Archives for 2013

I remain in somewhat the same position concerning this idea that I was last night when I wrote the previous post. It is a wild idea and I'm not sure whether is will work or even whether it should work. There are some issues. But there are also some things that I really like about this idea and I thought I would delineate those in a follow-up post here today. I thought about just altering the last one, or adding this as a comment, but I had nothing waiting to post, so here goes. Here are some of the things I like about Bart's marriage contract. 1) It encourages engaged couples to think … [Read more...] about What I Like about Bart Barber’s Marriage Contract (Follow-up Post)

Bart Barber has been one of my favorite bloggers for years, even when he infuriates or annoys me, or disagrees with me - a sin I consider unforgivable. I like bloggers who make me think, who bring a new, fresh perspective to a discussion instead of rehashing the same old stuff over and over and over. When there is a hot topic, you will often see a flurry of posts that give variants of the same view. With Bart (for good or ill) you usually get something new and fresh. Wow, has he outdone himself this time. I am concerned that he has lost his ever-loving mind. Dude may have moved to … [Read more...] about Has Bart Barber Lost His Mind? You Make the Call

I was browsing the Cedarville University Website today, trying to find a tax document I needed, when I saw this video entitled "The Dream" that had been posted yesterday on MLK Day. I thought it was really good.  Of course, it is possible that I am biased, I don't know. I was present when the author and performer of this piece was born. Her name is Bethany Miller, and she is my favorite daughter. She hates it when I post stuff here that she has done, but she will get over it! It was a promotional video for a racial reconciliation event Cedarville was hosting. … [Read more...] about Bethany Miller: “The Dream” (from Cedarville University’s Website)

I was ten years old when Martin Luther King, Jr. was murdered in Memphis. I remember that we were watching TV when reports came in about his death. I did not really know who he was or why his death was significant. I did know that it was a time of racial strife. The news was filled with reports of riots and unrest and I understood that there was trouble in our nation, but I did not have the grasp on national affairs to understand it. I can remember when I was in 8th or 9th grade, I did a report on the "I Have a Dream" speech of August 28, 1963. I was amazed and inspired by those words. But … [Read more...] about Reflecting on the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Cities are the centers of political power, economic activity, communications, scientific research, academic instruction, and moral and religious influence.  Whatever happens in cities affects entire nations.”  Cities are at the very center of where worldviews are created.  To neglect the cities would be to miss an incredible opportunity to be a redemptive voice in our world today. That is a quote from missiologist Roger Greenway, with a little commentary from the staff of Kaleo. I agree that we should not neglect the cities. I appreciate the renewed emphasis on reaching the cities. There are … [Read more...] about Does Metro-Focused Missions Square with the Way Jesus Did Ministry?

Andy Hynes is the Director of Admissions and Dean of Men at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary and a PhD candidate there. Follow him @ABHYNES on Twitter. We all get it that Jesus is the head of the Church and the Church is His beautiful bride.  Paul speaks to us in Colossians about His position as the Head.  But when you get to the daily functioning of the church, who is supposed to call the shots? Who gets to provide vision and direction to the body?  Have you ever served in a local church that had a skewed view of church polity?  If so, what do you do? Who hasn’t been … [Read more...] about Who’s the Boss? (by Andy Hynes)

My church is working to upgrade our technological and organizational structure. One of the things we are considering is purchasing and subscribing to a "Church Management System" software package. Do any of your churches use such a software? Are you impressed? Upset? Tell me what you know about Church Management software. … [Read more...] about Discussion Forum: Do You Use Church Management Software?

My wife has a deathly fear: blindness. It is only natural.  She's been deaf all her life, and everything she's ever learned has come to her through her eyes.  Vision is everything. She reads voraciously.  She accessorizes with colorful scarves.  She loves light: sunlight, Christmas lights, beautiful lamps, and tiny candles.  She can lip-read, if she must, but greatly prefers the living, fluid beauty of sign language. I was born hearing, but I've been losing it bit by bit over the years; the loss started in early childhood and continues today.  I've noticed a similar fear of blindness … [Read more...] about Blindness, Deafness, and Despair

I've had plenty of practice in recent years. I'm a sports fan (in case anyone doesn't know that) and over the last few years I've watched as many of my athletic heroes have fallen flat on their faces. Man, I hated Roger Clemens - everything about him. Then, he donned the pinstripes and I have to admit that it took a while for me to warm to him. But I did. I really did. I remember watching Roger walk off the mound for the last time, with a tear in my eye. And then it turned out that his greatness likely came from a syringe. I cheered for Tiger Woods when he was a scrawny little kid winning … [Read more...] about When Your Hero Falls

My brilliant wife returns to the blogging world with me continuing to serve as her amanuensis. Wait...you're my what? Your amanuensis. And what does that mean?! Someone who writes something dictated or composed by another. Don't you know an easy word that means the same thing? Yes...amanuensis. I can't talk to you when you're like this. "Then the King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of my people here, you also did for me.’” Matthew 25:40 Ethan and I work in a country filled with quite a bit of poverty.  People work long hours to buy starchy … [Read more...] about And Who Is Your Least?