Creek Week …
June 28, 2004
This week we’re off to camp with our young people. Blogging will be nil unless I get the hook up from my IT friend. Should we get a connection, we will give some updates from the Creek.
Being …
June 26, 2004
Great thought from the late Henri Nouwen on being …
Of Being and Doing
Henri J. M. Nouwen
Being is more important than doing, the heart is more important than the mind, and doing things together is more important than doing things alone.
If you like this thought, you may want to check out the Daily Dig.
Busy …
June 24, 2004
Several big projects are taking time from blogging. Posting will be light for a few weeks.
Thank you …
June 23, 2004
Sunday evening brought a surprise. About ten years ago on this past Sunday, Snow Hill Baptist Church invited us, out family, to come and for me to pastor the church. We were blessed by the expresssions of love and appreciation. We look forward to many more years ahead as we follow Jesus here on The Hill.
Missionary Community …
June 17, 2004
I found this quote thought-provoking,
Jesus selected and prepared the company of twelve disciples as the prefiguration of the people of God, the continuation and extension of Israel as God’s witness to the nations. The resurrected Lord encountered his confused disciples in Galilee and continued their formation into a “missionary community,” a “sent out people,” whose apostolic ministry would become possible when the Spirit came upon them, when the promised Paraclete entered into their midst. Their transition from discipleship to apostolate was Jesus’ intention in his formation of the church as the community which was “to prolong the logic of his own ministry in an imaginative and creative way amid historical circumstances that were in many respects new and different.” This strong sense of Jesus’ preparation of the early church for its mission pervades all four Gospels. It is clearly stated in the earliest Gospel when Jesus calls the twelve, “whom he also name apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the messgae, and to have authority to cast out demons” (Mark 3:13-14). It is the dominanat theme of the latest Gospel: “As the Father hath sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21; “sending” = “mission”). (The Continuing Conversion of the Church, Guder, p.50)
Thoughts from across the pond …
June 17, 2004
I met Andrew Jones online and on the phone. We have mutual friends. He has a good post on the whole SBC-BWA thing from the perspective of someone across the pond - as Andrew lives in London.
I liked a quote from Andrew, used in a paper written by another friend ,so much I use it on my blog.
Take a read - you will find his other posts refreshing as well.
How consistent will be be with this and to what loss …
June 16, 2004
Can’t leave this one alone, just yet. The Daily Oklahoman carried an article about the recent SBC vote on its relationship with the BWA.
“The time has come that the BWA is going in a separate direction,” Jordan said. “Southern Baptists are going to continue their commitment to missions and evangelism and continue to partner with other like-minded Baptists.”
What other direction is the BWA going? What is meant exactly by a “leftward drift”? Who is drifting? Is it the entire Alliance or could it be a few members who now characterize the entire group as “liberal” and possessing a different agenda?
We do not mind partnering with others who don’t always think like we do. Take a look at our investment partners - the retirement program of the SBC cannot possibly solely invest in companies who hold our particular moral bent. We don’t invest in the big sin stocks - tobacco and alcohol and Walt Disney. But, a careful analysis would reveal companies whose buisness practices are sometimes inconsistent with our values.
How hard have we looked into investing in companies that offer benefits to same-sex partners? How hard have we looked into investing in companies that take advantage of third world labor markets keeping the poor poorer? How hard have we looked into companies led by those who share strikingly different worldviews than our own?
I don’t know the answer. I don’t necessarily suggest we explore these investment questions. I simply wonder in public (blog) how we maintain a consistency that suggests we cannot partner with the BWA because they are going a different direction but we maintain finacial relationships via our investments in companies that do not always hold our values.
Rick Warren will be speaking at the BWA Centenary Celebration in Birmingham, England. He suggests an ability to partner with any group sharing the gospel of Jesus, the Christ. Eveidently the pastor of the largest Baptist church in the world views his relationship with the BWA as worthy of his support. So on missional/evangelistic grounds did we do the right thing?
How can we be consistent?
It’s done …
June 15, 2004
What happens when you marginalize by categorizing so that your numbers of participants reflect your narrow pedagogy? You may portend to speak for much larger numbers but cannot get them to participate out of fear of being labeled by thoughtful dissent. Certainly the criticism will arise, “why did you not go, vote your conscience, speak your mind.” Point taken. Spend time with those who lead in those circles and you will find your answer.
So, what happens? We vote to disconnect from the organization we helped to found because in the end a few of the over 110 million Baptists represented by the BWA made comments, protested and otherwise condescended. They do not reflect the leadership of the BWA nor do they represent the majority. Rather, they become the objectified in the debate so that we mask our disgust over the admission of our adversary - the CBF.
What happened to Jesus’ words, “love your enemies.” Maybe we have misunderstood. Maybe we are to love our enemies who are outside the Kingdom but it is certainly within bounds to hate/hold contempt for our brothers in the Kingdom when they fail to agree with our pedagogy.
I’ll opt to support the BWA and the SBC. I will love them both. I may dissent but will support and love.
Beauty …
June 15, 2004
Jen Lemen posted this painting on her blog … outstanding.
Sun. Moon and Stars by Kate Bedell
Loving enemies …
June 14, 2004
Wonder if it is good timing to consider loving our enemies? Last week we witnessed the celebration of a great President. One of his chief accomplishments, according to some, came in the instilling of national pride - people loved to be American again. We spend eight years with a not so great President and we wonder if we are glad to be represented to the world at all. What will make the kind of differences Reagan made with his statement, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
How about love? I heard Jack Caputo describe Jesus as “The Deconstructor.” One of the places to which he referred were Jesus’ statements beginning ,”You have heard it said … but I say to you.” Herein, Jesus “deconstructs” conventional wisdom, popular philosophy and reveals the Kingdom way. A restructuring/reconstruction/reformulation of what it is to be fully human as God intends - we will love the way God loves.
What serves as the most prominent display of this love? Surely we intially consider the death of Jesus, the Christ. Could it be the motivation of love for his enemies drove God to offer his Son? Jesus said, “love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you in order that you may be the sons of your Father in heaven.”
Could it be the most telling way to demonstrate godly love would come in our love for our enemies? Not tolerance. Not niceness. Not avoidance. Not neglect. But, love.
How would this fit for the follower of Jesus, the Christ when it comes to our national enemies, personal enemies, corporate enemies, relational enemies, denominational enemies (can we really say this?)?
We would be complete, whole, perfect were we to love our enemies. Wouldn’t we?
