Peter was a fisherman. He had done it all his life, even when he was a disciple of John the Baptist. Then, one day, Jesus walked by. “Follow me, and I will make you a fisher of men.” And Peter followed him. He left the nets behind and followed Jesus for more than three years, throughout Galilee, to Jerusalem, to Gethsemane, and to the Sanhedrin. There, it all ended. “I swear to you, I never knew this man.” With those words, Peter denied the Lord he had sworn to serve. And even when the most glorious miracle of history occurred, even when Jesus was raised from the dead, even when … [Read more...] about It’s No Time to Go Fishing!
How to Prepare for Your 95th Birthday
Last night a handful of folks from church went to a nursing home to stage a little surprise birthday party for a woman who turns 95 this week. It was a simple affair with a small cake and the sounds of “Happy Birthday” filling the corridor as she was wheeled towards us. We hit the gentle crescendo right on cue as she saw our faces and put it all together. (And right before another resident told us to keep it down.) Then we all told her how much we appreciate her and gathered around to hear stories we’d all heard before, but still love to hear her tell. Some stories reached back to before the … [Read more...] about How to Prepare for Your 95th Birthday
Maybe I’m getting old…
But I agree with the sentiments in this picture. Andy Griffith was not just funny, it was hilarious. It was not just family-friendly, it was squeaky-clean (well, except for the moonshiners!). I am still convinced it was the best show that has ever graced the small screen (well, the black and white episodes before Barney left). The first season's Christmas episode is unquestioned brilliance. I remember an episode where a hard-driving businessman breaks down and can't get a part for his car. He is frustrated with Mayberry and its small-town ways. On Sunday afternoon, Andy and … [Read more...] about Maybe I’m getting old…
Jarrod Dyson, Rollie Fingers, And How We View the World
“That’s what speed do”. Jarrod Dyson is one of the fastest players in MLB. He was a 50th Round Pick. That’s around the time when baseball teams start picking the guy with a wooden leg who lost his real one in a freak combine accident. Guys that get picked this late do not make an influence in the game of baseball. Or at least they aren’t supposed to. But Jarrod Dyson is really fast. As a Royals fan I absolutely love watching Dyson play. It’s exciting to see him slap a ball to the shortstop and then watch the usually sure handed shortstop get a little jittery because he knows if he … [Read more...] about Jarrod Dyson, Rollie Fingers, And How We View the World
New Rules for Discussion at SBC Voices
Stole this from Eric Schumacher, who I am sure stole it from someone else! … [Read more...] about New Rules for Discussion at SBC Voices
Call Me Maybe–Something Nice
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
The Tip of the Calvinist/Traditionalist debate
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
When it is Right to Fight
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
Double Predestination and My Seat at the SBC Table
I just read an article from Ron Hale on SBC Today dealing with double predestination, called “John Calvin: In His Own Words.” It’s not a very focused article, moving from Calvin’s views on double predestination to an a priori assumption that this view is “monstrous,” to an affirmation of “A Statement of the Traditional Southern Baptist Understanding of God’s Plan of Salvation,” to a call to Southern Baptists to get out from “under the long shadow of a Catholic monk named Augustine.” My intention here is not to provide a point-by-point rebuttal to Hale’s article, though I am a proponent of … [Read more...] about Double Predestination and My Seat at the SBC Table
Lessons from the Bathtub
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