Louis is a frequent commenter and contributor here. I know that most of the people who frequent this blog do not read some of the things that I read. It's understandable. We all have only so much time. Here is an article that I thought people here might find interesting. http://www.npr.org/2016/12/27/506332876/from-delay-to-action-the-supreme-court-to-take-a-conservative-turn-in-2017 This article was actually linked to the Federal Bar Association website, though it is not an FBA authored article. It is authored by Nina Totenberg and is written for NPR. This NPR article will … [Read more...] about Looking toward a Fruitful Future (Louis)
Archives for December 2016
Running With Muslims
“Get a little closer. Within two steps of me, babe; three, at most.” -Me, as Wife and I jogged past the mosque I worked second-shift when Wife and I married. I’d arrive home exhausted around 5:00 am and stagger to bed for a few hours of sleep before my other job – or my college classes – began. Wife, on the other hand, was early to bed and early to rise, in order to do her daily aerobics routine. At 6:00 am. On a wooden floor. Two feet from the bed. Over the years, she’s continued her exercises. She added small weights in the mid-90’s. Running joined the repertoire after 2009. … [Read more...] about Running With Muslims
A Lily in the Muck: An Old Blogpost Gives Me Hope
I read a post this morning that brought a tear to my old eyes. When I was a student at Southwestern back in the dark ages, before the CR took hold, I had two preaching classes. (If you are feeling defensive of Southwestern, please read to the end!) The first was taught by a professor whose doctoral dissertation had been a denial of the doctrine of inerrancy. The second, the one I liked best, was taught by a professor who was later fired by Southwestern for inappropriate behavior. I did not exactly get the best of the best. I am thankful for the homiletical training I had at Dallas Seminary … [Read more...] about A Lily in the Muck: An Old Blogpost Gives Me Hope
Be Excellent to Each Other (a call for a new year’s revolution)
Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure is one of those movies from my childhood that you would not typically think would be a source of wisdom. Yet, near the end, Bill S. Preston, Esq., utters a line that we need to hear today: “Be excellent to each other.” Funny how sometimes certain things in pop culture articulate a much-needed biblical truth…in their own way. Let’s face it, 2016 was a year of much vitriol, especially in a bitter political race. You had some Christian leaders seeming to question the spiritual maturity of those voting for one candidate, and others calling those not voting for … [Read more...] about Be Excellent to Each Other (a call for a new year’s revolution)
NOBA Statement in Support of Russell Moore
The New Orleans Baptist Association this morning published a letter titled Hard-Pressed But Not Beaten: A Word of Support for Dr. Russell Moore and the ERLC. The letter was signed by a group of pastors and leaders from the New Orleans area: past SBC President Fred Luter, Jr., David Crosby, Chad Gilbert, Page Brooks, Mike Miller, Anna Palmer, Geovanny Gomez, Jay Adkins, Larry Johnson, and Jack Hunter. The letter is not only a well-articulated argument for Russell Moore's effectiveness as ERLC President (they say "Moore is especially well-suited to engage the culture with the gospel of Jesus … [Read more...] about NOBA Statement in Support of Russell Moore
What’s your Bible reading plan for 2017?
Sixteen years ago, while in college, my church and Baptist Student Union challenged, encouraged, and held me accountable for something like no one had before: To read the Bible. I had been a Christian for 15 years leading up to that point. Along the way, I had bits and pieces of scripture embedded into memory. I would follow, in spurts, various reading plans that had a few verses here and a few there. But I had never actually devoted myself to read the whole of scripture, or even large chunks of it. And the spiritual illiteracy showed. But in the fall of 2000, that began to change. In that … [Read more...] about What’s your Bible reading plan for 2017?
A Russell Moore Reality Check – Be at Ease, Supporters!
In a couple of months the NCAA selection committee will release its results and we will know which teams will participate in March Madness, the NCAA basketball tournament. My team, the Iowa Hawkeyes, after a slow start, is playing better now. The Big 10 does not seem to be as good as it has been in recent years, so maybe the Black and Gold can garner enough wins to secure a place in the tourney. We have a lot of young players - three freshmen start and by the end of the season they might have matured. Let's say that they are a 7 seed, so their first game will be against a 10 seed. They will … [Read more...] about A Russell Moore Reality Check – Be at Ease, Supporters!
If Russell Moore is fired, “Unto Us” A Trump Baptist Convention Is Born By William Dwight McKissic, Sr
If Russell Moore is fired, “Unto Us” A Trump Baptist Convention Is Born By William Dwight McKissic, Sr The first cabinet member that soon-to-be President Donald Trump will fire, may not be in his White House Cabinet. Russell Moore, President of the Ethics, and Religious Liberty Commission of the SBC—a cabinet-level entity head position within the SBC org chart—will be the first person fired by the direct influence of Donald Trump and his influential supporters within SBC circles, if they are successful in their unprecedented public attempts, to discredit and dismiss from office the … [Read more...] about If Russell Moore is fired, “Unto Us” A Trump Baptist Convention Is Born By William Dwight McKissic, Sr
American Civil Religion & New Testament Christianity
As I have reflected on the matter, I have come to the conclusion that the underlying cause of many of the conflicts between different groups of Christians today in North America is a difference in the way we conceive of the proper relationship between civil religion and the practice of our Christian faith. In order for all of us to follow my point in this discussion, we need to make sure first of all that we have a common understanding of what we mean when we say civil religion. Since this is not a formal scholarly article, I am going to take the liberty to cite Wikipedia in order to … [Read more...] about American Civil Religion & New Testament Christianity
Jesus, the Sojourning Savior
Luke 9:57-58 "As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” My phone rang yesterday and I saw an unfamiliar, out of state number. I answered and a foreign voice was on the other end. "May I speak to Alan Cross?" The accent seemed Middle Eastern? African? I could not place it. A bit nervously, I answered, "This is he." He told me his name was Charles and someone gave him my phone number and knew I was an Evangelical that worked with … [Read more...] about Jesus, the Sojourning Savior