July 2023 New Horizons

Scripture Memory for All the Saints

by Ken B. Montgomery

On a sticky summer afternoon in the Buckeye state close to a decade ago, about 110 young campers were lined up for lunch on the hillside lawn next to the lake. But before they were given the green light to proceed into the dining hall, each team in the Presbytery of Ohio summer youth camp had to recite 1 Corinthians 15:1–6. This text is a crystallized summary of the gospel message, which Paul emphatically states as being of “first importance.” After commending them for their memorization work, I mentioned offhand that it would be impressive if one of them would endeavor to recite the whole chapter. The next year around the campfire, a young woman named Joelle Dirksen (now Carnes, married to Pastor David Carnes of Covenant Reformed in Fort Pierce, Florida) proceeded to recite the great “resurrection chapter” (1 Cor. 15) before the campers and staff. This was one of the highlights of the week and warmed the cockles of the heart of this camp director. Unafraid to Commit Joelle Carnes has ... Read more

The Shorter Catechism for Today

by Judith M. Dinsmore

Although it was a long process with many ups and downs, Marcus and Chandra Mininger had all three of their children recite the Shorter Catechism, start-to-finish, landing their names in the small “Congratulations” box on the Christian Education pages of this magazine. But it didn’t happen haphazardly. Neither Marcus nor Chandra, members of New Covenant Community in Joliet, Illinois, where Marcus is associate pastor and professor at Mid-America Reformed Seminary, could cookie-cutter from their own experience—as the third of five children, Marcus laughed, he only made it partway through the catechism. So they crafted their own system through the years. The Shorter Catechism Inside One OP Home Before their children could read, the Miningers would work on First Catechism questions during family worship. “They love it at that young age, it’s a fun challenge,” Marcus said. “It provides even young kids with a sense of dignity.” As parents, they worked to have a “positive tone and give ... Read more

A Doctrinal Road Map

by Gregory E. Reynolds

In my first pastorate, in the New Rochelle, New York, I was thrilled to discover Hagstrom’s maps of the five boroughs of New York City and Westchester County. They saved countless hours of driving and prevented me from ending up lost in one of the dangerous parts of the metropolitan area. Best of all, they helped me to become familiar with the fascinating place in which we lived. Discovering the Westminster Confession and Catechisms was even more thrilling. With this accurate Bible map, I became familiar with the terrain, avoided getting lost, and learned to be at home with the complex and wonderful world of the Bible. I often hear this expressed by Christians: “I want to listen to what God says, not the words of men.” This is tantamount to saying, “I do not need a map. I can find my own way.” But, while this stance may first appear to be humble, it is actually supremely arrogant. The Reformed Baptist preacher C. H. Spurgeon, who retained many of the Presbyterian instincts with which he ... Read more