But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. And he said to them, "Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men…I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them." (Acts 5:34-35, 38b, ESV) Not every aspect of Gamaliel's counsel is applicable in the concept of a just blog-war. I have provided his quote in order simply to … [Read more...] about Just Blog-War Theory: We Believe in the Holy Spirit
An Irreverent look at our pastor search process: part 2 (by William Thornton)
William Thornton is the SBC Plodder The second of two parts on the perpetually discussed topic of pastor/staff search committees. You can't trust the committee and they can't trust you Let's see. A pastor/staff or prospective pastor/staff is a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ, called into a lifetime of vocational Christian service, willing to follow Him wherever He calls. And a church search committee is presumably a group of highly dedicated Christians who are active in their local congregation giving generously of their time and money to worship and serve Christ. Right? You … [Read more...] about An Irreverent look at our pastor search process: part 2 (by William Thornton)
Does Your Anchor Hold within the Veil (by Ken Hamrick)
Heb. 6:19, "This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil..." (NKJV) Col. 1:27, "To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." (NKJV) 1 Cor. 6:19, "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?" (NKJV)To hear that someone we thought of as a brother in the Lord---a pastor, a teacher of sound doctrine and a contender for the faith---has now … [Read more...] about Does Your Anchor Hold within the Veil (by Ken Hamrick)
Toward a Just Blog War Theory
There is blogging, and then there is war-blogging. Can the latter ever be appropriate? Is there a context and a manner in which war-blogging can be done Christianly, or have we met here with a contradiction in terms? A definition might be in order: I'll define war-blogging as blogging which transpires with the zealous aim to force specific parties or points of view to yield. Permit me to highlight what I think are some significant words in that definition: zealousIt is not war-blogging if you are not blogging with zeal. If it matters little to you and you are prepared to step away from … [Read more...] about Toward a Just Blog War Theory
Will White Christians Hear and Stand with Our Black Brothers?
In my previous article I asked a pointed question: when it comes to tragedies in the African-American communities, will we weep with those who weep? I want to go a bit further in this post. This is an intensely difficult piece for me to write. I am not African-American and will never fully understand what it means to be black in America. But I truly believe that a desire for unity in the body of Christ should compel us to seek to listen to the experiences of our African-American brothers. We must seek to understand their concerns, and find common ground from which we as fellow believers can … [Read more...] about Will White Christians Hear and Stand with Our Black Brothers?
An irreverent look at our pastor search process, Part 1 (By William Thornton)
William Thornton is the SBC Plodder. I had a guy in one of my churches who was a sausage maker and I made a pastoral visit to him while he was hard at work. There they sat, pans and pans of blood, guts, and porcine body parts I had never seen and didn't recognize. I don't recall eating his sausage. I'll have the sausage in the nice, tidy package, thank you. Our SBC pastor/staff search process is like making sausage. It's often ugly, some would say inherently ugly. While I could live without eating my member's sausage, most pastors and staff cannot stay in the pastoral ministry without … [Read more...] about An irreverent look at our pastor search process, Part 1 (By William Thornton)
Why do they weep alone?
“Weep with those who weep” – Romans 12:15 We evangelicals love social media and we loves causes. We use social media to raise awareness, stand in solidarity, comfort the grieving, and call others to prayer. In recent days, the evangelical blogosphere has taken up the cause of Iraqi children on the other side of the globe, the plight of refugees at the Mexican border, and the victims of mental illness who have taken their own lives. When it comes to another equally significant tragedy, however, we hear nothing. A deafening silence. A national news story, an unarmed young black man has been … [Read more...] about Why do they weep alone?
President Obama, Iraq, and the Christian Response (by Adam Blosser)
Adam Blosser is the pastor of Drakes Branch Baptist Church, in Drakes Branch, Virginia, and blogs at One True Joy. My heart is heavy this morning as I consider the current situation in Iraq. It is a mess no matter which way you slice it. It really doesn't matter whether you supported President George W. Bush's initial action to invade Iraq. It really doesn't matter if you supported President Obama's decision to withdraw troops from Iraq. This is a mess, and the United States is right to act. I often find myself torn in situations like this. I do not like that America has often taken … [Read more...] about President Obama, Iraq, and the Christian Response (by Adam Blosser)
Who Owns My Children’s Bodies?
At the heart of the abortion debate and the Hobby Lobby contraception debate lies the follow concept: body ownership. Other factors weigh into the discussion, but the question of "What right have you to tell me what to do with my body?" pops up with great frequency. Since all adults once filled elementary schools as children, we could reasonably pose a clarifying question: "Has it always been your body?" An article on CNN.com from 2012 answers that question unequivocally: the child owns her body. I've read it several times, and thought about how I am raising my own children. I've wondered … [Read more...] about Who Owns My Children’s Bodies?
Why Pastors should pursue an MBA instead of DMin
Why Pastors should pursue an MBA instead of DMin This article is not for everyone and I am sure many will disagree with my statement. Not everyone is cut out to pursue additional degrees after the MDiv. But if one is considering pursuing a DMin, I am addressing this article to you. I am starting my second semester pursuing my MBA (completed 11 hours so far). I have earned my MDiv with Biblical Languages from SWBTS in 2001 and have completed 13 hours toward my DMin at Beeson Divinity School. Since 2001, I have pastored a total of 3 churches. I am pursuing my MBA at Kennesaw State … [Read more...] about Why Pastors should pursue an MBA instead of DMin