Sheet sets.

Burp cloths and receiving blankets.

The crib blanket! The opposite side is smooth minkie, not that bubbly stuff.

Believe me, those rips are a pain to work around--whether ironing or using the board as a sewing table.

They are hidden, so no problem...besides, it's just an ironing board, right??

(Excuse me while I imagine this to be an aircraft carrier....)

I think Mama likes it!

     Racheal

      Racheal

“There is only one people of God, the church, established in the Old Testament and brought to maturity in the New Testament.” 250. Randy Booth, Children of the Promise: The Biblical Case for Infant Baptism (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1995), 82. (484-485)

Hebrews 3:2-6: In this text, the unity and continuity of the church in the Old
Testament and New Testament are pictured in the figure of a “house” that is under construction...(a) Both Moses and Jesus are building ONE HOUSE, not two. (b) The house Moses and Jesus are building is “His house,” i.e., it belongs to Jesus (3:2). (c) Although both Moses and Jesus are builders of this one house, Jesus is far superior to Moses, because Moses is only a faithful “servant” in the house, and Jesus is the owner, “the Son over His house” (vs. 6), and the ultimate “builder” of the house, with Moses as His instrument and tool (vs. 3–4). (d) Jesus’ one house, built by Jesus Himself for Himself using Moses as His instrument is the Church...We are being taught here that the church of Christ is one in the Old Testament and the New Testament. (485)

Acts 7:38: The organization of the covenant people of God in the Old Testament
is expressly called “the congregation in the wilderness,” and the Greek word for “church” or “congregation” is ekklesia in this text. (485)

Romans 9:24-26/Hosea 1:10-11: In Hosea 1:10–11, we are given a prophecy regarding “the sons of Israel;” and in Romans 9:24–26, Paul, without hesitation, applies this very passage to the church of Christ. He can do this, because the church of God is one in the Old Testament and New Testament. (485-486)

Hebrews 8:6-13/Jeremiah 31: 31-34: In Jeremiah 31:31–34, the prophet speaks of a New Covenant that Jehovah will make with “the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.” Hebrews 8:6–13 quotes this passage, “which speaks so plainly and specifically of Israel and Judah, and applies it to the church of the new covenant.”
251. Booth, Children of the Promise, 84. (486)

Romans 11:17-24: Paul uses the imagery of an olive tree to show us that the church of the Old Testament continues under the New Covenant....the tree remained healthy and the Gentile branches of a wild olive tree were grafted into it. (486)

I Peter 2:9/Exodus 19:5-6

Galatians 3:15-22: The covenant God made with Abraham in Genesis 12–17 still
stands....As the children of believers were members of that covenant (Gen. 17:7), “the inference is irresistible that they are members still, unless their positive exclusion can be pointed out in the New Testament.” 255 Robert L. Dabney, Lectures In Systematic Theology, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, [1878]1975), 783 (487-488)

Galatians 3:28-29; 6:16: In these texts, once again, the New Testament gives the church of Christ names and descriptions that originally were applied to the
covenant people of God in the Old Testament....This means that, as under the Abrahamic Covenant, the “spiritual seed” is to be found among the “physical seed” of believers, hence, as in the Old Testament, believers and their children are taken into covenant with God in the New Testament church. For this reason, the church of Christ is called “the Israel of God” in 6:16. (488)

Hebrews 12:22: The author of Hebrews uses Old Testament imagery to describe the privileges and blessings of church members through faith in Jesus Christ. In coming “to Jesus the Mediator of a new covenant,” we are coming to “Mount Zion,” where God’s covenant people worshipped Him in the Temple, to “the city of the living God,” which is “the heavenly Jerusalem.” (489)

Ephesians 2:12, 19-20: Until reconciled to God by the blood of Christ (2:13), unbelievers today, as unbelieving Gentiles in the Old Testament, are outside
the church of God...Therefore, to use Paul’s own words, to be outside the Christian Church is to be “separate from Christ, EXCLUDED FROM THE COMMONWEALTH
OF ISRAEL, AND STRANGERS TO THE COVENANTS OF PROMISE, having no hope and without God in the world” (2:12; emphasis added). (489)

The Holy Spirit is the creator of this spiritual unity of the church in Christ. This “one Spirit” forms “one body” and calls God’s chosen people to “one hope of your calling.” In the church there is “one faith” in “one Lord” signified and sealed by “one baptism,” where we worship and serve our “one God and Father.” (490)

The concreteness of this Spiritual unity of the church is seen in the church’s united commitment to and confession of “the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3), i.e., that completed body of revealed truth in the Bible which all true Christians believe. (490-491)

"Evil as well as good is included in the divine purpose. It is purposed not as evil, but for the sake of the good which infinite wisdom evolves from it.… By the prevalence of disorders and other evils in the church, God puts his people to the test. They are tried as gold in the furnace, and their genuineness is made to appear. It is a great consolation to know that dissensions, whether in the church or in the state, are not fortuitous, but are ordered by the providence of God, and are designed, as storms, for the purpose of purification." 263. Hodge, A Commentary on the First Epistle to the Corinthians, 218. (493)

In the Apostles’ Creed, we confess: I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic Church; the communion of saints…There is nothing suspicious about the word “catholic.” It means “universal, supra-national, transcending national, racial and all ethnic boundaries.” (494)

First, the church is catholic in that it is universal....The church’s catholicity is rooted in the scope of the redemptive work of Christ, who purchased “men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9).


The church is no longer confined to one nation as was largely true in the Old Testament. Now it consists of all those throughout the world—in all ages and places of the world—who credibly profess the Christian religion, together with their children.

Second, the church is catholic in that it is identical. In other words the church is catholic in space and in time. Throughout its history from the Old Testament to the present, the church cannot and does not alter her basic nature. She is always comprised of those who credibly profess the Christian religion along with their children.

Third, the church is catholic in that it is orthodox. Her orthodoxy guarantees her continuous self-identity. The church is orthodox in that her foundation is in the “apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the chief corner stone” (Eph. 2:20).


Fourth, the church is catholic in that it is continuous.

To say that the church is continuous throughout history is to say that the church is indestructible....Individual congregations and denominations may come and go, but the church of Christ on earth will never perish.

The continuance of the church is not something automatic. It is indestructible because God preserves it and provides for it....He will never allow His church to be completely overwhelmed with heresy. He will renew His church and lead her into all truth by the presence and work of His Holy Spirit.

Fifth, “catholicity” refers to the wholeness and fullness of the church’s faith and life in Christ.
(495-499)

First, there are no boundaries to the proclamation of the gospel of salvation in Christ.

Second, all people all over the world throughout history benefit from the grace of God and the redemptive work of Christ, whether they are Christians or not. In 1 Timothy 4:10, the living God is said to be “the Savior of all men, especially of believers. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matt. 5:45).

Third, that the catholic church has boundaries is evident from the New Testament. After excommunicating the impenitently wicked member from the Corinthian church, Paul instructs the rest of the church not to eat with him until he is restored (1 Cor. 5:11). Paul clarifies that he is not calling the church to total isolation from the
unbelieving world, but to the consistent application of excommunication to a “so-called brother” (vs. 11)...To speak of some people being “outside” the church and others as being “within” the church is to speak of a boundary line.

The question is: what is the boundary of the visible catholic church? Answer: a credible profession of faith in the Christian religion.

Fourth, the spatial boundaries of the church are always moving outward, as the church is enlarged and extended by the proclamation of the Word of God in the conversion of sinners: “And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47).

Fifth, those inside the church must never lose sight of those who are on the outside. Their proclamation of the gospel and compassionate service does not halt at the boundary line. Outsiders may become insiders by faith in Christ and the credible profession of that faith.

Therefore, sixth, be careful in “judging” who is on the outside. Do not demand something other or more than Christ demanded.

...we must be careful about developing an unduly and improper narrowness and exclusiveness regarding our assessment of members of the catholic church.

How may we be properly narrow while avoiding the sin of improper narrowness and the condemnation of Jesus? (1) Believe that the victory of Christ’s kingdom is not dependent upon us. (2) Believe in the absolute sovereignty of God in revealing His truth to His people. (3) Be willing to have as much fellowship as possible with all Bible-believing Christians and be willing to give a cup to one of these “little ones.” (4) Be willing to learn God’s truth from wherever and whomever He reveals it. (5) Do not ever compromise any part of the Word of God for any reason whatever. (6) Wherever you and another Christian can agree praise God for it, enjoy it and look for other areas of agreement, based on the Word of God.

(501-507)

Therefore, if the church is to experience a continuing reformation by the Word and Spirit of God, and thus be truly catholic, she must repent and learn (and practice) the meaning of these five words: “control, continuity, concern, contrition and commitment.”279
If the church is to be truly catholic and truly reformed, she must be CONTROLLED by no one else but by Jesus Christ, who governs her by His Word. She must derive her strength and life from the divine CONTINUITY of Christ’s redeeming work, submitting herself to His constant judgment and mercy. She must make discipling all the world’s nations to Christ her basic CONCERN. Because of all her sins and shortcomings, she must live in constant CONTRITION. And, finally, if the church is to be truly catholic, she must, in continual repentance of sin, be driven to ever new COMMITMENTS to Christ, His church and His world. 279. Vassady, The Church: Evangelical, Catholic and Reformed, 33. (508) 

Leaving a church for any of the following reasons is schism, and therefore sinful: (1) Personal offenses because of the misconduct of individual members; (2) Wrong decisions by the elders or leaders that are of no lasting injury to the church; (3) Differences of opinion among the members of the church about issues that cannot
be determined by the Word of God and not contained in the doctrinal confession of the church; (4) Difference of opinion regarding “circumstances” of worship and church government; (5) Errors in the teaching of some teachers in the church that are infrequent and not openly approved by the authorities in the church; (6) Relaxed discipline in admitting improper people into the communion of the church; (7) Relaxed discipline in not consistently disciplining and censuring those who are guilty of scandals in the church, “provided the ordinances themselves are retained in purity, the rules of discipline not being set aside”; (8) Irregularities or abuses of different kinds in a church which beg for reformation. (508-509)

The membership of the visible church in the Old Testament and the New Testament is comprised of all those who profess the true religion, and of their children.  (511)

The one requirement for membership in the visible church is a credible profession of faith in Christ and the true religion of the Bible by all those who are not incapable of making such a profession, viz. infants and mentally impaired or retarded children of believers. Such a profession of faith makes a person, together with his entire
household, members of the visible church, which is God’s covenant community. (512)

"Credible Profession" 
A true profession of faith is a credible, intelligent and consistent profession of
faith. As Larger Catechism Q. 166 states we are to profess our faith in Christ AND obedience to Him. So then, to profess faith in Christ necessarily includes a  profession of obedience to Him, i.e., a vowing “to yield an external subjection to all the ordinances and institutions of Christ [revealed in the Bible].” 287 James Fisher, The Westminster Shorter Catechism Explained (Philadelphia, PA: Presbyterian Board of Publication and Sabbath-School Work [1753] 1911), 193. (514)

Therefore, a credible profession of faith in Christ is credible because: (1) The profession is knowledgeable; (2) It is accurate, i.e., in accord with the Bible; and (3) A correspondence exists between profession and life, i.e., it includes a commitment to obedience to God. (515)

Who has the God-given responsibility to determine the credibility of the profession of faith of those intending to become members of the visible church? It is to the governing officers of the church, who are the guardians of the membership of the church, responsible for the administration of the government and discipline of the church, that Christ has given “the keys of the kingdom” (Matt. 16:19). (515)

First, Peter was the first of the apostles to use the keys. He used the key of Biblical doctrine on the Day of Pentecost in a great Christian Sermon. Later in the home of Cornelius, he used the key of discipline by the Bible when he pronounced the sentence of exclusion from the church on Simon the sorcerer.
Second, “the keys of the kingdom” by which the doors of the church are shut and bound by chain and lock, and opened when the chain is loosed, is a figurative form of expressing authority to admit to the membership of the church and to exclude from that membership. ...
Third, this power to chain the church door forbidding admittance to the impenitent and to loose the chain to admit the believing was not given to Peter alone. ...
Only those may rule in the church now and use the keys of the kingdom and “bind” and “loose,” who have been appointed by the apostles of Christ to do so; and so, as we have seen, those men (that class of officers) are called in the New Testament, presbyters, pastors, elders, bishops, ministers of the word. (515-516)


Profession of the True Religion

Larger Catechism Q. 62 states that church membership is comprised of those who profess the true religion, along with their children; and Question 166 explains that baptism should be administered to those who profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to Him, along with their children....So that, to the Westminster fathers, to profess the true religion is to profess their faith in Christ and is to profess the true reformed religion. Therefore to profess faith in Christ publicly, is to profess that, believing Him to be the incarnate Son of God and only Savior of sinners, we rest upon Him alone for salvation; and that we believe in the whole system of doctrine of Christianity revealed in the Bible. (517)

By the true religion the Catechism means “the whole of those doctrines deduced from the holy scriptures, which are contained in our Confession of Faith, and Catechisms, [hence, the true reformed religion], as agreeing, in the main, with the Confessions of other reformed churches, 2 Tim. 1:13: ‘Hold fast the form of sound
words.’” 293 Fisher, The Westminster Shorter Catechism Explained, 194.  (517)


And Their Children

Because, as we have seen, God has only one church extending from the beginning to the end of time, its membership remains the same in both the Old Testament and the New Testament: those who profess the true religion and their children. If the children of believers were members of the church in the Old Testament, and if
the church is one under both testaments, then they are members of the church now. (519)

      Racheal

(I chose to use this picture because she has something of a period pose.)

I was trying to open the window to see if how cold it was...I'll put more pictures lower down.

Ain't she purdy??

The idgit had yet to figure out that the window was locked, not just stuck!

One disadvantage to being short is that you sometimes can't reach things with ease (the upper window lock in this case).

Finally! I got it...and determined that yes, indeed, I was going to need my woolen sleeves.

      Racheal

Flemish

English

A piece of paper was added in the back to bring the neck-line up to match that of the kirtle.

I didn't line the bodice mock up.

(I am aware that the ironing board cover is in bad shape.)

Markings for the lacing loops...

The eyes...

I stitched the eyes in by hand before I took them to the machine. There is no way that I was going to even TRY it without the prior stitching. Additionally, this gave them more strength and "holding power".

Not quite done with this yet...but you'll see. :)

We basically cut a big notch into one side (the under arm)...

I took this picture myself--that is why it is blurry. Anyway, I hand stitched the top. Savannah thought I had put a band on it at first!

The sleeves are really long. If I roll them down they come down well over my hands. However, once again, if you look at the pictures, they appeared to be long like that and the women just rolled them up (or completely removed them) depending on the weather and what they were doing.

I think, for not having a huge amount of (visible) hand-stitching practice, that it looks pretty decent.

Take that, non-decorated pocket!

I had yet to do it when this photo was taken, but I put a button on to close it the waist band.

Full front view.

Full back view. (No, I will not wear my hair in the plastic clips.)

(If I look glassy-eyed, it was because I hadn't eaten supper yet.) The sleeves literally just get pinned with straight pins to the shoulder straps.

And here is an alternate version of how the ladies wore their skirts; rather than pinning it though I was able to just tuck it into my belt. I rather liked the way this looked/felt, but Mama thought it looked silly...and Katherine pronounced that I had my rooster's tail. :D

      Racheal

The sixth office, that of deacon, is essential to the health of the church—physically, spiritually, and socially—for another reason. It is “the office of love” in the church. His [the deacon's] concern is love in that it shows Christians how to love one another practically and effectively. (443-444)

As the word, “oversight,” summarizes the work of the elder, so the word “service” summarizes the work of the deacon. It is a physical, material and social work in that it is concerned with the relief of physical, material and social needs in the congregation.
Because of the spiritual, serving, caring nature of the office of deacon, his serving ministry draws a sharp line between the church and the world....The church dispenses the mercy of Christ to Christ’s people and to the world Christ made....Significantly, the Bible tells us that of the seven deacons chosen by the church in Jerusalem, Stephen and Philip were active also as evangelists. 
The office of deacon is rooted in the sympathy for the poor and needy that characterized the covenant community of the Old Testament: “You shall freely open your hand to your brother, to your needy and poor in your land” (Deut. 15:11)...The apostolic church took seriously its responsibility to care for the needy. It systematically cared for its widows (1 Tim. 5:3f) and frequently received offerings for its needy members (2 Cor. 8–9). It believed that “pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world” (James 1:27). (444)

The function of the deacon is to manage the financial affairs of the church, especially with reference to the collections and distributions of the churches monies and properties to the needy.
Deacons must be men of piety, sound judgment, prudence, knowledge of the Word and world, and weight of character. (446)

The Bible does not assign to deacons any role in the government of the church. The responsibility is in the hands of the ruling elders. Therefore, although they may be invited to Session meetings, they have no vote as the rulers of the church. (447)

Deacons serve Christ when they serve the church. And the service they give involves the giving of food and drink, extending shelter, providing clothes, visiting the sick, loaning or giving money to the needy, giving work to the needy, expressing sympathy and compassion in observable and practical ways, like being present in times of crisis or giving financial advice if needed. (448)

"[T]he deacons must also care for the souls of their poor, for they are as fathers to them; and whatever one member is obligated to do to another, they must excel in doing to those over whom the Lord has placed them. (1). They must instruct the ignorant, and bring them to the church services and to catechism instruction. (2). They must exhort, rebuke, and comfort according to individual circumstances. (3). They must visit the sick, either preparing their souls for the hour of death, or exhorting them to increase in godliness if they may again become healthy. In doing so they will “purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith
which is in Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 3:13)." 205 Brakel, The Christian’s Reasonable Service, 2:151–52. (449)

First, the greatest Deacon who ever lived, upon whom our lives and salvation depends is the Lord Jesus Christ. His deaconing work in our behalf is the basis for the forgiveness of our sins and our acceptance in the family of God. (453)
 
Second, those who hold the office of deacon are not the only ones who are to do the work of a “deacon.” All Christians are called to the “work of service” (διακονιασ) (Eph. 4:12). All Christians are to be servants and ministers of God to each other, deaconing to each other in the name of Christ. (456)

Third, Isaiah 58:5–12 teaches us that service is power. This text presents us with three fundamental truths: (1) true repentance is characterized by concrete and practical service to those in need; (2) Christian service is the giving of ourselves to people in need; and (3) God promises that Christian service will have great effects. (457)

Seventh, according to The Westminster Form of Presbyterial Church-Government, the New Testament church had the office of teacher (“doctor”) (1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11): “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers.” He, as a minister of the word, as well as the pastor, has the authority to administer the sacraments. (459)

"Pastors and Teachers are supposed by some to denote one office, because the apostle does not, as in the other parts of the verse, say, “and some, pastors; and some, teachers;”… but and some, pastors and teachers.… I partly agree with them,
that Paul speaks indiscriminately of pastors and teachers as belonging to one and the same class, and that the name teacher does, to some extent, apply to all pastors. But this does not appear to me a sufficient reason why two offices, which I find to differ from each other, should be confounded. Teaching is, no doubt, the duty of all pastors; but to maintain sound doctrine requires a talent for interpreting 
Scripture, and a man may be a teacher who is not qualified to preach. Pastors, in my opinion, are those who have the charge of a particular flock; though I have no objection to their receiving the name of teachers, if it be understood that there is a distinct class of teachers, who preside both in the education of pastors and in the instruction of the whole church. It may sometimes happen, that the same person is
both a pastor and a teacher, but the duties to be performed are entirely different." 221 John Calvin, Commentaries on the Epistles of Paul to the Galatians and Ephesians, trans. by Rev. William Pringle, 21:279. (459-460)

Eighth, the office of evangelist was an office in the New Testament church (Eph. 4:11, 12; Acts 21:8; 2 Tim. 4:5). The evangelist
"differed from the apostles and prophets in that, so far as we are informed, he did not possess the same extraordinary or higher charisms [miraculous gifts of the Spirit]; he differed from the pastors and presbyters, that he was not tied down to any particular district. He was simply an itinerating minister, whose duty was to preach the gospel to any who knew it not, and to organize a church in any locality where the material existed and opportunity offered. Having placed the new society [congregation] under officers of its own, he passed on to other districts and provinces where similar work had to be done. The evangelist of the apostolic age is the missionary, whose work was [and is] twofold:—the preaching of the gospel [to the lost] and the organization of churches [out of converts to his preaching].… The evangelist is a pioneer, opening up the way for the church and ministry." 222 Witherow, The Form of the Christian Temple, 38–9. (460-461)

The authority of the church comes directly from God, “being exercised and enforced, not only or chiefly because of the permission or consent of its members,
but because it is a positive Divine institution, apart altogether from that consent.… In other words, the source of church power is not in the members, but in Christ [Matt. 28:18].” 226 Bannerman, The Church of Christ, 1:191–92. (462-463)

The standard defining the nature and extent of church authority is the entire Word of God written—sola scriptura—not the laws of the state, the civil constitution of a nation, nor the will of the members or officers. (463)

The authority of church officers and church courts is subordinate to Christ and His Word, and is, therefore, ministerial,
"having no authority or discretion of their own, and being merely ministers or servants to carry out the will and execute the appointments of Christ.… In reference to the office-bearers of the Church, of whatsoever place or authority in it, they, if they keep within their office, are but the instruments in the hands of Christ Himself, acting in His name, ruling by His authority, and carrying into effect no more than His instructions." 229 Bannerman, The Church of Christ, 1:219. (464)

Second, God’s authority is directly related to the exercise of church authority and the decisions of church courts. (464)

Jesus Christ, as Head and King of His church, has given church courts a threefold authority: authority in matters of doctrine; authority in matters of worship; and authority in matters of discipline. (465)

As the pillar, guardian and custodian of the revealed truth of God, the church
is to be a witness, interpreter and defender of Biblical truth to the consciences, minds, hearts and lives of people, both inside and outside the church. (465)

The church is the official custodian and teacher of the Word of God to those within her membership (1 Tim. 3:15; Matt. 28:19–20; 2 Tim. 2:2). The Head of the church has commissioned His church to guard His Word from supplementation, perversion, alteration or abridgement. (465)

The church is also commissioned by Christ to be the authoritative witness to the world on behalf of the truth of the Word of God (Acts 1:8; Phil. 2:15–16). In being Christ’s authoritative witness to the world, she is also to confess her faith solemnly, boldly and clearly in the face of the world’s unbelief and evil (Eph. 5:1f). This responsibility of confessing the truth of the Word of God to the world has been discharged by the church historically by the framing of summaries of the truth in confessions of faith or catechisms...Such confessions and catechisms, concisely and precisely bearing witness to revealed truth over against falsehood serves a twofold purpose: (1) A witness for the truth; and (2) A protest against false doctrines. (466)

The church has the authority to put into effect the institutions, ordinances and laws appointed by Christ in His church, which does NOT involve the power to bind the conscience of its members to the observance of new and additional ordinances enacted by itself. (467)

The authority of the church in matters of worship is concerned with the following three points. (1) The church is commissioned to preserve from generation to generation the public worship of God according to the way God Himself has commanded in His Word. (2) The church is to preserve from generation to generation the observance of the Christian Sabbath according to the way God
Himself has commanded for it to be observed in His Word. (3) The church has the responsibility to maintain the office of the minister of the Word from generation to generation... (467)

The church has the power to apply church discipline, to admit and to exclude from the fellowship of the church, and to govern the conduct of members while they continue as members. (468)

How is the purity of the church, in its doctrine and life, to be maintained? ...
First of all, church discipline is rooted in self-discipline....
Three means are presented in the Bible whereby a church can preserve and advance its purity of doctrine and practice....(1) The careful admission of people into the church’s membership and to the Lord’s Table by the elders; (2) The practice of loving church discipline in the congregation; and (3) The careful, faithful preaching and teaching of the whole Word of God.  (469-470)

The one requirement for church membership is a credible profession of faith in Christ and the Bible (Matt. 16:16–18; Acts 2:41; Matt. 28:19). A credible profession of faith is a profession of faith in Christ and the Bible that is believable, that is in general conformity with the teachings of the Bible and that is demonstrated in a life of obedience to God in the one making the profession. (470)

Elders must exercise great care and vigilance in this area of receiving people into the church, praying that God would give them discernment, courage and wisdom (James 1:5) so as not to expect too little or demand too much from those who would come under their shepherding oversight and join the congregation committed to their charge. (471)

Discipline and discipleship are the same thing. It is the training of a believer to live an increasingly faithful life of devotion to Jesus Christ, glorifying and enjoying God in all he is and does. Christian discipline or discipleship is comprised of three components: instruction, which is preventive discipline, chastisement, which is corrective discipline, and counseling, which is restorative discipline.
Preventive discipline is the exercise of the authority Christ gave His church to instruct and guide its members in the revealed ways of God (Deut. 29:29) and to promote purity and peace in the church (Matt. 16:19). It involves the active, vigorous and consistent preaching and teaching of the Word of God, catechizing, training and instructing the young and old in the true revealed religion....
Restorative discipline is essential to the purity of the church. It is not only to be practiced by the ministers and elders, but by all the members of the church, who, as they are filled with faith, goodness, knowledge and wisdom from the Word, are “competent to counsel” (Rom. 15:13–14). ...
Corrective discipline is needed in the congregation, because all congregations are comprised of believing sinners....When a church member wanders into sinful paths, inadvertently or deliberately, he needs loving correction and restoration, much as an erring child needs correction, even chastisement to learn that the way of the transgressor is hard so that he might be restored. (471-472)

[The latter point is further broken out in the following:]

First, the person who is offended and concerned because of some sin against him from another church member is to approach the offender in love about his sin and the problems arising from it, in an effort to set things straight, and to save the brother from further hurt and shame.
Second, if this fails, he is to take witnesses with him either to witness the offender’s refusal to repent, or to back up the pleas of the offended person that the offender make things right with God and with his brothers and sisters (James 5:19, 20).
Third, if this fails, the matter is to be brought before the rulerrepresentatives
of the church—the Session of elders—to offer a solution through prayer, love, counseling and the searching of the Scriptures. (472)
Fourth, if this fails, and the offender hardens himself in his impenitency, the Session is to excommunicate him from the fellowship of the church, and he is to be treated by the church as apostate and an unbeliever who is outside the warmth and safety of the church, that he might be forced to live by the consequences of his rebellious decision, be brought to his senses and to repentance, that he might be restored to Christ and to His church. The elders also make such a judgment for the sake of the purity of the church that Christ might be glorified and honored by all men. (474)

First, the reception of members. 

Second, the edification of members.

Third, the exclusion of impenitent offenders.

Fourth, the restoration of penitents.


(477-478)

First, church authority is limited in that it is distinctly and exclusively
spiritual authority.

Second, church authority is limited by its Origin, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of the church, from whom it is derived. The authority of the office-bearers in the church is subordinate to Christ’s authority and is purely ministerial, not legislative.

Third, church authority is limited by the Standard by which it is to be exercised, i.e., the written Word of God.

Fourth, church authority is limited by the subjects of that authority, that is, it is limited by the privileges and duties of the Christian people themselves. 

(478-479)

The church, under Christ her King, is an independent domain, even as the state is. The church is a separate institution with its own powers, functions and jurisdiction....Ecclesiastical constitutions have no authority in civil government; and civil constitutions have no authority in ecclesiastical government. To reject this limitation is political, cultural and ecclesiastical suicide....Its government is in the hands of the officers of the church and is distinct from the civil magistrate.
After having said this, it must be reiterated emphatically that this institutional separation of church and state does not imply any antithesis between God and state, Christianity and state, Biblical morality and state, or Bible and state. Religious neutrality in politics is a myth the humanists try to impose on Christians, while they themselves are never neutral. (479)

     Racheal

That is half of my birthday present from Daddy...

Daddy says: "That's bigger than you are..."

Both Katherine and I collect Norman Rockwell stuff...so it's not unusual for us to pick something up at the Goodwill for the other person. :) She actually gave me the cup that matches this for Christmas last year (I think it was).

So, here I am, looking like a good girl with my new gun and my (as I was to soon find out) very delicious chocolate cake with rum citrus glaze.

What happens when I don't get the candle blown out on the first try...

I got it the second time around and got goofy...which inspired Mom to order the relighting of the candle...which of course, brought on more silliness...

"I'm gonna shot that flame out!"

And yes, I know it's blurry....but here's the result. :D (That is my five-year-old face...)

      Racheal

I borrowed the earrings from Katherine, but they fell off during the third or so dance, so I stuffed them in my gloves until a convenient time to put them someplace safer.

Many thanks to my great-aunt for her lovely gift of the "fur" wrap a year back. I have had opportunity to wear it a couple of times.

Katherine actually has a velvet cape! Where'd she get it? I don't know--probably Goodwill or the Salvation Army. :)

Kicked my shoes off and left them just like that.

     Racheal

In the New Testament history of the apostolic church we see three kinds of presbyteries: congregational presbyteries, or sessions of local churches;
regional presbyteries, which are referred today simply as presbyteries; and synodical presbyteries, or general assemblies....These three types of presbyteries in the Christian church were modeled after the Jewish system of church government with its three ecclesiastical courts: the Sanhedrin, corresponding to the synodical
presbytery; the Presbytery, corresponding to the regional presbytery; and the Synogogue, with its rulers, corresponding to the session in the local congregation. (359)

First, in the New Testament we see elders given the authority by Christ (through calling, election and ordination), to govern the congregation (local church) of which they are members....Each local church had a plurality of elders, and when the elders were officially in session, together they ruled and managed the local church. (359)

Second, in the apostolic church we see broader presbyteries representing
several churches regionally, which we know today simply as presbyteries, to distinguish them from sessions. The New Testament speaks of a plurality of elders associated and assembled together as a presbytery, governing the congregations which they represented. (350-360)

"There is in the Word of Christ a pattern of one presbyterial government in common over several single congregations in one church." 80. Hall, The Divine Right of Church-Government, 217.  (361)

Third, in the apostolic church in the New Testament, we see the existence of synodical presbyteries, or what we call today general assemblies (Heb. 12:22f) or synods....This would mean that as the session has oversight of the local region, and the presbytery over a specific region, synod would have oversight over all the church in all regions of a larger region. Furthermore, it would mean that as church
members have the right to appeal a session’s decision to a presbytery, so they have the right to appeal a presbytery’s decision to a synod or general assembly. (362-363)

Now, what is the Biblical basis for believing that the apostolic church had synodical presbyteries? ...
First, the Old Testament presents us with a church court in Israel superior to her other courts (Ex. 18:22–26; Deut. 17:8, 12 compared with 2 Chron. 19:8, 11; Ps. 122:4–5). If the ecclesiastical government of the church of Israel in the Old Testament had “synagogues in every City which were subordinate to the Supreme Ecclesiastical Court at Jerusalem, then there ought to be a subordination of particular Churches among us to higher assemblies.” 88
Second, Jesus’ words in Matthew 18:15–21 infer such synodical presbyteries as church courts of appeal.
Third, the unity and catholicity of the visible church is the theological foundation for church government by synodical presbyteries. Christ has one visible catholic church. He has given this church His form of government for her in the Bible. The ordinances Christ has instituted belong to the entire visible church for her edification, and not just to single congregations.
Fourth, the apostolic church provides us with a model for synodical presbyteries in the New Testament, i.e., Acts 15 and 16. The regional presbyterial church at Antioch, and probably the churches of Syria and Cilicia as well (vs. 23, 41) sent representatives to a broader synodical presbyterial church at Jerusalem to settle an issue that was troubling the less broad region of Antioch, Syria and Cilicia.
88. Hall, The Divine Right of Church-Government, 239. (363-365)

The power of presbyteries is limited by the lordship of Christ and the Word of God. It is the spiritual power of the keys of the kingdom, not the political power of the sword. It is neither absolute nor infallible, but limited and fallible. All of its decrees and decisions are to be in total agreement with the Word of God. And if the decision of any presbytery is not consonant with that Word, a member or a presbytery has the right of appeal, from the local session to the regional presbytery to the synodical presbytery or general assembly. Furthermore, the power of presbytery is not only persuasive, it is also juridical. In other words, the presbytery is not only able to give solemn advice and counsel with forceful moral persuasions, but every one within its bounds is “obliged reverently to esteem, and dutifully to submit unto so far as agreeable to the Word of Christ.”95 Hall, The Divine Right of Church-Government, 224. (366)

[1] The Standard of Christian Authority
The presbytery at Jerusalem settled the dispute in Antioch by the exposition
and application of the Word of God (15:16), as the only way of understanding
God’s providence and of refuting false teachers. This teaches us that the only standard by which the affairs of the church are to be regulated is the revealed will of God. (368)

[2] The Authority of Church Officers 
"The inspired record of this Council of Jerusalem plainly sanctions the Presbyterian principle of the right of the office bearers of the church, as distinguished from the ordinary members, to decide judicially any disputes that may arise about the affairs of the church,—to be the ordinary interpreters and administrators of Christ’s laws for the government of His house." 98 Cunningham, Historical Theology, 1:50. (368)

[3] The Place of Church Members
"Now, the way in which they are here introduced, plainly implies that they did not stand upon the same platform in the matter with the apostles and elders… It does imply, however, that after the apostles and elders had made up their minds as
to what was the mind and will of God in this matter, and what decision should be pronounced, the subject was brought before the people,—that they were called upon to attend to it, to exercise their judgment upon it, and to make up their mind regarding it." 102. Cunningham, Historical Theology, 1:55–56 (371)

[4] The Subordination of Church Courts
"The whole transaction here recorded… naturally and obviously wears the aspect of the church at Antioch referring an important and difficult question, because of its importance and difficulty, and because of its affecting the interests of the whole church, to the church of Jerusalem, as to a superior authority; and of that church accordingly entertaining the reference, and giving an authoritative decision upon the subject referred to them." 103. Cunningham, Historical Theology, 1:59–60. (372)

[5] The Obligation of Apostolic Practice
It was a deliberative assembly, proceeding by discourses and disputes, not by apostolic Spirit-produced words. In Acts 15, we see the ordinary procedures of presbytery: debate, dispute, exposition and application of the Bible, and voting.
Why would all this be needed if the apostles present were acting in a miraculous and extraordinary manner? (379)

[6] The Divine Right of Presbyterian Government

The first office in the church is the office of Head and King of the
church, which is the Lord Jesus Christ....“Christ is the real King and Head of the Church, as a visible organisation, ruling it by His statutes, and ordinances, and officers, and forces, as truly and literally as David or Solomon ruled the covenant people of old.”119 Walker, quoted in Berkhof, Systematic Theology, 582. (385)

Christ’s kingly authority is manifested in His church in a variety of ways. (1) He instituted the church...(2) He instituted the means of grace which His church must administer: the Word of God and the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper ...(3) He gave to His church its constitution and officers, and bestowed on them authority to rule the church in His name...(4) He is always present with His church when it meets for worship, acting and speaking through its officers... (386)

The second and third offices in the church were those of the apostles and prophets in the New Testament. The apostles and prophets, as vehicles of verbal and inerrant revelation from God, constitute the foundation of the church with Christ as the “cornerstone,” i.e., the principal support and cause of growth: “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow-citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone” (Eph. 2:19–20). The Spirit-revealed, written teachings of the Christ-commissioned apostles and prophets are
the doctrinal and organizational foundation of the Christian church through the ages to the very end of the world. (386)

Neither the office of apostle nor the office of prophet were meant to be perpetual offices in the church. They were extraordinary and temporary offices inseparably connected to the laying of the foundation of the Christian church in the first century (Eph. 2:19, 20). (387)

The office of the minister of the Word is a permanent office in the church. We know this to be the case for four reasons. (1) Christ commissioned His church to disciple, baptize and instruct all nations to the end of the world by the preaching and teaching of the Word of God (Matt. 28:18–20). (2) The Spirit-inspired and Christ commissioned apostles made provision in the New Testament for this history-long mission with the institution of the office of minister to succeed the apostles after they passed off the scene....(3) Ephesians 4:11–13 tells us that the ministerial
office will be needed “until we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” (4) The permanency of the office of minister is assumed in the words of Jesus in Luke 12:42–43: “And the Lord said, ‘Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.’” (388)

As contemporary French Calvinist, Pierre Marcel has written: “the power of the preached Word is the very power of God… for it accomplishes the works which the Godhead alone is able to perform in the hearts of lost men; its effectiveness is divine.” 126 Pierre Marcel, The Relevance of Preaching, trans. by Rob Roy McGregor (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1963), 14. (393)

The point Paul is making is that the preaching of Christ is to be heard in the preaching of heralds of the gospel, and that it is heard with such power that it raises the spiritual dead to new life and subdues the rebel’s heart to faith and submission to Him. (394)

Not every Christian is called to “herald the gospel,” although all Christians are to evangelize. ...
So then, to be “sent” is to be commissioned by Christ to serve, represent and speak for Him officially in His own authority, as an ambassador and herald. (395)

Only ordained officers in the church specifically “sent” by Christ to “herald” the gospel are authorized by Him to proclaim His gospel. The point is that not all Christians are to be “preachers.” In fact, a person should think long and hard before he aspires to this teaching office. As James 3:1 warns us: “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment.” (398)

There are two parts to the call into the ministry of preaching: an internal call of the Holy Spirit and an outward call of the Church, both of which originate with Christ Himself. Furthermore, there are two parts of the internal call of the Spirit of Christ to the office of preaching: desire and fitness. (416)

[1] The inward call:
Wilhelmus á Brakel writes that this inner desire for the work of preaching grows out of "an extraordinary love (a) for Christ and a desire to make Him known; (b) for the church to present her as a chaste virgin to Christ (2 Cor. 11:2) and to cause her to shine forth with light and holiness to the honor of God; (c) for the souls of the unconverted to snatch them from the fire, as well as of the converted to strengthen, comfort, and continually provide them with spiritual food." 141 Wilhelmus á Brakel, The Christian’s Reasonable Service, 4 vols (Morgan, PA: Soli Deo Gloria Publications, 1992), 2:122. (417)

The general attitudes flowing from the obedience to Christ that must be present in anyone called to preach are:
"1. Self-discipline, not just in academics, but in all of life, from prayer and Bible study to proper habits of rest and exercise.
2. Self-sacrifice, a genuine willingness to endure hardship in terms of finances, peer esteem, physical comfort if the cause of Christ demands it.
3. Self-giving, not only to the powerful and wealthy, but also to the weak, the poor, to any who are in need in any way.
4. Self-control, a sense of the Spirit’s sanctifying work in one’s own life, an awareness that Christ alone is one’s Master." 147. Nederhood, “The Minister’s Call,” 55–6. (419-420)

[2] The outward call:
Those who are called of God must cheerfully submit themselves to the examination, approval and ordination of the church. Christ sends men to preach through the
“sending” of the church (Acts 13:2; 15:26). A person’s sense of an inward call must be checked and confirmed by the elders of the church, lest he be guilty of appointing himself to the office of preaching, and therefore preach “unsent.” (420)

In every organized church there should be three classes of officers: (1) At least one minister of the Word, or preaching elder, (2) At least two ruling elders, and (3) Deacons. The office of ruling elder is of vital and necessary importance in the church, because “the laws which Christ has appointed for the government and edification of his people cannot possibly be executed without such a class of officers.” 152. Miller, The Ruling Elder, 172. (422)

Ruling elders are absolutely necessary for a healthy and useful church....Neither the purity nor the beauty nor the orderliness of the churches of Christ, nor the credible witness to the world of the majesty and authority of Christ, can be maintained for long without ruling elders in each church, faithfully carrying out the shepherding duties Christ has assigned them. (423)

The office of elder goes all the way back to the days of Moses, some 3500 years
ago. The New Testament office of elder is a continuation and clarification of the Old Testament office of elder. He was a man of maturity and experience deserving honor...OT elders were the representative heads of families, who had the wisdom, discernment and experience to rule in the life of the covenant community, socially, judicially and morally. (423)

Why are elders so vitally important to the health and usefulness of the church?...Because ruling elders are to be the guardians, managers, shepherds
and servants of the church which Christ purchased with His own blood...They serve the church as Christ serves the church as her Guardian, Governor and Good Shepherd. (424)

The two chief services rendered to the church by the ruling elder are INSTRUCTION and GOVERNMENT. (425)

In 1846, the General Assembly of the Free Church of Scotland adopted this excellent summary of the duties of elders:
"1. That they sit in session along with the minister, and assist in the administration of discipline and in the spiritual government of the church.
2. That they take a careful oversight of the people’s morals and religious principles, of the attendance upon public ordinances, and of the state of personal and family religion.
3. That they visit the sick from time to time in their several districts.
4. That they superintend the religious instruction of the young, and assist the minister in ascertaining the qualifications of applicants for admission to sealing ordinances.
5. That they superintend and promote the formation of meetings within their districts for prayer, reading of the Scriptures, and Christian fellowship among the members of the church." 159 David Dickson, The Elder and His Work (Dallas, TX: Presbyterian Heritage
Publications, 1990), 10. (426-427)

Elders are to be elected by the congregation in which they will serve, and ordained by the session of that church with the laying on of hands. They are elected for life and not for a limited term. This election to the office of elder “continues through life, unless the individual be deposed from office. Like a minister of the gospel, he cannot
lay aside his office at pleasure.” 162 . Miller, The Ruling Elder, 270. (427)

The Positive (pages 430-432):
Above Reproach
Marital Fidelity
Ordered-Believing Household
Hospitable
Lover of Good
Sensible and Sober-Minded
Just
Devout
Self-Controlled
God-Gifted Teacher

The Negative (pages 432-433)
Self-Willed
Quick-Tempered
Addicted to Wine
Pugnacious
Fond of Sordid Gain
A New Convert

...Jesus would have us obey, submit, appreciate, and esteem very highly in love those whom He makes ruling elders by His Spirit. We are to give to them loving submission as they work diligently overseeing us (“have charge over you”) and instructing/counseling us (“instruction”). We are to submit to their faithful, personal shepherding oversight of ourselves and our families in the church;
and to their faithful instruction in and preaching of the Word of God. (434)

When they must painfully exercise church discipline, we must not be offended with them for the faithful performance of duty. Rather, we must make the words of the psalmist our own: “Let the righteous smite me in kindness and reprove me; it is oil upon the head; do not let my head refuse it” (Ps. 141:5). (435)

The office of ruling elder is a permanent office in the church....Moreover, “term eldership” is contrary to the implications of election and ordination to office.
However, elders may be removed from office for a variety of reasons. He may be removed for false doctrine, ungodliness, the absence of those gifts necessary for him to function as an elder, inability to exercise the functions of an elder—either because of age, infirmity or change of location....But, an elder may not simply leave office by a letter of resignation, unless that request is approved by the Session. (438) 

First, the fact that the elder was considered qualified for the office because of the gifts of the Spirit qualifying him for office argues against “term eldership. (438)

Second, election of a man to the office of elder by the congregation and his ordination by the Session also argue against “term eldership.” The congregation elects him and the Session ordains him because they are convinced he is qualified by the Holy Spirit to hold the office of elder. Through this process, Christ the Head of the church, and the Holy Spirit who indwells the church, are calling this particular man to the office of elder. (439)

Third, if the teaching elders and the ruling elders have parity in the exercise of church authority, then “term eldership” seems out of the question. The teaching elder is ordained to that office for life....It is inconsistent with the idea of parity for ruling elders not to be elected and ordained on an equally permanent basis. (440)

     Racheal

Anyway, I spent a good part of the last month on a doll dress making spree. But it wasn't just any ol' doll dresses...it was 1940's style doll outfits. T The first ones were rather "generic" (rather like the one above, affectionately called "The Dorthy Dress"); meaning I just used the pre-existing patterns and my memory.

Anyway, I went completely nuts as "my corner" showed (and still does to an extent...I need to put the patterns up).

Necessary ingredients--that includes the laptop; my inspiration was on it!

Fitting (sorta). {My hand looks so...fat.}

The result...

The complete pattern. (See below for the finished garment....it's down there someplace!)

Dress in Question: Bottom Right-hand Corner

I did not put pockets on it...and obviously, only two buttons instead of three...

Um...there is a waist tie on there, you just can't see it too well.

The Second of this pattern I made. I like this one better.

I tried making the one of the left...with a non-button front peasant blouse.

Poor Magnolia lacks much waist definition...

The doll dress skirt has darts rather than gores, but the look is pretty much the same. There is gathering along the shoulders as well, but this pictures doesn't show it well.

I have made a couple of these...but this was the first one that I remembered to cut a scooped neckline on.

This particular pattern is awfully snug on the dolls. Hopefully, I will remember to cut it a wee bit bigger on the next one!

The skirt/suspenders are actually made entirely out of the sleeve of a man's shirt.

See? I just used the underarm seam as the back seam. This outfit closes on the side.

      Racheal