I grew up in a liberal family in Southern California. I belonged to the Bahá’í faith and was raised by two hippies. My grandfather was the first civil rights writer for the L.A. Times and was offered the position of press secretary for Bobby Kennedy. My mom participated in Freedom Summer in Jackson, Mississippi when she was 18 to help with voting rights for all people. So when you look up “bleeding heart liberals” in the dictionary you will see a picture of my extended family. (Probably eating tofu and picketing segregated housing.) I still cherish my dad’s favorite button which said; “Reggae … [Read more...] about When Southern Baptists Share the Gospel with Democrats, You May Get Christian Democrats! Can You Handle That? (by Dale Huntington)
Devotional Posts
Saturday
Saturday is silent. Scary. Isolated. And familiar. Saturday is where we live. In the tension. In the in-between. Waiting. Saturday is where we live. Past the darkness of Friday. But often still stumbling in the dark. Free from guilt and shame. But often still struggling against the chains weighing down every step. Victorious in the Cross. But always still pressing on toward the prize we haven’t quite grasped. Saturday is where we live. Already made new, but not yet fully new. Already made whole, but not yet fully whole. Already made into a new family, but not … [Read more...] about Saturday
Scriptures and Prayers for Uncertain Times
A reminder of God's greatness: Say among the nations: "The Lord reigns. The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken. He judges the peoples fairly." Let the heavens be glad and the earth rejoice; let the sea and all that fills it resound. ~ Psalm 96:10-11 Father, you are the great, awesome, and mighty God. You reign over all creation. The whole earth is yours. Nothing happens that is beyond your control. Nothing surprises you or catches you off guard. Father, we are weak. We are prone to fear. We don't see everything as you see. Help us to remember your strength. Help us to trust … [Read more...] about Scriptures and Prayers for Uncertain Times
The Blessing of a Godly Heritage
I am blessed. Not for anything I have done but because of the family into which God ordained I would be placed. I had no choice, I had no input, I was not consulted nor did I earn it in some way. But by the grace of God I was given to a family that loved Jesus and therefore loved one-another. Without perfection, to be sure, without wealth or pedigree, but not without a deep and abiding understanding of what a family is and how it should function in a Christ honoring way. Today, I am reminded how thankful I am that my mom and dad have been with us long enough to see and get to know all 5 of … [Read more...] about The Blessing of a Godly Heritage
Where were we in 2010?
Where were you 10 years ago? When the calendar flipped to 2010, what were you doing? Were you serving in your current ministry? Did you have as many kids/grandkids as you have today? Who were your friends? What lessons did you learn between 2010 and 2020? Here are a few reminders of where the world was ten years ago. President Trump had often flirted with a presidential bid, but no one ever took him seriously. Osama Bin Laden was alive and well. Patrick Mahomes was in the eighth grade. There was no College Football Playoff. Dr. Paige Patterson was enjoying his position … [Read more...] about Where were we in 2010?
The Obit Page and Hope for 2019
When do we become old enough to scan the obituary pages each day? My mother has taken to notifying my siblings and myself of pertinent deaths in our hometown. I'm afraid I may be crossing the threshold where this is expected behavior. I was speaking with a man outside the local grocery store yesterday. I asked what his hopes were for 2019. His response: I just want to hang in there. I asked if he was OK as there were no obvious physical ailments, and his next response: it just beats the alternative. I used to make resolutions for the coming year, mostly resolutions about which … [Read more...] about The Obit Page and Hope for 2019
Maybe it’s not about the calling
I’m sitting here in my study contemplating life in the ministry. First of all, I should qualify that statement: by “in the ministry,” I mean the vocational work of being employed by a church for what we call “ministry.” I know that we are all supposed to be ministers, or servants, of one another and of Christ our Lord. That’s a thought I’ll come back to later, perhaps, but let’s accept our normal vocabulary here in Baptist life. It may not be ideal, but it’s what we’ve got. Next year will mark my twenty-fifth year in ministry service to Southern Baptist churches. In those years, I’ve mainly … [Read more...] about Maybe it’s not about the calling
Cancer… Just Another Bump in the Road
by CJ Adkins It's the thought in the back of every cancer survivor's mind. What if it comes back? None of us who have come through life threatening battles with cancer want to even think about going down that road again, but sometimes it happens. It appears it has happened to me - again. As most of my friends know, I was diagnosed in December 2004 with Stage 4, "Incurable but hopefully manageable" Colon Cancer. After having surgery to remove 3 1/2 feet of my intestines, I went on a 6 month course of Chemotherapy to kill the tumors that were throughout my liver. A Radio Frequency … [Read more...] about Cancer… Just Another Bump in the Road
Your Pastor Needs Specific Encouragement
I've recently started reading a little book called Reaching People under 30 While Keeping People over 60. I haven't gotten far, yet, so don't read that as a blanket endorsement. But so far it's been good and helpful. In the first part of the book the author talks a bit about "pastor-bashing". He notes that one of his coaching clients said "pastor-bashing is my church's focus". He then, helpfully, defined pastor-bashing. Here are the experiences which characterize pastor-bashing: Accusations, and sometimes threats, that 'the church is not growing because of you!' Spreading of rumors … [Read more...] about Your Pastor Needs Specific Encouragement
What is Worship? Marrying Corporate and Individual Worship (Eric Reeves)
In every aspect of our corporate worship, music has become synonymous with worship. At our Baptist colleges and seminaries, getting a worship degree means being a music major and not a theology major. I will not attempt to explore why we have conflated music and worship. Instead, I would like to explore what worship actually is with the hope that we can begin to shift our perspectives. I firmly believe the biblical idea of worship is the fulfilling of God’s purpose for humanity, nothing more and nothing less. Corporate Worship We must define our terms before we can begin to delve into a … [Read more...] about What is Worship? Marrying Corporate and Individual Worship (Eric Reeves)