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Soul-Shaping Practice for Pastoral Leaders: A Conversation

2020 Calvin Symposium on Worship | Workshop

Audio | February 11, 2020

Shaping a Reformation Commemoration Prayer or Worship Service

This workshop explores the ways we can prepare to commemorate this significant anniversary with both grace and truth, acknowledging both the insights and limitations of the Reformers, expressing gratitude for Christ-centered renewal and lament for divisions and even violence within Christ’s body.

Audio | February 23, 2017

The Wardrobe of Easter: Compassion

God's Word makes a breath-taking confession about followers of Jesus: they have become resurrected with their risen Lord.

Reflection | April 19, 2014

The Wardrobe of Easter: Kindness

Language that folks wouldn’t dream of using in face-to-face conversation has now become, sad to say, a normal part of their careless, coarsened interaction. How do you reduce the level of shrill and inappropriate talk and behavior?

Reflection | April 18, 2014

The Wardrobe of Easter: Humility

St. Paul commended it as a resurrection virtue. A humble person is within a millimeter of becoming like Christ himself, who “did not consider equality with God something to be grasped… but humbled himself and became obedient unto death—even death on a cross!”

Reflection | April 17, 2014

The Wardrobe of Easter: Gentleness

Gentleness ought to be an obvious character quality of every person who bears the Savior’s name. Christian leaders are not exempt. Wielding power over others as they are called to do, leaders are susceptible to treating their followers harshly and inappropriately. But Christian leaders who are gentle know that leadership is best expressed by those who show they care about those they lead.

Reflection | April 16, 2014

The Wardrobe of Easter: Patience

Patience-filled Christian saints keep cultivating their relationship with the Spirit and keep praying continually for his help in showing makrothumia everywhere and always toward all others, no matter how impatient and rude, no matter how grumbling and irritating those others at times may be.

Reflection | April 15, 2014

The Wardrobe of Easter: Forgiveness

Forgiving: it’s a challenging practice—perhaps no other command of Jesus is more difficult to obey. And it’s so counter-intuitive. Why give anyone a fresh start after he’s hurt you deeply? Why not just retaliate by knocking his block off?

Reflection | April 14, 2014

The Wardrobe of Easter: Love

What better place to celebrate the Good News of God’s agape and to get the instruction manual for learning how to live it out toward others than in the congregation of saints on Sunday morning? There we gather to hear about and to celebrate, to receive instruction and to pledge anew.

Reflection | April 13, 2014

The Wardrobe of Easter: Peace

The things which most unite Christians often most divide them. Honest believers at times honestly disagree. But too often—and too quickly—they turn disagreements into unholy quarrels.

Reflection | April 12, 2014

The Wardrobe of Easter: Gratitude

To be human is to be aware that life—one’s own life—is a sheer and undeserved gift from God. It is to revel and delight in its giftedness and to return thanks to the Giver. When the Giver hears an echo of gratitude, the circle becomes complete. Thus gratitude is an essential feature of living up to what God intended for his humans creatures when he made them.

Reflection | April 11, 2014

The Wardrobe of Easter: Dwelling Together in God’s Word

To grow and mature in our faith, we must learn, as Paul advises, to let God’s Word “dwell richly” in us. Prayerfully, humbly, and communally we must steep ourselves in it. Together we must read, study, and meditate it carefully. Together we must gladly open our minds and hearts to its message. Together we must courageously obey it.

Reflection | April 10, 2014

The Wardrobe of Easter: Learning God’s Word

An essential aspect of the Christian life is listening to and obeying God's word.

Reflection | April 09, 2014

The Wardrobe of Easter: Teaching God’s Word

In this meditation, we consider the equally important task which rests upon the teachers within the Christian community. The Lord places upon them the duty to instruct faithfully and well so that others may learn and grow.

Reflection | April 08, 2014

The Wardrobe of Easter: Singing Together

In the weeks since Easter, we have been noting in this column the several Christian practices which St. Paul commends as appropriate for those who have "been risen" with their Lord. In this week’s column we highlight the practice of singing.

Reflection | April 07, 2014

The Wardrobe of Easter: Centering in Jesus

Meditating on the great acts of salvation and rescue which his Savior had performed for him, and then letting the waves of the Savior’s love which prompted these acts to sweep over his mind and into his heart, Paul could do nothing less, nor nothing else, than to dedicate his entire life to his Lord.

Reflection | April 06, 2014

The Wardrobe of Easter: White-Hot with Purpose

St. Paul calls followers of Jesus Christ who have been resurrected with him to live far better. They must be well-ordered in their priorities and white-hot in their motivation.

Reflection | April 05, 2014

Cultivating Congregational Hospitality

An exploration of some ways that Christian congregations, depending upon the Spirit’s empowering presence, can become generous, welcoming places for tired, thirsty travelers, both guest and host alike, to refresh and bring blessing to one another and thus serve as signposts of the Gospel.

Audio | March 04, 2014

Coop's Column - Simplicity of Spirit, Adult in Knowledge, Childlike in Directness and Wonder

In this series of meditations on the work of the Holy Spirit in believers’ lives, we are considering features about Christians which, said the 17th-18th century English Puritan Christians, are Spirit-prompted and Spirit-endowed; and which, more and more, ought to mark the lives of those who aim to follow Jesus faithfully. Christians who do display these qualities are “LUI”, “Living Under the Influence” of the Spirit. In this article we consider the seventh, and final, of these marks: “Simplicity of spirit, adult in knowledge, child-like in directness and wonder”

Reflection | July 22, 2013

Coop's Column - Generous Humility and Compassion: A Servant Spirit

In this series of meditations on the work of the Holy Spirit, we are considering features the English Puritan Christians said are Spirit-prompted and Spirit-endowed and which more and more ought to mark the lives of those who aim to follow Jesus faithfully. Christians who do display these qualities are LUI— Living Under the Influence of the Spirit. In this article we consider the sixth of these marks: “Generous humility and compassion—a servant spirit.”

Reflection | July 12, 2013