Dave Miller

On the nearly interminable red-eye flight from Dakar, Senegal to Dulles yesterday, I watched the movie Invictus to pass the time. It is the story of Nelson Mandela, the Springbok Rugby team of South Africa, and the 1995 Rugby World Cup. After the end of apartheid in South Africa in 1990, Mandela was released from prison and then elected president in 1994. While there has been much debate about Mandela's activities prior to his arrest and imprisonment, his tenure as president of the country was remarkable. While attending a rugby match against England, he realized that the black South … [Read more...] about The SBC, Leadership, and Criticism

I hear a lot about the death of blogging. I think it's wishful thinking. Sometimes I would echo that wish. But I haven't abandoned my post. I've neglected the site for the last month or so, and the next two weeks are going to be even worse. I'm leaving tomorrow evening after prayer service for Omaha to catch a flight on Thursday morning to Africa. I'm going to be spending 11 days on an intense discipleship program trying to counsel and assist the good Dr. Bart Barber with some of his personal issues. Actually, I'm sure exactly how much detail to give, but we will be doing evangelism … [Read more...] about Don’t Get Your Hopes Up: SBC Voices Isn’t Dead

Recently, I read an article with which I agreed almost entirely, Ed Stetzer's “Some Churches Should Die and Stay Dead.” But as I read the article I found myself in an odd position. I was reacting negatively, viscerally, to the article - even though I could find no essential disagreement. I felt defensive and couldn't really understand why. His advice on re-planting churches was helpful and wise. So, what was my problem? As I ruminated on it (with the holidays, I've had a little more time to do that), I realized that it was not the article, but a general ecclesiological zeitgeist I discern in … [Read more...] about On Small, Struggling Churches: What Makes a Church Effective?

I opened a group at Fox Sports "College Football Bowl Pick 'Em". Anyone who who wants to join is welcome to do so. There is a large cash prize for the winner. I will photo copy a $1 bill, blow it up to the size of an 11X17 sheet of paper and make it available. You must come to Sioux City to collect the prize. You have to pick the winner of each bowl game, plus I've made the league a "weighted" league - you have to choose which games you are most confident about and which you are least confident about. Point spread is not part of this. You just pick the winner in each game - by 1 point or … [Read more...] about Football Bowl “Pick ‘Em” (Play for Second Place, Behind Me!)

(I do a daily devotional for my church members. We are doing a "through the Bible in one year" reading, and I write some thoughts on one of the passages. I thought some of the readers here might enjoy this one today.) Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, Look upon a little child; Pity my simplicity, Suffer me to come to Thee. Charles Wesley penned the words to this beautiful hymn in 1742. We love this Christmas season because of the cute little baby in the manger, bathed in the star's soft light, surrounded by his mother, the shepherds and the Magi (a misunderstanding - they didn't leave until … [Read more...] about A Picture of the Real Jesus (Revelation 1)

Word is that Brewton-Parker College has been reaffirmed by SACS. They are no longer on probation.  The Brewton-Parker website likely has more details than I have now. This is wonderful news for the staff, students and supporters of Brewton-Parker. I congratulate my friend CB Scott. Hopefully this good news will sustain him when Ohio State steamrolls the Crimson Tide.  … [Read more...] about Brewton-Parker College Reaffirmed by SACS

The Evil and Despised Alabama Crimson Crud They are arrogant, obsessed and they have a payroll higher than most NFL teams, but Bama is in. This is a fallen world and evil sometimes wins. Alabama won enough to earn a spot. Of course, it doesn't matter how many they win as long as they lose ONE MORE GAME this season. All people of sound mind and good will are hoping for that. The Team with the HORRIBLE uniforms (from Oregon) Dale, could you please tell your Ducks to consult a fashion expert. They are really good, but watching them in those uniforms is just horrible. In a side … [Read more...] about The NCAA Playoff Teams HAVE TO Be….

Blogging plans are always a little bit loose. Something could come up - breaking news, a Baptist scandal, or something. Anything can happen. But barring some huge event, I'm not planning to hang out here at SBC Voices much over the next few days. I'll probably stop in to check on things a time or two. I'll try to get back into the swing of things on Monday. SBC Voices contributors - "Post 'em if you got 'em" rules apply. If you have something you want to post, put it up. Don't step on someone else's post. If there is another post up, make sure it gets 5 or 6 hours before you post yours - … [Read more...] about Have a Happy Thanksgiving – See You Monday

Black Friday was always a Festival for Mammon, a bastion of commercialization and evidence of the crassness and materialism of the American people. The rush when they open the doors at Best Buy was something amazing to see, in those days when I was on dawn bargain patrol. We used to try to get a couple of hours of sleep then head over to the local Best Buy about or so in the morning to get in line for the 6 AM opening melee. Then the opening was moved to 5 AM and we had to pretty much spend the night outside the store. Something changed for me when they they moved the opening up to midnight … [Read more...] about Just Say No – A Suggestion about Black Friday Encroachment

A few years ago I bought Family Tree Maker and a subscription to Ancestry.com. I tracked my ancestors back to Europe (I am a descendent of the Merovingian kings – you should show some respect). The Millers come from Carbon County, Pennsylvania, but I couldn’t find when they emigrated from Germany. The Pratts, my mom’s side, settled in St. Louis in the mid-1800s. One branch of the family came over on the Mayflower and ended up in Piscataway, NJ. It was a fascinating study. What I didn’t find in any of this was a slave owner. There were a couple of branches that lived in Virginia, so you … [Read more...] about Am I Guilty for America’s Racist Past?