Cowper’s 18th century song rings true: when comforts are declining, God grants to the soul a season of light to cheer us again.

Our (Australian) Prime Minister has said, more than once, that we’re facing significant deprivation of comforts and such hardship that we’ve not seen for generations – even as far back as the two world wars.

COVID-19, which has so spectacularly brought the world to its knees, is a particularly deadly member of the Coronavirus family.  Corona is Latin for garland.  In Spanish it means crown.  It is also the brand name of a globally successful Mexican beer. 

Job knew loss and pain, suffering and depression. He had been a good man, a man of integrity who loved others and served God. And he had been blessed and prospered. God had “hedged him about” with a devoted family and great business success. He had everything, and he was grateful for God’s hand of mercy and grace.

Even though Rudolph had been around as a story book character well before 1949, Gene Autry’s recording in that year of the musical version of the saga made the red-nosed reindeer a standard member of the Yuletide cast in popular culture. I was a nine-year-old at the time and, having successfully pleaded for the Rudolph record, I played it over and over, much to my parents’ frustration.

Yesterday (October 1, 2018), I received a reminder from WRF Member Dr. Doug Green that that day was the 25th anniversary of the death of Dr. Raymond B. Dillard. Dr. Dillard was Professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia) during the time that both Dr. Green and I worked there.

 Psalm 103

Our church lost two heroes this year. Chad Wescher was a deacon and a 34 year old father of three small children. Long term disease took his life. Dot Tropiano’s three children are a bit older. Her brave struggle required wrestling against cancer. To have known either of these warriors was to know a hero.

Virtually Alone? by WRF Member Leah Farish, MA, JD

Occasionally I have the privilege of surveying church congregations to find out how to improve ministry.  In surveying the women of a PCA church recently, I felt the most intriguing response was the answer to this question:

In his book The Presbyterian Way of Life, published in 1960, John A Mackay described Presbyterians as ‘a theologically minded people’ (p 34).  For Presbyterians and all Reformed Christians, theology addresses the human mind.  But Calvin’s crest testifies that Reformed Christians also experience theology as energising the heart. 

WRF members know why this is a special year: It’s the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s nailing of the 95 Theses to the Wittenberg church door.  This milestone offers Reformed congregations around the world a chance to shine a spotlight on the grace of God and the value of reading the Bible.  

Lord, Grant Us Your Salvation

Psalm 85 is tailor-made for prayers on behalf of the various nations represented in the World Reformed Fellowship.  It is a heartfelt prayer for a nation – specifically for the nation of Israel in the aftermath of returning from Babylonian exile.  Yet the psalm is general enough for the people of God to pray it in all ages and on behalf any nation.  In many ways it’s a remarkable fit for ANY nation today and offers us a great prayer template.

What does Jesus mean to you?

I have heard people in Africa say: “Oh. He is our first Ancestor. Thus he is very far. You cannot approach him or talk to him. He is not really concerned about us.”

I belong to a very ordinary Australian family, albeit with two obvious differences. First, compared with the stereotypical sports-loving, tough Aussie, some of us are quite weak and physically frail, thanks to a mutant gene. Second, my family has resisted the secularism that is a dominant feature of modern Australian life.