruit from the T4G conference. That conference was the fruit of your leadership and your heart to serve pastors. You were the one who brought the four of us together for the gospel. And you were the one who led us in this unique and memorable conference. I trust you feel our deep gratefulness.  Be assured that I am praying for you as you serve the church in Australia and as you endure an abscessed tooth. I am sorry that you will be welcomed home with a root canal, but I look forward to our time together when you return.

Lig, that was a great post on T4G Hopes. But I am still waiting for your answer to my question “What is the gospel?” my friend. In addition to your outstanding message at the T4G conference (best I’ve heard on the topic), your rap with your brother John—and I am completely serious—was an example of your winsome humility. Thanks for your example and the enduring memory. Years from now, when we are working hard to even recall the messages from the conference, your reformed rap performance will remain a vivid memory for us all.

Al, thank you for serving Covenant Life Church (the church I love the most) and my favorite Senior Pastor, Joshua Harris, so effectively this past Sunday. According to everyone I have talked to, your message, “The Bible, The DaVinci Code and the Christian” was simply outstanding. This message is yet another example of the cultural discernment you provided in your superb sermon at T4G. What a unique gift you are to the church. And our time together on Monday at Bertram’s Inkwell and lunch was a pure blast, my friend. While I wish I could have been there for your message Sunday, I had the privilege and joy of speaking at Bethlehem Baptist Church for our friend John Piper while he is on a writing sabbatical.  And I would appreciate the support of you guys in prayer as I have that privilege and joy again this weekend.

But before I leave for Minneapolis, I wanted to express my gratefulness for friends and leaders like you men. What a gift you are to me and so many.

“How can we thank God enough for you, in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you?” 1 Thessalonians 3:9

Posted on May 13, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

Extraordinary and Unforgettable

by cjmahaney

Since my return from Together for the Gospel, I have been asked the following question countless times: “So, how was the conference?” And each time I have paused, trying to craft an appropriate description. I’ve found it to be a difficult task. Normally, I just end up repeating the words “extraordinary” and “unforgettable.” I doubt this proves particularly helpful, but I don’t know what else to say. For me the conference was, well, “extraordinary and unforgettable.” God’s grace was richly present among us at every moment.

Your encouragement has been so meaningful to Mark, Al, Lig, and myself. You men have buried us under an avalanche of e-mails and letters sincerely and specifically communicating your gratefulness for the conference. The evidences of God’s grace you describe seem to be endless, and I often find tears filling my eyes as I read your comments. We simply cannot thank you enough for your expressions of gratefulness. To know that God enabled us to effectively serve you brings some serious joy to our souls. I only wish I could look each of you in the eye and say “thanks.” With deep gratefulness in our hearts we ascribe all glory to God for what took place. As the Psalmist says, “This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes” (118:23).

On Thursday evening I had the privilege of introducing John Piper. I asked for the assistance of Jonathan Edwards in this task. Here is how Edwards encouraged his church to view “faithful ministers of the gospel:”

“Useful men are some of the greatest blessings of a people. To have many such is more for a people’s happiness than almost anything, unless it be God’s own gracious, spiritual presence amongst them: they are precious gifts of heaven…Particularly, I would beseech and exhort those aged ones that yet remain, while they do live with us, to let us have much of their prayers, that when they leave the younger generations, they may leave God with them.”

These words are not only an appropriate introduction of John Piper, these words are an accurate description of the many pastors in attendance at T4G. You men are “some of the greatest blessings of a people.” You “are precious gifts of heaven.” And you are doing the most important and difficult work. For you daily care for the saints “[Christ] obtained with his own blood (Acts 20:28).” You “leave God with them” each week as you preach, counsel and serve the church. And one day “when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory” (I Peter 5:4).

You men are our heroes. And it was a pure privilege and joy to be with you and serve you during those few extraordinary and unforgettable days together for the gospel.

Posted on May 6, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

Packer on Reading and Study

by cjmahaney

"I think that the priority for every pastoral leader must be his own personal time with God over the Scriptures, and anything he does by way of preparation must flow out of that. The first requirement for authoritative, perceptive communication of the word of God is that you yourself should be experiencing the power of it. The Puritan John Owen said, 'A man only preaches that sermon well which first preaches itself in his own soul.' He was profoundly right." J.I. Packer

Posted on April 21, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

A Plan for Reading and Study

by cjmahaney

A while back I promised a post on how to develop a plan for reading and study. We’ve been covering a variety of topics on this blog, but I didn’t forget my promise. I hope this brief post proves helpful.

If you haven’t already read all the great posts on this topic--provided by Lig (his series might still be going), Mark and Al--please make time to peruse this material. And if you’ve already read it, let me encourage you to review it again. You will be freshly inspired by the content and discouraged by all you’ve forgotten.

It’s important to read these posts again, because if you don’t have a conviction about the importance of study, talking about a plan would be premature. Let the following words by Charles Bridges create a renewed conviction about the importance of studying Scripture--not simply because we are pastors, but because we are Christians:

“For if we should study the Bible more as ministers than as Christians, more to find matter for the instruction of our people than food for the nourishment of our own souls, we neglect to place ourselves at the feet of our divine teacher, our communion with him is cut off and we become mere formalists in our sacred profession.”

May God protect us from becoming “mere formalists in our sacred profession.”

So, do you have a plan for reading and study? Do you have a plan for each week, each month and each year? If not, your good intentions will be hijacked by the urgent and issues of secondary importance. You will look busy and maybe even feel productive, but eventually there will be a withering effect on your soul and in your preaching. But this doesn’t have to happen. It’s not inevitable, unless, of course, you don’t have a plan.

Here is what I recommend. Before your week attacks you (and each week will do this), attack your week. Spend time at the beginning of each week determining when and how long you need to read and study in order to cultivate passion for the Savior and prepare the sermon for Sunday. This simple practice can make all the difference. It has for me.

This practice protects my time of study from the many requests that come up each week. Because I have already determined what is most important, it is easier to decline or reschedule a request if it interferes with reading and study. Obviously, however, there will be emergencies and exceptions.

I would also recommend informing the church of your divinely prescribed mandate to study. This will help your people to understand this is a biblical priority for you as their pastor, and not simply a personal preference. Explain why you devote yourself to this task and how they will ultimately benefit. And ask them to pray for you as you devote yourself to the study of Scripture in service of the church.

So how much time should you devote to reading and studying each week, month or year? Lots! Actually, I can’t answer that question for you. You must work hard and seek counsel to come up with your own custom-designed plan. If you don’t know how or where to start, check out John Stott’s time allotments for study (apart from sermon preparation), which he has followed for many years:

One hour a day
One 3 hour period a week
One day every month
One week every year

This plan sure seems to have worked well for Mr. Stott.

Now, let me conclude with one personal recommendation. I encourage pastors to take two 3-day retreats each year for the purpose of reading, study, praying and planning. Put these dates on the calendar before the year begins. I have found that this unhurried time away from the daily routine of ministry refreshes my soul and makes all the difference in my leadership. I believe it will have the same affect on you. I would however, not recommend taking a retreat in March. The temptation to watch college basketball is too distracting. So take your retreat in a month where there is no Madness!

Posted on April 19, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

Dever on the Old Testament

by cjmahaney

Al, thanks for recommending Mark's article on the atonement in Christianity Today and commending Mark for this article. I couldn't agree more. And thanks for your fine post on the meaning of the gospel.

In case you guys didn't know, Mark's latest book, The Message of the Old Testament: Promises Made, was just published by Crossway. It is a must-have for every pastor's library, and it is outstanding. Not to mention, it is only 959 pages in length.

This book comes with some serious endorsements. Check out the following:

"This book is a landmark in the history of Bible expostion--a homiletical tour de force." Phil Ryken

"Mark Dever's one-sermon whole-Bible-book overviews are a treasure trove for preachers, Bible teachers and growing Christians." Ligon Duncan

"Mark Dever has done the Christian community a great service in publishing these sermons." David Peterson

"This is a bold project, some might say foolhardy, but Mark Dever has brilliantly succeeded." Vaughn Roberts

"In a day of worrisome biblical illiteracy, even among Christians, there is a pressing need for books that give the big picture and provide surefooted guides for negotiating the Bible's vast and subtle territory. To produce such a book is no easy task, yet that is what Dr. Dever has done." Carl Trueman

"Once again, this Duke graduate makes the university and the basketball team proud." Coach K

And the endorsements just go on and on, as they should for this book. Although the endorsement by Coach K cannot be verified.

Mark, thanks for all your hard work over the years preparing this material. Thanks for your compelling example in the pulpit by preaching this material. And thanks for providing pastors and Christians with this material.

Posted on April 17, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

The Gospel

by cjmahaney

Recently, someone on this blog asked two excellent questions:

What is the gospel?

What is the most serious threat to the gospel?

The following is my attempt to answer these important questions with the help of those much smarter than myself:

1) What is the gospel?

No question is more important, and biblical clarity in response to this question is critical. Sadly, confusion about the gospel is quite common among professing evangelicals today. I find Graeme Goldsworthy’s comment all too relevant: “The main message of the Bible about Jesus Christ can easily become mixed with all sorts of things that are related to it. We see this in the way people define or preach the gospel. But it is important to keep the gospel itself clearly distinct from our response to it or from the results of it in our lives and in the world.”

So here is my attempt to heed the counsel of Dr. Goldsworthy and keep the gospel “clearly distinct.”

The following definition of the gospel, provided by Jeff Purswell , the Dean of our Pastors College, seeks to capture the substance of the gospel:

“The gospel is the good news of God’s saving activity in the person and work of Christ. This includes his incarnation in which he took to himself full (yet sinless) human nature; his sinless life which fulfilled the perfect law of God; his substitutionary death which paid the penalty for man’s sin and satisfied the righteous wrath of God; his resurrection demonstrating God’s satisfaction with his sacrifice; and his glorification and ascension to the right hand of the Father where he now reigns and intercedes for the church.

“Such news is specific: there is a defined ‘thatness’ to the gospel which sets forth the content of both our saving faith and our proclamation. It is objective, and not to be confused with our response. It is sufficient: we can add nothing to what Christ has accomplished for us--it falls to us simply to believe this news, turning from our sins and receiving by faith all that God has done for us in Christ.”

I find this definition of the gospel faithful to the presentation of the four Gospels—they present the person and work of Christ as the good news. In the Apostle Paul’s concise summation of the gospel, he focuses more particularly on Christ’s death and resurrection as the core of his proclamation:

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures….” 1 Cor 15:3-4

Focusing more specifically still, the apostle encapsulates the work of Christ by focusing on the cross:

“For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” 1 Cor. 2:2

So that is the gospel: God’s saving work in and through Christ. And the cross is the pinnacle of that work. Knox Chamblin helpfully notes this emphasis in Paul’s writing and ministry:

“His gospel is ‘the word of the cross’ (1 Cor. 1:17-18); nowhere is there a comparable reference to ‘the word of the resurrection.’ In I Corinthians 1:23-24 it is ‘Christ crucified’ who is identified as ‘the power of God and the wisdom of God,’ not as we might have expected (especially in the case of ‘power’), Christ resurrected…. Both the cross and the resurrection are ‘of first importance’ in Paul’s gospel (I Cor. 15:3-4). Unless Christ has risen from the dead, the preaching of the cross (and of the resurrection) is a waste of time (15:14); but once the resurrection has occurred, the cross remains central.”

And the centrality of the cross isn’t temporary. The cross remains on center stage even when we receive a glimpse of eternity in the New Testament’s final book:

“One is taken aback by the emphasis upon the Cross in Revelation. Heaven does not ‘get over’ the cross, as if there are better things to think about; heaven is not only Christ-centered, but cross-centered, and quite blaring about it.” Jim Elliff

There is nothing more important than getting the gospel right. Years ago, John Stott made the following frightening observation of the evangelical church when he wrote, “All around us we see Christians relaxing their grasp on the gospel, fumbling it, and in danger of letting it drop from their hands altogether.” It is my prayer that God would use the Together for the Gospel conference to strengthen our grip upon the glorious gospel.

2) What is the most serious threat to the gospel?

For this question I think J.C. Ryle provides us with enduring discernment:

“You may spoil the gospel by substitution. You have only to withdraw from the eyes of the sinner the grand object which the Bible proposes to faith--Jesus Christ--and to substitute another object in His place… and the mischief is done.

“You may spoil the gospel by addition. You have only to add to Christ, the grand object of faith, some other objects as equally worthy of honor, and the mischief is done.

“You may spoil the gospel by disproportion. You have only to attach an exaggerated importance to the secondary things of Christianity, and a diminished importance to the first things, and the mischief is done.

“Lastly, but not least, you may completely spoil the gospel by confused and contradictory directions… Confused and disorderly statements about Christianity are almost as bad as no statement at all. Religion of this sort is not evangelical.”

3) Personal Application

It’s not difficult to identify distortions of the gospel. But as a pastor, one of my main concerns for genuine Christians is a more subtle one: either assuming the gospel or neglecting the gospel. I have found this to be the greatest threat to the gospel in my own life. Jerry Bridges echoes this concern when he writes, “The gospel is not only the most important message in all of history; it is the only essential message in all of history. Yet we allow thousands of professing Christians to live their entire lives without clearly understanding it and experiencing the joy of living by it.”

So let us not only apply discernment to the church at large, but to our own hearts as well. Let us, in the words of Jerry Bridges, “Preach the gospel to ourselves daily.” Let us heed Charles Spurgeon’s exhortation: “Abide hard by the cross and search the mystery of his wounds.” Let us respond to John Stott’s invitation: “The Cross is a blazing fire at which the flame of our love is kindled, but we have to get near enough for its sparks to fall on us.”

So how can we get near enough? The following are books that will position you to experience the transforming sparks of the gospel:

The Cross of Christ by John Stott. A personal favorite. Stott says of the Savior, “It was by his death that he wished above all else to be remembered.” This book won’t let you forget.

The Gospel for Real Life by Jerry Bridges. The man who taught me how to preach the gospel to myself will teach you to do the same.

The Message of Salvation by Philip Ryken. This excellent book deserves a broad readership. My oldest daughter recently thanked me for recommending this book to her and told me how much she was benefiting from this book. You will benefit as well.

The Message of the New Testament by Mark Dever. My good friend reveals the storyline of the Bible in each and every book of the New Testament. A must read for pastors but highly recommended for all. My wife has really enjoyed reading Mark’s book.

The Cross and Christian Ministry by D.A. Carson. For pastors this is another must-read. I’m indebted to Dr. Carson for this book. It has defined effective pastoral ministry for me, and I pray it will do the same for you.

That ought to get you started. Each of these books will draw you near enough to the “blazing fire of the cross so that its sparks” will fall on you and kindle fresh love for the Savior in your soul.

Posted on April 7, 2006 in Gospel | Link to this Post | Comments

Together for the Gospel

by cjmahaney

I love this title for our conference. There is so much communicated in so few words. We are friends because of the gospel. And given our diverse backgrounds and denominations (and athletic abilities), this is the only explanation for the rich friendship that exists between us. What has brought us together should bring all Christians together.

But sadly, given the doctrinal deficiencies present in American evangelicalism we cannot assume that the gospel is clearly understood. Confusion about the content of the gospel is evident across the evangelical landscape.

So, let me ask two very important questions and put you boys to work this week: What is the gospel? What is the most serious threat to the gospel in the evangelical church today?

Posted on March 27, 2006 in Gospel | Link to this Post | Comments

Thankful to God for My Son Chad

by cjmahaney

Mark, I’m glad you asked who we are thanking God for today. I’m sure each of us has a very long list of those we simply cannot thank God enough for (1 Thess. 3:9), beginning with our wives.

Today is my son Chad’s 13th birthday and I am thanking God for my special boy. Chad, thank you, my son, for all the joy you bring to me. Thank you for the way you love the Savior, honor your parents, care for your family and serve the church. No father could be more pleased with his son. I love you with all my heart!

Posted on March 26, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

Fathers and Daughters

by cjmahaney

If you are wondering where everyone is today and what they are doing, here is my best guess:

Mark is in Cambridge, England, and you can be sure he's not thinking about March Madness.

Wherever Al is right now, he is doing at least 5 things at once and doing them all equally well. Don't even think about trying this. Mere mortals cannot do this.

Lig is no doubt leading a meeting somewhere (although he is thinking about March Madness). And no one leads a meeting more effectively than Lig, which is why Lig is the president of 16 different Christian ministries and counting.

And me, well, I am just happy as can be, because Duke lost last night.

On a serious note, let me take this opportunity to thank all the readers of our blog for your encouraging comments. Although we can’t respond to all of the comments (thanks for your understanding), we do read each one and your encouragement has been very meaningful.

In light of recent posts I’ve written for fathers and sons, there have been requests for similar practical advice for fathers and daughters. My wife, Carolyn, and oldest daughter, Nicole, wrote a book entitled Girl Talk: Mother-Daughter Conversations on Biblical Womanhood, and they asked me to address a chapter to fathers and daughters. If you are interested in reading this “Word to Fathers,” simply click here. I hope it’s helpful.

Did I mention that Duke lost? Oh happy day!

Posted on March 24, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

Oh Happy Day!

by cjmahaney

LSU 62-Duke 54

Posted on March 23, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

My Final Four

by cjmahaney

Lig, you are a rare combination of pastor, scholar and athlete, with a broad knowledge of sports. What a detailed forecast of tournament play you have provided for us! We are a unique full-service blog, are we not? Where else can you read conversations about the gospel interrupted by insightful predictions about the NCAA men’s basketball tournament?

Now, before I reveal my final four, I think it is important for me to state that I have not employed the gifts of the Spirit in the process of determining my picks. That wouldn’t be fair to my cessationist friends. So, my predictions are solely the result of my observation and not the fruit of the Spirit’s unique influence. The following picks were finalized before the tournament began:

• Boston College
• UCLA
• Connecticut
• I can’t bring myself to type the name of this last school. Let’s just say, I won’t ever buy a Chevy.

And I am predicting, right here and now on the T4G blog, that Boston College will win it all. Now, Lig, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that is a stupid pick. (Although, you wouldn't say this, because you are a humble and kind man.)

I understand your thinking. This is a stupid pick, or at least it appears to be. But look, any fool can pick UConn or that other team with the coach selling cars during commercials (Can anyone say, “Unfair recruiting advantage”?). But, if you go crazy and pick Boston College and they win, well, you look like a genius. So that’s my strategy. Actually, I just want any school to win other than the one school I don’t want to win. And even though I have tried again, I simply cannot bring my fingers to type out the name of this school.

Finally, in the interest of full disclosure, let me inform you that I’m in 7th place (out of nine) in my own family pool. My oldest daughter, Nicole, knows nothing about basketball, but she picked George Mason because she lives in Fairfax, Virginia and Georgetown because it is close by. My wife, Carolyn, is ahead of me because she picked Florida where she grew up and West Virginia because we have vacationed there. So, it appears to me that those with little or no knowledge of basketball have an advantage over those of us with a vast knowledge of the game. That is just another reason why it is appropriately called March Madness.

Posted on March 22, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

Fathers and Sons and Sundays

by cjmahaney

Yep, Mark, I follow a similar approach in order to prepare Chad for the Sunday meeting at Covenant Life Church, only this event is much more important than basketball. Actually, as I understand it, parenting is all about preparation. I need to prepare Chad to fulfill his call as a man to serve and lead, and ultimately I must prepare him for the fast-approaching day of judgment.

My approach to preparing Chad for the Sunday meeting has been informed by the doctrine of the church as clearly taught in Scripture and the Savior’s love for the church as compelling demonstrated on the cross. I want to inform my son theologically about the church and demonstrate for him a passion for the church. I want to transfer to him my love for Covenant Life Church in particular.

Imparting a love for the church must begin with my example. Modeling precedes teaching. Before we teach, we must provide a genuine (not a perfect) example for our children. So, in order to effectively prepare Chad for Sunday, I must first prepare my own heart.

I build anticipation for Sunday by statements I make about Sunday. For many years I have referred to Sunday as my favorite day of the week. And I love Spurgeon’s description of the church as “the dearest place on earth.” That’s how I feel about CLC. So, as Sunday approaches, and finally arrives, I talk to Chad (and everyone else I come in contact with) about how Sunday is the best day of the week, when we go to the dearest place on earth.

Covenant Life Church on Sunday is also the happiest place on earth. There should be no happier gathering than the one where we are reminded of the Savior’s substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, where He satisfied the righteous wrath of God and secured our forgiveness and justification. Thus, preparing Chad for the Sunday meeting begins first in my heart and with my example. But there are certain grace-motivated practices I seek to model for Chad and inspire him to emulate each Sunday. The following would be a sampling:

• Greeting--I want Chad to serve others by cheerfully greeting them. This also helps him put to death selfishness and overcome the fear of man.

• Serving--Chad’s love for the church will grow as he serves in the church. At present, he serves on the children’s ministry administrative team, and together we hand out bulletins and greet folks as they arrive on Sunday.

• Encouraging--I want Chad to take special note of the army of folks joyfully serving each Sunday and express his appreciation to them. The Savior defines true greatness as humbly serving others for the glory of God. True greatness in the form of humility and servanthood is on display each Sunday at CLC, and I want Chad to discern and acknowledge true greatness. So, each Sunday I help Chad to be intentional about thanking folks for the different ways they serve. And I have him encourage whoever has preached that day. Yesterday, he thanked and encouraged Joshua Harris (my favorite Senior Pastor) for the outstanding message he preached from Luke 15.

• Singing--I want Chad to sing sincerely and passionately during worship. Singing is an appropriate response to the Savior for His amazing grace. Through singing, Chad is loving God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. A parent can discern a lot about their child’s heart by the presence or absence of participation and passion in worship.

• Learning--I believe in the importance of hearing expository preaching as a primary means of grace for the Christian. The preaching event must be a priority for our children. Therefore, listening carefully and responding appropriately to the sermon is very important. Both Chad and I take notes during the sermon. This helps us to listen carefully and is invaluable as we review the sermon together during the week. Yesterday, Chad told me he took seven pages of notes on Joshua’s sermon (his notebook paper is small). 

So this is what I do. I’m not suggesting you have to do the same thing, but every father must do something to prepare their sons (and daughters) for Sunday. Please don’t think that preparing my son for the Sunday meeting takes a lengthy period of time. It does not. Since we have discussed these practices at length, many times, I am able to remind him in just a few minutes. He is quite familiar with the question: “Chad, how are you and Dad going to please and glorify God at the meeting this morning?” This brief conversation can make all the difference in both our lives that day.

Before I conclude, I must mention the importance of review after the Sunday meeting. If all we do is prepare our children without review, there will be minimal application and therefore little effect. So, Chad and I have multiple conversations about the Sunday meeting throughout the week. It usually begins on the car-ride home, and is normally a part of the time we spend together each Monday afternoon. Monday is my day off, and Monday afternoon Chad and I hang out together. Unhurried conversation on a wide variety of topics is a part of this time, and we often review our experience of the Sunday meeting. If not during this time, we’ll go over the Sunday meeting when we have devotions together during the week. Much of my review with Chad involves encouraging him and celebrating how he has applied truth to his life. Discerning and celebrating evidences of grace in Chad’s life is a daily priority and practice for me as his father. I want my son to experience my affection and hear my encouragement each and every day.

Now this has gone on way too long and you shouldn’t have to devote an entire day to reading my post. But there is one more point I must make, so please hear me out. I am not an expert on fathering. Daily I am reminded of my weakness and sin, and I often need to ask for my son’s forgiveness. I am a fellow sinner and address all fathers from that perspective. And ultimately my confidence is not in my fathering skill or the aforementioned practices. My confidence is in God’s grace and His eagerness to reveal the gospel of grace to my son. Left to myself, I am in way over my head as a father. But God hasn’t left me to myself. He has called me to this holy task. He has given Chad to me as a gift and a holy assignment. Chad needs to be trained and I need to be sanctified. And God has promised to do both by His grace and for His glory.

Posted on March 20, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

Final Four

by cjmahaney

My friends, I think we have a moral obligation to publicly reveal our picks for the final four as well as which team we think will win it all.

Mark, I’m assuming you have Cambridge winning it all, but this isn’t rowing, my friend. And Al, these can’t be Mary’s picks; they must be your picks. I had a friend suggest that if you didn’t have any help from a knowledgeable fan your final four picks would be Harvard, Stanford, Oxford and Cambridge. And did you guys know that Lig conveniently scheduled minor surgery (surgery is minor only when it’s not you) for last week? You’ve got to admire a man who knows the optimal time of year for surgery. March is always the best time for a medical procedure, followed by extensive recovery time watching the madness.

Here’s the rule. Your picks have to appear by Thursday noon or they won’t be recognized.

So, who ya got?

Oh, I almost forgot--Al and Lig, given all your titles and positions, can’t you get us tickets to the final four? I’m questioning your actual influence if you can’t deliver tickets.

Posted on March 19, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

Fathers and Sons and March Madness

by cjmahaney

Lig, your care and comfort at this difficult time are much appreciated. I didn’t expect Maryland to be invited to the big dance and they didn’t deserve to be invited (neither did Air Force, George Mason or 4 teams from the Missouri Valley Conference). Maryland fans will comfort themselves with memories of our national championship in 2002 as we anticipate the sweet news of a Duke loss in the tournament. Sunday night after the tournament selections were announced, Chad and I continued our tradition of going out to a local restaurant and filling out our brackets together. I have Duke losing in every round. Thursday can’t come fast enough. Let the madness begin!

I will do my best to provide some answers to your excellent questions about fathers and sons and sports. It is certainly an area I have given some thought and attention to, because of my love for sports and my son Chad’s participation in sports. My son is not only familiar with my love for sports, he is also aware of my idolatrous devotion to sports prior to my conversion. For me, participation in sports growing up was a means of self-exaltation. But I want my son to glorify God and not himself when he plays. So from a young age I have sought to protect him from emulating my past sinful example while building into his soul an appreciation for playing sports as a gift from God. I attempted to address this topic in chapter twelve of Humility: True Greatness.

Playing sports holds great potential for growth in godliness for our sons, but only if we as fathers lead our sons theologically and strategically. I fear that all too often our sons devote significant time to playing sports with little growth in godliness. Here is where the example and leadership of a father can make all the difference. It is our responsibility as fathers to teach and prepare our sons with biblical priorities prior to a game (or practice) and not to assume that we have fulfilled our fatherly responsibility simply by attending the game. And after the game, we should encourage and celebrate evidences of godliness and not primarily our sons’ athletic ability or achievements. Our priorities for our sons’ participation in sports must be theologically informed priorities rather than culturally celebrated priorities. Fathers who aren’t theologically informed are more impressed with athletic ability, statistics and final scores than they are biblical masculinity and godly character.

So, prior to each practice and game (Chad plays basketball and soccer) I have a conversation with my son about how he can glorify God. Here is a sampling of the biblical priorities and practices I review with him:

• Humbly receive correction from your coach and ask your coach how you can grow in character as well as athletic skill.

• Thank your coaches for the way they have served you. And thank the referees after each game.

• Encourage your teammates for their display of godly character and athletic skill--in that order of priority.

• Encourage your opponents during and after the game. If you knock someone over, extend your hand to help them up.

• Play the game passionately and unselfishly. Serve your team by playing aggressive defense [his father never did this] and passing the ball on offense [again, his father never did this].

• Humbly respond when the referee calls a foul on you. Do not complain or disagree in word or by facial expression [his father never did this].

• No inappropriate celebrating after you score; instead, recognize that others played a role [his father never did this].

• Thank the team manager for the way he served and recognize the humility and servanthood he is displaying each game. True greatness is sitting on the end of the bench.

There is nothing original or profound about this list. But helping my son apply it to his heart and life can make a profound difference. So after each game, I review the above list with my son. I go over the game with him and celebrate any and all expressions of humility and godly character. I tell him that this is more important to me than how many points he scored or whether his team won the game (although we do play to win!). Remember, fathers, what you honor and celebrate, your son will emulate. Therefore, we must celebrate godly character more than athletic ability or achievement.

This applies to watching a game as well. So as Chad and I watch the tournament, I will draw his attention to any evidence of humility or unselfishness I observe, as well as any expression of arrogance or selfishness. I will celebrate the former and ridicule the latter. I don’t just watch the game with Chad; I seize it as a teaching moment to equip him with discernment about true greatness in the eyes of God.

My passion for my son as he plays sports is that he would please and glorify God. I want him to grow in godliness, not simply athletic ability. You see, Chad will never play professional sports. His participation in sports is temporary and meant to be preparatory. Like his father, he will inevitably grow old and only be able to walk for recreation or play golf poorly. But, by the grace of God, sports can help him grow in godly character and prepare him for manhood. His participation in sports can equip him to fulfill his calling as a man to humbly and courageously serve and lead in the home, church and culture. But for that to happen, a father must teach his son to discern and adopt biblical priorities and practices while playing sports.

Posted on March 14, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

March Madness

by cjmahaney

I’m here, Mark, but I’m a little distracted because March Madness has begun! I am very concerned Maryland will not be invited to the big dance, but I am looking forward to Duke losing in the tournament. I will be sure to let you know when that happens.

Hey, I experienced quite the surprise on Monday when Al called me to talk about college basketball. On the way home from the conference he read Last Dance, by John Feinstein. I was stunned. There is hope for Al, but I’m afraid I have no hope that you will develop even the slightest interest in sports. You are missing out big time, my friend, especially at this time of year. Luther would have loved March Madness.

There were a number of topics I considered posting on this week. I still intend to do a post about the importance of a plan for reading and study. But I must first add my voice to the reflections on last week’s Shepherd’s Conference--an extraordinary conference indeed. I would like to briefly draw attention to one of the pronounced evidences of God’s grace I observed.

John MacArthur, Dan Dumas, and the members of Grace Community Church put on a clinic in the art of serving. Though the preaching at the conference was outstanding, the example of servanthood (truly the fruit of expository preaching) was compelling. Every individual I encountered, from the first moment I arrived to my final moment at the conference, served with excellence--and not only excellence, but cheerfulness as well. The hundreds of members of Grace Community Church who took time off work in order to serve us were a compelling illustration and demonstration of the content of the preaching we heard. True greatness as biblically defined was on display each day of the conference. Sadly, in time, I will forget much of the excellent preaching I heard, but I will not forget the example of servanthood that I observed. I hope John, Dan, and the members of Grace Community Church feel our gratefulness and more importantly, God’s pleasure.

I do, however, have one recommendation for next year’s conference. Athletic events should be added to the schedule. Given that the overwhelming majority of the men who attend this conference are athletically inclined, there must be some way to make this a priority. How about a late night basketball tournament? This could take place from 11:00-12:00 each evening. Actually, I have already formed and finalized my team for next year’s tournament. The following guys have agreed to play on my team:

Ralph Drollinger
Joey Penberthy (And Joey’s brother, Mike, if he is back from Europe)
John MacArthur
Adam Bailies
Kurt Gebhards

These are my guys, and we will take on any other team that would like to be schooled and humbled at the conference. Of course, I issue this challenge in the spirit of servanthood and ultimately for the glory of God.

Finally, Mark, one of the unique joys for me at The Shepherd’s Conference was the time I spent hanging with and learning from you, Al and Lig. Being with you guys is exhilarating and exhausting. You seem to have another gear you shift into after all the meetings are over. At around 11pm, you get a burst of energy that carries you into the morning hours. And after a few hours of sleep, you guys do it all over again. I try to keep up, but never succeed. Even though it’s Friday and the conference ended last Saturday, I am still tired. But I love staying up late with you guys. You men work hard serving the Savior and His church. You personify 2 Timothy 2:15, and you do so with joy. And what a memory it was to be included in the panel Friday night and honored along with you men.

Posted on March 10, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

The Shepherd's Conference

by cjmahaney

Mark, Al and Lig: I will be praying for you and cheering you on as you preach over the next few days at the Shepherd's Conference. It is a particular joy for me to attend the conference this week with two of my sons-in-law. We are learning a lot, eating In-n-Out burgers for breakfast and having a blast. John MacArthur, who hosts and leads this important and strategic conference, opened our time with two outstanding messages. And the way Grace Community Church serves the 3,300 pastors in attendance is simply world-class. True greatness (humility and servanthood) is on display everywhere I look.

Speaking of John MacArthur reminds me of something that took place Tuesday. At John's kind invitation, we played golf together. Now playing golf with John is a memorable experience. The man is an athlete. He doesn't merely play golf. He attacks the golf ball. Each time I've played with John, I've been on his team. And what a team we are! How do I humbly share the following information? We've never lost. No joke. Whenever we've played and whomever we've played against, we've always won. And wouldn't you know it, we won again. It's now Thursday, and I'm still finding humility to be an elusive experience. Please pray for me.

Posted on March 2, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

Common Grace

by cjmahaney

Yep Al, back to theology, and our category is common grace:

Florida State 79-Duke 74

Posted on March 2, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

High School Band

by cjmahaney

Al, I am honored to be invited on your radio program but I cannot even consider this kind invitation until you answer my question about what instrument you played in the high school band.

Posted on March 2, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

Pretty Preachers

by cjmahaney

Lig, Mark and Al have served us big time with their personal examples and excellent posts on the importance of reading and study for pastors. It should be obvious to all of us by now that consistent, substantive, strategic reading is simply not optional for a pastor. I have yet to meet a pastor who is growing in his knowledge of God and his effectiveness in pastoral ministry, who doesn’t read consistently. Where there is an absence of reading, there is normally the presence of decline and deficiency in one’s soul and ministry.

John Wesley had this concern for a particular pastor he had visited. Wesley observed the distinct absence of growth and fruit as he spent time with this pastor and listened to him preach. So here was the caring, courageous and wise counsel Wesley gave this man:

“What has exceedingly hurt you in time past, nay, and I fear, to this day, is, want of reading. I scarce ever knew a preacher read so little. And perhaps, by neglecting it, have lost the taste for it. Hence your talent in preaching does not increase. It is just the same as it was seven years ago. It is lively, but not deep; there is little variety; there is no compass of thought. “

So, what does Mr. Wesley prescribe as a remedy for this serious condition of soul and ministry?  “Reading only can supply this.”

It sounds like Wesley would be very appreciative of all that Lig, Mark and Al have written, at least on this topic.  He went on to write, “Whether you like it or not, read and pray daily. It is for you life; there is no other way; else you will be a trifler all your days, and a pretty, superficial preacher.”

I am assuming you don’t want to be “a trifler all your days.” And I’m assuming no one reading this blog wants to be “a pretty, superficial preacher.” Sadly, it appears to me that the American evangelical landscape is filled with these kind of pastors and authors. I wish it were not so. And I hope I’m not one of them.  By the grace of God, let it not be said of any one of us that there has been no discernable growth in the past seven years (or even the past year).  May we do whatever we can to avoid being called “a pretty preacher.”

This can be prevented, but only by reading. John Wesley got it right, “there is no other way.” In my laziness, I have often wished there was another way. But there isn’t. 

Now, if you’ve lost the taste for reading, here is the good news: an appetite for reading can be restored. “You may acquire the taste which you have not,” Wesley encouraged, “what is tedious at first, will afterward be pleasant.” But discipline always precedes the restoration of a voracious appetite for reading. And in my experience, a plan for reading and study will make all the difference. Momentary inspiration won’t suffice or sustain.

Who isn’t inspired reading this stuff?! But for inspiration to result in transformation there must be specific application. So, in our next conversation, I will address the importance of a weekly, monthly, and yearly plan for reading and study--so that none of us will ever be called  “a trifler all your days “ or worse yet, “a pretty preacher.”

Posted on February 28, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

CJ RESPONDS

by cjmahaney

Mark, first I want to thank you for your kind (and mischievous) encouragement (Mahaney “Opens the New Testament Canon”?) about the book I wrote on humility. Although, I would advocate leaving the N.T. canon in its current condition.

You followed that post with CJ CONFRONTED, where you accused me of saying “I am worthless for this blog”! So, now the readers can get a feel for what our times together are really like, and why I enjoy them so much. No one is better at making false accusations (with a smile on his face) than you are, my friend.

Hey Mark, are you even reading our blog? Though I don’t have the depth and breadth of knowledge and insight you guys have (I won’t be writing seven-part series on reading like Lig), I will occasionally contribute (and already have, I might add) comments that I hope will serve--in some small way--those who honor us by reading our blog. So, I don’t think I am “no good for this blog.” Where I can serve, by drawing from the past 32 years of pastoral experience, I will do so. Given all the mistakes I have made over the years, I certainly think I can impart hope to all pastors that God is faithful to help them be fruitful and persevere by His grace. And perhaps, I can provide brief moments of humor to punctuate the ten-part series each of you guys are going to provide for us.

By the way, I will keep asking you guys questions, because that’s a way I can serve the readers. Putting you boys to work is my job when we’re together. And if you guys don’t answer my questions, then I will quit the blog, or only post on a theological perspective of sports. Of course, if I only write about sports, I know that will annoy you, my friend, and that would bring me a peculiar joy.

Since not one of you guys has answered my question about your recommended books on evangelism, I will answer it myself, in hopes of provoking your response. So, here are my three recommended books on evangelism and why:

Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, by J.I. Packer—because it’s by J.I. Packer

The Gagging of God, by D.A. Carson—because it’s by D.A. Carson

Gospel and Mission in the Writings of Paul, by P.T. O’Brien—
because it’s by P.T. O’Brien.

Finally, I would like to assure everyone that I don’t think of myself as an apostle. I think of myself as the worst sinner I know.

Posted on February 21, 2006 in Evangelism , General | Link to this Post | Comments

Inspired or Discouraged?

by cjmahaney

Tell me this hasn't been some great material from Mark, Al and Lig on reading! And Lig informs me that he still has 4 more posts on this topic for us. We should also commend whoever had the idea to ask these men the question about their practice of reading and study.

As we read about how these men devour books each day, I find it both inspiring and discouraging. I am inspired to read more and discouraged as I consider how little I've read and how much there is to read. And in order to protect you from the discouraging part, I thought it might help if I encouraged you to create a plan for your reading and study.

So here is my recommendation. First, don't compare yourself to Al, Mark and Lig. These men play in a different league than most of us, and they have gifting we simply don't have. I know, it doesn't seem fair, but you will have to take that up with God. So let us admire and be inspired by these men, but not aspire to be exactly like them. They have world-class gifting, and most of us, well, most of us aren't really world-class anything -- except world-class sinners, and this should leave us amazed by grace as we survey the wondrous cross.

But don't despair: I am here for you, representing all those who are just average. Average intellectually, average in gifting -- come to think of it, average in just about everything. And that's on a good day. However, this disparity in gifting is no excuse for the absence of discipline in our lives. And where there is a neglect of reading in the life of the pastor, there is often the presence of laziness and pride. I don't doubt that you are busy and that your to-do list appears endless. But it is possible to be very busy and yet very lazy, because we aren't busy doing that which is most important. There is a difference between busyness and effectiveness. The real question is: are you busy with various responsibilities of secondary importance, or are you attending each day to that which is most important? Much more could be said about this and if you want to read more on this topic just click here.

My friend Don Whitney makes a discerning observation in his excellent chapter, "Pursuing a Passion for God Through the Spiritual Disciplines: Learning from Jonathan Edwards," in the book, A God Entranced Vision of All Things (edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor; I highly recommend both the chapter and the book). Let Don's insightful statement challenge and encourage you:

"We've not been given Edwards' gifts. It's useless to encourage anyone to imitate Edwards' mental ability. We can, however, regardless of our own intellectual capacity, imitate his discipline. We do not have to possess Edwards' intelligence to adopt his diligence. Regardless of how great or small our gifts and talents, our responsibility for 1 Timothy 4:7 remains: 'Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.' "

So let's accept the fact that we haven't been given Edwards' gifts, or Mohler's, or Dever's, or Duncan's. And even if you are a continuationist like me, you shouldn't pray for their gifts. If you don't already have them, you won't be getting them, anymore than Al or Mark will suddenly become athletically gifted. Not gonna happen, even if there is revival. Miracles like these await the new heavens and the new earth, my friend.

But just because we aren't as gifted, doesn't mean we can't imitate their discipline. And this should give us all hope. And this post has gone on too long, so we will continue this discussion in part 2.

Posted on February 17, 2006 in Leadership | Link to this Post | Comments

More Mark Dever and Evangelism

by cjmahaney

My most recent post and my time with Mark yesterday reminded me of one of the finest messages I have heard on evangelism, given by none other than Mark Dever! It was after this message that I began to pester Mark about writing a much-needed book on evangelism that would combine sound theological foundations with compelling personal examples, all rooted in the local church. If you are interested in this message, you can obtain it by clicking here.

This message will give you a preview of Mark's book that will be written this fall. More importantly, this message will instruct and inspire you and make a difference in your interaction with everyone from your neighbor to the person making your drink at Starbucks tomorrow morning.

Mark, Al, and Lig, please provide us with a short list of the books you recommend on evangelism with a brief description of why you recommend these books. Thanks, my friends.

Posted on February 16, 2006 in Evangelism | Link to this Post | Comments

Meeting Mark Dever and Evangelism

by cjmahaney

In a recent post (Snow and Evangelism), my good friend Mark Dever humbly asked for our prayers. He wrote, "Pray that I be a better, more obedient, more active personal evangelist." My friend, I will pray for you, but first I want to express my gratefulness to God for your compelling example of personal and pastoral evangelism.

Reading your post on evangelism reminded me of when I first had the joy of meeting you. As I arrived at CHBC for our lunch together, I had no idea that God was about to introduce me to someone who would become a close friend and from whom I would learn much. The first lesson I learned from your life was your heart for the lost and your passion to reach them with the gospel.

You asked me that day if we could eat at Subway, and I gladly followed (trying to keep up with you, as I immediately discovered you walk as fast as you talk) on the brief walk to this location. And just before we entered Subway, you informed me that you ate there often--not because of the cuisine, but in order to reach those who worked there with the gospel. I then observed your conversation and interaction with those who served us. As we sat down, I immediately began to draw you out about your heart and strategy for reaching the lost. You told me that you try to frequent the same places when you eat out, run errands etc. for the purpose of sharing the gospel. Since that day, I have followed your example and have shared the gospel with many I have come to know. Whatever heart I have for the lost is the result of your example and influence (second only to that of my very good friend Kenneth Maresco).

And just last week you served me big time once again. On Tuesday you devoted an entire day teaching pastors and future pastors at the Sovereign Grace Pastors’ College. And I was not surprised when I received the following e-mail from Kenneth Maresco (who appropriately led the conference): "Mark Dever opened us up, and no one--and I mean no one--could have done a better job with the theological, historical, gospel-centered view of evangelism he provided." For those wondering, Mark taught the following sessions:

What is Evangelism?
A Biblical Theology of Evangelism and the Evangel
The Pastoral Practice of Evangelism-Personally and in the Pulpit
The Church's Practice of Evangelism

In my experience both personally and as a pastor, there is no area that is more difficult or challenging than evangelism. So Mark, thanks for your example and teaching. You can't write your book on evangelism fast enough, and there is no one I would rather write this important and much needed book than you. By the way, where are we in the writing and publishing process of this book that I have been pleading with you to write for years now? I will continue to annoy you until I hold this book in my hands. I need you to write this book. The church needs this book. Please write this book.

I am looking forward to lunch tomorrow, my friend. Let's go to Subway.

Posted on February 14, 2006 in Evangelism | Link to this Post | Comments

The Already and the Not Yet

by cjmahaney

"At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him." Hebrews 2:8

Duke 96-Maryland 88

Posted on February 11, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

It's Good To Be Home

by cjmahaney

Mark, I just returned from L.A. last night. The CBMW board meeting was very fruitful. Serving on this board is a privilege and joy, and there were many evidences of God's grace throughout our time together. Lig, since you are the chairman of this board, I think it would be more appropriate for you to do a post on the content of our time together.

Mark, I called Al in Dallas and we tried to arrange a time together in L.A.,but we couldn't make it work since Al's plane came in later on Tuesday evening. We were hoping Al could meet us at the Reagan Presidential Library where we were having dinner that evening. So nothing bad has happened (except that Duke won again), and God's kindness has been evident in so many ways. I am just catching up on stuff today, and I went to Chad's basketball game this afternoon. Al, please give us an update on your time at Biola when you return home.

Mark would you like me to teach 1 Corinthians 12-14?

Posted on February 9, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

CBMW

by cjmahaney

Mark and Al, as you are now aware I am presently in L.A. where the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) board meeting will begin this morning. Please pray for us during this important time together. As you know, our good friend Lig is the Chairman of CBMW, and in my experience no one leads a meeting better than Lig! I love just watching him lead and learning how meetings should be led. Let's just say I lead meetings a little different. Lig is a huge gift to CBMW and the church as he serves in this strategic role. And let me give a shout out to my friend Randy Stinson who is the Executive Director of CBMW. His leadership in recent years has made a dramatic difference in the effectiveness and fruitfulness of this ministry.

As I see it, there are few issues more important than those related to gender. And for the articulation and celebration of the complementarian position, there is no ministry that has been more strategically important than CBMW. It is frightening to consider where the evangelical church would be today without this ministry. For beginning this ministry, we are all indebted to Wayne Grudem and Wayne House. And both these men continue to serve on the board. And speaking of my good friend Wayne Grudem-I want to recommend that all pastors obtain his book, Evangelical Feminism and Biblical Truth. Actually, let me feature a much more significant endorsement of this unique book:

"The gender issue may well be the critical fault line for contemporary theology. Controversies over these issues involve basic questions of biblical authority, God's order and design for creation, and Christ's purpose for the church. Wayne Grudem cuts through the confusion making Evangelical Feminism and Biblical Truth an important book that is urgently needed. This book belongs in the hands of every pastor, seminary student, and thinking lay person." Al Mohler

Pastors, you heard Al, "This book belongs in the hands of every pastor...." So let's buy some great books today beginning with this book. What a great way to begin a Monday, buying a bunch of books. And if you have adopted my policy of "unlimited book allowance for pastors," this should be no problem. But even if your book allowance is limited, this book is one you need to purchase.

Mark and Al, I want to take this opportunity to commend you for your commitment to the complementarian position. I deeply respect you both for the way you have championed this position at CHBC and Southern Seminary, respectively. And to any and all egalitarnian friends reading this post, please be assured of our love for you even though we disagree.

So, my friends, thanks for your support in prayer during this board meeting. Please pray for us as we attempt to rid the world of the influence of feminism, be it cultural or evangelical. And pray for me that I would be on my best behavior during this board meeting. I'm now off to Starbucks for a mocha and a brief time of interaction with the sports page. Duke won this weekend and Maryland lost. Yet another reminder that it's a fallen world.

Posted on February 6, 2006 in General | Link to this Post | Comments

A Passion for Reading and Learning

by cjmahaney

Lig, I loved that line, “…cause sometimes no. 3 has to kick it back out to no. 1 for the trey from a suburban zip code.”

It would be my joy to answer these questions. But first thanks to you, Al and Mark, for your substantive answers in previous posts and your compelling example in this area.

1) When and how did your love for reading begin?
Actually I can remember the very moment when my love for reading began. It was immediately following my experience of sovereign grace through the proclamation of the gospel. When I was 18 a friend who had relocated to Florida returned to Maryland in order to share the gospel with me. He had been converted for just a few weeks. That evening was the first time anyone had shared the gospel with me and God in his mercy regenerated my heart and forgave my many sins. On that most special evening I realized that the Son of God “…loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20). And though that evening was 34 years ago it seems to me like it all just happened last night so vivid is my memory of that momentous evening. So what does this have to do with reading? Well, until that evening a passion for reading and the practice of reading simply didn’t exist in my life. The only reading I did was the Washington Post sports page and Sports Illustrated magazine. But on that evening I couldn’t stop reading the KJV Bible my friend left for me. And though I didn’t understand much of what I was reading I knew that I was reading “… the words of eternal life” (Jn 6:68). This new love for reading about the Savior was dramatic and a convincing proof to me of the genuineness of my conversion. And by the grace of God, since that miraculous moment of regeneration, I have not stopped reading and cannot imagine a 24-hour period without reading. For me reading has been a means of increasing in my knowledge of God, cultivating fresh affection for God, and experiencing the nearness of God. It has been my practice to begin and end each day reading. One simply cannot serve effectively as a pastor apart from a passion for reading. And I believe that all pastors should have an unlimited book allowance!

2) Describe your present practice of the spiritual disciplines.
This wonderful means of grace normally takes place at the beginning of the day for approximately 1 hour. I agree with George Mueller’s approach to this important practice, “…that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was, to have my soul happy in the Lord.” And there is no more effective way to cultivate happiness of soul than to preach the gospel to myself. So my morning spiritual diet normally involves surveying the wondrous Cross on which the Prince of Glory died. John Stott wrote, “The Cross is a blazing fire at which the flame of our love is kindled, but we have to get near enough for its sparks to fall on us.” So each morning I want to get near enough to the Cross so these transforming sparks will fall on my soul leaving me freshly amazed by grace and full of affection for the God of all grace. At present I am making my way slowly through The Gospel of Mark. I read and reflect on just a few verses each day. And I am studying Mark’s gospel with the help of James Edwards commentary The Gospel According to Mark and The Cross from a Distance; Atonement in Mark’s Gospel by Peter Bolt. By God’s grace sparks are falling on my soul.

3) Apart from the daily study of Scripture approximately how much time do you devote to reading each day or week?
Lots.

4) What books are you presently reading?

When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy by John Piper

The Cross He Bore by Frederick Leahy

Speaking Truth in Love by David Powlison

The Dominance of Evangelicalism: The Age of Spurgeon and Moody by David Bebbington

Who’s Afraid of the Holy Spirit? Edited by Daniel Wallace and James Sawyer (When I first saw the title of this book I thought this might be a book about you guys but it’s not).

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

5. How many books did you read last week?
I am glad you asked! In the last week I have read an excellent book co-authored by my good friend Ligon Duncan (along with Susan Hunt) titled Women’s Ministry in the Local Church. I am not aware of another book quite like it. I had the privilege of reading the manuscript and the honor of providing an endorsement for the book:

“Pastors desperately need books that ground methodology upon theology – this is indeed such a book. Ligon Duncan and Susan Hunt faithfully uphold the truth of the Scripture and winsomely affirm the critical importance of women in the church’s life and ministry. What sets this book apart is not only the author’s careful thought but their compelling personal examples. The result is a deeply biblical yet intensely practical guide that will greatly benefit not only women, but pastors as well.” (must reading for pastors)

I read the book again because sadly I had forgotten everything I previously read in the manuscript I was sent months ago. For me this is the only discouraging aspect of reading. I read a lot but seem to retain very little. Here I confront the harsh reality of the Fall as well as my average intelligence. I am just not one of the smart guys. I am however an exceptional athlete and I do find great comfort in this.

I have also recently read Uprooting Anger by Robert Jones and God, Family and Marriage by Andreas Kostenberger and would recommend them both to all.

6. What have been the five to ten most influential books you have read?

1.    Knowing God by J.I. Packer

2.    The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul

3.    The Cross of Christ by John Stott

4.    The Cross and Christian Ministry by D. A. Carson (must reading for every pastor)

5.    John Owen on the Christian Life by Sinclair B. Ferguson and Temptation and Sin (Volume 6) by John Owen

6.    The Forgotten Spurgeon by Iain Murray (must reading for every pastor)

7.    The Journal of Biblical Counseling edited by David Powlison (must reading for every pastor)

8.    Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands by Paul Tripp (must reading for every pastor)

9.    Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood edited by John Piper and Wayne Grudem (must reading for every pastor)

10.  The Days Are Just Packed: A Calvin and Hobbes Collection by Bill Watterson (must reading for every pastor)

And the list could just go on and on although I would agree with the wise counsel of Richard Baxter:

“It is not the reading of many books which is necessary to make one wise, but the well-reading of a few, could they be sure to be the best.”

7. Who do you like in the Super Bowl?
Let’s get one thing straight about the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is THE most overrated event in all of sports. The Super Bowl rarely delivers as advertised. And the silly, superficial coverage for the two weeks leading up to the game is simply unbearable. Having made those important points, I must also state that I have no emotional attachment to either team. So I really don’t care who wins this year. I’d like to see Pittsburgh win because I have friends who are Steelers fans and Seattle did beat my Redskins in the playoffs (but not the regular season) so it’s not difficult for me to root against them. I think Pittsburgh has the better defense so I think they will win. Always pay attention to defense, my friends, no matter what the sport. But here is the good news. March Madness is coming! The NCAA basketball tournament that always delivers as advertised is fast approaching! (And I am predicting right here and right now that Duke will lose!) And how about if throughout March I provide a daily commentary on the tournament? Hey, I’ve got an idea. As a unique service to all who read this blog let’s the four of us liveblog from the final four! Al, can you get us tickets?

Posted on February 2, 2006 | Link to this Post | Comments

Real Men

by cjmahaney

Mark and Lig, if you haven’t already read the Winter 2005 issue of Southern Seminary magazine (The Tie) you must do so!  The issue is titled “Show yourself a man” and there are two excellent articles for fathers and sons:

“Show yourself a man” by Randy Stinson (I am presently reading this article with my 12 year old son Chad).

“When does a boy become a man?” by Al Mohler (I will be reading this article with Chad in the future).  Actually Al gave this message here at Covenant Life (“Being Men and Raising Men,” November 5, 2004) and it was a unique and outstanding message.  I’m not aware of material like this in print and I will continue to annoy Al until an expanded version of this material is in print.  Don’t get me started on all I want Al to publish!

And finally Al’s “President’s Journal” column titled “The Boy Problem, Then and Now” is an insightful summation of Terrence Moore’s essay, “Wimps and Barbarians: The Sons of Murphy Brown.”  Here's a great quote from Al’s column:

“Wimps, on the other hand, look to women for emotional support, consider girlfriends to be conversational partners and look to women for pity.”

Don’t want to be one of those!

Somehow this reminded me of a rule I want us to adopt for our blog.  No smiley faces allowed!  Real men do not use smiley faces on e-mails!  This is fine for the ladies, but not the men.  Real men communicate humor effectively without having to use a smiley face and real men can discern the presence of genuine humor without seeing a smiley face.  So let our blog be free from all wimp-like communication!

Posted on February 1, 2006 | Link to this Post | Comments

Your Canon of Theologians

by cjmahaney

Mark, thanks for the invitation to pursue you for more ("Church Membership, the Archbishop & My Canon of Theologians"), my friend!  But first thanks for the time you are devoting to this blog, particularly with your full schedule while in England. Here’s what we still need from you.  Why did you create this annual rotation of theologians and what has been the fruit and effect of this reading sc