Personal attachment to a minister is a tie too weak to bind a people to the Church; for death or a removal may snap it asunder any day. The bonds of custom, kindred, and early association, though in some instances powerful enough, are not too strong to be broken, as experience often shows. It remains that we teach our congregations that our principles, forming, as they do, a portion of the Word of God, should be to all God’s people, precious as gold. We should instruct them periodically as to what Presbyterianism is. Let each minister do this as mildly as he pleases, but let it be done faithfully and firmly. Let him not be turned from his purpose by the murmurs of the disaffected parties within, or the clamors of enemies without, remembering that the patient cries most loudly when the physician probes the sore. Let him leave no man in doubt that he himself believes the principles of which he is the public representative, and that they are very dear to his heart. Let him take no steps tending to spread the popular error that our distinctive principles are trifles. While careful not to oppose other Christians who aim to advance the glory of God in their own way, he should neither aid nor encourage persons who systematically repudiate what we regard as great and important truths. And let him not fear to be called a bigot, for what is a bigot but the bad name which the world gives a man who ventures to have principles, and is firm enough to show through life a consistent attachment to them? In a word, the aim of all of us should be to make every man who is Presbyterian by name a Presbyterian by conviction.

The Apostolic Church: Which Is It? by Thomas Witherow in Paradigms in Polity: Classic Readings in Reformed and Presbyterian Church Government, 49.

Some churches are almost more dead than alive. They sing dead and pray dead and give and think dead. Others are “alive” in Christ and in their services on earth can be seen as a kind of choir rehearsal for Heaven.

Roy Blackwood, The King and His Kingdom, 21.

When we look at the Church beginning with the Kingdom, then there is a functional mission purpose that becomes very important. The Church becomes less “ours” and more “His” — not so much the place to which we come to add to our numbers and preserve ourselves, as it is the place which He brings us, equips us, sends us on to multiply into more congregations to evangelize the world.

Roy Blackwood, The King and His Kingdom, 21.

In the Psalms, past, present, and future are brought together to witness Yahweh’s presence and power to the world. The great themes of the history of Israel, creation, the kingship of Yahweh, the promise of the land, and the future promise of salvation are attested in the Psalms. All these themes are bound together by the Israelite notion of “remembrance” by which the past is made to come to life in the present and to anticipate the future (see B. S. Childs, Memory and Tradition in Israel [SBT, 1/37; 1962]).

“Worship” in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, 1121.

The apostle Paul insisted on the need of dedication of one’s whole life, which includes both the inward motivational aspect and the outward expression of cultic devotion (Rom. 12:1f). True service must include both.

“Worship” in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, 1118.

In the context of the OT and NT worship refers specifically to worship of the divine. Worship is seen as reverent devotion and service to God motivated by God’s saving acts in history.

“Worship” in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, 1118.

Worship as traced in both the OT and NT originates in salvation-history . . . worship begins with God. God the creator, rescuer, and the redeemer initiates our human approach to Him. The remembered events of the Exodus, the Passover, the crucifixion, and the Resurrection evoke a response from God’s people. The response is worship.

“Worship” in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, 1117.

Even money, “dedicated” to the Lord becomes an important factor in Christ’s development of His spiritual kingdom. Anything which can, or can be made to have, a spiritual purpose can be seen to be part of Christ’s spiritual Kingdom. When Christ said, “My kingdom is not of this world“, He had no more thought of excluding physical things and political and social-family relationships than when He said to His disciples “ye are not of this world” (the Greek phrase is identical).

Roy Blackwood, The King and His Kingdom, 10.

Few would go so far as to assert that correct views on Church Government are essential to salvation, and yet it is a subject whose importance it were folly to attempt to depreciate.

The Apostolic Church: Which Is It? by Thomas Witherow in Paradigms in Polity: Classic Readings in Reformed and Presbyterian Church Government, 37.

Every Divine truth is important, though it may be that all Divine truths are not of equal importance. The simplest statement of the Bible is a matter of more concern to an immortal being than the most sublime sentiment of mere human genius. . . The faith of a Christian should strive to reach and grasp everything that God has honored with a place in that Word, the design of which is to be a light to our feet as we thread our way through this dark world. Besides, this, unlike every other book, is not doomed to perish. Heaven and earth may pass away, but the words of Christ shall not pass away. The seal of eternity is stamped on every verse of the Bible. This fact is enough of itself to make every line of it important.

The Apostolic Church: Which Is It? by Thomas Witherow in Paradigms in Polity: Classic Readings in Reformed and Presbyterian Church Government, 37.