Puritan Passion
“Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives.”
Titus 3:14
The Puritans are often maligned and ridiculed. Most people on the street think of them as witch-hunting Pharisees of the seventeenth century. The media describes them as narrow-minded legalists living in a world without love, humor, or joy. J. I. Packer, however, found their true lives to be quite different. He writes this in his book A Quest for Godliness:
“So, in their heavenly-minded ardor, the Puritans became men and women of order, matter-of-fact and down-to-earth, prayerful, purposeful, practical. Seeing life whole, they integrated contemplation with action, worship with work, labor with rest, love of God with love of neighbor and of self, personal with social identity, and the wide spectrum of relational responsibilities with each other, in a thoroughly conscientious and thought-out way. In this thoroughness they were extreme, that is to say far more thorough than we are, but in their blending of the whole wide range of Christian duties set forth in Scripture they were eminently balanced.“
What a refreshing picture of the Puritans! And what a role model for living a life of balance in this day and age of confusion and strife. Planting both feet firmly on the Word of God, with a clear eye on the realities of life, and callused hands on the work of the day, the Puritans not only lived life as it was meant to be lived; they also forged a life for millions to follow.
What life will you lead? What future will you forge? Our families, our church, and our nation all need people of Puritan passion.
Father, I am grateful for people who believed what you said, and lived that way. Grant me the same diligent purpose to live a life of devotion to that which is good and balanced. Grant me Puritan passion today.
The Power of Hospitality: Finding Healing and Wholeness in Community
In today’s churches, people—especially those living with disabilities—often feel lonely, isolated, and unknown. Rosaria urges Christians to practice hospitality, community, and inclusion, embracing the healing and wholeness that God intends for the church and each of his children.
