Real Christians Of Genius

There’s a post over at LiquidChurch that might very well revolutionize your faith.  Give it a try.

[HT: John Frye]

Conduct Unbecoming?

There’s evidence out there that the blogosphere isn’t the only place where one can shoot off his or her mouth with relative impugnity.  It’s been reported that an outgoing trustee of the SBC’s IMB made a public statement about someone present being "full of bull."  He didn’t name any names.  Perhaps he was referring to the chairman of the board.  Who knows?  Apparently the interpretation of his words are up for grabs.

Now, gentle reader, I grew up in the Oklahoma City public school system.  My high school was the first in the state to install metal detectors at the doors.  And when we could no longer bring our guns and knives to school it was not unheard of for one to pull the tailpipe off of a car and beat his friend with it.  If you were an enemy you might get worse.  I say that to say that when someone says another is "full of bull"  I know what that word is that he left off of the end.  If I was confident that all who might read this had spent time in the U.S. Navy I might go ahead and spell it out for you.  But on the chance that ladies might be present - or that one might mistakenly wander by - I’ll leave that to the mystery of your imagination.  Besides, sometimes my mother reads my ramblings and she might not think too highly of her preacher-boy typing like that in public.

Now, lest you think that this kind of potty-mouthed behavior is acceptable in the trustee meeting of one of our fine Southern Baptist institutions, let me remind you that it wasn’t all that long ago that another one of those trustees was nearly kicked off the board for using the word "crusading" in public.  I know.  I know.  Cover the eyes of the children.  Such slanderous, libelous, gossiping is not fit for the eyes of minors. 

I think it’s about time someone shows up to the July meeting with 89 bars of soap.

[As you can tell by now, since the phrase "full of bull" has found such new acceptance I’m using it as often as possible, including my recent post on blogging.]

Are Christian Bloggers Full Of Bull?

The Atlanta Journal Constitution has an interesting article on the effects of blogs on the religious community.  They even reference blogging in the SBC.

     Denominational authorities don’t always respond kindly to public airings of the religious family’s "dirty laundry."

Trustees of the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission
Board initially sought to remove one of its members, Wade Burleson of
Enid, Okla., after he discussed board deliberations on his blog. But
other Southern Baptist bloggers were outraged and wouldn’t let the
controversy die.

In March, the board backed down, rescinding its request to remove
Burleson. But the board approved a rule barring trustees from publicly
criticizing actions of the missions agency.

"It is a controversy about the kind of practices and procedures that
will characterize Southern Baptist denominational actions in the
future," reads a blog from Tom Ascol, executive director of the
Founders Ministries, a Southern Baptist reform movement. "Will dissent
be squelched with a heavy hand? Will selected doctrinal concerns . . .
be elevated to points of importance such that those who disagree with
denominational power brokers are not allowed opportunities of service
in the SBC?"

Read the whole article here.

[HT: Marty Duren]

Immigras! Immigras!

Last July I posted some thoughts on a Christian view of immigration.  I was glad to see this article that recently appeared in Baptist Press by Erich Bridges.  I take the fact of Erich being on staff with the IMB as somewhat of a confirmation of what I was thinking then and am thinking now.

Also check out Terry Hall’s post on Augustine of Canterbury.  He gives some similar thoughts.

Criminal Defense

The Scriptures regularly hold us to a standard that is higher in goodness, more patient and more gracious than what we find in the every-day life of a fallen world.  But such high standards are difficult.  So difficult that we often pass them off as unrealistic and/or unattainable.  Even Christian leadership can be found succombing to that lie.

I grew up watching Perry Mason reruns.  Raymond Burr was the man.  He didn’t take crap from anyone and he could prove his case with conclusive evidence week after week.  The bad guys didn’t get off free and the good guys didn’t get stuck with a bad wrap.  Justice was served.

In the Christian community I would think that we would expect more than that - or at least nothing less than that.  If you’re going to charge someone with a crime come with the facts, lay it out in the open for everyone to see and let justice flow down like the rivers.  If justice isn’t what you’re after then justice should be replaced not with injustice, but with grace.  Someone has wronged you?  Forgive them.  Someone needs to repent?  Don’t drag it out in public until you’ve made private attempts at a resolution.  If that doesn’t work, take a couple of brothers or sisters with you.  If that doesn’t work take it before the congregation.  Let it all hang out.  When everyone knows the facts, if he still doesn’t repent then have nothing to do with him.  How many times do we follow this process?  Every time.  How many times should I forgive?  Seventy times seven.

In light of recent events I sent the following e-mail to outgoing IMB board chairman Tom Hatley and incoming chairman John Floyd.  I sent it Wednesday.  I’ve waited until today to post this as I was awaiting a reply of some sort.  So far none has come.

Read more

IMB Update 5 [again]

A blog friend who refused to be identified (let’s just say it was not Deep Throat) asked that I repost this post from last December.  It seems to have gained new relevance in the wake of Dr. Floyd’s election as chairman of the IMB Board of Trustees.

……………..

Dr. John Floyd
was the principle author of the new policies at the IMB. Dr. Floyd
responded to my e-mail and invited me to call him on the phone. We
spoke last week.

Dr. Floyd says that the baptism policy was
changed because the candidate consultants at the IMB had asked for
clarification on the baptism policy. What he failed to disclose was the
reason the consultants requested clarification. The reason for that
request was that the consultants were certifying candidates who were
later being rejected by a sub-committee of the trustee’s personnel
committee. The consultants asked the trustees what they were missing
and how they could prevent those candidates from getting to that point
in the process only to be rejected. The trustees came back with the
BF&M statement on baptism. Yet, there were still missionary
candidates who were being rejected by this sub-committee of the
trustees who had been approved by the candidate consultants. So, they
asked for further clarification. Thus was born the new policy.

Dr.
Floyd implied that the theology behind the new policy on baptism was
rooted in Acts 19:1-5 (though oddly they are not advocating the
practice of verse six - and have, in fact, created a second policy
clarification opposing the practice of verse six). He told me that
"some" understand the re-baptism of these disciples to have been on
doctrinal grounds. I told him that surely not everyone (or every
Southern Baptist) holds to that view, to which he agreed. I told him
that the genius behind cooperation among Baptists is that we can
disagree on things such as this particular interpretation and still
work together to reach the world for Christ. He said that if someone
had a problem with his interpretation that the problem was not with the
board, but with that individual. I told him that he is wrong - the
problem is, in fact, with the board who has rejected the individual. He
said that we simply disagree.

I sent him a follow-up e-mail
because I checked the Southern Baptist’s NAC commentary on Acts on this
passage. In it, the author states:

"They knew nothing of baptism in the name of Jesus….The real  deficiency of these twelve or so was not their baptism.  It was much more  serious
[emphasis mine]. They failed to recognize Jesus as the one whom John
had proclaimed, as the promised Messiah." (Polhill, NAC, vol. 26, p.
399).

Dr. Floyd responded by saying that Polhill does not
specifically disagree with his interpretation because he doesn’t even
address that issue. I copied that quote above in my response. How he
could have missed the point I do not know.

In the end he did ask
if he could pray for me. In his prayer he did ask the Lord for guidance
for the trustees if they need to revisit this matter.

So, there
you have it. We have elevated the interpretation of this trustee to
policy at the IMB (so far I can’t find any others who will even speak
to the biblical basis for this change, so with apologies, Dr. Floyd,
you seem to be on your own - at least publicly).

………………

My other posts on the IMB debacle fiasco lapse of sanity situation can be found here:

IMB Update, IMB Update 2, IMB Update 3, IMB Update 4

Kevin Bussey Sighting?

A former church member in Atoka sent me this picture.  I know Kevin Bussey is a big Alabama fan.  I know he’s helping in New Orleans right now, but could this be him on a recent fishing trip?

Bartering With The Prophetic

The New York Times has reported that Conservative Christians are ready to abandon the Republicans in the mid-term elections as a way of sending a message to them regarding their abandonment of the conservative social agenda.

The article lays out the position of James Dobson:  "He has also warned in private meetings with about a dozen of the top
Republicans in Washington that he may turn critic this fall unless the
party delivers on conservative goals."

In other words, James Dobson is selling his voice for votes.  If his social agenda is supported by Republicans he will voice his support for them.  If his social agenda is ignored by Republicans he will become a critic.  This is the way politics in America work.  And rather than being a prophetic voice when a prophetic voice may be needed, he will be quiet provided Republicans meet his conditions.

Even Balaam learned better than that.  This is what worries me about the mingling of politics and religion in America in the particular way that has been adopted among Evangelicals.  I believe the church should have a voice in the public realm and should use it.  But our commitments should not be to our political entanglements, but to faithfulness to the Spirit of God.

We empty our faith of content when we sell our prophetic voices for favors.  We also implicitly deny the true source of real transformation.

[HT: Arkansasrazorbaptist]

Redeeming The Ordinary

Dino has a really good post about encountering God’s presence and finding meaning in the everyday stuff of life.  Here’s a teaser:

Recently it dawned on me that what if looking for the next big thing is
not the most meaningful way to walk through life.  What if
attentiveness to the process and the mundaneness of ordinary life is
where we find meaning, beauty and spiritual vitality?

He ends it with a great quote from Teilhard de Chardin.  Check out the whole post here.

Bookshelf Reminder

There’s a book on my shelf that I’ve owned for about seventeen years now.  I bought it while I was in seminary.  I’ve read it once.  The topic of the book isn’t something that your average Baptist seminary student sits around contemplating or discussing and it wasn’t a required textbook for any class.

The book was On The Divine Images, by St. John of Damascus, a church father from the eighth century.  For all of you youngsters out there, there was a day before Al Gore invented the internet where you could get on your computer, dial up a local BBS (Bulletin Board Service) and join a discussion with pre-cyberspace travelers.  I was living in Dallas at the time and there was a BBS that had religious discussions going on.  Of course, since it was all dial-in it was also all local.

I got into an extended discussion with a gentleman who was Eastern Orthodox over the proper use of icons/images in worship.  He suggested I read the book.  So I went to an Orthodox church in Dallas (which was the only place the book could be found - sorry, no Amazon back then) and bought the book.  I read it and copiously underlined passages.  I wrote notes in the margin.  I formulated my refutations.  And I pounced.

Nothing quite like a snot-nosed seminary student to set your theology right, eh?

The reason I still have that book is not because I believe that I will one day face the issue of iconography in my local Baptist church.  Baptists are more into tacky "art" than much of anything that approaches the real thing.  No.  I kept that book as a reminder.

Sometimes I revert back to my "I’ve got God figured out better than you" mode and come out with guns a blazin’.  When I’m on my game I can reduce you to an ashen heap in short shrift.  But then I go back to my office, look on the bookshelf and remind myself that arrogance is not a spiritual gift.  Winning every argument doesn’t always have to be the priority.  Walking away with the blue ribbon pasted to my chest but with those who used to be my friends looking at me in scorn always ends badly.

Ole St. John of Damascus may not have converted me from my iconoclastic ways in those days, but he’s made something of a convert of me nonetheless.

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