Thom Rainer's blog (thomrainer.com) is a must-read for any Southern Baptist pastor. Every post has factual, practical wisdom based on both sound research and biblical principles. (Send the check to my church address, Dr. Rainer). His latest post buttresses a statement my dad used to make about a study done years ago, showing the unrealistic expectations of congregations on their pastors. This one was performed by Dr. Rainer himself with his deacons at a church he served previously. It is entitled, "How Many Hours Must a Pastor Work to Satisfy the Congregation?" - the title pretty much … [Read more...] about Ministry Migraines: Dealing with Members’ Unrealistic Expectations
A Time to Mourn
Jesus was never easy to figure out. John 11 tells the story of one of Jesus’s greatest miracles, but also of some very strange behavior on the Savior’s part. Lazarus, the brother of Jesus’ close friends Mary and Martha, was very sick; near death. But when Jesus got word, he promptly did nothing, waiting a couple of days to leave for Bethany. When he finally arrived at his friends’ home, they were mourning their brother who had been in the grave for 4 days. And they were very confused; almost accusatory. “If you have been here, my brother would not have died,” Martha said. She knew of the … [Read more...] about A Time to Mourn
The United States of Nancy Grace?
The recent George Zimmerman trial and verdict has highlighted to me an unpleasant side-effect of living in the 24-hour news channel culture. We are in danger of becoming a nation of pundits - of self-appointed experts on everything! I can't watch Nancy Grace. She gets a few facts, prejudges a situation, then tenaciously trumpets her position as if it is black and white - clear beyond dispute. She may be the worst of the worst, but the cable news channels are filled with her ilk. Bill O'Reilly. Rachel Maddow. Sean Hannity. Lawrence O'Donnell. Chris Matthews. And the radio airwaves bristle … [Read more...] about The United States of Nancy Grace?
The Inheritance of the Meek
One Sunday an elderly man, an Apostle named John, was carried away in a vision given to him by the Holy Spirit. After being instructed to write down what he had seen, he turned and saw a figure walking among seven golden lampstands. He was dressed regally in a long robe and a golden sash, white hair and piercing eyes that looked like flames of fire. His voice boomed like the sound of mighty rushing waters. Demonstrating his authority, he held seven stars in his right hand; demonstrating his power, a sharp, two-edged sword proceeded out of his mouth, and demonstrating his divinity, the glory of … [Read more...] about The Inheritance of the Meek
Fat Pastor, Fit Pastor Challenge – Are You In?
Tony posted an article yesterday about his weight loss. One more reason to hate the guy - jealousy! This is a struggle I've had since I stopped running marathons back in my seminary days. I am fat. Way fatter than I ever thought I would be. I have been a successful dieter, but never been able to keep the weight off. As Tony pointed out, being fat is NOT good. It drains our energy for ministry. It causes health problems - according to some reports, it is nearly as damaging as smoking. It can damage our testimony to others. It costs everyone. A representative of Guidestone told … [Read more...] about Fat Pastor, Fit Pastor Challenge – Are You In?
A Not-Guilty Verdict, A Restless Nation: Was Justice Served?
Let's admit a fact. Not a single one of us knows what happened that fateful night when George Zimmerman encountered Trayvon Martin. We know that a young man died, but none of us knows whether George Zimmerman intended to kill Trayvon or whether he was defending himself. None of us really knows. You don't. I don't. The prosecutors don't. Even the jury doesn't. George Zimmerman is the only person on earth who really knows what happened that night. Of course, God knows and eventually full justice will be done here. We know that. Until then, we have to live in the realm of uncertainty. I would … [Read more...] about A Not-Guilty Verdict, A Restless Nation: Was Justice Served?
How Much Did the SBC’s Racial Past Contribute to America’s Moral Collapse? – A Comment from Alan Cross
Alan Cross posted a comment yesterday on my "sixty year decline" post. It made a point worthy of its own discussion. Here is the comment, in its entirety. All of this begs the question of whether or not our expansive growth in the postwar decade of 1945-1955 was God’s work or simply a shift in culture – or perhaps a combination of the two? Everything that was stable and conservative exploded in American in those 10-15 years. Then, we had the great unraveling because the children of the “Greatest Generation” largely rejected their values and saw them as hypocritical. We had our chance to … [Read more...] about How Much Did the SBC’s Racial Past Contribute to America’s Moral Collapse? – A Comment from Alan Cross
The SBC’s 60 Year Decline! Beyond the Blame Game
At the most peaceful and drama-free SBC in recent memory, there was one bit of news that had things stirred up - a fresh set of evidence that the SBC's statistical decline was not just a blip. It is a real problem. We are a shrinking denomination. One seminary professor has described it as a "free-fall." While that may be hyperbole, it is not wholly inaccurate. And, of course, as soon as the statistics were published, the blame-game began. It ought to surprise no one that bad news like this is used to point the bony finger of blame within the SBC. We see it all the time in Washington. The … [Read more...] about The SBC’s 60 Year Decline! Beyond the Blame Game
Hyper-Grace: the REAL Hyper-Danger
Heresy is truth taken to its extreme. I don't know who coined that term, but it is accurate. Truth existed first and heresy is not the absence of truth, but its corruption - twisting it and unbalancing it. Hyper-Calvinism, though a frequent accusation raised by some, is actually a pretty rare thing. But there is a Hyper that is common, growing, and a real danger to the gospel, to the church and to believers. It is sometimes called "Hyper-grace" - the doctrine of grace on steroids, taken to the extreme, until it becomes heresy. I have observed this phenomenon in churches of which I am … [Read more...] about Hyper-Grace: the REAL Hyper-Danger
Changes at SBC Voices
You may have noticed that our main page looks a little different. The blogroll of prominent posts has now been replaced by a rolling list of tweets that link to blog posts. Commenters have weighed in with their opinions that the new system is not what they want. It wasn't what we wanted either. Google decided to put Google Reader before the cyberspace firing squad. Since our blogroll used Google Reader, it was gunned down in the crossfire! Tony Kummer, our owner and techno-guru extraordinaire, explored all the options that were available and so far, this is the best system he has come up … [Read more...] about Changes at SBC Voices