While I was in Africa my undergraduate alma mater fired its highly successful and lucrative football coach and removed its president in response to an ongoing scandal over campus sexual assault by football players (related Voices post here, citing … [Read more...] about The Responsibility Art Briles and Kenneth Starr Neglected
Archives for May 2016
This election doesn’t need to be about Calvinism…and I hope it isn’t.
There are more important subjects to discuss. Seems to me that the discussion would flow to mission support methodologies for the 21st century. We are all in favor of spiritual renewal. All the candidates were asked about Calvinism by B21. Here is what they said. Crosby gave a short answer so his is complete below. Gaines and Greear gave longer answers, so I have excerpted theirs. Click to see the whole interview. J. D. Greear: I am pretty confident that if you asked the average person at the Summit whether we were “Calvinist” or “non-Calvinist,” they wouldn’t know what to tell you. I … [Read more...] about This election doesn’t need to be about Calvinism…and I hope it isn’t.
Miller Out
I'm finishing my packing, hoping to get a minute or two of sleep tonight, then it'll be off to Detroit, Paris, Dakar, Ziguinchor, and Nyassia, where I hope to fix all the problems Bart created. In my absence, I've asked the team to manage the site sort of informally. General posting rules apply. If you have something ready to go and no one has posted for about 6 hours, let it fly. If someone has a really hot topic up, you might be wise to set your post for the next morning. Try not to step on anyone else's post. I hope to be back in the USA in time to celebrate Cleveland's victory over … [Read more...] about Miller Out
Matthew 24 and Acts 17 Missions: The World Refugee Crisis and Reaching the Nations in North America Conference (August 26-27, 2016)
Southern Baptists and other Evangelicals are beginning to recognize the incredible opportunity and responsibility set before us. As the above infographic from www.ethnecity.com demonstrates, the nations have come to us en masse. Between 41 and 47 million foreign born peoples (by latest estimate) now live in the United States (13.2 million in the South). Many come from nations where Christianity is the predominant religious background. Many more do not. The challenges and opportunities facing the church today are enormous and they exist on multiple levels: How will American Christians … [Read more...] about Matthew 24 and Acts 17 Missions: The World Refugee Crisis and Reaching the Nations in North America Conference (August 26-27, 2016)
Questions for NAMB, IMB, and seminary leaders
One feature of the annual meeting of our beloved Southern Baptist Convention is a time for reports from entity heads. These leaders usually leave a short time for questions from the floor. While I'm not planning to be in muggy St. Louis next month, if I were and could stake out one of the floor mics here's a question or two that I'd like to ask: For David Platt, International Mission Board leader: The locations of our overseas personnel has shifted over the past years to a greater proportion being in World A locations. I presume that these are more difficult and stressful places and would … [Read more...] about Questions for NAMB, IMB, and seminary leaders
The Christian and the Arts
The Christian should be the person who is alive, whose imagination absolutely boils, which moves…because God made us to be creative. ~ Francis Schaeffer, He Is There and He Is Not Silent I love writing stories. Ever since I was a little kid I would make up characters and play out a portion of their lives through pencil on paper. Even if I wasn’t writing stories, I would take my Legos and build different universes with different people and creatures and act out their stories within the jungle of the carpet. Still today I’ll write stories in my free time—a hobby, a way to de-stress, and a way … [Read more...] about The Christian and the Arts
Will Evangelicals Support Trump’s Mass Forced Deportation Plan?
Trump's plan for the forced mass deportation of 11 million undocumented immigrants and their 5 million U.S. citizen children is to forcibly deport 25,000 people per day for 18-24 months at the beginning of his administration, which would necessitate the suspension of Due Process (Constitutionally guaranteed even to those here illegally), would cost approximately $600 Billion, and would have a net economic impact of over $2 Trillion over 20 years. I wrote about this plan in detail last September and explained the historical significance and cost of this. The Trail of Tears involved forced … [Read more...] about Will Evangelicals Support Trump’s Mass Forced Deportation Plan?
A Moment of Introspection (a meditation)
Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourself, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! ~ Paul, 2 Corinthians 13:5 To close out his second letter (at least second letter that we still have) to the church at Corinth, Paul called the church to a moment of introspection. He wanted them to examine and test themselves to make sure their faith was genuine. You can’t blame Paul for this request. In the first letter we see again and again how much the Corinthians got wrong, though they were still … [Read more...] about A Moment of Introspection (a meditation)
The Best Thing I’ve Ever Done*
*Okay, this is another one of my sensationalistic titles. Trusting Christ is the best thing I've ever done. Getting married. Having kids. Having grandkids (WAY better than having kids). Walking my daughter down the aisle. My hyperbole is granted. I'm trying to make a point. And, I was successful because you are READING THIS! I've taken mission trips all over the USA and all over the world. I've been to Taiwan twice (where I went to high school) and I think we did some good ministry there. I've been to Honduras twice back in my Florida and my Virginia days, doing construction work. … [Read more...] about The Best Thing I’ve Ever Done*
How to get your face beside your comments…
This is a short PSA for anyone who would like to display a profile picture beside your comments. SBC Voices, like many Wordpress blogs, use the free Gravatar service. It basically connects a mugshot to your email, so when you comment on a blog people can judge you by your photo. It's a good idea and will make everyone a little more civil. Click the link above. … [Read more...] about How to get your face beside your comments…