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On July 18, 2022 By In Podcast, Theology

Episode 101, R.C. Sproul and His Legacy

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When I was in the heights of ignorance somewhere in my glorious teens, a radio show emerged on my station on a snowy evening in Altoona, PA. “Renewing Your Mind” with R.C. Sproul dramatically shaped my theological pursuits. I wasn’t fully on board with the fanatic Pittsburg Steelers fan by the name of Robert Charles Sproul, but I knew he was on to something.

My joy was made complete during my seminary days in RTS/Orlando where we had the opportunity to attend St. Andrew Chapel for a short season and sit under his preaching and also his classes on the Westminster Confession on Wednesday nights. I had the pleasure of interacting with R.C. on many occasions, but the memory of watching that titan preach from his Lutheraneque pulpit is something I will never forget. When I came across a new biography of Sproul, who died in 2017, I had to contact the author. And it’s my delight to have Nate Pickowicz discuss his book: R.C. Sproul – Defender of the Reformed Faith.

In this episode, we discussed:

*the educational background that gave roots to the genius of R.C. Sproul

* major theological issues that shaped R.C. theological ministry

…and many other topics.

You can purchase Nate’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/R-C-Sproul-Def…

You can follow Nate on twitter: https://twitter.com/NatePickowicz

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On May 7, 2022 By In Culture

Worship Music and the War for Longevity

What’s the most popular Christian song sung in churches today? It’s called “Build my Life” from Bethel Music. The song was written in 2016 and has stood the test of a whopping six years of longevity.

A new study on worship music “found that the lifespan of a hit worship song has declined dramatically in recent years.” There are reasons for this phenomenon. The research indicates that worship songs are made to “feed the algorithm.” In other words, they are intentionally written to supply a current need, instead of embracing any sense of historical need. As one pastor observed:”

…the churn of worship music reflects the way Americans consume media in general, where ‘everything is immediate and has a short shelf life.'”

I suspect anyone who has been reading my words for the last couple of years, has a deep appreciation for my parody-like observations on such topics and is assured by my vivacious display of righteous anger towards the inevitable words above.

But I don’t want to simply use the above as some apologetic for despising Bethel or Hillsong. So, give me a couple of minutes to indoctrinate you just a bit. After all, it’s the only reason I have a Facebook account. It will be slow and painless. I promise. I will even tell a few stories. Then, I will close with some pertinent questions. So, stick around, kids!

Back in the 1990s–give or take a year or two before the rapture–I remember engaging in some random radio program when I lived in Pennsylvania. The speaker had this remarkable voice filled with the sophistication of someone trained rhetorically under the best. He hailed from a town about an hour from where I was called Ligonier.

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On December 19, 2017 By In Theology, Wisdom

Reflecting on the Life of R.C. Sproul

I recall meeting Dr. R.C. Sproul for the first time. He was sitting with his wife Vesta and a few other scholars at lunch. A friend took me there and introduced me to him. “How are you, young man?” he asked. I didn’t respond to his question. Instead, I uttered with all the courage I could muster: “Thank you for your ministry.” Indeed I was thankful and still am.

Dr. R.C. Sproul died on the 14th of December, 2017. He died the year we celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. I have read the many tributes to Dr. Sproul in these last several days. Some of them written by people I know well and who worked closely with Dr. Sproul. Death provides a time of reflection. Sproul’s death at the age of 78 brought back many memories of my days in Orlando. His influence continues in my library. I have dozens of his books and an unending selection of Tabletalk magazines and almost a gigabyte of his audio lectures. His legacy will live on for generations to come.

Introduction to R.C. Sproul

I lived in Pennsylvania in the late 90’s. I had arrived to study a year in America. The evenings were cold in December. The only distraction I had at night was an old radio that worked half the time. One particular night, I turned on the radio to the sound of Handel’s Messiah. The lecturer was clear and poetic in his delivery. I listened intently for 20 minutes or so to a lecture on Augustine. “You’ve been listening to Renewing Your Mind with Dr. R.C. Sproul,” the voice concluded after each episode. I retired to my room early every evening to hear his talks.

Though my curiosity increased with each year, my commitments to my synergistic theology prevailed. I could not embrace a theology that took away my liberty to have a voice in my spiritual condition. The following winter I returned to Pennsylvania for Christmas. It was there that I read Michael Horton’s “Putting Amazing Back into Grace.” His brilliant analysis of John’s gospel pierced me and persuaded me to put down my lingering hesitations of Reformed Theology. (more…)

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