050 - A New Liturgy for Daily Worship
During last year’s episode on prayer, Mark pined for some kind of “liturgy for daily worship,” a set pattern for Reformed devotion that fell somewhere between the complexity of the Book of Common Prayer and the informality of simply reading a daily dose of Scripture followed by extemporaneous prayer. With the publication of Jonathan Gibson’s Be Thou My Vision: A Liturgy for Daily Worship, has this longing been satisfied?
During last year’s episode on prayer, Mark pined for some kind of “liturgy for daily worship,” a set pattern for Reformed devotion that fell somewhere between the complexity of the Book of Common Prayer and the informality of simply reading a daily dose of Scripture followed by extemporaneous prayer. With the publication of Jonathan Gibson’s Be Thou My Vision: A Liturgy for Daily Worship, has this longing been satisfied? In this episode, Mark — who has been using the liturgy since the first of the year — introduces Cameron — who is seeing it for the first time — to the pros and cons. By the end, Mark even contradicts his basic character by recommending the e-book version.
Mentioned in this episode:
Be Thou My Vision (hardcover at Westminster Books)
Be Thou My Vision (Kindle edition)
THE COMMENTARY is a weekly conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.
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049 - Commitment and Membership
It’s 2022 and if there’s one thing we should have learned by now about people in the twenty-first century it’s that they have an aversion to old-fashioned commitments. Oh, and to ritual. In this episode, Mark and Cameron unpack why, despite this knowledge, Grace continues to receive members in a formal way, administering ancient vows before the gathered church. They even argue that modern people like us can benefit profoundly from this approach!
It’s 2022 and if there’s one thing we should have learned by now about people in the twenty-first century it’s that they have an aversion to old-fashioned commitments. Oh, and to ritual. In this episode, Mark and Cameron unpack why, despite this knowledge, Grace continues to receive members in a formal way, administering ancient vows before the gathered church. They even argue that modern people like us can benefit profoundly from this approach!
Mentioned in this episode:
Membership at Grace — Including the five vows and frequently asked questions
THE COMMENTARY is a weekly conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.
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048 - The Beauty of Gifts
In the final episode of The Commentary for 2021, Mark and Cameron discuss two guardrails for “doing” in the beatitudes, resolutions for the New Year, and the beauty of gift-giving at Christmas.
In the final episode of The Commentary for 2021, Mark and Cameron discuss two guardrails for “doing” in the beatitudes, resolutions for the New Year, and the beauty of gift-giving at Christmas.
THE COMMENTARY is a weekly conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.
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047 - A Theology of Pets
Have we finally jumped the shark? In this dog-eat-dog world, it was bound to happen sooner or later. In this episode, Mark and Cameron — both “cat people,” by the way — discuss pets (and animals in general) from a theological perspective. Why do human beings have pets? Will we be reunited with those animals in heaven? These questions are more are explored.
Have we finally jumped the shark? In this dog-eat-dog world, it was bound to happen sooner or later. In this episode, Mark and Cameron — both “cat people,” by the way — discuss pets (and animals in general) from a theological perspective. Why do human beings have pets? Will we be reunited with those animals in heaven? These questions are more are explored.
THE COMMENTARY is a weekly conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.
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046 - Advent for Beginners
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we observe the season of Advent, a time to reflect on our longing for Christ’s return. Like the Israelites who waited for the Messiah to come, we too are waiting for his return. In this episode, Mark and Cameron cover the basics of Advent — what it is, how it relates to the rest of the calendar, and how this time of preparation changes the way we celebrate Christmas itself.
Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we observe the season of Advent, a time to reflect on our longing for Christ’s return. Like the Israelites who waited for the Messiah to come, we too are waiting for his return. In this episode, Mark and Cameron cover the basics of Advent — what it is, how it relates to the rest of the calendar, and how this time of preparation changes the way we celebrate Christmas itself.
THE COMMENTARY is a weekly conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.
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045 - Feeling God's Presence
Cameron and Mark dig deeper into the role of our emotional responses — particularly when it comes to “feeling” God’s presence. Is there a difference between feeling close to God and being close to God? Could it be that the way to draw near to God — both for those struggling for a sense of God’s presence, and for those whose faith has never been tested — is one and the same?
Keeping with the theme of our last episode, sanctification, Cameron and Mark dig deeper into the role of our emotional responses — particularly when it comes to “feeling” God’s presence. Is there a difference between feeling close to God and being close to God? Could it be that the way to draw near to God — both for those struggling for a sense of God’s presence, and for those whose faith has never been tested — is one and the same?
Mentioned in this episode:
The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence
THE COMMENTARY is a weekly conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.
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044 - Sanctification
The word is complicated, but the idea is simple: sanctification is the process of growing more and more like Jesus Christ. In other words, growing in holiness. In this episode, Mark and Cameron unpack the basics — what sanctification is, what it isn’t, and (perhaps most importantly) who does the work.
The word is complicated, but the idea is simple: sanctification is the process of growing more and more like Jesus Christ. In other words, growing in holiness. In this episode, Mark and Cameron unpack the basics — what sanctification is, what it isn’t, and (perhaps most importantly) who does the work.
THE COMMENTARY is a weekly conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.
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043 - A Theology of Eating and Drinking
With the holidays approaching, Cameron and Mark discuss the theology of eating and drinking in anticipation of a season of, well, eating and drinking. The Bible’s teachings about food and drink are complex, but by thinking in terms of how creation, fall, and redemption impact our dependence on food, we can appreciate how to eat and drink to the glory of God.
With the holidays approaching, Cameron and Mark discuss the theology of eating and drinking in anticipation of a season of, well, eating and drinking. The Bible’s teachings about food and drink are complex, but by thinking in terms of how creation, fall, and redemption impact our dependence on food, we can appreciate how to eat and drink to the glory of God.
042 - Bible Reading Revisited
Mark was featured on the cover of the November 2021 issue of Bible Study Magazine, prompting Cameron to ask some follow-up questions on designing, reading, and even annotating the Bible.
Mark was featured on the cover of the November 2021 issue of Bible Study Magazine, prompting Cameron to ask some follow-up questions on designing, reading, and even annotating the Bible.
Mentioned in this episode:
A Revolution in Bible Design: Meet the People Who Designed Your Bible, by Mark Ward
THE COMMENTARY is a weekly conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.
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041 - Celebrating the Reformation
What is it, exactly, that we celebrate when we remember Reformation Day? Cameron and Mark explore that question in this episode, with a focus on why the Reformation still matters more than five centuries later, and what it means to be “always reforming.”
What is it, exactly, that we celebrate when we remember Reformation Day? Cameron and Mark explore that question in this episode, with a focus on why the Reformation still matters more than five centuries later, and what it means to be “always reforming.”
THE COMMENTARY is a weekly conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.
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040 - Jesus Before Politics
This is the 40th episode of The Commentary, and we are returning to a topic we tackled back in Episode 16 — politics! What happens when the Bible challenges your deeply-held political convictions? What are the signs that you’re letting your politics override your faith? Cameron and Mark dig into these questions and try to understand the right place of politics in the larger conception of the true, good, and beautiful.
This is the 40th episode of The Commentary, and we are returning to a topic we tackled back in Episode 16 — politics! What happens when the Bible challenges your deeply-held political convictions? What are the signs that you’re letting your politics override your faith? Cameron and Mark dig into these questions and try to understand the right place of politics in the larger conception of the true, good, and beautiful.
Mentioned in this episode:
The Evangelical Church is Breaking Apart, by Peter Wehner
THE COMMENTARY is a weekly conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.
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039 - Reading John Calvin
In this episode, Mark and Cameron share their love of the Reformation-era theologian John Calvin, one of the unsung shapers of the modern world. Specifically, they discuss the pleasures of reading Calvin, and the insights to be gained not only from his systematic theology but from his expositions of Scripture.
In this episode, Mark and Cameron share their love of the Reformation-era theologian John Calvin, one of the unsung shapers of the modern world. Specifically, they discuss the pleasures of reading Calvin, and the insights to be gained not only from his systematic theology but from his expositions of Scripture.
Mentioned in this episode:
J. I. Packer’s introduction to Owen’s The Death of Death in the Death of Christ
Calvin, by Bruce Gordon
Institutes of the Christian Religion (1541 Edition, Banner of Truth)
John Calvin: Steward of God’s Covenant: Selected Writings, preface by Marilynne Robinson
THE COMMENTARY is a weekly conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.
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038 - Designing Bibles for Easier Reading
How does the design of a printed Bible influence the way it’s used? That’s the question Mark and Cameron pick up on in this episode. Traditionally, Bibles have been been designed to make it easier to look things up — like a dictionary! — with the unintended consequence of making them harder to read. The good news is, that's beginning to change.
How does the design of a printed Bible influence the way it’s used? That’s the question Mark and Cameron pick up on in this episode. Traditionally, Bibles have been been designed to make it easier to look things up — like a dictionary! — with the unintended consequence of making them harder to read. The good news is, that's beginning to change.
Mentioned in this episode:
Bible Design Blog (Mark’s long-running blog about Bible design)
“Why Do Bibles Today Look So Good?” J. Mark Bertrand of the Bible Design Blog (YouTube)
THE COMMENTARY is a weekly conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.
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037 - Disciplines for a Distracted Age
The more information bombarding us, the more our capacity to pay attention seems to shrink. Could the process of regaining your ability to tune out distractions be as simple as reading a poem? In this episode, Cameron lays out the case for reading poetry now more than ever, while Mark asks how the same approach can be applied to Scripture.
The more information bombarding us, the more our capacity to pay attention seems to shrink. Could the process of regaining your ability to tune out distractions be as simple as reading a poem? In this episode, Cameron lays out the case for reading poetry now more than ever, while Mark asks how the same approach can be applied to Scripture.
Mentioned in this episode:
“Training Our Attention: Why We All Need Poetry Now” (Cameron Brooks)
THE COMMENTARY is a weekly conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.
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036 - Presbyterians Need Presbytery
Is there more to presbyterian church government than just having elders? In this episode, Mark and Cameron discuss another key factor: the checks and balances provided by the church’s “higher courts.” In addition, they talk about why Grace’s adult Sunday School class is tackling the Westminster Confession line by line.
Mentioned in this episode:
A Good Confession: Sunday School Recordings
Is there more to presbyterian church government than just having elders? In this episode, Mark and Cameron discuss another key factor: the checks and balances provided by the church’s “higher courts.” In addition, they talk about why Grace’s adult Sunday School class is tackling the Westminster Confession line by line.
Mentioned in this episode:
A Good Confession: Sunday School Recordings
THE COMMENTARY is a weekly conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.
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035 - Matthew From 30,000 Feet
In this week’s episode, Mark and Cameron take a look at the Gospel According to Matthew — the subject of Grace’s new sermon series — from a 30,000 foot perspective. They talk about how this book relates to the other Synoptic Gospels, and how its unique structure informs our reading. There are also a few tips as we get started in this inaugural New Testament text.
In this week’s episode, Mark and Cameron take a look at the Gospel According to Matthew — the subject of Grace’s new sermon series — from a 30,000 foot perspective. They talk about how this book relates to the other Synoptic Gospels, and how its unique structure informs our reading. There are also a few tips as we get started in this inaugural New Testament text.
THE COMMENTARY is a weekly conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.
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034 - The Mark of the Beast
Cameron returns after a two-episode break with questions on Mark’s two most recent sermons. First comes the suggestion that Joseph, husband of Mary, despite his relatively brief time on stage in the gospel narrative, may offer an excellent model for biblical manhood. Then the conversation turns to the “mark of the beast.” Is it a literal marking of the flesh, or should we interpret the mark differently? What context does the rest of Scripture give us for thinking about the significance of marked foreheads?
Cameron returns after a two-episode break with questions on Mark’s two most recent sermons. First comes the suggestion that Joseph, husband of Mary, despite his relatively brief time on stage in the gospel narrative, may offer an excellent model for biblical manhood. Then the conversation turns to the “mark of the beast.” Is it a literal marking of the flesh, or should we interpret the mark differently? What context does the rest of Scripture give us for thinking about the significance of marked foreheads?
THE COMMENTARY is a weekly conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.
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033 - Retractions and Clarifications
Grace’s new sermon series on the Gospel According to Matthew just began last Sunday, and Mark is already issuing retractions and clarifications. In this episode, his wife Laurie — a woman with plenty of experience pointing out his errors — asks a series a questions about the genealogy at the beginning of Matthew 1. Then, Mark and Laurie discuss the upcoming women’s discipleship book group on Tim Keller’s The Prodigal God.
Grace’s new sermon series on the Gospel According to Matthew just began last Sunday, and Mark is already issuing retractions and clarifications. In this episode, his wife Laurie — a woman with plenty of experience pointing out his errors — asks a series a questions about the genealogy at the beginning of Matthew 1. Then, Mark and Laurie discuss the upcoming women’s discipleship book group on Tim Keller’s The Prodigal God.
Mentioned in this episode:
Grace Women’s Discipleship Fall 2021 Reading Group
THE COMMENTARY is a weekly conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.
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032 - The Liberating "Pressure" of History
Mark’s special guest in this episode is Rev. Ethan Sayler, a fellow PCA pastor who recently explained the denomination to the YouTube channel “Ten Minute Bible Hour.” Ethan shares some behind-the-scenes details of the experience, and then engages with Mark over the question of whether our sense of history and our commitment to the Westminster Confession is a “pressure,” an anchor, or both!
Mark’s special guest in this episode is Rev. Ethan Sayler, a fellow PCA pastor who recently explained the denomination to the YouTube channel “Ten Minute Bible Hour.” Ethan shares some behind-the-scenes details of the experience, and then engages with Mark over the question of whether our sense of history and our commitment to the Westminster Confession is a “pressure,” an anchor, or both!
Mentioned in this episode:
THE COMMENTARY is a weekly conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.
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031 - The Beauty of In-Person Worship
The pandemic has introduced a new term to the church lexicon: in-person worship. While we’re grateful for the technology to livestream services when necessary, no change comes without a trade-off. In this episode, Mark and Cameron discuss the beauty of in-person worship and the benefits that a lifestream simply cannot replicate.
The pandemic has introduced a new term to the church lexicon: in-person worship. While we’re grateful for the technology to livestream services when necessary, no change comes without a trade-off. In this episode, Mark and Cameron discuss the beauty of in-person worship and the benefits that a lifestream simply cannot replicate.
Mentioned in this episode:
What We Lose When We Livestream Church, by Collin Hansen
THE COMMENTARY is a weekly conversation about vision, worship, and life at Grace Presbyterian Church.
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