Letters From Alistair Begg

Dear Friend,

It never once occurred to me when I was a boy that I would one day be called to pastoral ministry. My ordination in October of 1976 established me on a course from which, by God’s grace, I have never thought to change. The two years spent in the company and under the tutelage of pastor Derek J. Prime laid the foundation for all that has transpired. To this day, the example he provided continues to challenge and inspire me. For thirty-eight years, the Parkside family has displayed a long-suffering affection for me, and the privilege and responsibility of doing what I do keeps me alert and hopefully growing in grace.

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Dear Friend,

At Parkside, we baptize individuals upon their profession of faith, and we join our young families as they dedicate their children to the Lord, as well as themselves to the sacred privilege of parenting.

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Dear Friend,

Recently, I’ve been thinking about why I was never able to memorize the periodic table of the elements. Our science teacher would unroll a canvas screen that contained them all—top left was hydrogen, and top right was helium. That is about as far as I got! But why was that? After all, I have at least an average memory.

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Dear Friend,

Is there humor in the Bible? I suppose it depends on what we mean. It is safe to say that the Scriptures do not contain funny stories. However, certain occurrences are recorded in such a way that they strike us as funny, or at least ironic.

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Dear Friend,

It is long past time for those of us who by grace through faith have trusted in Christ to acknowledge that we are “sojourners and exiles” (1 Pet. 2:11) living in a secular culture. At the same time, we face the fact that we are involved in a continual and irreconcilable spiritual war against the Evil One. Ironically, just as we become increasingly aware of these challenges, it is no longer fashionable to sing hymns about “Christian soldiers marching as to war.” What has happened? Are we to excuse cowardice by calling it humility?

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Dear Friend,

Ilkley Grammar School is situated on Cowpasture Road at a vantage point providing wonderful views of the valley which contains the River Wharfe. The area has been continuously settled since at least the early Bronze Age, and the remains of a Roman fort occupy a site near the town center. Christian worship there dates to AD 627. Living there, it was difficult to bypass the lessons of history. Imagine, if you can, my history teacher, Norman Salmon, sitting perched on a window ledge with his students in rows, his gaze drifting out over the valley. The only fact I remember is the one he told us we must never forget: Bradford City won the FA Cup in 1911!

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Dear Friend,

I have recently been rereading Surprised by Joy, which records the shape of C. S. Lewis’s early life. The front cover of my edition has a subtitle: A remarkably frank and beguiling account of a conversion.

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Dear Friend,

Did you know that Denmark currently holds the title of second-happiest country on the planet? While one in six American museums risk permanent closure due to financial stress compounded by COVID-19, the Happiness Research Institute recently opened the Happiness Museum in Copenhagen. As someone who is not constitutionally attracted to museums, I find it intriguing that there is now a museum which, according to the creators, “can bring happiness to life.” It is certainly a timely venture if we are to accept the current statistics on anxiety and depression. The quest for happiness is a global phenomenon. It is also present at every age and stage of life.

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Dear Friend,

I think I caused a little confusion when I mentioned that Truth For Life is going to discontinue the livestream of Parkside’s Sunday morning service. I hasten to add that the livestream will continue to be available on Parkside’s website. Our reason for this change is that Truth For Life is committed to the ministry of the local church, and we regard our role as supplemental to the hard work of the local pastor. I am a pastor, and my concern, along with my colleagues, is for the flock under our care. We want to do nothing that would hinder the work taking place Sunday by Sunday in local congregations.

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Dear Friend,

Warmest New Year’s greetings from all of us. Your generous partnership throughout 2020 has made it possible for Truth For Life to finish the year strong and begin 2021 with a real sense of responsibility and expectation. Like me, you will have grown accustomed to hearing people say of last year, “I’ll be glad when this is over.” In light of the peculiar challenges and in the face of uncertainty and loss, that refrain is not surprising. However, we believe that every day is a gift from the Lord and that our times are in His hands, and this corrects our temptation to wish our lives away. It is all too easy to forget that all we have and all we are is a gift of God’s grace.

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