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Able to Help
I love the phrase “able to help” in Heb 2:18 (ESV). A chapter devoted to extolling the superior glory and honor of Jesus as high priest culminates at his ability to help. Hebrews goes on to say that our sinless savior “sympathizes” with our weakness and provides us with mercy and grace to help in time of need (4:15-16). Jesus’ present ministry to us is not distant, detached, or mere formality. He is intentionally engaged with helping us in the weaknesses of our pilgrimage in this age. I mention this at the beginning of the busy ministry season because I think it not only comforts all of us in Christ but also inspires us as we serve others in his name. Compassion fatigue, cynicism, fear, and busyness can squeeze our ministry into mere formalities administered from a safe distance. But if we are serving in union with Christ, our ministry should express him, his intention, his character, and his sympathy towards his people. It should be infused with the desire to actually help the person in front of us. The good news is our great high priest is able to help us with this ministry weakness also: the temptation to retreat to an unsympathetic service. As he intercedes for us and indwells us he is able to help us help others. So, as we at Westminster ramp up for a new year of forming Christian leaders for a changing world and as you invest yourself in a new season of the ministry God has given you, let’s continually draw near to the throne of grace and receive the grace and mercy we need to be the fragrance of Christ to the people he puts in front of us. Partnering with you for kingdom purposes, Rev. John Currie, MAR, director of student development and alumni relations
P.S. Sign-up and login for access to all our rich, historic audio archives. The Media Center is easily accessible for your ongoing equipping. At www.wts.edu, go to popular links on the lower right hand corner of the page. Making Sanity out of Vanity
Christian Realism in the Book of Ecclesiastes by alumnus Dr. Stanley Gale (MDiv '86). Every once in a while you might think that Ecclesiastes is written by a dour existentialist, but, somehow, even before you get to the end of the book, you can tell that this examination of life will end in hope and result in more meaning and fullness that we can comprehend. Order your copy at the Westminster Bookstore. |
2011 Preaching Conference
Cure for the Boring Sermon Join us for the 2011 Preaching Conference, October 25-26, with keynote speaker Rev. Kevin DeYoung. Seminar speakers will include Westminster professors Rev. Dr. Carl Trueman, Rev. Dr. David Garner, and Rev. John Currie. "When we preach boring sermons we give the impression that the Bible is boring. This is certainly not our calling as heralds of the best news the world could ever hear. We are pleased to have Rev. Kevin DeYoung with us at this year’s conference to help us find the antidote to boring sermons." Click here to register. Engaging the Public Sphere
Westminster alumnus Rev. Alan R. Crippen II (MAR '89), president and founder of the John Jay Institute The John Jay Institute is a para-academic, intercollegiate organization that prepares Christians for service and leadership in the public arena. The organization revolves around a one-year program in which post-undergraduate students complete a one-semester residency followed by a semester-long field placement....Through it all, there is a commitment to orthodox, trinitarian, Christian theology. Click "FULL STORY" to read more. Cresheim Valley Vision
In July 2006, Rev. Dr. John Leonard, associate professor of practical theology at Westminster, started Cresheim Valley Church (CVC) in the Mt. Airy/Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia. “I had been teaching the young married class at Tenth [Presbyterian Church],” says Dr. Leonard, “and several of the couples moved into the Mt Airy/Chestnut Hill area. These couples, and a few other families in our part of town, talked to me about starting a church. Since I was finishing up my PhD, it seemed like an appropriate time to start a church.” King Solomon
The Temptations of Money, Sex, and Power New book by Westminster alumnus Rev. Dr. Phillip Graham Ryken, president of Wheaton College. Though the world's wisest king, Solomon's heart was led astray by temptations of wealth, sex, and power. And we face the same dangers today, though the temptations may be different in degree and detail. Order your copy from the Westminster Bookstore
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