Pastor`s Pen

Many years ago, I worked at a Christian summer camp for boys. During the weeks that the boys spent up in the mountains of South Carolina, we spent most of our time doing typically rugged camp activities: hiking, canoeing, climbing, campfires, high rope courses, etc. But every evening, we also had a chapel service, and at the end of every chapel service, we would sing what is known as the Doxology: Praise God, from whom all blessings flow Praise Him, all creatures here below Praise Him above, ye heavenly hosts Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost We also sang this after every staff meeting and prayer time, because it helped us remember our ultimate purpose: to glorify God and give him praise. The word doxology is a combination of the words doxa (“glory”) and logos (“word” or “speech”), and we wanted everything we did to be done doxologically; that is, with the intention of glorifying God. Every hike, every game, and every meal cooked over a fire served the purpose of praising the one who created the world and everything in it. In the coming weeks, we will be talking about theology and looking at some of the foundational doctrines of our faith. These types of discussions, when done well, are done with precision, care, and intellectual consistency. But my hope is that the discussions will not merely be about getting the right ideas in our heads, but about changing our hearts. In his book Daily Doctrine, Kevin DeYoung points out that theological study should be done biblically, rationally, humbly, and doxologically. When we study the “facts” about God and his Word, we do so only so that God is glorified by our deepening understanding. As DeYoung puts it, we study theology in order to know God more deeply, enjoy him more fully, and walk with him more obediently. 

Blessings, Pastor Andrew