Bowling with the girls

Last night was a lot of fun. I had the night off and Tracy had to go to Kansas City with Kessed and so Grace and I along with her friend Ashtyn and Ashtyn’s dad, Jason, decided to go bowling. I wasn’t completely sure if a 2 year old could bowl but we decided to go anyway. It ended up being a blast! Grace and Ashtyn loved it! You can see some pictures of it here, and if all goes well I hope to have video online soon as well. I’ll tell you this, though. After a full day of riding the 4-wheeler, swinging on the swing set, going in to town to go bowling and then finishing up with dinner at McDonald’s I was absolutely worn out. My hat is once again off to stay at home moms. Women like Tracy are the most unbelivable people I know. There just isn’t that much energy in my body!

(re)NEW(ed)

I decided our old website was getting a little stale and so I redid it today since I had a day off. I liked the old format, but didn’t like how it looked. Let me know what you think!

sbc outpost: Thoughts on CP and X-Comm

Although I’ve already posted my support of the Cooperative Program, it should be noted that my faith is not blind faith. There are certainly some significant problems that should be addressed and dealt with. Marty Duren does an excellent job referring to these problems. Take a look particularly at the article he mentions in Ethics Daily. It’s good stuff!

Calling BCF Alumni

I called Kyle Luke at BCF today to get some info regarding the Alumni Luncheon at the convention. It’s going to be on Tuesday afternoon at 11:30am in the Carlisle Club. John S. and I are planning on being there. Who else is coming?

A CP conundrum?

Steve McCoy, over at Missional Baptist, has posed an interesting question about the value of the Cooperative Program (CP). The CP is a method whereby Southern Baptist’s pool their resources to fund missionary enterprise, as well as a few other minor funding organizations. Baptist Press reported about a recent press release from the Executvie Committee making specific recommendations about the future of the CP. In all this the question must be raised, is there still benefit in the CP?

I maintain that there still is enormous value in the CP. Is it infallible? No. Is it flawed? At times, yes. Is it still valuable? Absolutely. Remember back to why CP was started in the first place. Every Baptist entity was circulating through the churches trying to raise money individually. As a result the organizations with the best speakers, in the largest churches were raising the most support to the detriment of the other agencies. The CP was formulated to stop this problem and adequately fund our agencies. Let’s fast forward now and think about the result, so far. We finance the largest protestant missionary organization in the history of the world, the IMB. We significantly underwrite the theological education of our pastors, through the seminaries. We finance, in part, the work of some 5500 North American missionaries. We have a presence in Washington D.C. that the president (of the U.S.) listens to on an almost weekly basis, through the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. I maintain that none of this, at least on this level, would be possible apart from the CP. The CP is the single greatest administrative tool for the advancement of the gospel known to evangelical circles. Beyond that it is a tremendous picture of independent churches partnering together because we know that our pooled resources are more effective than our individual resources.

The final question that has been discussed is the statement that we should only allow pastors/laypeople to serve in SBC life if their church gives a minimum of 10% to the CP. While many dislike this opinion, and even see it as narrowing the parameters of cooperation, I personally think it only makes sense. If one wants to be a member in good standing of an organization it only makes reasonable sense that one would support that organization. How could I stand and extoll the virtues of something, and exhort you to be involved, when I support that entity on a surface level only? It’s only right that we encourage support of our denomination if you’re serving in leadership.

In conclusion, you can call me old fashioned (though I haven’t met many people who would call me old fashioned) but you can if you want, but I will still love, value and appreciate the Cooperative Program and I will attempt to support it, and encourage support for it as long as I’m in SBC life.

She must get it from her mom

She’s beautiful and intelligent, definitely motherly bi-products. Check it out here. (Caution to dial-up users, it’ll take you 30-45 minutes to download.)

Not what I expected

At the most recent Collegiate Conference at Southern Seminary, professors from SBTS dealt with the Emerging Church as well as Post-Modern spirituality. I’ll have to be honest to say that I approached the articles with great skepticism. Thankfully, however, I was pleasantly surprised. Take a look at this article about Dr. Lawless and his review of the Emerging Church, as well as this article about Dr. Whitney and his take on Post-modern spirituality. It’s good stuff!

An end to an era?

I’m reformed. It’s never been much of a secret, but it needs to be stated before I go on. In saying that I understand that there are certain presuppositions that many people try to place on me. It is my fervent hope to destroy many of those preconcieved ideas.

In light of this topic, however, I have read with much interest Tom Ascol’s first post regarding the nomination of Johnny Hunt for SBC presidency, and the follow up post that he also wrote. While his posts are outstanding, and more than worthy of your reading them, I want to focus on many of the comments made, particularly those made by Ergun Caner and his brother Emir Caner. Both brothers read the many comments expressed by the various reformed leaning bloggers and then enter in to a long, somewhat testy dialogue with the same bloggers. My thoughts about their posts fall into two categories, that I’ll outline below.

First, in some cases I agree with them. Many of you who are my reformed friends may take offense at that, but let me explain. If the phrase, “We have seen the enemy, and it is us” has ever applied before, it applies to reformed theologians. “Reformers” are some of the most difficult people that I ever had to deal with. I am often disgusted with our lack of reverence, respect and most importantly love, for other brothers and sisters in Christ when they disagree with us. We have become “clanging cymbals” (as Paul noted) far too often. Our lack of love disqualifies whatever good message we may or may not carry. The Caner brothers are right on in their observation that often times we try to write history to specifically honor our vein, or tradition. They have also rightly pointed out that far too often we work diligently at alienating anyone who doesn’t hold to a “pure” theology like we do than we do at preserving a faithful walk with Christ. We should listen to both Caner brothers, and listen well.

Having said that I must also say that their comments are most discouraging. While I would expect teenagers, or young Calvinists even to be immature, condescending, arrogant and unwilling to bend, I don’t expect that kind of behavior from leaders in our Southern Baptist educational tradition. Their comments are filled with all kinds of name calling and self-exalting language. They are quick to point out the pragmatic results of men like Johnny Hunt (i.e. number of baptisms) and quick to wave away the strong biblical tradition of reformed theology, both in the SBC and outside of the SBC. They spend too much time stereotyping those of a reformed nature without stopping to consider that many of us within that culture are highly evangelistic, very devoted to missions and passionate about people, and would say that our impetus for being so is often grounded in our reformed tradition, not in spite of it.

It is my hope that as Southern Baptists we can learn to value, and appreciate each other in spite of minor theological differences. When I say minor I mean areas where there is enough biblical ambiguity that there is no clear scriptural precedent and we may have significant disagreement within the evangelical community. We need to learn to love and partner with each other, not ridicule and tear each other down.

I sincerely, passionately, want the SBC to continue to succeed as an amazing picture of biblical and doctrinal integrity while partnering together for tremendous evangelistic response. I am afraid, however, that the SBC is heading for a tremendous collision that may result in the dismantling of the SBC that I have grown up with and learned to love. If we continue to appear to “hate” each other, and each other’s doctrines, we will continue to dig away at the foundation of baptist culture. In all reality this is what we’re fighting for as we prepare for Greensboro. This is far bigger than Wade Burleson, the IMB and even our convention. This speaks to our ability to work together, as Christian brothers and sisters, for the good of the Gospel and the growth of God’s kingdom.

God help us as we move forward together (hopefully).