Author: jwm

I serve as pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church, Newberg, Oregon.
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Where Was God on September 11?

Do you remember where you were ten years ago on September 11 as you heard of the attacks on the twin towers and the Pentagon? Televised images of people fleeing and buildings crumbling seared into our national consciousness. Where was God in this attack? Where was God on September 11?

The question is not a new one. It arises in the face of natural disasters (Hurricane Katrina and the Japan tsunami) and moral atrocities (think of the many victims of Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, and other, perhaps more petty but no less deadly, dictators). The question was formulated following the devastating Lisbon earthquake of 1755: if, as Christians believe, God is good, and if he is all powerful, could he not have prevented the quake? Continue reading “Where Was God on September 11?”

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More than Awkward

[This piece was printed in our local paper, The Newberg Graphic, on July 2, 2011.  It is reproduced here by permission.]

 “May 21, much like May 20 and May 22, was notably free from apocalypse,” writes a friend, whose blog is called “The Presbyterian Curmudgeon.” He was referring to Harold Camping’s failed prophecy. If an event that happened more than a month ago is old news, why am I writing about a non-event, a prophecy of something that didn’t happen?

Camping’s failed prediction drew a few smiles. The headline of an article on the topic in the May 28 issue of The Newberg Graphic understated: “Camping’s end times prophecy falls a bit short.” Continue reading “More than Awkward”

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75th Anniversary of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church

Saturday, June 11, is the 75th anniversary of the OPC. Why celebrate? Perhaps because of the faithful commitment of Machen and others to the authority of the Word of God? Ned B. Stonehouse’s biography of J. Gresham Machen is entitled, Valiant for Truth, an apt title as you review Machen’s commitment to the faithful proclamation of the Word of God. Another reason is the sacrificial commitment Continue reading “75th Anniversary of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church”

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Wine or Grape Juice

Over the past months I have had several posts dealing with Christian liberty and the use of wine, particularly in the Lord’s Supper.  Those were edited snippets from an article which has now been published in Ordained Servant, “Wine or Grape Juice: Theological and Pastoral Reflections on the Fruit of the Vine in Communion”:  here.  In it I reference a crucially important article on Christian liberty, John Murray’s “The Weak and the Strong.”  Since writing the article I have discovered an online source for Murray’s article, and I commend it for your reading, found here. It is my prayer that this discussion will help the church take seriously the sacraments, without falling into the error of thinking that they work mechanically or apart from faith.  A Biblical balance is crucial!

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Teaching children to worship

You may have noticed that our bulletin invites parents to have their children with them in the worship service.  Sunday School classes and some other instruction is designed specifically for different levels of maturity, age, and understanding.  However, our covenant children are also members of the church. Corporate worship is for them too. How do we instruct them to participate in corporate worship, even from a very young age? This article from New Horizons has some helpful suggestions.  (HT to DTM)