May 28, 2019

Those of you who know me really well know that I geek out over “Old Princeton” Theology! Princeton Seminary has changed quite a bit over the past century, but in the 1800s and early 1900s, they produced dozens of theologians and pastors who greatly influenced American culture. Archibald Alexander, Samuel Miller, Charles Hodge, B.B. Warfield, Geerhardus Vos, J. Gresham Machen, etc., etc. I’d easily recommend any of their books in a heartbeat!

For Christmas, my mom gave me a two-volume set containing the letters, addresses, and sermons of such men, called Princeton and the Work of the Christian Ministry. While I’ve had the pleasure of reading and being shaped by the thoughts of these men over the past decade, there’s something unique about hearing their heart for pastoral ministry, their vision for Christian education, and their fervor for the gospel’s advancement that stirs up my own heart every time I peruse their writings.

While I’m reading through this work, I also just started reading a book called Thoughts on Public Prayer by Samuel Miller. (Miller was one of the first professors at Princeton.) While very educated himself, Miller had a wonderful way of explicating truth in a way that was easy to understand. He writes like a father to a son—not in a patronizing way, but with love and charity tied with duty. His words are acquainted with humility through life experience and a heart full of service. His love for Jesus is at the forefront of his message to the pastors who would read his work.

I’m reading a couple other books at this time, but these two in particular have been especially noteworthy and thought-provoking lately. Being more extraverted by nature, I usually come to books for information or truth in order to externalize it and employ it in the real world. (I’d much rather “read people,” as it were!) But when a book can captivate your attention and speak directly to your soul, it’s worth investing the time and attention to carefully hear what the author has to say—gleaning what you can and being shaped for the good of others.