SBC Issues

If two parties ever hope to address issues productively, they must first stop calling each other names. Generally, this means adopting your opponent's preferred title. In the Conservative Resurgence, the names "fundamentalist" and "liberal" became pejorative. Those who desired to engender a more cordial conversation opted for "conservative" and "moderate" instead. In the present debate, I am going to assume that the Calvinists do not mind being called Calvinists. If this is not the case, let me know. In the interest of both unity and cooperation, I am willing to consider any other … [Read more...] about Call Me Maybe–Something Nice

I have always believed that most issues come down to a core root or issue.  When you really start to cut things away and tear through the history, the baggage, the wording, the hurts and the fights, there is a point, a tip if you will that set the whole thing off.  As I was traveling this week too and from World Changers, I questioned, what is that point in the current debate?  There is so much overlap, and then some much fighting over what seems to be rhetoric, what is the splinter? Now, I have some presuppositions of my own, and most of you know them.  I have written about my concept of … [Read more...] about The Tip of the Calvinist/Traditionalist debate

I remain unalterably convinced that unity between Calvinists and non-Calvinists in the SBC is not only possible, it is the will of God. If we do not unite, we are dishonoring Christ who redeemed us and intended us to be one people.  Spiritual unity with other believers is not optional for Christians, it is essential – as essential as orthodoxy or orthopraxy in the church. But I have seen my views both twisted and demeaned by those who assume that the call for unity is the call to lax doctrinal standards or a sloppy Christian living, the kind of ecumenism I was warned about in my childhood – … [Read more...] about When it is Right to Fight

Or"Why the Maintenance Committee Won't Let Me Fix the Parsonage Anymore." On a recent weekend, my beloved wife and I spent the day rearranging furniture for the kids. The rearranging comes from having moved so often in previous years, and now we are trying to stay sane while living in the same place. So, we move stuff inside the same house. It's easier. We got done with the bedroom project and were ready to settle in for the evening. After all, a good Sunday starts with a decent Saturday night. Except I noticed a problem in the kids' bathroom. Their bathtub faucet was leaking. Not a … [Read more...] about Lessons from the Bathtub

People often ask me technical questions about the blog.  "Do you use an astrocambio degengalator to massaultify your bacrogoggles?"  In fact, I've had people get angry at me as if I was being intentionally unhelpful when they have asked questions and I have responded in ignorance. I am telling you the truth, here, when I say that I am likely the least technologically proficient blog editor ever. I know how to write. Sometimes, when the mood hits, I even edit what I write. I know how to post it and then publish it on a Wordpress format.  Beyond that, I'm pretty must lost. I've been … [Read more...] about Crucial Theological Discussion: Are Our Threaded Comments Messing with Your Mind?

We had some discussions on this a year ago - some real humdingers.  Here are some of the thoughts I had, revised from a previous post. In my previous church, the Sunday before the Fourth was generally a Red, White and Blue Celebration, which people greatly enjoyed. I tried to make sure, in my sermon, that Americans needed God, but that he did not need us, that neither America nor Americans had any special place in God's heart. He loved Ethiopians and Koreans and Brazilians - even Canadians! - as much as he loved us. Tomorrow, I have no plans to preach on anything related to Independence … [Read more...] about Principles of Patriotism and Christian Worship

I had one of "those" meetings recently. In one of our congregational confabs things got a little chippy.  One member basically insinuated that I had not been completely forthright in a previous meeting. It is never easy to have your integrity called out in front of your church family. And (no surprise) I thought the accusation was unfair. I believe I spoke the truth and it was infuriating to have my veracity called into question. At that point of personal insult, I had a choice. One option is easy - simply give in to the flesh and respond with the works of that flesh as defined in Galatians … [Read more...] about Division is Easy: Are Southern Baptists Lazy?

Having previously listed twenty reasons why I believed Southern Baptists would have been better off NOT giving our blessing to the use of an inwardly divisive and outwardly confusing descriptor, I must now concede the historical fact that, according to the will of 53% of voting messengers in New Orleans (or a total of 2,546 Southern Baptists) who decided to affirm this approach, whether we like it or not, churches and entities may now adopt, with the convention's approval, the optional replacement name "Great Commission Baptists" when referring to the Southern Baptist Convention. I realize … [Read more...] about Any Descriptor Sightings?

Chris Roberts blogs at "Seek the Holy." Whatever kind of Baptist you are, there is one thing I already know about you: you live in challenging days for the gospel. Not that there have ever been easy days for the gospel, but there have been periods in which people held a basic level of respect or basic degree of receptivity to the things of God. These days are not among them. Not only has society’s perception of Christianity change, society as a whole has undergone massive revolutions, changing every aspect of how we live and interact with one another. One consequence of these changing … [Read more...] about Sharing the Faith in the 21st Century (by Chris Roberts)