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)
Sacrificing at the Altar of Love One Another (Melissa Edgington)
Jesus was no people pleaser. He wasn’t predictable or palatable or pandering or polite. Yet, He consistently and completely carried out His mission to bring ultimate glory to His Father. Sometimes He did that through speaking. Sometimes by remaining quiet. Sometimes He delivered harsh truths to people. Yes, He taught people their worth. But, He also taught us how far we are from the holiness of the One True God. He was born the Prince of Peace, yet He also said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn … [Read more...] about Sacrificing at the Altar of Love One Another (Melissa Edgington)
SBC & Politics: Why I Made a Motion to Exclude Politicians from the Annual Meeting (Dr. Marshal L. Ausberry, Sr.)
At the 2018 Southern Baptist Convention, I made a motion that beginning in 2019 the SBC would refrain from allowing elected officials to speak at the Convention. The exception was for the host Mayor or appropriate official to give a welcome greeting and to receive thanks from the Convention for hosting the Convention. The reason I feel it is time for such a position for the Convention is multi-fold. It has nothing to do with Vice President Mike Pence speaking at the 2018 Convention. In my opinion, Vice President Pence and Mrs. Pence are good godly people. Though some were calling for the … [Read more...] about SBC & Politics: Why I Made a Motion to Exclude Politicians from the Annual Meeting (Dr. Marshal L. Ausberry, Sr.)
Understanding Diversity and Its Denominational Implications: Unmasking Marginalization as Southern Baptists (Vinh T. Nguyen)
Many memories have been etched into my mind in both the years I’ve spent as a minister and an academic, but one memory stands out in particular. I had just finished my third semester as a bible student at Ouachita Baptist University and was visiting the church I grew up in where my father-in-law was serving as the student pastor. The youth group looked different in at least two different ways. First, it was quite a bit larger than it was when I was a teenager growing up. Second, the room now had just as many, if not more, African-American and Asian teenagers as it did Caucasians. Like many … [Read more...] about Understanding Diversity and Its Denominational Implications: Unmasking Marginalization as Southern Baptists (Vinh T. Nguyen)
The Mountain and the Mundane (Ann Hibbard)
Those who have been Christians for any length of time have probably heard the term “mountaintop experience.” Scripturally, we usually think back to the experience of Peter, James, and John during the Transfiguration. We talk about our modern-day comparisons: intense spiritual encounters that tend to come through wonderful conference experiences, peaceful private retreats, or even some form of miraculous intervention that turns our weeping and pleading into joy and laughter. Whatever it may be, when we compare it to the Transfiguration story, we seem to assume that the mountain adventure … [Read more...] about The Mountain and the Mundane (Ann Hibbard)
Life, Liberty, and Happiness (Jimmy Meek)
As I observe, and reflect on all the 4th of July posts, it seems the “go to” quote is that our Creator guarantees Americans life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I suppose our constitutional framers may have been trying to guarantee this, but unless we get away from the commonly accepted definitions of these terms, don’t assign this guarantee to God. Defining “life” as this earthly existence , we see that God does not guarantee that. In fact in Scripture, and church history, we see many followers of Jesus going to an “Early” death because of their faith. The book of Revelation … [Read more...] about Life, Liberty, and Happiness (Jimmy Meek)
What Women Really Want (Melissa Edgington)
In “The Wife of Bath’s Tale,” Chaucer creates a king who, as punishment for an evil deed, is sent on a quest to find out what it is that women really want. He travels the entire land, asking women everywhere, and much to his discouragement, every answer is different. He is beginning to believe he will never learn the truth of what it is that women truly desire. Finally, he comes across an old mystic who reveals that the ultimate wish of all women is to dominate and rule over their husbands and lovers. In the end the king is forced to marry the old woman and, once he finally concedes … [Read more...] about What Women Really Want (Melissa Edgington)
Locked Compartments (Ann Hibbard)
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ann, and I am a compartmentalized woman. I have a variety of titles, jobs, responsibilities, all of which I often need to keep individualized and separate. Even if some of my responsibilities overlap, typically each job must hold its own space on the schedule. The lines between them cannot be allowed to blur lest I fail to honor my responsibilities in one or the other. For many years, I have seen this compartmentalism as necessary for functionality, organization, balance, and excellence. And this viewpoint has, indeed, proven useful. I have seen … [Read more...] about Locked Compartments (Ann Hibbard)
SBC Women: Where Do We Go from Here? (Kathy Litton)
Ironically, we find ourselves in the midst of two pivotal, transforming moments in the life of our denomination in regard to women. The first is the significant centennial anniversary of the SBC Constitution being amended in 1918 by the necessary two-thirds majority to seat the first ever female messengers at the annual meeting. This event occurred two years before our country granted women the right to vote. It was a powerful, pivotal moment. The second is the present moment in time. Conditions are rising for a monumental shift in the way women are valued, treated, and welcomed into … [Read more...] about SBC Women: Where Do We Go from Here? (Kathy Litton)
#SBC18 Annual Meeting Recap (Karen Swallow Prior)
Last week’s annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention garnered more attention than others in recent memory. Controversies mounting over recent weeks and months for Southern Baptists and evangelicals—from presidential politics to #ChurchToo—led to intense media coverage in the days leading up to and surrounding the meeting. Countless news outlets reported on the issues that would define the event, from the firing of longtime SBC leader Paige Patterson from the top post at a Baptist seminary, to Patterson’s last minute withdrawal from the honored spot of delivering the meeting’s … [Read more...] about #SBC18 Annual Meeting Recap (Karen Swallow Prior)