February 2007 Ordained Servant

From the Editor. Notice the theme title of this issue is not "The Importance of THE Catechism," but "The Importance of Catechism." For us Presbyterians this means the Larger and Shorter Catechisms. But the place of catechizing in the life of the church has a long and noble history on both sides of the ocean.

The very idea of catechizing cuts against the grain of many cultural assumptions: radical individualism and biblicism, to name only two. How important catechism is to the formation of disciples in the present milieu is a subject we Presbyterians must not ignore. To that end, Dr. Hart explores the thought provoking distinction between the religion of the catechism and the religion of conversion. The latter grew out of Protestant revivalism and has helped foster some of the radical individualism we see in the church. Dr. Garcia demonstrates that the idea of catechism as an indispensable tool in spiritual formation comes from Scripture itself. He uses First Peter as an example to prove his point.

Among the expanded features of this year's Ordained Servant will be many more book reviews, so that officers can stay abreast of books important to their task of serving the Lord's church. Due to the number that I intend to publish they will not always be coordinated with the theme of each issue. Please note the newly posted "Submissions, Style Guide, and Citations" on the bottom of the page. It is important to note that beginning with this issue the English Standard Version (ESV) is the default translation for OS. Also worth noting is the Subscription information for those wondering what happened to the printed edition.

Blessings in the service of the Lamb,
Gregory Edward Reynolds

Ordained Servant exists to help encourage, inform, and equip church officers for faithful, effective, and God glorifying ministry in the visible church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Its primary audience is ministers, elders and deacons of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, as well as interested officers from other Presbyterian and Reformed churches. Through high quality editorials, articles, and book reviews we will endeavor to stimulate clear thinking and the consistent practice of historic Presbyterianism.