I feel a lot of sadness tonight, and a little joy. You may not know this, but I am a fan of the New York Yankees. I don’t make a big deal about it, so most people don’t even know that I’m a fan of the Bronx Bombers. It is a sad day for Yankee fans. One of our greatest pitchers has hung up his glove. Brian Cashman announced today that Andy Pettitte will not be pitching for the Pinstripes in 2011. That made me feel sad. I spent 18 years passionately cheering for a team that never seemed to get it done. After our stirring win in 1978, we lost a heartbreaker to the evil Dodgers in 1981, … [Read more...] about Thank You, Andy Pettitte
Thomas White on “The Group at Westboro”
Thomas White has written an excellent essay called "The Group at Westboro." He has given me permission to copy it here. His blog (Thomas White) is worth reading regularly. He is a professor at Southwestern Seminary. That group has never claimed to be Southern Baptist, but by having Baptist as a part of their designation, they paint all of us with their shame. Dr. White has written powerfully to show that this group is neither Baptist nor a church. Here is Dr. White's article. The Group at Westboro If I told you that I was a bird, you might have your doubts. After all, I don’t look … [Read more...] about Thomas White on “The Group at Westboro”
Being Southern Baptist in a Northern Latitude and Attitude
I grew up in the south, where there was a Southern Baptist church on seemingly every corner. I was raised in an SBC church that was a scant 1/4 mile from our house. We were part of an association that spanned a couple of counties and included dozens of churches plus our own associational church camp. I grew up in that SBC church and when I entered college I was active in BSU (I think it is called BCM now) and surrendered to the ministry and began to serve in various SBC churches. I was part of a small rural church (less than 50 members) and I was part of a large mega-church and that was … [Read more...] about Being Southern Baptist in a Northern Latitude and Attitude
Does the GCR Stand a Ghost of a Chance?
Before I begin, let me say I am in support of the Great Commission Resurgence. I think it’s a great thing, and we need to focus our ideas, resources and tool on reaching out. I have already posted on the things I think will hinder the SBC from really seeing a movement of God from the GCR, and I don’t want to hash that out again. What I want to look at is simple. Does the Great Commission Resurgence have a chance to really move the SBC forward in outreach, or is it just great propaganda? Here are some things I would like to discuss and toss around. If the SBC is a bottom up … [Read more...] about Does the GCR Stand a Ghost of a Chance?
Brick Wall Questions: Are “They” Real Christians?
When people consider the concept of the Brick Wall, questions arise as they attempt to identify which groups are inside the brick wall and which are on the outside looking in. The rubric I am using divides everyone into two groups – genuine Christian groups and those that have compromised the gospel. There are always a few groups that seem to defy easy placement, testing the limits of doctrinal compromise. Any metaphor, such as the one I am using here, has its limits. Many of these groups defy easy categorization. Privacy Fence Doctrine? I do not want to get too cute with the … [Read more...] about Brick Wall Questions: Are “They” Real Christians?
2010: A Grace Odyssey
I will always be one who looks back. Out of my past, with all its levels of conjured contentedness concealed between cushions of deceit, I draw my emotion. In the losses, I find my determination. In the pain, I uncover energy to search for the truth of healing. In the regret, I discover grace. Out of the stupidity of ill-conceived actions and words, I hunger for wisdom. In the layers of the past, I see the unfolding of the future. On some days, it is as if I am still there; on others it is as if I never was. Such is an Odyssey of Grace, a clumsy reconciling of sin and shame with healing and … [Read more...] about 2010: A Grace Odyssey
How Does It Work?
Have you ever noticed how many ideas in the Christian faith seem more hypothetical than concrete? Things like “fall into the arms of grace” or “just give it to God”. What do those look like really? Are they things that have meat to them, or are they just things we say and have no idea what they really mean? How do you fall into grace, or give something in-material to a spiritual being? There are lots of things that we say are hard to define and pin down, but I think it’s symptomatic of a larger issue. We have tried for two thousand years to define Salvation, but I am not sure we … [Read more...] about How Does It Work?
What is a Southern Baptist Church?
Dave Miller has posed this question, and the answers we’ve seen and given range from tragic to comic to, well, just this side of ridiculous. This is a challenging question. In recent years, there’s been an apparent shift to a post-denominational world in American Christianity, with many of the fastest growing churches either being non-denominational or being the head church of a new denomination. Then there’s the age-old argument that Southern Baptists aren’t a denomination at all, but that’s another argument. If solved in the comments, great, but if not, we’ll table that for another … [Read more...] about What is a Southern Baptist Church?
Brick Walls, Picket Fences (6): Brick Wall Doctrine – Jesus, the Gospel, the Second Coming
This is the sixth in an ongoing series of posts exploring how we can balance the demands of unity in the Body of Christ with the need for doctrinal accountability and discernment. In the first post, I introduced the topic. In the second post, I identified the four levels of biblical truth and the appropriate unity response at each level. In the third post, I introduced "Brick Wall Doctrine" - truths that are essential to the gospel and cannot be compromised in the church. In the fourth post, I started listing what I believe are Brick Wall truths, beginning with the perfection of … [Read more...] about Brick Walls, Picket Fences (6): Brick Wall Doctrine – Jesus, the Gospel, the Second Coming
What Is a Southern Baptist?
You tell me. There are really two questions here: 1) What is a Southern Baptist? 2) What is a Southern Baptist church? The answer to the first question can be pretty simple - a Southern Baptist is someone who is a member of a Southern Baptist church (whether they identify themselves as such or not.) We don't have a membership outside of the local church membership. But what is the sine qua non of Southern Baptist identity? What makes a church truly a Southern Baptist church? I usually write my opinion then let you interact with that. I'm going to make this more of an … [Read more...] about What Is a Southern Baptist?