In times past, I have regaled you readers of SBCVoices with tales of the woods and the lovely woodland creatures. Well, and then how I took the lovely woodland creatures and turned them into dinner, but they are lovely on the plate as well. In fact, the only thing that leans me toward a post-millennial view are Genesis 9:3 and Acts 10:13. That God has progressed the world from the vegetarian garden to our modern bacon cheeseburger days is the only sign of sustained progress I can find. I have decided, however, to give up deer hunting. On average, I get 40 pounds of usable meat from a … [Read more...] about Starving Buffalo Hunters
Reflections and Ruminations on the SBC and Her Future: Part 1 – IMB Tongues Policy (by Wm Dwight McKissic, Sr)
REFLECTIONS AND RUMINATIONS ON THE SBC AND HER FUTURE BY WILLIAM DWIGHT MCKISSIC, SR. PART I Revisiting the IMB Tongues Policies: A Response to a Reasonable and Respectful Request The SBC is a branch of the Kingdom of God that He has used mightily in days past and gone, and is still using, to advance His Kingdom and to bring Him glory. It is quite apparent though, to anyone remotely observing, that the SBC light is not shining quite as bright as it once did. If the SBC is to return to her former glory and surpass it, there must be some major shifts and adjustments made, and commitments to … [Read more...] about Reflections and Ruminations on the SBC and Her Future: Part 1 – IMB Tongues Policy (by Wm Dwight McKissic, Sr)
WHAT WOULD YOU DO? PART TWO (by CB Scott)
It is Saturday morning. You are sitting on the back deck of your home. You are drinking coffee, strong and black. You normally drink a lot of coffee because you like it. However, you have been drinking much more of it for the last three days. One reason is because you are not very hungry so you are drinking coffee just so you will not be sitting at the table with your family staring off into another world as they try to eat their meals. However, you have noticed that your wife and teenage children are not eating much either. In addition, the normal table talk that takes place during meal times … [Read more...] about WHAT WOULD YOU DO? PART TWO (by CB Scott)
So, You Want to Be a Blogger…
Strange things are happening for bloggers in the SBC. It was not long ago we were institutional pariahs viewed with horror and antipathy by the leaders of the SBC; regularly and roundly blasted by them. It was not unusual to sit at the SBC and hear pot-shots taken at us by people who claimed not to read anything we wrote, recommended that we be ignored, but still took the time to train their guns on us. It wasn't that long ago. Things have changed now. Both VPs of the SBC are bloggers. Entity heads are building bridges with us instead of seeking to burn them down. One of the must-read … [Read more...] about So, You Want to Be a Blogger…
A Hermeneutic of Story
For an upcoming seminar I am taking, the professor wrote in the syllabus that we should be ready on the first day to answer the question, “What is your hermeneutic.” The book he has us reading in preparation for this discussion is Kevin Vanhoozer’s The Drama of Doctrine (which I’ve mentioned in a previous post). At its core, Vanhoozer proposes what he calls a canonical-linguistic approach. With this, he critiques a postmodern tendency to place the authority of interpretation into the hands of a reader’s tradition and instead places the authority back onto God via his communicated word. … [Read more...] about A Hermeneutic of Story
An Idea for Baltimore 2014
Our esteemed and honored 1st VP suggested something on Facebook, and in the space of about 3 minutes, we have the core of a plan. However, its an idea that would require some pre-planning and organization, so I thought I'd float it and see what the folks at Voices thought of the idea. The SBC is in Baltimore next year. Baltimore is near Washington DC. I'm guessing most of you are aware that Washington DC is where the President and Congress work? I went over that for the sake of our SEC fans. Anyway, we were thinking of gathering in Washington DC, perhaps on Saturday before the … [Read more...] about An Idea for Baltimore 2014
Quick Tips for Writing Effective Blog Titles
You clicked here because of the title. If you are a blogger hopefully you know by now that one of the most important things you do as an author is craft a catchy title. To create an effective title you need one that predicts the content, promises reward for reading it, perks interest,paces the article, and promotes it to search engines and social media. Here is what I mean: Don’t put ‘Super Bowl’ in your title just because the game is on. Especially if your article is about the French Revolution. The title needs to predict the content. Put words like How, Quick, Why, What, etc. in … [Read more...] about Quick Tips for Writing Effective Blog Titles
When Harsh Words Are God’s Will
"You never met a fence you didn't straddle." Those were the words of a "frenemy" - someone I enjoy interacting with in the real world, but usually cross swords with online. We were discussing the Gospel Project breakfast in Houston and the interesting discussion between Ed Stetzer, Eric Hankins, Trevin Wax and Jonathan Akin. Akin articulated a hardcore "Christ-centered" hermeneutic. Eric Hankins advocated a hermeneutic that was more grammatical-historical and emphasized authorial intent more strongly. Trevin seemed, to me at least, to fall in between the two in his approach. I told this … [Read more...] about When Harsh Words Are God’s Will
Daily Wrongs and Consistent Forgiveness
For those who are familiar with my writing, this will come as no surprise: personal stories that examine the point of encounter between life and theology fascinate me. However, I do not "out" people, spewing their private struggles across the internet for all to see. Personal stories inspire my thoughts and drive my writing, yet I am not writing about any one person. If you see yourself or someone you know in my reflections, it is only because I'm referencing experiences that are far more common than any of us realize. Jeffrey is a Christian. He reads his Bible. He lives as a … [Read more...] about Daily Wrongs and Consistent Forgiveness
“HIS MOUTH IS MOST SWEET” Song of Solomon 5:16 (by Randall Cofield)
“His mouth is most sweet….” Who may measure the sweetness which flows from the mouth of our dear Savior?! What a boundless metaphor of the beauty and distinguishing character of Him who is Altogether Lovely! He opens His mouth and endless rivers of salvation, comfort, and assurance pour forth in resplendent beauty. He but speaks and the winds and waves of this life’s trials obey His omnipotent voice. He whispers sweet words of peace and our troubled souls are afforded refuge in the midst of storms. Indeed, the words of his mouth are most sweet! Consider the posit of ancient Job, who … [Read more...] about “HIS MOUTH IS MOST SWEET” Song of Solomon 5:16 (by Randall Cofield)