Thoughts from Hugh Latimer on "Ash Wednesday"

From my x account:

On this "Ash Wednesday," it might be edifying to consider what the Protestant Bishop and Martyr Hugh Latimer (1487-1555) wrote:

"Where the devil is resident, and hath his plough going, there away with books and up with candles; away with the Bibles and up with beads; away with the light of the Gospel and up with the light of candles, yea, even at noonday. Where the devil is resident, that he may prevail, up with all superstition and idolatry, censing, painting of images, candles, palms, ashes, holy water, and new services of men's inventing."

-As cited in J. C. Ryle, Five English Reformers, 113.

Sermon: Reformed Worship, Holy Days, and Holidays

 

I preached this sermon  in the afternoon service at CRBC back on Sunday, December 11, 2022. The text is 1 Kings 12:25-33.

JTR

The Vision (9.6.19): Jeroboam and the Regulative Principle of Worship

Image: Remains of the ancient city gate at Dan in Northern Israel.

Note: Devotion taken from last Sunday's sermon on 1 Kings 12.

And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan (1 Kings 12:30).

In Reformed theology the Regulative Principle of Worship (or RP) refers to the idea that worship should be regulated by Scripture. That is, we should not introduce any element into our worship unless we can find direct command or warrant for it in Scripture.

1 Kings 12 provides a vivid example of the violation of the RP in ancient Israel.

At that time, the Lord had decreed that he would be worshipped in one central place, the temple in Jerusalem. The building of this temple had been one of Solomon’s greatest achievements and reflected the triumph of the RP. But when the ten Northern tribes of Israel under Jeroboam broke away from Judah and Benjamin under Solomon’s son, King Rehoboam, all this was undone.

 Rehoboam’s took a series of ungodly actions driven by political motivation and lack of trust in God (cf. 1 Kings 12:26-27):

First, he set up a false place and object of worship: the golden calves at Dan and Bethel (vv. 28-30). This violated the second commandment by making graven images. It violated Deuteronomy in abandoning the temple in Jerusalem as the true place of worship. Notice v. 30a: “And this thing became a sin.” Worship can be sinful if it is not worship that is done in obedience to the command of God.

Second, he set up false priests (v. 31). He put men into the priesthood who were not Biblically qualified, because they were not sons of Levi.

Third, he set up a man-made holy day (vv. 32-33). He created his own feast, a pseudo holiday made in imitation of true feasts that had been ordained by God. This holy day was one “he had devised in his own heart” (v. 33).

This spiritual degeneracy and compromise eventually led to the undoing of this North Kingdom of Israel, though it would take many years to be played out.

We are left to ponder:

Have we set up false objects of worship?

Have we been driven by pragmatism, convenience, and personal preference in worship, rather than obedience?

Have we compromised on Biblical standards for church officers?

Have we created worship practices or “holy days” that we have devised in our own hearts?

May the Lord direct us to purify our worship and to regulate it according to his Word.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle

Book Review: Sing a New Song

I have uploaded a spoken version of my book review of Joel R. Beeke and Anthony T. Selvaggio, eds, Sing a New Song: Recovering Psalm Singing for the Twenty-First Century (Reformation Heritage Books, 2010) which appeared in Puritan Reformed Journal, Vol. 4, No. 1 (January 2012): 325-328.

You can listen to the review here. You can also read it as a pdf here or here.

JTR

Seasonal Resources on the Regulative Principle

A few years back, before I had come better to understand and then to embrace Reformed confessional Christianity, my conscience was not much bothered by "Advent" and "Christmas" observances in the church.  Like many other Calvinistic evangelicals I promoted the Advent season as connecting our worship with the historical Christian liturgy and the "Christian year."  I also oranized Christmas Eve services and even Christmas day services (when they did not fall on Sundays).  I also saw the observance of the Christmas holiday as a way to promote Christian influence and ideas in the secular culture.

Even now I understand that different folk hold different views on these matters. There is a distinct historical difference between the "continental" approach (of Calvin, et al) and that of the English Puritans.  Men of good faith and good will might hold different opinions.  I also believe that we can make a distinction between innocent private practices where Christian liberty must be allowed and what is approved for the public exercise of God's worship on the Lord's Day.  In short, I'd like to keep the Lord's Day relatively uncluttered from the Christmas connection. This way folk of various peruasions (whether they approve of Christmas family holiday traditions and celebrations or not) can find a common ground and grant liberty to their brethren to hold their own personal convictions.

I included this note in last week’s issue of the Vision, CRBC’s e-newsletter:

The approach of the Christmas holiday season raises questions about Reformed views on worship and personal practice.  Here are a few resources on these topics:

Sermon on the Second Commandment (a basis for the Reformed doctrine of the Regulative Principle)

Sermon:  Reformed Worship, Holy Days, and Holidays

Sermon:  A Reformed Christian Negotiates Christmas

The 16 part Blog Series on The Westminster Directory of Worship, including this post “Touching Days and Places for Publick Worship” (Part 16) [click the label “The Directory for the Publick Worship of God” at the end of the post to read the others in the series].

JTR

We will not have a Good Friday service this evening

At the risk of tumbling down the slope into the slough of self-righteousness and rigid judgmentalism.  No.  We did not hold an Ash Wednesday service to mark the beginning of Lent. We are not giving up anything for Lent.  We did not observe Palm Sunday last Lord’s Day.  We did not have a Maundy Thursday service last night and will not have a Good Friday service this evening.

At some point, in broad evangelical churches, I think I have taken part in all of the above (except maybe for smearing ashes on the forehead—but I know a few moderate “liturgical” ancient-future churches who have done and do this too).

What spoiled all this for me?  The regulative principle of worship.  The discovery of the abiding validity of the fourth commandment.  The realization that embracing Reformed theology is not merely a matter of holding to TULIP.  Coming to understand my own sinful tendency to go beyond what is written.  To jazz things up to make it more interesting.  Add some smells and bells.  Some tangible experience, beyond the simplicity of one day in seven for rest and uncluttered worship.

There is something better.  Simpler.  No extra ingredients needed.

JTR

Resources on The Regulative Principle and the Holidays

Image:  Spurgeon with a slight wardrobe addition.

In last Lord’s Day Sunday School discussion at CRBC (which was eventually on the topic of the OT prophecies of the cross and resurrection of Jesus in Matthew) we had some preliminary discussion about the Regulative Principle (the conviction that our worship should be guided by what is commanded in Scripture) and the holidays.

Here are some resources on this topic for those who want to hear more:

Sermon on the Second Commandment (a basis for the Reformed doctrine of the Regulative Principle)

Sermon:  Reformed Worship, Holy Days, and Holidays

Sermon:  A Reformed Christian Negotiates Christmas

The 16 part Blog Series on The Westminster Directory of Worship, including this post “Touching Days and Places for Publick Worship” (Part 16) [click the label “The Directory for the Publick Worship of God” at the end of the post to read the others in the series].

And for a little [attempted] humor, try this post on Reformed Kwanzaa.

JTR

The Second Commandment, the Regulative Principle, and Puritan Logic

How does one get from the second commandment to the Regulative Principle of Worship?  Here is the logic of Thomas Vincent in his exposition of the Shorter Catechism: 

 

God's forbidding the making of any graven image, and worshipping of it, doth clearly imply--

 

1.    That God must be worshipped by some means.

 

2.  That is a sin to worship God by graven images.

 

3.  That by consequence, it is a sin to worship God by means he hath not appointed in his word.

 

4.   That therefore it is a duty to worship God by the means which he has appointed, which being his ordinances, they must be received, observed, and kept pure and entire.