A friend of mine said he was going to be away at a wedding recently. I presumed that he, a generation younger than me, was either a groomsman or was just attending. Nope. He was officiating. Seems some friends were going to be wed and asked him to do it. He scrounged around and had […]
So, are you SEC haters happy now?
It so unspiritual to be all that enthused about a silly game, anyway. And, anyone seen C. B.?
The Lottie Moon offering seems to be doing well…
…in the churches this year. Anecdotal evidence here but I’m hearing of healthy increases in some churches. My church did much better. This is the SBC’s oldest and best mission offering. Whatever is askew in our convention doesn’t diminish the need for a global strategy for missions where resident workers who are immersed in the […]
Some duds of 2018
I’m owning up to some of my articles that didn’t quite capture the interest of folks around here. Duds. ___________ In the dead of mid-winter last year I wrote on things admirable, deplorable, or forgettable, a compilation of well-used and ill-used vocabulary. Seems that post was altogether forgettable. Nary a comment, not even a snarky […]
Fabulous SBC Voices College Bowl Game Contest
There are sixteen bowl games left, including the championship game. I’m not counting some minor bowls not worth watching. The ones that are left, not including Auburn who isn’t going to make my list of anything, are the ones below. Heck, one of the goofball bowls cancelled their game. Go figure. ______________________________________ Saturday, Dec. 29 […]
The SBC single best moment of 2018
That would be the moment in our annual session when messenger and trustee of Southwestern Seminary, Bart Barber, said the following: I am an old-time Baptist congregationalist. My church has business meetings every month because I want us to have business meetings every month. I believe in our polity. And it is a part of […]
Best of the SBC for 2018
Nothing is over more quickly than Christmas. No more carols. No more Christmas sermons. No more trees, poinsettias, and ugly sweaters. The gifts have all been opened and many will be returned today. Kids have already broken some of theirs and are in tears. Leftovers will dominate the culinary offerings for the week. So, although […]
It’s no mystery why pagans celebrate Winter solstice
The winter solstice is today at 5:23 PM EST. Shortest day of the year. Bah! Humbug! If your church even mentions the word “solstice” that would probably put you on the SBC exclusion list. That would be terribly pagan, but many SBC churches these days like to be on the cutting edge of eccelsiastical practice […]
Cringeworthy funeral moments
I assisted in a funeral Sunday afternoon. That is the occasion when the coats and ties in my closet rejoice that they will see the light of day because otherwise they stay put. The funeral was for a friend and longtime member of the church from which I retired. I joined the current pastor and […]
Top SBC news of 2018
The year’s not over but it’s still time to review the top SBC news items for 2018. If stuff happens in December other than all the brethren and sistren stuffing themselves with Christmas fare, I’ll do an update. This year saw more newsworthy items in the SBC than for many years past. The election […]
Interesting facts on the most famous Southern Baptist ever
Lottie Moon, missionary to China from 1873 to her death in 1912, is the most famous person in Southern Baptist history. Our largest offering, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions, is named for her. In time, her life came to be mythologized by Southern Baptists and her name invoked in order to raise […]
Christmas food, and you can have my White Fudge Oreos…
…when you pry them from my cold dead fingers. The only exceptions to that are if my doctor gives me an especially grave lecture or my wife gives me a sidelong glance. After all, I spent most of 2018 answering the same question from the Kroger cashiers, “Did you find everything you needed?” My answer […]