Archive for January, 2006
Weekly Poll…
January 21st, 2006 | 1 Comment | Posted in » Site News...
I thought it would be interesting to do some totally non-scientific polling here on the site, so I found a plugin that provides that functionality (courtesy of Andrew Sutherland).
As with the site activity plugin, this may cause some site problems. Let me know if things don’t look right (comment here or e-mail me from the link in the left sidebar).
I’ll try to have the polls start each Saturday, and end on Friday (no promises though), and I will post results afterwards in blog entries.
Site Activity Plugin
January 21st, 2006 | Comments Off | Posted in » Site News...
Note: I added a “site activity” plugin to the blog last night. You should see this above the calendar in the left sidebar. It lists the last six posts commented upon, total comments on each post, and who commented (with links to all of the above). Commenter names are shaded differently according to how old the comment is (brighter is newer). The comment plugin is publicly available for WordPress blogs, and comes courtesy of Brien Meidell.
If things don’t look right as you’re viewing the blog, please let me know (comment here or e-mail me from the link in the left sidebar)! It looks right on my PC, but I’m not an expert in stylesheets by any means, so I may have messed something up that makes the layout look odd on other systems.
Don’t “Major in the Minors”…
January 20th, 2006 | 3 Comments | Posted in » Baptist Issues, Devotions / Bible Studies
Most mornings, as I drive to work, I listen to radio broadcasts of sermons by Pastor Bob Coy (of Calvary Chapel, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida), on his radio program “The Active Word”. He’s a very entertaining preacher, Biblically sound, and has an awesome testimony. Anyway, his messages almost always touch my heart somehow.
This morning’s sermon seemed particularly appropriate given the state of things in the SBC right now. It was on fellowship, (entitled “How to Fellowship”), and emphasized our need for unity as Christians, even when we don’t agree on core issues of Christianity. One phrase from the sermon really stuck out… “major in the minors”… basically, letting little details become big problems.
While every word of the Bible is significant, it is critically important that we do not “major in the minors”… that we do not let differing opinions on non-central matters of the Christian faith ruin our fellowship and our ability to cooperate. We Baptists MUST keep this in mind in our current turmoil.
You can find a link to the audio sermon listed here.
More from Wade…
January 20th, 2006 | Comments Off | Posted in » Baptist Issues
Wade Burleson has posted some more on IMB issues and the movement to remove his as a trustee on his blog. The concerns he posts (“issues that need to be addressed”) are particularly alarming to me.
Anyway, I am constantly amazed at how he is handling this difficult situation (what an example for all of us!), and appreciate ths insight his blog gives us into IMB matters.
Keep Wade and this situation in your prayers!
Direction…
January 19th, 2006 | 1 Comment | Posted in » Baptist Issues, My Life / Family, Prayer Requests
Turmoil seems to be growing throughout the SBC, brought to a head by the IMB baptismal requirements / tongues issue and the subsequent movement to remove Wade Burleson as a trustee. Discussion regarding the future of the SBC is going on all throughout the SBC blogosphere, and the upcoming annual meeting in Greensboro seems to grow ever more important.
On the personal side, I even find a bit of turmoil in my own life, with several decisions to make in the near future.
It’s enough that I find myself almost overwhelmed with burden regarding direction.
So today… a prayer:
Father God,
Sometimes life brings so much unrest… so much uncertainty… so much turmoil. Recently, I find myself burdened by these kinds of things. There is unrest throughout the SBC… unrest amongst young Baptist leaders… uncertainty as to the future of our convention… concern over the future of our missions efforts… concern regarding turmoil at our upcoming convention… and yes, even decisions in my own life that seem a bit difficult.
Lord… I praise you because you truly are an awesome God… our all-powerful, ever-loving Father, to whom no detail escapes. You, Lord, are aware of everything that ever has and ever will happen, and you are sovereign over all. Lord, I know without a shadow of doubt that your will shall be done in all of these matters of burden, and I thank you for the peace that knowledge brings.
Father, you know that there are many decisions that must be made, not just by me, but by Baptists everywhere. Your direction is desperately needed, and I pray that you’ll provide that to everyone who seeks you. More than that, Lord, I pray that you’ll burden everyone with decisions to make, specifically in regard to SBC events, with a burning desire to seek you first… with an ever-present conviction that they need your wisdom… and that every one of those individuals will follow through with prayer, listening carefully to hear your voice.
Lord, let us all seek you first in everything we do. Give us wisdom and discernment regarding our course of action, and give us strength and courage to follow your lead.
In Christ’s name I pray…
Amen.
Won’t you join me in prayer for direction today?
A Take on the Future of the SBC
January 16th, 2006 | 1 Comment | Posted in » Baptist Issues
Steve McCoy has posted an open letter to SBC seminary students over at reformissionary. It’s a very well-written letter, encouraging seminary students that they are the future of our denomination, and that they have the opportunity to move us forward in redeeming culture and make a huge difference in this world through missions, if they can just lead us away from the path of legalism down which we seem to be going.
Now, I’m not a seminary student, but his message certainly hit home with me. I’m not certain that I agree with him 100% (I’m not quite sure what to think of the emergent movement to which he seems vaguely to allude), but I certainly appreciate and echo his heart’s desire to ensure that future of our convention shines bright and impacts the world for God’s kingdom in a mighty manner.
The Importance of Cooperation
January 16th, 2006 | Comments Off | Posted in » Baptist Issues
Marty Duren over at sbcoutpost has written an interesting article giving his take on the importance of Baptist cooperation, citing the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message as the document that describes the doctrinal beliefs that unite us.
It’s a well written article, basically emphasizing the need for unity above doctrinal purity and agreement in all matters (specifically matters not clear-cut in scripture). Whether you agree with him 100% or not, hear his heart and heed the message. Our witness as Southern Baptists is not faring well in the midst of our turmoil… demonstrating to the world that we actually can get along (even when we disagree) would certainly be a good start in repairing things.
Keep our convention, leaders, churches, members, and missionaries in your prayers. It seems our denomination is headed toward a crossroads in Greensboro… we all need to be seeking God’s will in regard to both the direction we take our convention and the manner we choose to drive it!