I was sitting in church at Drakes Branch Baptist Church in the summer of 2003 or 2004, where we were visiting. I’d pastored there in the 80s and early 90s, and was back visiting old friends. The pastor was preaching a good, biblical message, but my mind was wandering, as it often did, to a problem I was having in Cedar Rapids. I was part of a wonderful citywide fellowship of pastors who had helped me through dark times in my ministry and had co-labored with me in that city. They were my friends and we had deep fellowship in Christ. But I also had some strong theological divergence from many of them, especially after the so-called “Brownsville Revival” came to Cedar Rapids. I often found myself disagreeing with the heartfelt prayers my brothers prayed.
What to do?
As I sat in church, mulling this over, an idea formed in my mind. No, I claim no revelation or inspiration, but I thought it was an idea with promise. As we drove home, I kept turning this thing over in my mind and came up with what became “Brick Walls and Picket Fences.” I want to be theologically and doctrinally accurate – I could never buy the “let’s forget doctrine and love Jesus” idea I heard so often. However, I could not join with those who anathematized everyone who disagreed with them in any way. I’d prayed with these men I disagreed with. I knew these men’s hearts. They were not enemies of the gospel. They did not hate Jesus or the Word.
How could I walk in unity with those with whom I strongly disagreed?
The answer to that was Brick Walls and Picket Fences. Here’s my theory, my thesis.
There are four levels of “doctrine” or truth, and each one is accompanied by an appropriate “unity response.”
- There is the “Brick Wall” level – truth that is essential to the Christian faith around which we must build a wall of separation.
- There is the “Picket Fence” level – truth that divides us into Christian camps, but does not cause us to break fellowship as believers. We may worship separately, but we can regard one another as brothers and sisters in Christ, and be friendly neighbors.
- There is the “Dinner Table” level – truth that we disagree on but ought not divide us, even in the church. Like a family sits around the table and disagrees, we disagree on these issues and continue our fellowship.
- Finally, there is “Personal Space” truth – those issues that Paul describes as disputable, in which we follow our own conscience, allow others to do the same, and keep our opinions to ourselves.
At the time, I was doing an email essay distribution called “WORD Processing” and I wrote this up. It got wide circulation. Then a terrible thing happened! The good Dr. Mohler wrote his essay on “Theological triage” which was nearly identical. I thought to myself, why proceed with a book on this if Dr. Mohler hath spoken on the topic? But I finally decided to move forward and the result is this new book, “Brick Walls and Picket Fences.”
Last fall I was put in touch with Rainer Publishing and they agreed to publish it. It is now available. You can buy it at Amazon.com. They have been wonderful to work with.
Now, folks, here’s the thing. Rainer published the book, and they are doing their job in promoting it. But I agreed to actively promote the sales of this book as well. That is part of the process of publishing now. The author isn’t just an author anymore, he becomes a salesman and promoter. It’s not something I’m particularly comfortable doing, but it is my job. I’m grateful for the good folks at Rainer who made this book a reality and I’m going to do my job in trying to sell it.
I talked with Alan Cross about that. He published his book, “When Heaven and Earth Collide: Racism, Southern Evangelicals, and the Better Way of Jesus” back in early 2014. He’s had to do the same thing – promote, promote, promote. And it’s not to get rich. If you think publishing a book is going to make you a lot of money, you are going to be sadly disappointed when it finally happens. Unless you are one of the big-timers, you publish a book to get out the message. Maybe you make a buck here or there. Maybe. But you do it because you believe in the message. I shouldn’t say this, but I happen to know what Alan has made on his book. You’d be shocked at the amount. No, the other direction. You do NOT get rich in the publishing game if your name isn’t Osteen or Swindoll or MacArthur. You publish a book to share a message, not to collect royalties.
It’s my job to let you know that I have a book for sale. So here it is. I have a book for sale!
- It is available in Kindle for 5.97.
- It is available in paperback 12.97.
- I have ordered a case of books, and if you will write a review on your site, I’ll send you one. Give me your name and address.
So, yeah, if you see me promoting my book (or Alan, or anyone else), that’s how it goes. It’s part of the process. You write the book, then you promote it. If you write a book, you will have to promote it too. You will feel uncomfortable when you do it, but you will do it nonetheless.
My thanks to the good folks at Rainer Publishing. My thanks to those who buy and read the book.
I’m only sorry they didn’t do the cover in lime green.
Review:
At first the idea of this book intrigued me; but once I saw a picture of the author wearing a lime green suit, I decided my money would be better spent elsewhere. Plus, having researched the author further, I realized that he is a blogger; and everyone knows that nothing good comes out of blogland, especially that sbcvoices one. For a more interesting read, I recommend picking up a pack of 20lbs white copy paper, tearing it open, and flipping through.
😀
Seriously though, I look forward to purchasing it and reading it. Glad you were able to publish it.
That’s much nicer than the review I expected from you.
I thought about saying “Joel Osteen” instead of the blank paper, but I thought that’d be going too far…
Looks interesting, Dave.
I’ll buy one. I need another book to complete the bookends for my MacAurthur collection. 😉
Seriously, it looks like a good book – I like the outline.
I need new friends.
I say that often, too.
You often reflect on Dave’s need for new friends? WOW!!!
^^^^Look Ma…no emoticon
I get easily bored and need to fill my time.
Dave,
Congrats on the book! I look forward to reading the perspective on this important issue concerning the pursuit of loving one another in the church. That is never a simple endeavor.
I am already looking forward to the second work in this series, “Skinny Jeans, Bermuda Shorts and Sansabelts, How To Determine What Kind Of Pastor You Are Destined To Be.”
Ever see the picture of Chris Christie in a baseball uniform?
I’m a little nauseous.
Is that #52 for the Yankees?
lol
Love of Jesus leads to good doctrine. But love of Jesus strangely rarely leads to doctrinal uniformity. This book provides a philosophical framework for working towards unity prior to the completion of our conformity to the image of Christ Jesus using practical suggestions and guidelines. Every pastor will want to buy it because being shepherds is a stewardship given by God and every church has to deal with differences on theology and doctrine. Order today.
Dave’s book is helpful in setting personal spiritual boundaries and yet this helps bring a safety net into our interactions with other believers so we are able to take note of differences and safely navigate the waters we share in common.
I asked the Lord in the late 90s if I should go to the revival (offshoot of Brownsville) across town in Cedar Rapids Iowa. I clearly heard “it’s not necessary” so I never did except an occasional concert they brought to town. But I never felt it was a “no”. So I pondered that response… Even today. Today I am married to a man who went to that church the entire revival and even went on trips to Pensacola to the actual source of the revival. Roy was impacted greatly by it. But today it is a distant memory. He can’t imagine why God would not want me there… I ponder the necessity. But I do NOT question the necessity for him and many others who were there. What if we all contend with learning from God on different levels. Some play it more safe than others but all make spiritual mistakes. Maybe your “mistake” isn’t so public or wild looking, yet many are hurt by it just the same? What if we are all just all working out our own salvation with fear and trembling?
I have spent the past 12 years gleaning bits and pieces from pastors, rabbis, those I mostly or just somewhat agree with and have found I had a great foundation if the Word from Immanuel and Northbrook Baptist and from my Christian school Bible classes to keep me grounded. I frequently pray “I only want what is of YHVH and nothing else”. I allow people to pray over me and I have never fallen or uncontrollably laughed or whineyed like a horse…. But I have seen that and more… From people who I really care for.
I just had a discussion with my husband over dinner yesterday about a home group that was called upon to each in English and in prayer language pray out loud simultaneously. I asked why that was allowed without interpretation? He said after that there were several powerful messages given by people and he believed those were the interpretations though it was no presented that way. I’m not so sure I felt that when they were speaking. Yes the messages were very important but I felt they came already knowing what God wanted them to say. My husband did say he wondered why we didn’t hear each in our own language as in Acts 2. Till now we have just quietly respected one another. Now after 10 years we are asking the hard questions 🙂 I actually love to hear my husband pray in English or “tongues”… I trust his prayers. Some people I trust… some I wonder… But God is the judge of us all.
Hate to discourage you, but a new bookstore has opened about a25 minute drive from my house. Every two weeks they bring in two tractor trailers full of books, and they sell them all for one dollar, that’s $1.00 per book, regardless of whether it is hardback or paper back. One Wednesdays they give five free books to every senior citizen that comes in. I asked the Lord for a hard back copy of the ESV with notes, and, guess what? I found one, just one, on the shelves. I eagerly await the coming of your book.
Seriously, I think the day of the book is fast passing away. In its place we shall have kindles and Ipads, etc., and they will hold all 15,000 volumes that I have, plus the 2000 on the hard drive that my son got me. I envision the day, when one will hold a library of some 100,000-1,000,000 volumes with the means to transmit to a printer so one can down load a 100 pages from 100 commentaries on, say, John 3:16. We are in the process of being inundated by an avalanche, a deluge of knowledge, and, I dare say, there will come a a time not long off, where they will be able to put the computer in your brain or, rather, that is volumes. Imagine that. My first and only book was titled, A Dynamic Gospel For a Dynamic Age published by E.J. Daniels, the noted “Dean” of Southern Baptist Evangelists at one time by Billy Graham, Orlando, Fla.: Christ For the World Pubs., 1965. The royalty check was $75.00. So much for a future in publishing.
It’s on the desk, due to be reviewed for my site and the state Baptist paper.
However, the return of Bloom County to the comics has put a minor delay in my reading list.
Looking forward to it, Dave! Might even write a review for you. Maybe we could trade? 🙂
Dave is right about not making money off of book sales. I was published by a brick and mortar secular publisher who had never published an evangelical Christian book before. They do specialize in Southern studies and history and my editor lived through some of events I wrote about. He is an expert in the field, so when he was doing my fact checking and making suggestions, it was worth far more than I could pay. But, you have to sell thousands of books to make a real amount of money and I . . . have not.
As a matter of fact (and I am sure that Dave can concur), when you work on a book for several years, the main thing that you care about is people reading it and engaging the ideas. I have given so many books to pastors and leaders that whatever I have made has been eaten up in having to buy the books. But, it is worth it.
So, let’s do Dave a favor and buy his book, READ IT, and then get Dr. Mohler to give him credit for the whole triage idea. 🙂
No Amazon link to your book, Alan? 😉
Alan’s book is here.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_adv_b/?search-alias=stripbooks&field-keywords=%20&field-author=alan+cross&field-title=when+heaven+and+earth+collide&field-isbn=&sort=price&Adv-Srch-Books-Submit.x=37&Adv-Srch-Books-Submit.y=12&tag=buyused&afsrc=1
LOL
Alan, I apologize for Adam – he’s apparently feeling a little snarky lately. 😉
I’ve always suspected that Dr. Mohler gets all his ideas from me.
He plants a bug in all SBC pastor offices.
That’s one of the things your learn when indoctrinated into Southern’s secret ideology…
Congrats, Dave! I look forward to reading it.
I would like the 1,ooo,oooth copy signed & I will pay you double for it. Keep up the good work brother.