Dwight McKissic said something to me the other day that absolutely shocked me. He had called me about another matter, and but he told me something that really disturbed me. The podium at the SBC Annual Meeting last year was just like me - lily white! When he made his motion to make racism as serious an offense as homosexuality in the SBC bylaws, there was not a single person of color involved in making the decisions. He claimed that there was not a single black man on the stage during the entire convention. Here's the thing: I never noticed. It never occurred to me that the … [Read more...] about The SBC, Racism and the Future: My (Lily White) Brothers, We Can Do Better!
An Honor, a Privilege, an Enigma, and a Challenge
So the other day Pastor Dave here at SBCVoices emails me a username and password, and welcomes me as a Contributor to the site. I am, of course, honored and find it a great privilege. Yet there is something of an enigma to it all, like being given an honorary degree at a university I barely know. As I've mentioned before in comments on this site, I have only been a Southern Baptist for about four years. To put this in SBC terms, I can count on one hand the number of Annie Armstrong offerings I've given to...and still have a finger left over. Yet here I am, an SBC "Voice". It is ironic, … [Read more...] about An Honor, a Privilege, an Enigma, and a Challenge
What If?
I’m going to be straight up from the start: this post is as much (if not more) directed at me than at anyone else. I’m just the average Joe…or, um…Mike (hey, my first name was the most common boy’s name in America for years on end, only recently usurped—you can’t get much more “average” than that!). I have no fancy letters before or after my name and I pastor an average-sized church in a typical small town. There are days I wear a plastic smile, there are days I lay awake at night staring at the ceiling and wondering “is this worth it?”, and there are days I just want to take my dog and … [Read more...] about What If?
Can a Really Big Screen Hide a Really Big Problem?
A week or two ago, I stumbled across an article entitled We Are the JumboTron Generation and it got me to thinking. The post contends that how we watch sports live has changed, due in part to giant video boards and the media overload we experience at games now. The JumboTron is a staple of modern professional sports venues and even most of the major college venues as well. I am sure there are plenty of ritzy high schools that might have them too. The problem stems from the change that they have inspired in our culture. Before Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, the JumboTron encouraged … [Read more...] about Can a Really Big Screen Hide a Really Big Problem?
The Fire Department
In a not-too-distant country, there was a fire department. This department was made up of some volunteers, a few professionals, and few people that didn’t really understand what was going on. All of them, however, had come together because they could see the smoke of fires, feel the heat, and hear the screams of people in danger from the fires that were raging around them. None were compelled to be there, except the compulsion that compassion brought them. For a time, they fought the fires well together. Professional firefighters provided some guidance about the best ways to fight the fire, … [Read more...] about The Fire Department
If You Had Any Doubt about Rob Bell…
Read Denny Burk's latest post. He denies the gospel, abandons the biblical gospel, and unmasks himself. … [Read more...] about If You Had Any Doubt about Rob Bell…
“Pujols: More than the Game” A Review
I cheered for Brett Favre for a long time. I loved his grit, his competitive spirit and the joy he demonstrated as he played football. I even cheered for him as he retired and unretired fourteen times. But he made it difficult to cheer for him as stories of his boorish behavior in his year as the Jets quarterback came to light. Sexual harassment. Sexting. Brett Favre is evidently a hero with feet of clay. Baseball's 1998 was a year of glory. Not only did the Yankees win more games than any other team ever has, but the home run derby between Mark McGwire (my hero) and Sammy Sosa (not … [Read more...] about “Pujols: More than the Game” A Review
Mike Huckabee, Radical Islam & Slippery Slopes
"But, add feelings to the list of those things that are now subject to scrutiny by the Islamist lobby in this country. First actions (South Park). Then words (Franklin Graham). Now feelings (Juan Williams). But, where will it end, especially in regards to Islam? Your guess is as good as mine. If CAIR and NPR keep getting their way, most Americans — both conservatives and even a few liberals — may no longer be able to recognize the First Amendment. Remember, the slippery slope always starts somewhere!" (From "Slippery Slopes: Speech, Islam & NPR") We can now add common-sense, … [Read more...] about Mike Huckabee, Radical Islam & Slippery Slopes
Learning a Thing or Two from the New Perspective on Paul
There has been a push in recent years to rediscover the Jewish side of Paul. He was, after all, a Pharisee who trained under Gamaliel, and it turns out that if you start to see his writings from a rabbinic Hebrew mindset they begin to make a lot more sense. The traditional view on Paul has placed him in a sort of Greek philosophical box and this messes up our understanding of him more so than even his contemporaries dealt with at the time. This has led to a host of theological presumptions that are so widespread, they aren't even questioned. We never dream that the words of Peter could … [Read more...] about Learning a Thing or Two from the New Perspective on Paul
Storing Up Stones in Places of Grace
"I don't need this." "I don't want this." "I hate this." "What is this?" Where did this come from?" Why do I have this? "Whose is this?" "This hurts." "I remember this." "I didn't ask for this." "Where should I put . . . this?" One thing is for certain: there really is a lot of this. I grew up in a family that accepted transition as a stable state of being. If I begin on Texas Street -- the first house I really remember -- I can close my eyes, unfold the memory map, and wind my mind down the roads of yesterday through tiny towns and sprawling cities, spooky old houses to … [Read more...] about Storing Up Stones in Places of Grace