Resurrectio et Vita

Hallmark movies used to be the exclusive domain of tasteless and self-defeating relational polemics or artistic sentimental drivel as the cool kids would say. But thanks to the times, now it is more than that: a starless display of sexualized logorrhea:

“Hallmark Channel is making a little bit of Christmas history with its first holiday movie centered on a lesbian romance. On the heels of last year’s The Holiday Sitter, the network’s first gay romantic comedy, Friends & Family Christmas hopes to keep the LGBTQ streak going.” https://www.tvguide.com/…/hallmark-lesbian-christmas…/

The idea, of course, is to normalize the gay agenda within a genre that could be easily described as the gayest. Not only will audiences find themselves exposed to an array of worthless dialogues befitting the vocabulary of thuggish elves, but now they will have the added layer of lesbian interactions openly mocking biblical ethics.

As one of the actresses so eloquently put it:

“I hope that there will always be queer Christmas movies every year — at least one but maybe, like, three — and see different people in these roles.”

Like yeah. Like for realz. Like, no!

We will need to do more than simply shout “Merry Christmas” these coming twelve days but also make it abundantly clear that these attempts at synchronizing the festivity of the Incarnate Son of God with unnatural unions (Rom. 1:27) have nothing in common.

This is merely a pagan approach to make evangelicals already sympathetic to these lame-worthy causes even more compelled to give the L a chance. But these will not do.

So, in the masculine, traditional spirit, here are ten great Christmas classics to stir your heart to genuine Trinitarian jolliness. Most of these are available on YouTube for free:

a) A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

b) It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)

c) Miracle On 34th Street (1947 & 1994)

d) Die Hard (1988) *NOT FOR KIDS*

e) White Christmas (1954)

f) Klaus (2019)

g) A Christmas Carol (1951)

h) Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966 & 2000)

i) Christmas in Connecticut (1945)

j) Holiday Inn (1942)

I’d love to hear some other suggestions.

One of the most fruitful benefits of seminary education was the ability to sit at the feet of academically gifted men and experience a few years of intellectual submission.

When I entered RTS, I had completed a degree in pastoral theology. I had a certain air of superiority over others who did not receive theological education in college or university. But after three months, I quickly realized that sitting in a room with John Frame, Richard Pratt and Simon Kistemaker was to sit in a room where my only solution was to listen, and my duty was to engage quietly. We were all equal as students because none of us had the enormity of these men’s biblical, theological, and systematic knowledge.

While formal training is not absolutely necessary to produce longevity and faithfulness among pastors, it offers intellectual humility. It prepares men to assume their jobs not as the smartest ones in the room but as those upon whom God has called to communicate truth with a gentle and contrite heart.

The best pastoral training is the one that puts you under others before you embrace the great responsibility of leading those under your care.

The narratives of the Old Testament point us to various wars over who answers our longing with greater efficiency and who comes to our aid when we call.

In this essay, I offer an overview of the great battle between Yahweh and Dagon. When Dagon tried to steal Christmas, he discovered that those who get decapitated are made as examples of humiliation for the nations.

No false god and no individual can manipulate the true God. Yahweh Advents at his own pleasure. Christmas is coming!

My top five are not ordinary classics but essential foundational works in the Reformed tradition.

a) Martin Luther’s Catechism: https://catechism.cph.org

It is known for its unique pastoral fervor in both life and practice. His distillation of the Ten Commandments is excellent.

b) Calvin’s Dedication to the Prince in his Genesis commentary: https://ccel.org/ccel/calvin/calcom01/calcom01.v.html…

Calvin’s prefaces are usually the most personal notes to dignitaries of the day. I wish we could restore such dedications, but they also summarize his general project.

c) Benjamin Warfield’s “The Plan of Salvation” is less than 100 pages, but it is one of the finest defenses of Postmillennialism in the 19th century: https://amazon.com/Plan-Salvation-B-Warfield-ebook/dp/B06XSNJB1F/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2FQ1IWIVYCWBG&keywords=the+plan+of+salvation+warfield&qid=1676508216&sprefix=The+Plan+of+Salvation%2Caps%2C84&sr=8-4…

d) Abraham Kuyper’s Lectures on Calvinism is the most thorough devastation of dualism. He continues in the spirit of Geneva. Shameless plug: I wrote the introduction to the newly printed version from Canon Press: https://canonpress.com/products/calvinism-the-stone-lectures/…

e) The Holiness of God by my old pastor, R.C. Sproul, remains one of the finest classics and expositions of Isaiah 6: https://amazon.com/Holiness-God-R-C-Sproul/dp/B002KCR0LS

This essay is not your standard Advent offering. In fact, it is the anti-Advent piece.

I find it fascinating that as we near the feast of the nativity, and while the world enters into the “thrill of hope” for the incarnate baby, countless adults are revealing a mosaic of selfishness, exalting their dual-income status and cherishing their joy of being childless. These are the DINKS (dual-income-no-kids) of our generation.

In this article, I offer a few key statistical points of this obtuse generation and then conclude with the biblical alternative of Genesis.

My interview with Dr. Alastair Roberts at The Perspectivalist Podcast.

While there is much to critique in American churches–its mainline apostasy, sexual compromises– we still can claim to have the most faithful churches in the world–numerically and qualitatively. These include churches of all sizes, in every tradition, proclaiming Christ as King and faithfully administering the sacraments, and preserving the faith once and for all delivered to the saints. Our critiques should not overlook the immensity of fidelity among churches throughout the United States.

At this stage of history, we are attempting to build on the benediction of a Christian heritage where the language of Christendom is still very much embedded in societal institutions. Therefore, this allows us to strengthen the culture of our churches in the biblical grammar and persuade others that the city of God is superior to alternative cities.

There aren’t one or ten, but thousands upon thousands of persevering bodies who will not bow down to Caesar but to Christ alone. This remarkable reality gives me confidence in the preservation of this country and the continual blessings of God upon our churches and, thus, upon our culture.