On Church Music - Part 2

Excerpt from Sunday Mornings: An Introduction to Biblical Worship by Pastor Brian Phillips

For Part 1, visit here

Music is an integral part of worship and Scripture consistently commands us to sing to the Lord. It is a part of the life of the body. And, because singing and music are integral parts of worship, God has given us precepts and principles to follow for what we offer. As with every other detail of worship, God protects us from ourselves and gives us direction for what we should sing and how we should sing it.

Biblical Principles for Music

As sad as this may be, music is at the center of the “worship wars” in the evangelical church.  When we boil all the debate down, we find that what people really get riled up about is music.  And, because both traditionalists and “contemporary” music advocates are often guilty of relying upon personal preference, we should remember that all decisions about worship music must be based on biblical principle.  So, here are some of the principles we must remember.

God determines what is acceptable.  It is sad, but true, that discussions about worship music often never acknowledge this.  We do not get to decide what God wants; He does.  Our personal preferences, while near and dear to our hearts, don’t amount to much when it comes to what is acceptable for worship.  The disregard of this principle is most clearly seen in how psalms are neglected.  The overwhelming majority of churches do not sing psalms, despite the explicit commands throughout the Bible, in both Old and New Testaments.  This is inexcusable.

Music teaches.  What we sing and even what is played teaches us.  The Psalms are a treasury of theological instruction.  We can learn more about the character and actions of God from the Psalms than any other single book in the Bible.  The hymns of the early church that we find in the New Testament are rich and valuable in what they teach us about Christ as well. 

What we sing affects our understanding of God, ourselves, worship, and everything else.  Music teaches us and we must, therefore, be intentional about what we select to sing.  Every kind of music teaches something through its words, its notes and chords, and through its presentation.  So, we must think through what we are being taught in each of those aspects - words, notes, and presentation.

Different music is appropriate at different times.  David played the harp to calm Saul, the Jews (and all civilizations) have songs that tell their story, and children learn songs to help them learn.  Music serves different purposes and not all of them are directly related to worship. 

What you listen to in your car doesn’t have to be the same as what we sing in worship.  In the same way, what we sing in worship you doesn’t have to be what you listen to in your car.  This is a major part of the current music issues in the Church.  People like a kind of music and so they expect the Church to respond by singing that kind of music.  But, this misses the important discipline of propriety and appropriateness.

Music is not subjective.  This is easily the most controversial of all the statements I will make on the subject.  “Good music” is not ultimately determined by whether or not you or I “like” it.  I am always amazed at how easily we retreat into subjectivism when something we “like” is challenged.  It’s one thing to say that good art isn’t relative; it’s another thing to tell someone to take a painting down because it is quite ugly.

All forms of art, including music, have an objective beauty by which they are to be judged.  Now, it is true that different styles of music are intended to accomplish different things, but they are still held to objective standards of beauty, complexity, and precision.  Because this is true, we can say that the works of Leonardo da Vinci was better than Jackson Pollack’s; that Bach’s music was better than Schoenberg’s; that King David is better than Hillsong. 

Let’s not be foolish enough to think that something is the best simply because we like it.  We may not like admitting things like this, but perhaps we simply need to “man-up” and admit that our taste is not always as good as it should be.  Liking something does not make it good in any objective or ultimately meaningful sense.  

On Church Music

Excerpt from Sunday Mornings: An Introduction to Biblical Worship by Pastor Brian Phillips

In Colossians 3, Paul addresses the Colossians with practical instruction about what it means to live as the Church, as a congregation of believers. He tells them to “put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering” (v.12); to “bear with one another…forgive one another” as Christ forgave us (v. 13). Summing all of this up, Paul says believers must “put on love, which is the bond of perfection” (v. 14). Believers are to be ruled by the peace of God, be thankful, and to live as one body (v. 15).

The life of the body is expressed and found in what it values. So, in verse 16, Paul says that the body, the Church, is to love and value the Word and music. The Church is to let “the word of Christ dwell in (them) richly” (verse 16), resulting in rich “wisdom, teaching and admonishing.” 

But how are members of the body to teach and admonish one another? We do that by “singing” (v. 16). Not all members of the body preach, not all lead, but all sing and, in singing, they admonish and teach the body. All of us know that music is a teacher, a very powerful teacher. We learn what we sing. We learn from the music used in our singing.

And, the last part of verse 16 tells us about what the body is to sing together – “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs…” Now, before we go into the specific terms used there, we should note that Paul is giving a command to the whole congregation. The pronouns “you” and “your” are plural pronouns and are referring to the whole congregation that received this letter. So the congregation, the collected body, is to sing “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.” Three terms that are similar, but do refer to different kinds of songs.

First, Paul calls for the singing of “psalms.” This is a reference to the Old Testament Psalms, and Scripture everywhere commands the singing of Psalms (1st Chronicles 16:9; Psalms 33:2, 57:8, 71:22, 81:2, 92:3, 95:2, 105:2, 108:2, 144:9, 150:3; Ephesians 5:19; James 5:13; many verses in 1st & 2nd Chronicles, Nehemiah 12:27; 2nd Samuel 6:5; 1st Kings 10:12). 

The Bible commands the singing of Psalms. This is why the Westminster Confession of Faith says, “The singing of psalms with grace in the heart (is a part) of the ordinary religious worship of God” (XXI.5). There are numerous arrangements of the Psalms, compiled in a variety of forms throughout the ages. It’s not an option, but it is a privilege to sing God’s Word, His Psalms, back to Him.    

Next, Paul says we are to sing “hymns.” Hymns are simply songs of praise to God. There are sections of the New Testament that are actually believed to be early hymns – Philippians 2:6-11, Colossians 1:15-20, Ephesians 5:14, and 1st Timothy 3:16 are among them. Upon reading through all of those passages, what stands out most starkly is the deep doctrinal emphasis. They added these “hymns” to the Psalms because they taught specifically about Christ. The hymns offered in worship ought also to be doctrinally rich and pure. The great church hymns have never been “fluff” songs designed merely to evoke emotional responses. They taught biblical truth through music, a wonderful tool for worship and memory. 

Finally, Paul mentions “spiritual songs.” Now, some of our brethren have insisted that this refers to songs that the Holy Spirit inspires you to sing directly – your own personal theme music from God! But, the word “spiritual” here literally means “non-carnal” or regenerate. In other words, “spiritual songs” are songs that are appropriate for worship and it is intentionally a general term. Because of the general nature of the term, a decent case for concluding that songs like the doxologies, the Gloria Patri, and perhaps instrumentals are covered here. These spiritual songs, however, were congregational in nature, included under the commands given to the Colossian church.    

Music is an integral part of worship and Scripture consistently commands us to sing to the Lord. It is a part of the life of the body. And, because singing and music are integral parts of worship, God has given us precepts and principles to follow for what we offer. As with every other detail of worship, God protects us from ourselves and gives us direction for what we should sing and how we should sing it.

Services Cancelled

Holy Trinity's Sunday services for Sunday, January 16th, 2022 are cancelled due to incoming inclement weather.  We look forward to seeing you next Sunday.  In the meantime, stay safe and stay warm!

Spiritual Honesty: An Exhortation

From the exhortation delivered at Holy Trinity Reformed Church (January 9, 2022)

Psalm 51:1 says, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.”

David’s great psalm of repentance, written after his sin with Bathsheba, is characterized by brutal honesty. In no way does David try to sugarcoat his guilt, or excuse his sin. Rather, he begins directly and openly – “Have mercy on me, O God…”

This is an important matter for us to remember because, too often, we can be tempted to come to God as our own defense attorney, rather than as people confessing that we are guilty. And, we must learn to practice this kind of spiritual honesty, not just with “big sins” (as we may like to categorize them), but with every sin. After all, most of our lives are affected, not by the major things but by the little things we struggle with day after day.

One writer observed, “The character of a life isn’t set in ten big moments. The character of a life is set in ten thousand little moments of everyday life. It’s the themes of struggles that emerge from those little moments that reveal what’s really going on in our hearts.”

Let us confess our sins to the Lord.

In Need of Light: On the First Sunday of Advent

We are just past the Thanksgiving celebration, originally a celebration of God’s provision of food to the pilgrims, and continued as a national celebration of victory in the War for Independence, and further still at the adoption of the Constitution in 1789. But, now we enter a season of preparation. On this first Sunday of Advent, we start the long and reverently joyful season leading to Christmas.

We lit the first candle on the Advent wreath, which is not a magical act, but it is an important one. Coming into the dark, fallen world trapped by sin and sorrow, was light. The light of the world came into the darkness, bringing hope, redemption, justice, and life.

Yet, it never comes quickly enough for man, does it? Like the disciples, we want Christ to come with an army and set up His kingdom in a moment. Yet, here we are. For some of us, the Thanksgiving celebration gave way to an Advent season that was somewhat mournful – in part because of mourning, family tragedy, job loss, or other uncertainty.  

Advent reminds us that the redemption of Christ comes both suddenly (in the redemption of souls), and yet slowly (in the gathering of the nations and setting all things right). And so, our souls are in need of light as we wait upon Christ. And what are we waiting for? We await the full victory of His Kingdom on this earth. We await the full victory of His Kingdom in our own souls. We await the full and final putting to death of our sins, that we may battle it no more. The candle is figurative, so it is not in it that we place our hope. But, it is a reminder – a reminder that the true Light of the World has come, is coming, and will come in all of His glory.  

Believe the Benediction

by Pastor Brian Phillips

In his short book Crazy Busy, Kevin DeYoung writes:

“We have more opportunity than ever before. The ability to cheaply go anywhere is a recent development. The ability to get information from anywhere is, too. Even the ability to easily stay up past sundown is relatively new. The result, then, is simple but true: because we can do so much, we do do so much. Our lives have no limits. We eat (most of) what we want, buy (most of) what we want, and say yes to (too much of) what we want. In all our lifetimes we’ve seen an exponential expansion in the number of opportunities for children, opportunities for seniors, opportunities for leisure, opportunities for travel, opportunities for education, opportunities at church (and for different churches), opportunities in our local communities, and opportunities to make a difference around the world. No wonder we are busy.”

Living such hectic lives brings with it inescapable problems. We spend too many of our days tired, stretched too thin, irritable, spiritually drained, and emotionally spent. To make matters worse, we live in a time that suffers information glut – that is, we are bombarded with all that we “should” be doing, in addition to what we are already struggling to accomplish.

In 1967, a testimony before a Senate subcommittee claimed that by 1985, the average American workweek would be 22 hours. The average American workweek now actually leads the world by a long-shot. From 1967 to 2000, the average working hours increased from 1,716 per year to 1,878 per year. Workers in Britain put in an hour per day more than their German and Italian counterparts, and that is still about an hour per day less than Americans.

Over 40 million Americans have been diagnosed with anxiety disorders. That’s about 1 out of every 10 Americans and that’s just the ones who have been diagnosed! It should also be noted that those numbers have skyrocketed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 70 million Americans have been diagnosed with sleep disorders, and the CDC has identified lack of sleep as a genuine public health problem (and that too is pre-pandemic!).

We could go on and on trying to pinpoint the cause of our anxiety, our chaotic lives, our tendency to overwork, and stretch ourselves too thin, but we can identify one root problem that permeates our society as either a cause or result of it – lack of peace.         

As I do every year, I recently completed a series of sermons for our church that attempts to explain why we worship the way we do – why in that order, why those things, why not other things, what does it teach us, etc. One of my deepest concerns as a pastor is having the children in our congregation grow up not knowing why any of it is done, then concluding that there must be no good reason.

Near the end of the final sermon this year, we focused on these words from Leviticus 9:22-24: “Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.”

After all the offerings are done, Aaron lifted his hands and blessed the people. Numbers 6:23-26 tells us the specific words of that blessing: “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them: ‘The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.’”

This is the benediction (Latin for “good words”). The liturgy begins with an early confession of sin (the sin offering) but ends with blessing and peace. We arrive in need of confession and repentance, but we leave with the gift of peace and blessing, the gift of God’s countenance upon us.

So, what do we do with that gift?

Sadly, we often give that gift up for stress, anxiety, frustration, anger, pet sins – you name it. So, when we come back, God gives it to us again. By doing so, God is teaching us by repetition, calling us to hold on to His peace.

Perhaps making it to Monday morning’s first class, to Tuesday afternoon’s staff meeting? For some of us, getting home from church with God’s peace would be a great victory, particularly those of us who have to round up multiple children to do so! After all, whoever wrote the song “Easy Like Sunday Morning” never took his children to church.

But, the benediction is teaching us, calling us, to live in the peace of God. Believe the benediction. Don’t just believe the words are true, but have faith that when God gives His people something, they actually have it. Don’t squander it for petty things. Treat it like a gift from God.  

Adapted from sermons at Holy Trinity Reformed Church. Blog post originally posted for The CiRCE Institute and posted here with permission.

All Is Vanity: Reflecting on Ecclesiastes

“The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?
A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises.
The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north;
around and around goes the wind, and on its circuits the wind returns.
All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full;
to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again.
All things are full of weariness; a man cannot utter it…”

Ecclesiastes 1:1-8

On Sunday, September 5th, Pastor Brian Phillips will begin a new sermon series through the book of Ecclesiastes, a record of King Solomon’s wisdom, as he looked back on the numerous blessings, troubles, and lessons of his life. In the end, what really counts? What really matters? How do we find meaning in the midst of life’s “vanities,” routines, and hardships?

Join us each Sunday at 11:00 a.m. as we reflect on what the wisest of all men has to say about life, death, and everything in between.

The Warrenton Declaration on Medical Mandates

The session of Holy Trinity Reformed Church has approved and adopted the Warrenton Declaration as an official statement for our congregation and her members.

Here is the Declaration’s preamble:

“With the rise of COVID-19 and all of the attendant ramifications, it has been incumbent upon the church to come to terms with what it believes related to the intersecting areas of biblical ethics, authority, and medical mandates.

Unfortunately, due to a pervasive lack of theological and biblical understanding on these issues coupled with a tendency to over-attribute power and jurisdiction to the state, oftentimes churches have defaulted to almost reflexively acquiescing to whatever government health agency statements are made and the policies they put in place. The legitimacy of the sweeping powers attributed to the state is either simply presumed or reinforced with scant, or faulty biblical support. Powers are assumed to exist unless explicitly denied rather than regarded as absent unless firmly established by Scripture.

As a result, rather than leading on these issues, pastors often become little more than mouthpieces for government health agencies and are then used by these same agencies to help carry out their bidding.

The reasons given for following such policies and mandating them in the local church are not typically justified by a well-rounded and systematic understanding of the whole counsel of Scripture on authority and what it means to love one’s neighbor as oneself. Instead, the rationale given is usually disjointed, unbalanced, and confused.

To that end The Warrenton Declaration on Medical Mandates, Biblical Ethics, & Authority was created in order to provide clarity on these issues moving forward, to equip local churches and their officers in providing clarity on where they stand, and to assist individuals who are being mistreated in their churches with a well-ordered summary of belief in this regard. “

For the full text of the Declaration, or to find out more information, please visit the official website

The Warrenton Declaration

The Significance of Christ's Ascension

From the very beginning, God has ordered our days. In the Creation week, He made the sun to rule the day and the moon to rule the night. He rested on the seventh day, giving us a pattern of work and rest to follow in our own lives. Our calendars have, however, become far more numerous and complicated - work calendars, family calendars, and school calendars now direct how we spend our time. Sadly, the Church calendar is rarely the one setting the rhythm of life, even for Christians.     

Yet, the Church calendar, with its repetition of fasting and feasting, prepares us and trains us for every season of life – times of suffering (fasting) and times of rejoicing (feasting). It also reminds us that the center of life is Jesus. 

One important, but often overlooked (at least by many evangelicals) Church feast is Ascension. Christ ascended into heaven forty days after His resurrection, after appearing to His disciples multiple times. It is significant to note that the Easter season is not one Sunday. Rather, it is a forty-day feast that begins on Easter Sunday and continues through Ascension. There is a day of Easter feasting for every day of Lenten fasting…plus some. Easter’s forty days lead to the feasts of Ascension and Pentecost (ten days after Ascension).  

Shortly before Jesus ascended into heaven, the disciples asked Him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” The power they would receive, however, was not political. Jesus answered, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The word “witnesses” is the Greek term for martyr. Rather than earthly, political power, the disciples would be given the power to lay down their lives for Christ.

Through His ascension, Christ is seen as the substance of Old Testament shadows. The accounts of Acts and the Gospel of John give us two specific examples.

Christ’s Ascension & the Ark of the Covenant

“And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven’” (Acts 1:9-11).

When Christ rose from the grave, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, who returned to the empty tomb after Peter and John had departed. She wept outside the tomb, then stooped to look inside. “And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet” (John 20:12). The empty tomb is the new Holy of Holies, and place where the body of Jesus had lain is the new Mercy Seat. The angels sat on either side of the tomb because the empty tomb is the true Ark of the Covenant (with angels on either side). Additionally, when Peter and John arrived at the tomb, even though John was the first to arrive, he makes sure we know that Peter was the first to enter the tomb (John 20:4). This is significant because Peter was the High Priest who would deliver the sermon at Pentecost and call the crowds to repent and be baptized. He had to enter the Holy of Holies.

Now, back in Acts 1, as Jesus ascends and the Holy Spirit is to be sent, all the disciples are gathered and, while they stand there looking for Jesus (like Peter and John did), two angels stand by them. The disciples are high priests now, and they are going to minister in the true Holy of Holies – proclaiming the empty tomb and continuing the work of Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. They can enter the Holy of Holies because Christ tore the veil, that is His flesh, and opened the Holiest Place through His resurrection.

Christ’s Ascension & Elijah

In 2nd Kings 2, Elijah and his apprentice, Elisha, are walking together and, as they arrive at the Jordan River, Elijah takes off his cloak, rolls it up, strikes the water, and the water was parted so they could walk over on dry ground. This should remind us of Moses and the Red Sea, as well as Joshua and the Jordan River (Joshua 3:16).

“When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, ‘Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.’ And Elisha said, ‘Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.’ And he said, ‘You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it shall be so for you, but if you do not see me, it shall not be so.’ And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, ‘My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!’ And he saw him no more” (2nd Kings 2:9-13).

Elijah is about to be taken up into heaven, and Elisha asks for a double portion of his spirit to come upon him, so he can continue the work of Elijah once Elijah is in heaven. This was not selfishness on Elisha’s part. By asking for a “double portion,” he was not being greedy. He was being humble. Elisha knew that, in order for him to carry on the work of Elijah, he would need a double portion. In the same way, as Jesus prepared to ascend into heaven, He does not leave His disciples helpless or powerless. He leaves them the Holy Spirit to continue to empower them to continue His work. And, just as Elijah went up into heaven with the flaming chariots, so the Holy Spirit would descend as tongues of fire at Pentecost.

When Elijah ascends into heaven, his spirit is given to Elisha and, 2nd Kings 2:13-14 say, “Then he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. And he took up the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the cloak of Elijah that had fallen from him and struck the water, saying, ‘Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?’ And when he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.” Elisha is able to do what Elijah had done.

In the same way, the Holy Spirit is given to the disciples and to the Church to continue doing what Jesus did – lay down His life for those the Father had given Him. We are called to do the same where God has put us, in the time He has given us, for the people He has given us – for our spouse, our children, our neighbors.

And as we labor on, laying our lives down for the Lord and others, the ascended Christ who sits at the right hand of the Father intercedes for us.

Service Time Change

We are excited to announce that, beginning on Sunday, February 7th, our worship service will shift from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

While we are not currently holding Sunday School classes, we will announce the new times for those and for choir practices as we move forward.

We look forward to seeing you and your family every Sunday…just a little bit later now!

When: Sunday, February 7th, 2021

What: Worship services will begin at 11:00 a.m. (not 9:30 a.m.)

Where: Holy Trinity Reformed Church
3747 Trinity Church Road
Concord, NC 28027

What Hope Is There for Mankind?

This post was first delivered as an exhortation to the congregation by Pastor Brian Phillips on Sunday, June 14th, 2020.

The verse we are using for this month’s assurance of pardon is a familiar one – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1st John 1:9). The word “confess” is a compound Greek word that literally means “to say the same thing.” In other words, when we confess our sins, we are saying the same thing about our thoughts, words, and deeds, that God would say about them. If we do that – if we own up to our sins, then God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us.

In the next verse, however, John gives us another option – “If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” We can either confess or we can be liars. We can either be forgiven and cleansed, or we can be separated from God (“His word is not in us”). It is one or the other, and it applies to every individual without exception – white, black, male, female, European, American, African, Asian, Hispanic. Doesn’t matter. There is no person, no history, no race, no nationality, without sin.

No one is privileged when it comes to sin and the need for confession and forgiveness. Do not lose sight of this in light of our current and historical turmoil. Laws may occasionally help, but they will not save. Protests may make us feel better, but they will not save. Anger might feel good for a bit, but it will not save. And, by the way, we are seldom good at “righteous” anger anyway – particularly when it turns into “righteous” looting, “righteous” rioting, or a “righteous” defense of obvious brutality. We are too skilled at excusing the sins we want to excuse, and too willing to harshly and inconsistently judge others. We are too prone to rage and too prone to hypocrisy.

What then is to be done? What hope is there for mankind?

The only salvation any of us have – both as individuals and as a society - is Jesus Christ. He took upon Himself the sins of man, so that man might be delivered from sin. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2nd Corinthians 5:21).

In Acts 4:12, Peter says, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Let us confess our sins and call upon His name…

What Christians Believe: Exploring the Apostles' Creed

The Apostles’ Creed. We read it, recite it, memorize it, and teach it to our children. But, do we understand it?

For roughly 1700 years, the Christian Church has affirmed and confessed the Apostles’ Creed - a statement of what Christians believe, a kind of summary of the Christian faith. At Holy Trinity, we recite it regularly, with the hope it becomes part of us, etched in our memories. So, it is important for us to know what we are confessing, and to know the biblical foundation for it all.

Join us as we begin a new sermon series on The Apostles’ Creed, beginning on Sunday, January 12th, 2020.

When: Sundays at 9:30 a.m.
Where: Holy Trinity Reformed Church
3747 Trinity Church Road
Concord, NC

2019 Advent Readings - Week Four

The Advent season is a season of preparation – of prayer, contemplation, fasting, and spiritual renewal.  It is a time in which the people of God, by God’s grace, make straight His paths in their hearts.  Rather than simply being an extension of the Christmas celebration, Advent prepares us to more truly and fully celebrate Christ’s birth. 

To help us observe Advent, here is a collection of Scripture readings for each day of the season, drawn from the Book of Common Prayer.  The readings for week four are taken from Psalms, Isaiah, Luke, and John.      

The readings may be done in one sitting, or divided into morning, noon, and evening.  Contemplate each reading in light of the coming Christmas season – as a means of preparation for the birth of Christ.

Sunday, December 22nd – Fourth Sunday of Advent
Psalm 24
Isaiah 42:1-12
John 3:16-21

Monday, December 23rd
Psalm 61
Isaiah 11:1-9
John 5:30-47  

Tuesday, December 24th
Psalm 66
Isaiah 11:10-16
Luke 1:5-25

Wednesday, December 25th – First Day of Christmas
Luke 2:1-20

2019 Advent Readings - Week Three

The Advent season is a season of preparation – of prayer, contemplation, fasting, and spiritual renewal. It is a time in which the people of God, by God’s grace, make straight His paths in their hearts. Rather than simply being an extension of the Christmas celebration, Advent prepares us to more truly and fully celebrate Christ’s birth. 

To help us observe Advent, here is a collection of Scripture readings for each day of the season, drawn from the Book of Common Prayer. The readings for week three are taken from Psalms, Isaiah, Luke, Mark, and Matthew.      

The readings may be done in one sitting, or divided into morning, noon, and evening. Contemplate each reading in light of the coming Christmas season – as a means of preparation for the birth of Christ.

Sunday, December 15th – Third Sunday of Advent
Psalm 103
Isaiah 13:6-13
John 3:22-30

Monday, December 16th
Psalm 44
Isaiah 8:16-9:1
Luke 22:39-53  

Tuesday, December 17th
Psalm 45
Isaiah 9:1-7
Luke 22:54-69

Wednesday, December 18th
Psalm 119:49-72
Isaiah 9:8-17
Mark 1:1-8

Thursday, December 19th
Psalm 50
Isaiah 9:18-10:4
Matthew 3:1-12

Friday, December 20th
Psalm 51
Isaiah 10:5-19
Matthew 11:2-15

Saturday, December 21st
Psalm 55
Isaiah 10:20-27
Luke 3:1-9

2019 Advent Readings - Week Two

The Advent season is a season of preparation – of prayer, contemplation, fasting, and spiritual renewal.  It is a time in which the people of God, by God’s grace, make straight His paths in their hearts.  Rather than simply being an extension of the Christmas celebration, Advent prepares us to more truly and fully celebrate Christ’s birth. 

To help us observe Advent, here is a collection of Scripture readings for each day of the season, drawn from the Book of Common Prayer.  The readings for week two are taken from Isaiah, Luke, and John. 

The readings may be done in one sitting, or divided into morning and evening.  Contemplate each reading in light of the coming Christmas season – as a means of preparation for the birth of Christ.

Sunday, December 8th – Second Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 5:1-7
Luke 7:28-35

Monday, December 9th
Isaiah 5:8-12, 18-23
Luke 21:20-28  

Tuesday, December 10th
Isaiah 5:13-17, 24-25
Luke 21:29-38

Wednesday, December 11th
Isaiah 6:1-13
John 7:53-8:11

Thursday, December 12th
Isaiah 7:1-9
Luke 22:1-13

Friday, December 13th
Isaiah 7:10-25
Luke 22:14-30

Saturday, December 14th
Isaiah 8:1-15
Luke 22:31-38

2019 Advent Readings - Week One

The Advent season is a season of preparation – of prayer, contemplation, fasting, and spiritual renewal. It is a time in which the people of God, by God’s grace, make straight His paths in their hearts. Rather than simply being an extension of the Christmas celebration, Advent prepares us to more truly and fully celebrate Christ’s birth. 

To help us observe Advent, here is a collection of Scripture readings for each day of the season, drawn from the Book of Common Prayer. The readings for week one are taken from Isaiah, Matthew, and Luke. 

The readings from Isaiah are a strong call for repentance, while the gospel readings combine warnings against being unprepared for the Lord’s coming and events from late in the life of Christ. Those events highlight why Christ came and died, fitting topics for contemplation as Advent begins.

Sunday, December 1st – First Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 1:1-9
Matthew 25:1-13

Monday, December 2nd
Isaiah 1:10-20
Luke 20:1-8  

Tuesday, December 3rd
Isaiah 1:21-31
Luke 20:9-18

Wednesday, December 4th
Isaiah 2:1-11
Luke 20:19-26

Thursday, December 5th
Isaiah 2:12-22
Luke 20:27-40

Friday, December 6th
Isaiah 3:8-15
Luke 20:41-21:4

Saturday, December 7th
Isaiah 4:2-6
Luke 21:5-19

Lives of the Saints in Two Minutes: St. Constantine

by Brian Phillips

(Originally delivered as an exhortation at Holy Trinity as part of the continued observation of All Saints’ Day, Lives of the Saints in Two Minutes is an attempt to quickly introduce some of our too-frequently forgotten brothers and sisters.)

Constantine is a controversial figure in Church history. He won the power struggle that came after the death of Diocletian and, by 324, he ruled control the whole Roman Empire. He strengthened the absolute power of the emperor and stripped the senate of its authority. Additionally, Constantine built the military to 500,000 troops, and undertook huge building projects (palaces, amphitheaters), even though it put great financial strain on the empire.

At the same time, Christianity was becoming more organized and, therefore, able to spread effectively. Bishops oversaw large territories, caring for the churches within their territory. Because of this, many found the Church to be more stable than the Empire, which was struggling to maintain unity and protect its borders.

Constantine became the first Christian emperor. Before a crucial battle, he saw a vision of the cross with the message “In this sign, you will conquer.” His soldiers painted red crosses on their shields and the “Chi-Rho” symbol (the first two letters of “Christ” in Greek) was used as well.

After winning the battle, he made Christianity an accepted religion of the Empire and put an end to all official persecution of Christians. This was done in the Edict of Milan of 313. The Edict also granted the return of all confiscated Christian property, and rebuilt destroyed churches at government expense. When he was crowned as emperor, Constantine broke with the Roman tradition and refused to offer sacrifice to Jupiter upon being crowned. He freed Christians who had been imprisoned for their faith and made Sunday a legal holiday. The emperor even exempted church property from taxation, and appointed Christians to places of influence in the government. 

When the heresies of Arius created a boiling conflict, Constantine called a Church council – the Nicene council (which led to the creation of the Nicene Creed). The emperor also attended the Council and contributed to the discussion, having arrived in his royal robes, with all of the attending bishops and church leaders standing at his arrival. He also used his power to appoint and dismiss bishops, even exiling men who did not follow his instructions (including Athanasius).

Constantine drives us to question the relationship between Church and State. For example, was it appropriate for the emperor to appoint bishops or take part in Church councils? For the sake of this exhortation, however, and for the sake of enduring the upcoming election season, let us remember two principles. First, no human leader is perfect. Constantine made mistakes and did great things too, but no ruler is perfect.

This leads to the second truth: there is only one Savior. Constantine helped the Church, but also may have hindered the Church in some ways. As we endure election season, do not allow yourself to lose perspective. We are people of the One, True King – and His name is not Constantine, or Trump, or Biden.

Lives of the Saints in Two Minutes: St. Athanasius

by Brian Phillips

(Originally delivered as an exhortation at Holy Trinity as part of the continued observation of All Saints’ Day, Lives of the Saints in Two Minutes is an attempt to quickly introduce some of our too-frequently forgotten brothers and sisters.)

When he was about 10 years old (around 306 A.D.), Athanasius was playing with a group of his friends on the beach, pretending to baptize one another, taking turns playing the part of the minister. When Athanasius took his turn, he so accurately recited sections of the baptismal service, bishop Alexander (walking along the beach at the time) approached Athanasius to talk about his faith.

While the Church at the time was relatively free of persecution, she greatly struggled with internal conflict and heresy. Athanasius served the Church at one of the most theologically dangerous times in history. While Athanasius served as Bishop Alexander’s assistant, a priest named Arius began openly teaching that Christ was created by the Father, and therefore, was not as divine as God the Father. He also claimed that “there was a time when the Son was not.”

A meeting of church leaders in the region condemned Arius’ teachings and ordered him to stop teaching it – but Arius refused. Eventually, Emperor Constantine called for a full Church council (Nicea in 325). In the end, the council sided with Athanasius, ordering Arius not to teach his beliefs any more. They wrote out the Nicene Creed as the official response to Arius, but he and his followers refused to sign it or obey it. They were excommunicated from the Church. 

Instead, Arius and his followers went to Constantine and apologized for their wrongs – but they did not change their beliefs. They wanted to be restored to the Church and to their leadership positions. Without consulting the bishops, Constantine agreed, even sending out a letter to Athanasius, telling him that if he did not welcome Arius and his followers back into the Church, he would be exiled. Athanasius refused.

Some records indicate that Athanasius was banished five separate times, but, he never gave up – continuing to preach and write the truth about who Christ is. The result was what still stands as his greatest work, On the Incarnation. Because of him, many of those who had been deceived by Arius returned to the truth and, to this day, churches around the world recite the Nicene Creed, but far fewer know who Arius was.

While we can learn many things from the life of St. Athanasius, let us remember at least these few. First, the creeds of the Church were hard won. They were written in the midst of battles, struggles for the truth, and were handed down as protection to the Church. While they are not to be held on the same level as Scripture, no Christian should hold them lightly. Second, at the risk of sounding like a motivational poster, St. Athanasius teaches us that if something is true, it is true whether it’s easy to hold to it or not. Doing what is right is not always easy, and doing what is easy is not always right.

The Love that Forgives

This was an exhortation at Holy Trinity, delivered by Pastor Brian Phillips on Sunday, September 15, 2019. The image above is part of a stained glass windows at 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL.

On this day (September 15th) in 1963, approximately 15 sticks of dynamite had been placed under the back steps of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Four members of the congregation perished when the church exploded, sending brick through cars, nearby businesses, and destroying the church building.

The blast was intended to not only destroy the building, but kill members of the black or African-American congregation. The racist hatred that motivated the bombing stood in stark contrast to the sermon delivered in the pulpit of 16th Street Baptist Church that very morning. The sermon was entitled “The Love that Forgives” and was rooted in Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:43-44: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…’”

In the face of such hatred, which not only still exists today, but exists in perhaps even more forms, against more people, and is expressed in wider formats, than it did in 1963, Jesus commands His people to love, not only their neighbor, but even those who hate us.

C.S. Lewis summarized it well: “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”

Echo Response: Cardiac Arrest & The Resurrection

by Brian Phillips

Rain poured from the densely clouded sky for what seemed like the fortieth straight day. It had already been the rainiest season in recorded history and there appeared to be little break in sight. The clouds darkened everything, making it feel much earlier than it was.

I rose, mumbling my complaints at the weather, and dressed to exercise in hopes it would make me feel a bit better. The kids were just stirring, following my bad example of griping at rain, while my wife tried her best to motivate them to complete chores.

Having finished my workout, I walked into the kitchen while the sound of our morning routine bounced off the walls – a mixture of music, dishes being put away, homeschool memory chants, feet padding down the hallway, and children being told to stay on task. Another sound began. A loud, unpleasant, piercing sound. Tones, followed by a series of rapid beeps.

“Medic 61, Squad 81. Cardiac arrest.” An address was given, then more dreaded words. “Echo response.”

Every call is assigned a response level, from routine to “get there yesterday”: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and Echo.       

I ran to our bedroom closet, threw on the pants, boots, and hat I keep ready for such situations, put my bright coat over my sweaty t-shirt, and sprinted out the door. My wife, having heard the call when it came over my radio, had already started my truck, giving me time to punch in the address. I flipped on the dashboard emergency lights and headed directly to the scene. Though I would normally report to our fire station and ride on the squad truck (a fire department’s vehicle for medical calls), the call’s severity made me think it best to simply go.

“Units responding…patient is a 36-year-old female. Not conscious. Not breathing. Found by her mother. Currently on the bedroom floor.”

The rain pounded the windshield, slowing my progress and making it difficult to see. Cars ahead, seeing the emergency lights, did their best to move to the side, but pulling off the road was a treacherous proposition. Navigating through traffic, trying to follow directions on my phone, and listening for updates from dispatch, I prayed repeatedly, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners.”  

“8105 on scene. Dispatch, please call in mutual aid.”

“CPR in progress.”

Though it felt like an eternity, I arrived on-scene just minutes after leaving my house. Pulling onto the slick and pothole-pocked dirt driveway, flashing lights greeted me. A city fire engine had already arrived, having been nearby when the call went out. Two other firemen from our department were there, the rain having canceled their work for the day. More were coming, along with a paramedic unit. The sound of sobbing met me at the door – the patient’s mother.  

Medic 61 arrived. The paramedics made their way off the ambulance and I helped them carry their oversized bag and bulky monitor into the house, down the short narrow hallway.    

“In here! Climb over that bed and get ready to relieve him with compressions.” An older fireman had taken command of the scene and was directing what we call “pit crew” CPR, lining up relief after every 200 chest compressions, ensuring little interruption and keeping us all from becoming exhausted too quickly. The room was already crowded, so I crawled over the bed and took my place in line, standing at the foot of the patient.

She was pale bluish, her eyes were partially rolled back, and other less pleasant signs of death had already appeared. Trauma shears threatened more of her dignity, as her clothes were cut away so defibrillator pads and monitor leads could be applied. Compressions continued, then stopped as the defibrillator analyzed.

“No shock advised.”

Compressions started again, monitor leads attached. Medications were administered. More breaths given.

The next man rotated forward for chest compressions. More breaths given. The paramedics continued to work. The mother wept in the hallway. All continued in suspended time. 

From my position now just below the patient’s knees, I saw her right hand flop to the side. The force of the compressions? Perhaps her body was rocked to the side a bit by all the impact? The monitor showed something.

“Stop compressions.” The paramedic spoke loudly, her voice rising above everyone else. “We have a pulse. She’s breathing.” Stunned silence, other than the beeping of the monitor. The paramedic spoke again: “Tracy? Are you with us?” It was the first time I heard the patient’s name.

Things changed rapidly from there. The “patient” was “Tracy” again. Her eyes moved forward. She was lifted from the floor. Her body was covered, her dignity restored and guarded. Her mother’s tears continued, but for a far different reason. “Thank y’all so much! Please tell that man on 911 I didn’t mean to be rude to him.” Firefighters, a notoriously gruff bunch, continued their work with stunned smiles, relieved laughter, and watering eyes. The paramedic said, with shaking voice, “I want each of you to know that I love you. Thank you for your help.” I had never met her before that day.    

Tracy was lifted aboard the ambulance and admitted to the hospital for observation. She was discharged and returned home that night.

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Dead men are not supposed to rise. God made man, male and female, in His own image, placing them into the Garden, to tend and work it (Gen. 2:7-9, 15-17). He gave them the world, with one prohibition: “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

The talking serpent came and tempted the woman, leading her to doubt what God had really said. With him, he brought death. Fruit from the forbidden tree was eaten, and man went from working and keeping the garden paradise to being condemned back to the dust from which he was taken (Gen. 3:19).

But, in the midst of that fall, a promise was made. A promise that One would come who would crush the head of the serpent and slay death itself. That One would, to the shock of many, come not as a knight in shining armor, but as a baby – a reminder of life, its delicacy, and beauty. Death – the hideous specter that looms over and threatens us all – with all its indignities and ugliness, would be defeated. Both the death of our physical bodies and the death of our souls (the real specter) would be crushed. Our bodies promised resurrection, our souls promised redemption.

Jesus was betrayed in a garden (John 18:1). He was crucified in a garden (19:41). He was buried and rose again in a garden (19:41). When Mary came to the tomb on the first day of the week, finding His tomb to be empty, she thought He was the gardener (20:15). All that was lost in the first garden, Jesus reclaimed in this garden.  

Peter and John did not understand it at first. Seeing the empty tomb, they went back home, “for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead” (20:9). The word “must” is beautiful. Death could not hold Him.

The disciples did not understand. Mary did not understand, but she waited at the tomb. Two angels appeared to her, sitting where Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet, because the empty tomb is the true Ark of the Covenant. When turned back, she saw the “gardener,” and said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”

Then, Jesus spoke her name. “Mary.” And she knew it was the Lord.

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God gives glimpses of His victory. We miss most of them, claiming ignorance (“We don’t know what happened to his cancer”) or applying a different label (“It’s resuscitation. They only appeared to be dead”). But, as my friend Cyndi McCallister recently noted, we “sacrifice the best for the bland – and to take something holy and beautiful and make it bland is evil.”    

She’s right, and we commit this evil daily. We go through life tripping over blessings – from our homes and families, to our work and relationships. Whether it’s a patient who “comes back,” a child who learns to read, the satisfying tastes of new food, or the comfort of friends and family, we must learn to rejoice in the wonder and mystery of life. Failing to do so is a kind of death in itself. It is a rejection of the life we are being given.   

Death is an enemy, but Resurrection changes everything.

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*Note: To protect patient privacy, and the privacy of some first responders, names and some other specific details have been omitted and/or changed.