A few weeks ago, I had the flu. For sixteen years, I have faithfully received flu shots and every year they worked until this year. By best recollection, I hadn't had the flu in at least 20 years. It was miserable. I hated it. I had forgotten how much worse it is than a cold. Thankfully, I was diagnosed in the window to get an anti-viral medication that helped me get over the flu faster. In a week, I returned to life as normal. I say this, because in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have seen several people on social media make light of the situation. They talk about how many more people … [Read more...] about I had the flu, and compared to this coronavirus it’s… (or: a plea for wisdom and a defense of social distancing)
Social Issues
Book Recommendation: The Money Challenge
God designed us not to be hoarders, but conduits thorough which his generosity flows.[1] Generosity is part of the heart of Christianity. God overflows with generosity toward us through Jesus, as he replaces our debt of sin with the infinite wealth of his righteousness. As God is generous to us, so a heart moved by the love and grace of Jesus longs to be generous toward others. The problem is, many things often hinder us from being as generous as we want to be. If you feel like you struggle with finances or that your money controls your life more than you control it, then The Money … [Read more...] about Book Recommendation: The Money Challenge
Examining the Work of EC Chairman Mike Stone
What Makes for a “High Quality” Spouse
I saw a tweet the other day from some guy attempting to instruct women on what "high quality men" look for in a partner. His list can be narrowed down to fitting his definition of attractiveness and unblemished past. On the one hand, the things on his list weren't bad things. On the other hand, when they are used in a Pharisaical manner to impose a universal standard and to imply that those who don't measure up are "low quality," well, that's just wrong. To universalize his list is to exclude many who can, will, and have made wonderful spouses. Why does this matter so much? Well, being a … [Read more...] about What Makes for a “High Quality” Spouse
The SBC Deserves Better: Another Executive Committee Faceplant
The purpose and most basic task of the SBC's Executive Committee is "to act for the convention" between our Annual Meetings. Can we pause and think together about what that means – that the EC should act for the convention? There are multiple definitions of the word "for" but only one of those really makes sense in this case. The EC is supposed to work "on behalf of" Southern Baptist messengers when the convention is not in session. Can we make a basic assumption together? If the EC's duty is to work on behalf of the convention's messengers, doesn't it follow that it shouldn't act against … [Read more...] about The SBC Deserves Better: Another Executive Committee Faceplant
It’s Complicated: Hong Kong and the Church – Part 1 (Shawn Powers)
A Cry for Understanding The day started like any other. As I reviewed about a dozen messages sent me overnight, one message stood out, it was from Hong Kong. My friend wrote, If Jesus is good, why does he not just come and help Hong Kong right now? The private message, sent me through a China-based social media app known as Wechat, was from someone I know well. While living in China, I had worked with this person. I consider this person a friend, who I trust. I know this person to be a Christian. Upon reading the message, I knew my friend, who is normally cool under pressure, was … [Read more...] about It’s Complicated: Hong Kong and the Church – Part 1 (Shawn Powers)
Response to Released Paige Patterson Letter
On December 4th my local New Orleans Baptist Association of Churches (NOBA) published a response to a letter that has been publicly released 7 years after its original recipient received it. Whether or not you are inclined to think the recent leak was appropriate, the letter itself is a commentary on how many people have viewed our African American brothers and sisters over the years. As always, I am so thankful for an association of churches who will speak up for brothers and sisters who have been belittled, maligned or otherwise marginalized. It is a privilege to serve with and among … [Read more...] about Response to Released Paige Patterson Letter
The Credentials Committee: A Call for Patience (Susan Codone & Megan Lively)
The Southern Baptist Convention seems to have been frozen in time for a few decades, entrenched in doctrinal disagreements, ongoing concerns of sexual and spiritual abuse, and so focused on operational autonomy that renders it unable to police itself. For good reason, a small army has risen to protest the harm this torpor has generated. Their voices are both valid and valuable. There is a tipping point, though, at which genuine advocacy slips into routine outrage, especially regarding a large and lumbering religious system that has managed to ride by most cultural reforms on the backs … [Read more...] about The Credentials Committee: A Call for Patience (Susan Codone & Megan Lively)
Why Not You?
An organization in my state that does licensing and placements for foster care posted the following statistics recently on social media: In our state 14 out of every 100 children are in foster care The average stay of these children in foster homes is 700 days There are ~15,000 children in foster care and only 4700 licensed foster homes Like other foster parents, we have had a season with multiple placements in our home at the same time. We had two case workers, two different schedules, the kids went to school in two different towns, and we had two different plans to sort through. Even … [Read more...] about Why Not You?
Is Dealing with Abuse in the SBC a Distraction from Our Mission? (Casey Hough)
Within the Southern Baptist Convention, some have implied that the current focus on addressing abuse in our churches and entities is a distraction from our mission, which has historically been assumed to be evangelism and missions. However, to view efforts to deal with the sin of abuse in SBC churches and entities as a distraction from their mission is to misunderstand the relationship between mission and corporate holiness. Dealing with abuse in our churches and entities is more than just biblically warranted, it is divinely commanded and crucial for the fulfillment of our mission, which … [Read more...] about Is Dealing with Abuse in the SBC a Distraction from Our Mission? (Casey Hough)