Dave Miller

I think it is time I start my own group.  Several years ago there was an Association of Convictional Baptists.  I tried without much luck to start the Association of Corpulent Baptists.  A couple of years ago, Les Puryear organized the Majority Initiative, an attempt to promote the role of small churches in our increasingly megachurch dominated convention.  But I think we need a new one now, one that addresses the needs of the current convention, one that is in serious danger of fracturing and becoming increasingly irrelevant and ineffective. I am calling it "BIFF:  Baptists in Full … [Read more...] about BIFF: Baptists in Full Fellowship

I am going to be among the 70 or 80 people who will be at the convention next week.  I plan to be posting regularly on the Voices website - perspectives, reports, reports on reports, sports scores, fashion tips for Baptist Preachers, pictures of bloggers outside their mother's basement - all sorts of things. And, I have also joined the Twitter generation and will be shooting off a tweet now again, if you would like to follow me. My twitter account is: davemiller7 I currently have 3 people following me.  I'm hoping to get up over a dozen by convention time! When I reach over 35 … [Read more...] about SBC Voices Convention Coverage

On April 27, a massive tornado cut a more than 80-mile swath through the heart of Alabama at a cost of hundreds of lives and untold damage.  Before we had a chance to catch our collective breath, an EF5 tornado pretty much leveled Joplin, MO on May 22.  Just last week, as I was touring the streets of Boston with my family, an ominous storm system came through, eventually dropping a tornado on Springfield that killed four people.  (Stunning video of that storm is available online.)  Right now, Sioux City, Iowa is awaiting almost inevitable destruction from well-over 500 year flood levels that … [Read more...] about Is God Mad at America?

I invaded enemy territory this week.  As a lifelong and passionate fan of the greatest sports franchise in the history of sports (need I name the Yankees?), I've always considered Boston a swirling vortex of evil.  But my son moved there two years ago and we cashed in our frequent flier miles and booked three seats from Omaha to Boston's Logan airport.  After a rather roundabout trip (four flights instead of two) we landed in Boston Monday night. First, my son took us on a tour of the MIT Media Lab (a playground for people with astronomical IQs) where he has worked and studied the last two … [Read more...] about What Does This Say about Me?

Baptist Press has recently published an article by Trevin Wax entitled, "Being Southern Baptist among & for Evangelicals." Southern Baptists are in an identity crisis right now, trying to decide what it means to be a Southern Baptist.  At the risk of oversimplifying, there are traditionalists who think that the key is to look back at the cultural, theological and ecclesiological identity that identified Southern Baptists and work to restore that identity.  Brad Whitt has articulated the traditionalist viewpoint very well.  Then there are the "reformationists" who believe the SBC needs … [Read more...] about Trevin Wax’s Important Baptist Press Article

There are some books that I have never read, but that I think qualify for all-time brilliant title awards.  My favorite is, "Normal is Just a Setting on Your Dryer."  Gotta love that.  Captain John Trimmer blessed us with a tome entitled, "How to Avoid Big Ships" - a problem that each of us face on a daily basis.  Sgt. Rick Pelicano authored, "Bombproof Your Horse."  In these days, everyone needs to be concerned about horse-terrorism issues, don't we?  The "Huh?" award goes to Brian Piddick's "How to Write a How to Write Book."  P.L.H. McSweeny addressed one of life's great challenges in, … [Read more...] about Don’t Let the Jerks Get You Down

Okay, I'm going to make some deductions from assumptions here.  If you don't agree with my assumptions you obviously will not agree with my deductions, but here goes anyway. I'm an American Idol fan.  It was not always so, but when my daughter hit her teenage years she began to demand more control of the remote and suddenly we were an American Idol family.  I've always loved the audition programs when people we wouldn't let sing a solo at church are shocked that they are turned down by the judges.  But since the advent of the DVR era, I have watched every episode of the last three … [Read more...] about American Idol, Simon, Encouragement and Ministry

I was a communications major in college, but in my small Baptist school that meant that I was part of the theater department.  In my junior year I got my first big part in a musical - Arvide Abernathy in Guys and Dolls.  I was 19 years old and had to play an old man.  I just wasn't getting it - I couldn't find the soul of the character. One day, during rehearsal, the director said some words that stung me deeply.  "Dave, you sound like you are reading a phone book."  Now, I am not sure all that is encompassed in that statement, but I am pretty sure of one thing, it is not a compliment.  The … [Read more...] about Living for Heaven’s Amen

You can find the article here, at the Resurgence blog. Driscoll speaks of the phenomenon of "Conference Christians" who go from spiritual mountaintop to spiritual mountaintop at the various inspirational conferences one can attend. Humorous and powerful - Driscoll's specialties.  Well worth reading. You might also check out SBC Today's "Top Blog Posts of the Week" with links to some very good articles that have been out there that you might have missed. … [Read more...] about The Crisis of Conference Christians (by Mark Driscoll) WOW!