Associated Baptist Press
May 1, 2008 (8-46)
IN THIS ISSUE:
Congressional Black Caucus honors Georgetown College
CBF partnering with churches in Spanish-speaking Caribbean
Tiny New York church does outsized ministry
Opinion: On homosexuality, whose narrative do we believe?
Congressional Black Caucus honors Georgetown College
By Robert Marus
WASHINGTON (ABP) -- Extraordinary efforts at fostering diversity and building relationships with African-American Baptists earned Georgetown College special recognition April 30 in Washington.
In a United States Capitol ceremony, officials of the Congressional Black Caucus recognized the Georgetown, Ky.-based Baptist school for its Bishop Scholars program. The scholarship, established in 2006, currently provides funds for five Georgetown students.
The program is named after Bishop College, a historically black institution in Dallas that was forced to close in 1988. Over its more than 100 years of existence, Bishop earned a reputation as a solid training ground for African-American Baptist ministers.
In 2006, Georgetown “adopted” the school’s approximately 7,000 living alumni, and established the Bishop Scholars program to carry on the defunct school’s legacy. To qualify for the Bishop Scholarship, students must be the children or grandchildren of Bishop alumni and demonstrate strong academic achievement. Upon graduation, Bishop Scholars receive Georgetown diplomas that note their connection to the legacy of Bishop College.
“I am pleased to welcome the Bishop College Scholars in our nation’s Capitol in order to recognize their tremendous achievements,” said Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), first vice chair of the caucus, in a press release announcing the honor.
“I commend Georgetown College and the Bishop College alumni for forming this historic partnership to promote academic excellence,” Lee, who is a Baptist, continued.
“Being a Bishop Scholar means being a part of a historical black college that produced many successful black leaders,” said Ralphael West, one of the scholarship recipients. The five attended the Capitol ceremony along with Georgetown President William Crouch.
The scholarship program is one of several ways that Georgetown has attempted, in recent years, to expand its diversity and build relationships with African-American Baptist groups. In 2005, Crouch announced a Georgetown partnership with the four largest black Baptist denominations in the United States that featured a new Georgetown archive for African-American Baptist historical artifacts.
Georgetown, founded in 1829, is located in a border state that sided with the Union in the Civil War, but allowed slavery. The school houses the Kentucky Underground Railroad Research Institute in a campus building that originally operated as slave quarters.
Georgetown officials are also raising funds to erect a replica of a Bishop College building on campus, and plan to host a Bishop College reunion.
Crouch, according to the press release, said the students aren’t the only ones who have benefitted from the Bishop Scholars program. “A richness has been added to my life and the life of Georgetown College because of the spirit found in the lives of Bishop College alumni,” he said. “For the Congressional Black Caucus to recognize the uniqueness of this partnership is a great endorsement of this initiative.”
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CBF partnering with churches in Spanish-speaking Caribbean
By Sue Poss
ATLANTA (ABP) -- The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has a new answer for an old question being asked by many CBF churches: “How do we reach Hispanics living in our community?”
The new answer? “Partner with churches from Spanish-speaking countries.”
“Such partnerships would be of mutual benefit,” said Bernie Moraga, coordinator of CBF’s Hispanic network. “Baptist churches in Latin America are looking for fraternal relationships with more moderate [Baptist] groups, and they see CBF as a place where they can belong. We struggle here to find pastors to work with Hispanics. These Latin American churches want to work with us to reach people from their own countries living here.”
The first church outside the United States to partner with CBF is Iglesia Bautista de Metrópolis (in English, Metropolitan Baptist Church) in Catalina, Puerto Rico. The 300-member congregation voted last November to affiliate with CBF of Florida.
CBF of Florida Associate Coordinator Tommy Deal was a member of a delegation that attended the 2007 annual meeting of the Baptist Churches of Puerto Rico. Also at that meeting in Puerto Rico, the Florida delegation met six pastors from the Dominican Republic who expressed an interest in a similar partnership.
“We are open to all possibilities in nearby Spanish-speaking countries,” Deal said. “We believe that not only are we geographically positioned for this endeavor, [but] we sense God is moving and directing in all of these opportunities and connections. We want to be faithful to be the presence of Christ and to work with and encourage others as they are the presence in their own homeland.”
To develop further the Latin American connection, CBF representatives have planned two trips in May -- one to the Dominican Republic and one to Cuba.
A four-member Fellowship delegation, including Deal and Bo Prosser, CBF’s coordinator for congregational life, will meet with representatives from the Cuba’s Oriental Baptist Convention May 4-8 to explore partnership opportunities. The Cuban convention is comprised of about 300 congregations mainly located in the eastern part of the island.
“These mission churches are mostly house churches, but are reaching many of their fellow Cubans for Christ,” Deal said. “CBF of Florida has been licensed under guidelines of the U.S. Treasury Department to send mission-support funds to this group. We will be able to observe the work that these funds are supporting.”
Another group of CBF representatives will travel to the Dominican Republic May 17-26. As part of that trip, Prosser and Rick Bennett, the Fellowship’s director of congregational life, will lead a spiritual-formation retreat for pastors.
“Part of our missional-church work is to make sure that we are helping churches everywhere make an impact in the Kingdom,” said Prosser. “Cuba has been kept in bondage spiritually. Perhaps, CBF can make a difference in opening up their awareness of Christ. In the Dominican Republic, Rick and I hope that we can model some prayer practices for them that can nourish their souls and perhaps refresh their churches.”
Deal will also participate and will be looking for Dominican and Cuban congregations willing to partner with sister churches in Florida.
“We tell every church that we are not so much looking for how we can help them, but how they can help us reach their people who live among us in the Sunshine State,” he said. “These partnerships show that CBF of Florida and CBF are serious about being demographically and culturally diverse and all-inclusive.”
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Tiny New York church does outsized ministry
By Patricia Heys
NEW YORK (ABP) -- Matthew is one of the many stories that make up Manhattan -- and little Metro Baptist Church’s outsized ministry.
The young musician came to New York with dreams of making it big in the industry -- and with everything he owned packed in his van. But within a few weeks of arriving in the city, the van was stolen and he was homeless, living on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen and dreaming of returning home to Atlanta. That’s where Metro Baptist came in -- he got warm clothes and a warmer welcome there.
Hell’s Kitchen, located on the west side of Manhattan, is one of the many New York neighborhoods that are rapidly gentrifying -- but, as its name suggests, it has a history of being a rough area. This is due in part to the location of the Port Authority Bus Terminal, the world’s busiest terminal, at the south end of the neighborhood. Approximately 200,000 people move through the terminal each day, including commuters, tourists and people such as Matthew who are following their dreams -- or aching to go home.
“Even with all the luxury high-rises that are now being built, this neighborhood is still one of the first stops for people coming into the city and into America,” said Ronnie Adams, one of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s field personnel. “There are still tenement buildings and lower-priced places to live, but many times there are three or four families living in one apartment -- that’s the only way people can live economically.”
Metro Baptist Church is next to the Manhattan side of the Lincoln Tunnel, just a few blocks from the bus terminal. Originally built as a Catholic church for Polish immigrants in the in the early 1900s, the building was purchased by Metro Baptist in 1984. CBF has partnered with Metro since 1995, when Adams began serving alongside the church.
The congregation has been intentional about identifying the needs of the Hell’s Kitchen community and trying not to duplicate services that already exist in the area. For example, two nearby homeless shelters provide meals and shower facilities to people living on the streets, so the church determined there was a need for distributing toiletry kits and clothes instead. That was how Metro Baptist connected with Matthew.
“The make-up of the church is very diverse,” said Adams, a native of Dallas. “On Sunday mornings you’ll have everyone -- from the homeless to Wall Street lawyers -- and a lot of people who are trying to make it in the theatre world. What I love about the church is that although there are only about 50 people on Sunday morning, they have a vision and faith for ministry. It’s a pretty amazing story of being faithful to ministry in your area and how God will provide.”
In addition to the homeless community, Metro Baptist also reaches out to families living in the surrounding single-room-occupancy buildings, formerly referred to as “welfare hotels.” Many immigrants, who often work in the nearby factories of the clothing district or at one of Manhattan’s more than 12,000 restaurants, live in these low-income buildings. The church provides a weekly food pantry, along with health education, discounted counseling services, English classes and after-school programs for youth and children.
Metro’s community ministries are facilitated by church members, staff and CBF field personnel, including Amanda Hambrick, who ministers to youth at Metro Baptist. Two part-time Metro staffers returned after previous missions experiences at the church: Brice Friske, who made six trips to Hell’s Kitchen with teams from Tabernacle Baptist Church in Richmond, Va.; and Katie Furr, who spent a summer serving at Metro through CBF’s student-missions program.
“It’s important for people to be provided a community where it doesn’t matter how much money you make or where you are from, but what matters is that we are all made in God’s image,” said Hambrick, a native of Georgetown, Ky. “I think that is one of the most valuable things a church can be in an urban area -- a space and a place for authentic relationships.”
Each summer, Adams and Hambrick facilitate six weeks of summer camps, which are led by teams from CBF partner churches. Church volunteer teams from around the country also work for Metro Baptist ministries throughout the year.
“The whole idea here of reaching people for Christ is relational evangelism,” Adams said. “It’s a long-term process of letting them see how God is reflected in your life, and, through that, having an opportunity to share with them about faith and our walk with Christ and why it’s important to us.”
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Opinion: On homosexuality, whose narrative do we believe?
By David Gushee
(ABP) -- My column of a month ago related to homosexuality garnered more feedback than any opinion piece that I have ever written.
The response surprised me in that it was overwhelmingly positive, with a few notable exceptions. I heard from pastors who asked for help in figuring out how to minister to congregations that are divided on this issue -- including the homosexuals who are in their congregation, mainly closeted. I heard from a number of homosexuals, some of whom preferred to remain anonymous. These correspondents mainly expressed gratitude while also recounting the numerous painful experiences they have had in church and at the hands of (fellow) Christians. I heard from parents of homosexuals who held a variety of perspectives amidst a universal pain.
I also heard from those critics who believed that the baby steps I took in that column toward a Jesus-focused recognition of the suffering of homosexuals were dangerous. I think they may like future columns even less. But Christian ethics is not a popularity contest.
I want to suggest in this column that two fundamental stories compete at the poles of the Christianity-and-homosexuality debate. They are alternative ways of interpreting what is really going on amidst the heated contemporary debate over homosexuality and the church. (I will confine my comments in this column to the church, not the state, and will analyze the issue, not reveal everything I think.)
The conservative narrative frames the homosexuality debate as a fight for biblical conviction in a relativistic and sexually confused culture. In this view, homosexual behavior is clearly sinful, like all other sexual behavior outside of monogamous heterosexual marriage.
Some conservative pastors, scholars, and activists treat the homosexuality issue as a pivotal matter in church life (and culture). They believe that we must hold the line right here, right now, or Christian sexual ethics (and Christian biblical commitments) will be compromised irreparably. Others try to treat it as one issue among many, but still hold the moral rejection of homosexual behavior with certainty. The “moral of this story” is that homosexuality is a sin that must be resisted even against powerful cultural currents demanding its acceptance.
At the other pole of the homosexuality debate within the Christian community is a justice-and-liberation understanding of the issue. This view holds that homosexuals are a population victimized by a bigotry rooted in irrational prejudices and a misreading of Scripture. The injustices homosexuals experience are, in this view, a cruel violation of the Christian values of love and justice. These values, in turn, are viewed as either overriding biblical prohibitions on homosexual conduct or as leading to a re-interpretation of those Scripture passages.
Those who hold this view of the debate believe that Christians should side with homosexuals and act on behalf of their liberation from such oppression and victimization. The moral of this story is that homosexuality is one of the biggest human-rights issues of our time -- and that the church must join the fight on the side of the victims.
In moments of grave moral conflict there are always such competing narratives about what’s really going on. The question becomes how we discern God’s will, how we read the signs of the times, how we figure out whose narrative is the right one.
Consider: 1850, United States: Slavery is either a biblically mandated practice or an abomination before God. 1938, Germany: The church is either called to accommodate itself patriotically to Nazi rule or to resist it even to the point of imprisonment and death. 1963, United States: The Civil Rights Movement is either a great Spirit-led force for liberating oppressed black people or a bunch of misguided rabble-rousers destroying public order. 1980, South Africa: Apartheid is either God’s plan for keeping the races separate or a grave violation of God’s will for justice. 1990, Southern Baptist Convention: Full equality of women in church leadership is either direct disobedience to Scripture or a long-delayed fulfillment of God’s will.
Those caught in the midst of such profound moral conflicts have three options: they can clearly side with one narrative, they can clearly side with the other narrative, or they can seek a kind of in-between position in an effort to take some of the rough edges off of the debate -- and, in doing so, perhaps prevent irreparable divisions in churches and denominations.
But in the end, as the examples above indicate, on the most significant issues, the middle-of-the-road position almost always fails.
In the homosexuality debate, these in-between positions have created at least tentative common ground within many churches and denominations. One might say that they have bought a bit of peace and some time for further reflection on this issue. Most of these have involved at least the tacit acceptance of the idea that homosexual behavior does contravene God’s will. We can call this the “sinful, but” position.
In this view, homosexual behavior is sinful, but homosexual orientation/inclination (as opposed to behavior) should be viewed as temptation rather than sin. Therefore, those struggling with homosexual inclination but not acting on it should be included in the fellowship of the church along with all other struggling sinners.
And, according to this view, homosexual behavior is sinful, but so are many, many other things that people -- including churchgoing Christians -- do. Leading church sins include anger, factionalism, lovelessness, greed, luxury, selfishness, gluttony, gossip, and pride. Therefore, a church can either practice a consistent church discipline in which every sin is met with resistance and accountability by the congregation -- leading, when necessary, to exclusion of the offending party (a rare position in today’s churches). Or a congregation hewing to the middle-road position can opt for a form of church life in which believing sinners congregate for forgiveness, instruction, and community. If it chooses this latter stance, homosexuals can be quietly accepted in the community as believing sinners like everyone else.
Also, in this intermediate view, homosexual behavior is sinful, but Christians need to be compassionate. Therefore, we need to offer hospitable welcome to gays, but not affirmation of homosexual practice.
Finally, in this view, homosexual behavior is sinful, but Christian anti-homosexual activism has damaged our evangelistic witness. Therefore, we need to quiet down on this issue while not changing our basic stance.
The “sinful, but” stance definitely can take the edge off of the homosexuality debate. It can offer a welcome reduction of attention to this particular sin among all sins. And it is a pretty safe position in many Christian circles, so self-interest drives many church leaders to this stance.
But the ultimate question does not lie here, so the middle-of-the-road positions leave the fundamental issue unresolved.
The deeper question is posed by the competing narratives presented above. Either homosexual behavior is by definition sinful, or it is not. If it is sinful by definition, then presumably it must be resisted like any other sin. If it is not sinful by definition, then the homosexuality issue is a liberation/justice struggle for a victimized group.
Probably the right answer to this question will be very clear to everyone (that is, to 99% of all reasonable Christian human beings) in 100 years, as the proper positions on slavery and Nazism and civil rights and Apartheid are to modern-day Christians. But in real time, right now, it is tearing churches and denominations apart here and around the world.
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-- David Gushee is distinguished university professor of Christian ethics at Mercer University. His latest book is titled, The Future of Faith in American Politics: The Public Witness of the Evangelical Center. www.davidpgushee.com
To offer feedback, send e-mails to feedback@davidpgushee.com.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Bible Trivia - 5/1/2008
Question: By what other name was Esther known?
Answer: Hadassah. (Esther 2:7)
Comments: Hadassah is also the name of the Women's Zionist Organization of America, a prominent Jewish women's volunteer organization. It was founded in 1912 in conjunction with the celebration of Purim (Esther 9:26) which commemorates the story depicted in the book of Esther. In memory of this, the group took its name from Esther's alternate appellation.
He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had no father or mother. Now the young lady was beautiful of form and face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. (Esther 2:7, NASB)
Word of the Day - 5/1/2008
Convivial
Convivial means friendly; agreeable: a convivial atmosphere.
The brother of the Prodigal Son was disgruntled about his father's convivial attitude towards his returning brother. (Luke 15:28)
Note: Henri J. M. Nouwen (1932-1996) was so intrigued by this painting of The Return of the Prodigal Son by the Dutch painter Rembrandt (1606-1669) that he wrote a book in response: The Return of the Prodigal Son: a Story of Homecoming.
In Eckleburg's Eyes - 5/1/2008
The mission trip continued on Wednesday but our work moved indoors as we worked with drywall.
The morning started again at 6 am. When the local preacher bellowed his morning greeting, I took it as my cue to work on my hygiene in the bathroom. I returned in time to hear much of his sermon. The combination of shouting and a theological debacle functions like a train wreck of the ears. It is unpleasant, but I just have to listen. The man was consistent as his message mirrored his previous effort, including sayinging “Amen?” as punctuation to end every other sentence. I will say that, before coming to Gulfport, I never knew that Jesus approached his crucifixion with a “bring it on” attitude.
At 6:45 our crew (the same crew as the day before) journeyed to the same house. On the way, we could not help but notice the resiliency of the trees. Some of the trees have withstood not only Katrina but 1969's Camille as well. I believe there is a sermon in there on good roots...
We arrived to the site before the foreman. All this meant was that we had the opportuntiy to park the van in the shade. Actually, weather has not been a problem at all. On this day the heat was not too bad and a cool breeze circulated throughout the day.
I have learned much about construction. Yesterday I l discovered that construction is not an exact science. I also have experienced why many people are standing around aimlessly on construction sites. It is not due to sloth but because some tasks cannot be begun until others have been completed. Today I learned far more.
Kevin, our foreman, took me under his wing. He made it his aim to make me into a preaching carpenter. I used all sorts of tools such as hammers, saws (electric and hand), screw guns, etc. I even was given an opportunity to be the “cut man,” Though I am much better now than when the day began, I am not considering quitting my day job (of being unemployed) just yet.
Though I experimented with many jobs, I spent most of the day hanging drywall. The most difficult part of this chore is cutting the pieces. Kevin did this so the team was left only to hang it. MLM and JW handled much of the placing while the rest of the crew, myself included, stablized their efforts with countless screwing. We dubbed ourselves the screw crew. KLTW, you would be so proud.
I was substantially helped by a nipple Kevin applied to our guns. This meant that we could drill as hard and fast as we wished without having to worry about the screw going to far. I have always said that nipples were a great invention...
Kevin told me a bit of his testimony which I will relay as it bears repeating. April 30th marked his two-year anniversary as a Christian and his second week in Gulfport. He will be serving 4½ weeks total and his goal is to complete the house we are working on in that time. Our arrival meant he was equipped with a full crew for his entire tour. In the past sixteen months, he has made nine mission trips to Gulfport and one to Jamaica. He can do so because he is self-employed and the Lord has provided. For instance, just before he left, a woman whom he had never met donated $1500 to his cause. He wept as he relayed his love of God.
In less dramatic news, his use of “Git-R-Done” on the job validates my comparison to Larry the Cable Guy.
The highlight of the day came when we went to Goodwill Missionary Baptist Church (located at 322 Davis Avenue in Pass Christian) for lunch. They are a predominantly African-American church that suffered flood damage from Katrina. The church was founded in 1893 and has survived both Katrina and Camille.
They had significant damage to their facility as water rose uo to eight feet off the floor. Their church was one of the first places rebuilt by relief teams. In response, they offer a free meal each Wednesday from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. The meal is open to anyone who might want to come though they recently stopped filling takeout orders as some abused the hospitality. We were served chicken with a vegetable plate, rice smothered in gravy, a salad, and banana pudding. The meal was great though I abstained from banana pudding due to dietary concerns and the salad because...well, I did not want it.
I perused their sanctuary and is beautiful. It is furnished with stained glass windows. One thing that amused me was that the church offers fans to its parishioners. This is not uncommon nor are the sponsorships from local funeral homes. What struck me was whose pictures graced the fans - Martin Luther King, Jr. and Barack Obama!
While at lunch we met two Canadians named Bruce and Harold. They were the last remnant of a once large relief crew from Ontario. I was able to make conversation not only due to my collegiate church appeal to sing “O, Canada” but also through my professional wrestling knowledge. Not only were they aware of the vast talent pool of Canadian wrestlers but I learned that JCI, the retired nuclear engineer, was once a fan as well. It is amazing how often my wrestling fandom comes in handy.
We worked past 5 pm for the second day in a row. Late in the day, MLM left with his parents. They made the trip from their home in Hammond, Lousiana (less than an hour away). This forced JLH into driving duty as he is the only other driver licensed for the van. His snail’s pace made me miss MLM’s excessive lane changes!
I am holding up alright. I have incurred several bug bites, ingested a trendous amount of dust (despite my mask) and my heels are sore. I have checked with reliable internet sources and it seems the probability of my feet falling off is slim, so I am feeling good about things.
Tomorrow we plan on completing the ceiling, continuing to plaster walls, and beginning insulating. We have no set goals as no one crew can complete a house. We simply work as long and hard as we can. Please keep the mission in your prayers.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Bible Trivia - 4/30/2008
Question: For which New Testament book is there least evidence of its exact authorship?
Answer: Hebrews.
Comments: Though Hebrews was traditionally credited to the Apostle Paul, the letter is anonymous. There is nothing in the letter itself that makes the claim that Paul wrote the work. Most modern scholars, both conservative and critical, refute Pauline authorship.
One scholar commented that its traditonal title, "Th Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews" is suitable except for the facts that it is not an epistle, it was not written by Paul, and it was not addressed to the Hebrews.
Criticism of Pauline authorship is not a new phenomenon. Origen (185-254), writing in the third century, judged that "God only knows" who wrote Hebrews.
"But who wrote the epistle God only knows certainly" (Eusebius 6.25, 11-14).
Word of the Day - 4/30/2008
Inunction
Inunction is the act of anointing.
Samuel was the priest responsible for the inunction of both Saul (I Samuel 10:1) and David (I Samuel 16:13).
In Eckleburg's Eyes - 4/30/2008
On Tuesday, my mission rip continued and marked our first day of work. I have tried to included quotations from some of the characters I have met. Consider them representative of the speaker's personality.
The day started exceedingly early. Breakfast was served at 6 am in conjunction with a message from a local preacher who speaks every morning. Fortunately, I had been forewarned about him. The man may very well possess every negative Souther Baptist stereotype. In his message he actually speculated that God initiated Katrina because we volunteers had been wavering in our faith and needed to be put into service. I will not begin to comment on the theological framework that could produce that insight. Amazingly, I kept my mouth shut in real time as well.
Our van left promptly at 6:45 am. I was so covered with sunscreen and bug spray that I seriously questioned if an insect bite could reach my skin. As I type this, it appears the excessive precaution worked.
Our van was loaded with the five volunteers from the day before (myself included) plus James Williams (JW, not professional wrestler Jimmy Garvin though that is his real name.) Of our six workers, three were namd James. This Jamdes was raised in Jacksonville, FL, and lives in Smyrna, TN. He was a huge blessing. Though he is a white collar worker by day, his father was a carpenter and he often assisted his father as a child. He was also tall which added at least one row to every wall we sided, Plus he was just great company.
On route to our work site, we could see the area had been ravaged by the hurricane. We were in the heart of the tidal surge where waves ranged from four to twenty-six feet high. We saw where boats (some salvageable) had floated into trees and people had cut themselves out of their roofs to evacuate. A new addition to the restoration is the “Katrina Cottage”. They have emerged relatively recently and ae being marketed as "a dignified alternative to the FEMA trailer."
We arrived at our site in nearby Pass Christian, Mississippi, and joined a crew of eighteen. Our site is part of a “blitz.” This means that the entire structure has been erected in the past two weeks. As you can see from the picture, it is elevated ten feet off of the ground in the event of another natural disaster. Most of the houses volunteers work on look similar to this one. Presently, there are seven homes being worked on by my group alone.
We became the first crew from Central Baptist Church of Bearden to merge with volunteers from other churches. This was due in part to our crew missing Monday’s shift on account of the Franklin Graham Festival in Knoxville.
The night before, a man named Kevin from White Pine, Tennessee (wearing a black “Christian redneck” (and proud of it) shirt) approached us and informed us that he had signed on for a month. He lamented that this week marked his lowest number of volunteers and that our five-man skeleton crew would fit nicely into his team. We were sold (he had me at "White Pine") and we received approval from Jocelyn to work on his team.
I thoroughly enjoyed Kevin. He ridiculed everyone’s work just like a real construction crew chief, but without profanity and in a knowingly "loving" manner. His personality and voice greatly resemble Larry the Cable Guy. For instance, he came down a ladder and after loudly breaking wind asked, “Chan, what did you say? I know you said something.” He lived up (down?) to his t-shirt from the previous evening. We engaged in banter throughout the day, each ridiculing the other's work. I was obviously being facetious as he was a great leader. He kept the crew on track and made the day far more enjoyable. (Note: The real Kevin is in the next photo with the residents of the house. He is the one who is not Vietnamese.)
The owner of the home at 334 Hunter was named Trong Van Phan. He is a father of seven and has one grandchild. He had lived in Mississippi for ninteen years working as a fisherman until evacuating to Birmingham when Katrina hit. Members of his family came by and served us egg rolls and rice pasta for lunch. The food was amazingly good. The trip is known for adding weight to volunteers. One man said that it made him “fat as a handsaw.” That expression was new to me.
I was also impressed by the woman’s woven Asian sun hat. I do not know if I have ever seen one live. If Americans were concerned with practicality, they would be popular here.
The group
subdivided shortly after we arrived. I was in a group of eight responsible for siding the house. Due to a mild case of acrophobia, I joined the ground crew with JCI, HEM, and a Dandridge resident named Jerry. Jerry had the most crucial job of the entire operation. He was the “cut man.” He operated a variety of saws and cut them to the specifications we gave him. Without the correct sized wood, there would be nothing for anyone else to do. This is a photo of my cohorts on the ground crew hard at work.
I got to know HEM a little. He is retired from the local social security office and now travels with his wife as his health and finances allow. My favorite line of his on the dayconcerned his decision to partake of the dewberries (very similar to blackberries) on the lot. He opted to eat them even though he was sure they would give him “the trots.”
JCI also had several good lines. In correcting one of Jerry’s cuts, he explained straight-faced, “We want a trapezoid, not a parallelogram.” Later in the day, when MLM was seeking his yellow hammer, he responded, “A yellow hammer is a bird..the state bird of Alabama.” As usual, he is correct.
Our scaffold crew was comprised of MLM, JW, occasionally Kevin, and a grizzly looking man named Don. They took measurements and when we created the lumber they needed, they nailed it to the side of the house. This is a picture of Don (left) and JW shortly after we began. You can tell by a photo at the end of the day how much progress was made.
Don was awesome. He has worked at Camp Ba-Yo-Ca since 1987 and full-time since 1992. He drives the bus and makes balloon animals for the children. He did that at the local church we are staying at on Sunday. My favorite Don moment came at the end of the day. Determined to get one more row of siding on, he mounted a ladder atop an unsteady scaffolding. He turned to me and asked, “Daring, ain’t it?” It certainly blurred the line between bravery and stupidity but Don came out of it unscathed.
We were better equipped than any group MLM has led. Not because of our talent, but the resources at our disposal. We had access to our own tool unit and a lift. This made our efforts far easier. Due to my relatively young age, I did much of the lifting, so the machine to the right saved me a great deal of trouble.
What did I do you ask? JW elected me point man. I learned a lot of construction jargon and I think point man means the untalented guy who runs errands for his more talented group. Actually, I set up the scaffolding, helped Jerry cut all day, and yes, ran errands. A lot of errands. It was nice to work on a project where I could visibly see the progress as we worked. Though I love preaching and teaching, the results are seldom visible immediately.
We worked until five o’clock. The weather was very cooperative (ironic, considering the cause of our trip). Gulfport weather is quite chilly in the morning and warm in the evening. It was sunny yet breezy all day. The fact that the home is being built on ten foot beams benefitted us as it provided a shady place to work. We got as much siding done as can be done at this point. An inspector also came by and approved the wiring which opened the door to drywall tomorrow. Don’t get to excited for me.
After work, I ate at Applebees. On the way, I past the World’s Largest Rocking Chair at 11451 Canal Road, in Gulfport. It stands 35 feet tall and is constructed from southern pine. Evidently it is a Gulport landmark.
The meal was great as usual. The potato skins were better than in Knoxville and I received a half-priced appetizer before 10 pm. Were I to rate Applebees by state, Mississippi leads Tennessee and Georgia in that order.
While there, I witnessed a strange confrontation. There were two sets of friends sitting at the bar. Both groups were more than a little tipsy when the subject of standup comedians came up. One man noted that he had once been one while someone from the other group doubted his claim. So, the drunken man performed his standup act. Thus, I received free “entertainment.” The act was well polished. It was just not overly funny.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Associated Baptist Press - 4/29/2008
Associated Baptist Press
April 29, 2008 (8-45)
IN THIS ISSUE:
Jeremiah Wright culminates media blitz with feisty defense
Tiptoe through the TULIP: Must the new Baptist Calvinism divide churches, denominations?
Tiptoe through the TULIP: Floral theology delineates Calvinisim, Arminianism
Tiptoe through the TULIP: Baptist Boomer theologians show fondness for Calvinism
Jeremiah Wright culminates media blitz with feisty defense
By Robert Marus
WASHINGTON (ABP) -- Sen. Barack Obama’s former pastor -- at the center of one of the biggest religious controversies in presidential-campaign history -- culminated a four-day media blitz April 28 with a combination of erudition and combativeness.
“This is not an attack on Jeremiah Wright; it has nothing to do with Sen. Obama,” Wright said of the recent criticism he has received for provocative statements in the past. “This is an attack on the black church launched by people who know nothing about the African-American religious tradition,” he said during a question-and-answer session following a speech at the National Press Club in Washington.
The retired pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago became a household name earlier this year after controversial snippets from several of his sermons were publicized on YouTube and picked up by the mainstream media. The senator is a longtime Trinity member and has credited Wright with bringing him to faith in Christ.
The sound bites contained rhetoric that some have interpreted as anti-American and anti-white, such as the declaration that God condemns America for its treatment of blacks. But many have defended Wright, saying that the comments were better understood in the context of the entire sermons in which they appeared and in the broader context of the African-American tradition of prophetic preaching that challenges the powers that be.
Wright -- who has kept an extremely low profile since the furor surrounding his sermons erupted in March -- attempted to explain that tradition to many representatives of the very “corporate-owned media,” as he has described it, that fanned the furor.
“The prophetic tradition of the black church has its roots in Isaiah, the 61st chapter, where God says the prophet is to preach the gospel to the poor and to set at liberty those who are held captive,” he said. “The prophetic theology of the black church during the days of chattel slavery was a theology of liberation. It was preached to set free those who were held in bondage -- spiritually, psychologically and sometimes physically -- and it was practiced to set the slaveholders free from the notion that they could define other human beings or confine a soul set free by the power of the gospel.”
Wright added that the black-church prophetic tradition also has reconciliation at its heart and “was practiced to set free misguided and miseducated Americans from the notion that they were actually superior to other Americans based on the color of their skin.”
That, he told the assembled journalists, has always been difficult to do, because Christianity has been used to liberate blacks but also has been used to justify slavery, segregation and other forms of oppression. “[T]he Christianity of the slaveholder is not the Christianity of the slave. The God to whom the slaveholders pray, as they ride on the decks of the slave ship, is not the God to whom the enslaved are praying, as they ride beneath the decks on that same slave ship,” he said.
Wright continued: “How we are seeing God, our theology, is not the same. And what we both mean when we say ‘I am a Christian’ is not the same thing. The prophetic theology of the black church has always seen and still sees all of God's children as sisters and brothers, equals who need reconciliation, who need to be reconciled as equals, in order for us to walk together into the future which God has prepared for us.”
That difference in religious traditions has often caused African-American preachers to view America’s past actions differently than their white counterparts -- which may explain the widely divergent reactions to some of Wright’s most inflammatory rhetoric.
He has drawn withering fire, in particular, from many commentators for passages from two sermons.
In a 2003 message, Wright recounted the historically inequitable treatment of African-Americans by state and federal officials. “The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing ‘God Bless America.’ No, no, no. God damn America -- that's in the Bible -- for killing innocent people,” he exclaimed. “God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme.”
A sermon Wright delivered the Sunday after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks noted that Americans seemed shocked and bewildered that anyone would want to visit their country with violence.
“We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye,” he said in the Sept. 16, 2001, sermon. “We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost.”
In often-fiesty responses to reporters questions at the press-club event, Wright defended those remarks. “Jesus said, ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ You cannot do terrorism on other people and expect it never to come back on you. Those are biblical principles, not Jeremiah Wright ‘bombastic,’ ‘divisive’ principles,” he said.
Asked about the “God damn America” sermon, Wright said that, in context, was also biblical. “God doesn't bless everything. God condemns some things…. God damns some practices and there's no excuse for the things that the government -- not the American people -- have done. That doesn't make me not like America or unpatriotic.”
Asked how he felt about being accused of a lack of patriotism, the former Marine launched a broadside at the current vice president, who managed to avoid service in the Vietnam War. “I served six years in the military. Does that make me patriotic? How many years did [Dick] Cheney serve?” Wright asked.
He also defended statements suggesting that government entities helped create the inner-city drug epidemics of the 1980s and 1990s and intentionally infected its own citizens with the virus that causes AIDS. He referred to an experiment from the 1930s when government doctors infected poor African-American men with syphilis without their knowledge. “Based on the Tuskegee Experiment, and based on what has happened to African-Americans in this country, I believe our government is capable of anything,” he said.
But many pundits, journalists and critics of Wright said his edgy question-and-answer session belied the conciliatory efforts of the speech that preceded it.
“On any level, the speech was a train wreck,” wrote James Hutchins, on the blog UCCTruths (ucctruths.blogspot.com). “By deflecting the controversy as commentary against the black church, Wright has also ignited a completely manufactured racial conflict and has unfairly cast a negative view of the black church and the United Church of Christ. Wright has effectively sabatoged the black church, the United Church of Christ and Obama's candidacy to protect his own ego.”
Hutchins said it distracted from an earlier speech Obama gave in which he distanced himself from Wright’s more controversial comments and called for a national dialogue on race relations. “While I personally agree with the spirit of Obama's call for a national conversation on race, it can not and should not be orchestrated as a defense of Wright's sermons,” Hutchins wrote. “The controversy is not about race; it is about Jeremiah Wright. If we are going to have a real national conversation on race, it should be done in the spirit of Obama's unifying optimism that we can overcome our shameful history.”
Whatever his effect on it, Wright may not have had Obama’s candidacy in mind when he planned his recent round of appearances, which in addition to the speech and PBS interview also included a sermon at a Baptist church in Dallas the morning of April 27 and a speech to an NAACP meeting in Detroit that night.
Asked if he thought America is still damned even if it elects Obama president, Wright said his prophetic role wouldn’t change. “I said to Barack Obama last year, ‘If you get elected, November the 5th I'm coming after you, because you'll be representing a government whose policies grind under people.’”
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Tiptoe through the TULIP: Must the new Baptist Calvinism divide churches, denominations?
By Ken Camp
(ABP) -- Can Calvinist and non-Calvinist Baptists work and worship together?
It depends, some advocates of Reformed theology say, on whether Christians on both sides are willing to tiptoe through the TULIP -- the acronym for five doctrinal specifics that mark Calvinism -- without stomping on anyone’s flower bed.
TULIP stands for total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace and perseverance of the saints. Those five doctrines, delineated by the Synod of Dort in the 17th century, summarize distinctive elements of the theological system taught by reformer John Calvin -- particularly as distinguished from the teachings of James Jacobus Arminius, who emphasized free will over determinism.
Proponents of what often is called “five-point Calvinism” emphasize the absolute sovereignty of God, typified by the doctrine of predestination. Predestination holds that God ordains a specific and finite number of human beings to be saved -- on the basis of his good pleasure alone.
Historically, Baptists have come down on both sides of Calvinism’s fence. Many prominent Baptist figures have identified themselves as Calvinists, including 19th century British pastor and evangelist Charles Haddon Spurgeon and James Petigru Boyce, founding president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
On the other hand, the fathers of the Baptist movement -- Englishmen John Smyth and Thomas Helwys -- rejected Calvinism.
Calvin’s cool on campus
After a long period of disfavor, however, full five-point Calvinism is gaining in popularity in some Baptist circles today. A study by two Southern Baptist Convention agencies -- the North American Mission Board and LifeWay Christian Resources -- showed that about 30 percent of recent graduates of Southern Baptist seminaries identify themselves as Calvinists. That figure compares to 10 percent of Southern Baptist pastors overall.
Renewed interest in Reformed theology -- what Calvinists refer to as “the doctrines of grace” -- also is evident among university students, some Baptist college professors have noted. In part, observers attribute the growth of Calvinism on college campuses to the popularity of the Passion worship event-conferences, which feature prominent Calvinists like Baptist pastor-theologian John Piper.
The Passion movement and related One Day events serve as gateways into Calvinism, said Roger Olson, professor of theology at Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary.
“My experience is that many young Christians swept up by this wave know little about the details of this kind of Calvinism,” Olson said. “Many of them are simply shocked to find out that it entails belief in limited atonement” -- the belief that Christ’s sacrificial death only atones for a percentage of humankind rather than its entirety.
Olson continued, “However, after a while, many of them gradually accept it lock, stock and barrel because they don’t know any alternative. Southern Baptists -- and offshoots -- have not been very good at offering young people sound theology.”
Hunger for theology that is “rigorously biblical and satisfies the desire to hear from God in his Word” accounts for much of Calvinism’s popularity among students, said Thomas Ascol. He is the executive director of Founders Ministries, an organization that promotes Reformed theology in Southern Baptist life.
“The rising generation is looking for authenticity,” Ascol said. Students read biblical stories about faithful people who suffered martyrdom, and they hunger for “the radicalness of biblical Christianity,” he noted.
“Then they look at the slick and oftentimes superficial Christianity that dominates American evangelicalism, and they wonder why there is a difference. What did those early believers see [that] we don’t see? Part of the answer is they saw the majestic supremacy of God over every sphere of life.”
Dancing to Piper’s tune?
To Reformed theology’s Baptist advocates, Piper is, literally, a Godsend. Ascol said the pastor -- who leads a Minneapolis church affiliated with the Baptist General Conference -- has been used to “cast a vision of radically biblical Christianity” to a new generation.
“There is no fluff in Piper’s ministry. It is rock-solid Bible teaching that does not shy away from the hard sayings and clear calls of discipleship,” he said. “It is authentic in its devotion to the text of Scripture. That resonates with many in the younger generation who are hungry for truth.”
But critics of resurgent Calvinism see popular Reformed theology as appealing to the desire for clear-cut, black-and-white answers.
“The present, new Calvinists claim to know way, way too much about the mind of God,” Olson asserted.
The Baylor professor drew a distinction between the gentle and nuanced Calvinism held by many Christians in historically Reformed churches -- such as the Presbyterian tradition -- and the assertive new form.
“My experience is that this new wave of Reformed theology -- inspired by John Piper who is inspired by Jonathan Edwards -- appeals mostly to young men who want to avoid any hint of ambiguity in their theology,” he said.
Doctrine that divides
In part because its adherents hold to its teachings so tenaciously, Calvinism has divided some congregations -- particularly when Calvinist pastors have asserted their beliefs in historically non-Calvinist churches.
Such division, some Calvinists say, may be inevitable.
“Any given doctrine will divide. The gospel itself is a doctrine that divides,” said Jonathan Leeman, director of communications for 9Marks, a ministry founded by Reformed Southern Baptist pastor Mark Dever.
“There has been a renewed emphasis on the doctrines of grace, and that could lead to some level of divisiveness. That’s almost necessarily so, in the same way that an emphasis on [biblical] inerrancy led to division within the Southern Baptist Convention.”
In fact, Leeman said, he believes no one should be surprised by the growing interest in Calvinism among Southern Baptists.
“The inerrancy debate brought a renewed interest in the careful study of the Scriptures, and that brings with it a more careful enunciation of doctrine,” he said.
But some Calvinists believe they have been unjustly tagged with the divisiveness label.
“What I have discovered is that Calvinism is blamed far more often for dividing churches or associations than is actually the case,” Ascol said. “Closer investigation has often revealed that Calvinism is often the tail on which the donkey is pinned. I know of more cases where the real issue behind a controversy is biblical Christianity -- what is a Christian and how does a person become one -- not Calvinism.”
Missions and evangelism
Ascol also believes Calvinists often have been unfairly stereotyped as anti-missionary.
“Look at who has been going as [Southern Baptist] career missionaries over the last few years. A significant percentage would classify themselves as Reformed,” he said.
He also pointed to historic Calvinists known for their evangelistic and missionary zeal -- George Whitefield, Andrew Fuller, William Carey and George Muller, as well as Edwards and Spurgeon.
Olson acknowledged the current wave of Baptist Calvinism -- which he calls “Piperism” -- is characterized by a fervent missionary spirit.
“However, I think those who follow it out to its logical conclusion may eventually decide that there is no point in evangelism or missions,” he said. “That has certainly happened in the past with this kind of Calvinism. If you are told that your evangelism and missionary work is nothing more than a ‘foreordained means to a foreordained end,’ and it cannot alter what God has already decided, you might conclude that there is no urgency.”
But Leeman said that problem is solved by framing the evangelistic impetus in terms familiar to most evangelicals, whether Calvinist or non-Calvinist -- love and obedience.
“Being that Christ is my greatest love, I will want to share him with others,” he said, adding that Jesus commanded his followers to share the gospel. “The call to repentance and obedience is not optional.”
But concern about Calvinism’s impact on fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission is a valid concern, even if it’s not well founded, Leeman added.
“The primary cause of division over the issue [of Calvinism] is concern on the part of the non-Reformed crowd that it will hurt evangelism and missions, and those of us who are Reformed need to be entirely sympathetic to that concern,” he said.
“At the same time, instead of debating issues with us, I would like to see the non-Reformed crowd give us the benefit of the doubt. Accept that a Reformed congregation means what it says when it affirms evangelism and missions.”
Show some grace
Ironically, the debate over the doctrines of grace often has been characterized by a lack of grace by those on both sides. Much of the division caused by Calvinism could be avoided if Christians treated each other a bit more graciously, some Calvinists and non-Calvinists agreed.
“I love my Calvinist friends and students,” Olson said. “I have no quarrel with them; it is only with their theology I have a quarrel. And I do not attempt to convert my Calvinist students to non-Calvinism. I only ask them to study all the options and make sure they are thinking biblically and logically.”
In local congregations, Ascol said, shared belief about Jesus Christ and biblical authority should be sufficient ground for both sides to share the same pews peacefully.
“Our church has Calvinists and non-Calvinists joyfully laboring together for the gospel, and I know of many other churches that do, too,” he said.
“We do that by focusing on the gospel -- who Jesus is, what he has done and why that matters. We may not agree on every detail of how the gospel works … but we are all committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and his supremacy over all of life. Where there is a pre-commitment to the authority of God’s written Word and a confessional and covenantal agreement [about] how we will live together, there can and should be genuine unity in Christ.”
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Tiptoe through the TULIP: Floral theology delineates Calvinisim, Arminianism
By Ken Camp
(ABP) -- Theologians past and present have used a bouquet of initials and analogies to describe Calvinist doctrine.
Historically, the Reformed Synod of Dort in the Netherlands delineated the differences between Calvinism -- named for the Genevan reformer John Calvin -- and Arminianism, after the teachings of James Jacobus Arminius. For the sake of simplicity -- and playing on an association with the best-known Dutch flower -- those teachings have been summarized through the TULIP acronym.
TULIP stands for:
-- Total depravity: The belief that human beings are dead in their sins, and they stand justly condemned before God, unable to do anything to save themselves.
-- Unconditional election: From eternity, God in his sovereignty chose specific human beings to be saved. That salvation was entirely determined and willed by God; he didn’t simply have foreknowledge of who would freely respond to his offer of grace.
-- Limited atonement: Also known as “particular redemption,” the doctrine teaches that the death of Jesus Christ was intended for the remission of the sins of a finite number of elect human beings only; in other words, the intention of the atonement and its effects are the same.
-- Irresistible grace: Many Calvinists prefer the term “effectual calling” to express the idea that God’s call to salvation will not fail to bring about the repentance and faith of the elect.
-- Perseverance of the saints: This doctrine teaches that all true believers in Christ will be saved because God grants them faith to persist in their belief to the end of life.
Timothy George, founding dean of Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School, has proposed an alternative floral acronym. George, a Reformed Baptist theologian, recommended a change in terminology from TULIP to ROSES, which denotes radical depravity, overcoming grace, sovereign election, eternal life and singular redemption.
James Leo Garrett, emeritus distinguished professor of theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, has noted Dortian Calvinists and early Arminians may not have differed on total depravity. Rather, he said, the key difference may have been whether faith and repentance were gifts from God -- as the Calvinists taught – or, as the Arminians insisted, human duties.
“That would call for FULIP [for faith] or RULIP [for repentance], not TULIP,” Garrett said.
Without benefit of a floral reminder (the first letters add up to SCENA), Garrett also has delineated the five points of “Hyper-Calvinism,” or Reformed theology taken to the extreme:
-- Supralapsarianism: God’s decree to elect some human beings for salvation and to damn others eternally is logically the first of God’s eternal decrees.
-- Covenant of redemption: An eternal covenant exists among God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for the redemption of elect humans through the Son.
-- Eternal justification: The elect are justified in eternity whether or not they demonstrate requisite faith in earthly history.
-- No offers of grace: Preachers should be discouraged from offering grace indiscriminately to their hearers, who presumably would include both the elect and the damned.
-- Antinomianism: Christians are not obligated to obey the moral laws of the Old Testament.
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Tiptoe through the TULIP: Baptist Boomer theologians show fondness for Calvinism
By Ken Camp
BROWNWOOD, Texas (ABP) -- Among Baptist Baby Boomer theologians, at least half of the major authors are committed to Calvinism, an influential Baptist theologian of an earlier generation has noted.
James Leo Garrett Jr., distinguished professor of theology emeritus at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary examined 10 Baptist theologians of the Baby Boomer generation during a plenary address at Howard Payne University’s recent Christian doctrines colloquy. The Baptist school is located in Brownwood, Texas.
Garrett identified three as “pronounced Calvinists” -- John Piper, Tom Nettles and Timothy George. He listed two -- Donald Carson and Wayne Grudem -- as “moderate Calvinists” and one -- David Dockery -- as “Calminian,” an amalgam of Calvinist and Arminian theology.
Of the remaining theologians Garrett examined, he said three did not position themselves about Calvinism in their writing -- Paul Fiddes, Stanley Grenz and Nigel Wright. One, Roger Olson, he identified as “the principal Baptist advocate of Arminianism.”
In his presentation at Howard Payne -- a condensed version of a chapter from an upcoming book -- he dealt most thoroughly with Piper and Nettles.
Jonathan Edwards -- the 18th century pastor-theologian perhaps best known for his “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” sermon -- profoundly shaped Piper’s theology, Garrett noted. Edwards was particularly influential on Piper’s understanding of the doctrine of God, he said.
“There is a sense in which Piper’s theology consists of only one doctrine -- the doctrine of God,” he said. “It’s the supremacy and the glory of God, even more than his sovereignty, that is central to Piper’s theology.”
Garrett noted with interest the controversy that arose in 2005 when Piper advocated that his congregation, Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minn., adopt a policy of open baptism. The policy would grant full membership to Christians who gave evidence of conversion but who were sprinkled as infants.
“John Piper, who has expanding and far-reaching influence as a pastor-theologian in the God-glorifying school of Edwards, has increasingly demonstrated that he is first evangelical and Reformed and, second, Baptist,” Garrett said.
Nettles, who is a professor of historical theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, simultaneously advanced the causes of Biblical inerrancy and Calvinism in Southern Baptist ranks beginning in the early 1980s, Garrett noted.
“Nettles laid the blame for the demise of Dortian Calvinism among Southern Baptists on E.Y. Mullins for his theological methodology in which experience overshadowed the Scriptures and on L.R. Scarborough for his evangelistic methodology centering on what Nettles called ‘decisional regeneration,’” Garrett said.
Mullins was a president of Southern Seminary, and Scarborough was president of Southwestern Seminary, both in the early 20th century.
“Nettles seems to embrace the ‘domino theory,’” Garrett observed. “That is, if the doctrines of Dortian Calvinism should be rejected and not be allowed to be the fountainhead of all theology, then theological crises, non-evangelical positions and process theology would be the result.”
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April 29, 2008 (8-45)
IN THIS ISSUE:
Jeremiah Wright culminates media blitz with feisty defense
Tiptoe through the TULIP: Must the new Baptist Calvinism divide churches, denominations?
Tiptoe through the TULIP: Floral theology delineates Calvinisim, Arminianism
Tiptoe through the TULIP: Baptist Boomer theologians show fondness for Calvinism
Jeremiah Wright culminates media blitz with feisty defense
By Robert Marus
WASHINGTON (ABP) -- Sen. Barack Obama’s former pastor -- at the center of one of the biggest religious controversies in presidential-campaign history -- culminated a four-day media blitz April 28 with a combination of erudition and combativeness.
“This is not an attack on Jeremiah Wright; it has nothing to do with Sen. Obama,” Wright said of the recent criticism he has received for provocative statements in the past. “This is an attack on the black church launched by people who know nothing about the African-American religious tradition,” he said during a question-and-answer session following a speech at the National Press Club in Washington.
The retired pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago became a household name earlier this year after controversial snippets from several of his sermons were publicized on YouTube and picked up by the mainstream media. The senator is a longtime Trinity member and has credited Wright with bringing him to faith in Christ.
The sound bites contained rhetoric that some have interpreted as anti-American and anti-white, such as the declaration that God condemns America for its treatment of blacks. But many have defended Wright, saying that the comments were better understood in the context of the entire sermons in which they appeared and in the broader context of the African-American tradition of prophetic preaching that challenges the powers that be.
Wright -- who has kept an extremely low profile since the furor surrounding his sermons erupted in March -- attempted to explain that tradition to many representatives of the very “corporate-owned media,” as he has described it, that fanned the furor.
“The prophetic tradition of the black church has its roots in Isaiah, the 61st chapter, where God says the prophet is to preach the gospel to the poor and to set at liberty those who are held captive,” he said. “The prophetic theology of the black church during the days of chattel slavery was a theology of liberation. It was preached to set free those who were held in bondage -- spiritually, psychologically and sometimes physically -- and it was practiced to set the slaveholders free from the notion that they could define other human beings or confine a soul set free by the power of the gospel.”
Wright added that the black-church prophetic tradition also has reconciliation at its heart and “was practiced to set free misguided and miseducated Americans from the notion that they were actually superior to other Americans based on the color of their skin.”
That, he told the assembled journalists, has always been difficult to do, because Christianity has been used to liberate blacks but also has been used to justify slavery, segregation and other forms of oppression. “[T]he Christianity of the slaveholder is not the Christianity of the slave. The God to whom the slaveholders pray, as they ride on the decks of the slave ship, is not the God to whom the enslaved are praying, as they ride beneath the decks on that same slave ship,” he said.
Wright continued: “How we are seeing God, our theology, is not the same. And what we both mean when we say ‘I am a Christian’ is not the same thing. The prophetic theology of the black church has always seen and still sees all of God's children as sisters and brothers, equals who need reconciliation, who need to be reconciled as equals, in order for us to walk together into the future which God has prepared for us.”
That difference in religious traditions has often caused African-American preachers to view America’s past actions differently than their white counterparts -- which may explain the widely divergent reactions to some of Wright’s most inflammatory rhetoric.
He has drawn withering fire, in particular, from many commentators for passages from two sermons.
In a 2003 message, Wright recounted the historically inequitable treatment of African-Americans by state and federal officials. “The government gives them the drugs, builds bigger prisons, passes a three-strike law and then wants us to sing ‘God Bless America.’ No, no, no. God damn America -- that's in the Bible -- for killing innocent people,” he exclaimed. “God damn America for treating our citizens as less than human. God damn America for as long as she acts like she is God and she is supreme.”
A sermon Wright delivered the Sunday after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks noted that Americans seemed shocked and bewildered that anyone would want to visit their country with violence.
“We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye,” he said in the Sept. 16, 2001, sermon. “We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back to our own front yards. America's chickens are coming home to roost.”
In often-fiesty responses to reporters questions at the press-club event, Wright defended those remarks. “Jesus said, ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ You cannot do terrorism on other people and expect it never to come back on you. Those are biblical principles, not Jeremiah Wright ‘bombastic,’ ‘divisive’ principles,” he said.
Asked about the “God damn America” sermon, Wright said that, in context, was also biblical. “God doesn't bless everything. God condemns some things…. God damns some practices and there's no excuse for the things that the government -- not the American people -- have done. That doesn't make me not like America or unpatriotic.”
Asked how he felt about being accused of a lack of patriotism, the former Marine launched a broadside at the current vice president, who managed to avoid service in the Vietnam War. “I served six years in the military. Does that make me patriotic? How many years did [Dick] Cheney serve?” Wright asked.
He also defended statements suggesting that government entities helped create the inner-city drug epidemics of the 1980s and 1990s and intentionally infected its own citizens with the virus that causes AIDS. He referred to an experiment from the 1930s when government doctors infected poor African-American men with syphilis without their knowledge. “Based on the Tuskegee Experiment, and based on what has happened to African-Americans in this country, I believe our government is capable of anything,” he said.
But many pundits, journalists and critics of Wright said his edgy question-and-answer session belied the conciliatory efforts of the speech that preceded it.
“On any level, the speech was a train wreck,” wrote James Hutchins, on the blog UCCTruths (ucctruths.blogspot.com). “By deflecting the controversy as commentary against the black church, Wright has also ignited a completely manufactured racial conflict and has unfairly cast a negative view of the black church and the United Church of Christ. Wright has effectively sabatoged the black church, the United Church of Christ and Obama's candidacy to protect his own ego.”
Hutchins said it distracted from an earlier speech Obama gave in which he distanced himself from Wright’s more controversial comments and called for a national dialogue on race relations. “While I personally agree with the spirit of Obama's call for a national conversation on race, it can not and should not be orchestrated as a defense of Wright's sermons,” Hutchins wrote. “The controversy is not about race; it is about Jeremiah Wright. If we are going to have a real national conversation on race, it should be done in the spirit of Obama's unifying optimism that we can overcome our shameful history.”
Whatever his effect on it, Wright may not have had Obama’s candidacy in mind when he planned his recent round of appearances, which in addition to the speech and PBS interview also included a sermon at a Baptist church in Dallas the morning of April 27 and a speech to an NAACP meeting in Detroit that night.
Asked if he thought America is still damned even if it elects Obama president, Wright said his prophetic role wouldn’t change. “I said to Barack Obama last year, ‘If you get elected, November the 5th I'm coming after you, because you'll be representing a government whose policies grind under people.’”
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Tiptoe through the TULIP: Must the new Baptist Calvinism divide churches, denominations?
By Ken Camp
(ABP) -- Can Calvinist and non-Calvinist Baptists work and worship together?
It depends, some advocates of Reformed theology say, on whether Christians on both sides are willing to tiptoe through the TULIP -- the acronym for five doctrinal specifics that mark Calvinism -- without stomping on anyone’s flower bed.
TULIP stands for total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace and perseverance of the saints. Those five doctrines, delineated by the Synod of Dort in the 17th century, summarize distinctive elements of the theological system taught by reformer John Calvin -- particularly as distinguished from the teachings of James Jacobus Arminius, who emphasized free will over determinism.
Proponents of what often is called “five-point Calvinism” emphasize the absolute sovereignty of God, typified by the doctrine of predestination. Predestination holds that God ordains a specific and finite number of human beings to be saved -- on the basis of his good pleasure alone.
Historically, Baptists have come down on both sides of Calvinism’s fence. Many prominent Baptist figures have identified themselves as Calvinists, including 19th century British pastor and evangelist Charles Haddon Spurgeon and James Petigru Boyce, founding president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
On the other hand, the fathers of the Baptist movement -- Englishmen John Smyth and Thomas Helwys -- rejected Calvinism.
Calvin’s cool on campus
After a long period of disfavor, however, full five-point Calvinism is gaining in popularity in some Baptist circles today. A study by two Southern Baptist Convention agencies -- the North American Mission Board and LifeWay Christian Resources -- showed that about 30 percent of recent graduates of Southern Baptist seminaries identify themselves as Calvinists. That figure compares to 10 percent of Southern Baptist pastors overall.
Renewed interest in Reformed theology -- what Calvinists refer to as “the doctrines of grace” -- also is evident among university students, some Baptist college professors have noted. In part, observers attribute the growth of Calvinism on college campuses to the popularity of the Passion worship event-conferences, which feature prominent Calvinists like Baptist pastor-theologian John Piper.
The Passion movement and related One Day events serve as gateways into Calvinism, said Roger Olson, professor of theology at Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary.
“My experience is that many young Christians swept up by this wave know little about the details of this kind of Calvinism,” Olson said. “Many of them are simply shocked to find out that it entails belief in limited atonement” -- the belief that Christ’s sacrificial death only atones for a percentage of humankind rather than its entirety.
Olson continued, “However, after a while, many of them gradually accept it lock, stock and barrel because they don’t know any alternative. Southern Baptists -- and offshoots -- have not been very good at offering young people sound theology.”
Hunger for theology that is “rigorously biblical and satisfies the desire to hear from God in his Word” accounts for much of Calvinism’s popularity among students, said Thomas Ascol. He is the executive director of Founders Ministries, an organization that promotes Reformed theology in Southern Baptist life.
“The rising generation is looking for authenticity,” Ascol said. Students read biblical stories about faithful people who suffered martyrdom, and they hunger for “the radicalness of biblical Christianity,” he noted.
“Then they look at the slick and oftentimes superficial Christianity that dominates American evangelicalism, and they wonder why there is a difference. What did those early believers see [that] we don’t see? Part of the answer is they saw the majestic supremacy of God over every sphere of life.”
Dancing to Piper’s tune?
To Reformed theology’s Baptist advocates, Piper is, literally, a Godsend. Ascol said the pastor -- who leads a Minneapolis church affiliated with the Baptist General Conference -- has been used to “cast a vision of radically biblical Christianity” to a new generation.
“There is no fluff in Piper’s ministry. It is rock-solid Bible teaching that does not shy away from the hard sayings and clear calls of discipleship,” he said. “It is authentic in its devotion to the text of Scripture. That resonates with many in the younger generation who are hungry for truth.”
But critics of resurgent Calvinism see popular Reformed theology as appealing to the desire for clear-cut, black-and-white answers.
“The present, new Calvinists claim to know way, way too much about the mind of God,” Olson asserted.
The Baylor professor drew a distinction between the gentle and nuanced Calvinism held by many Christians in historically Reformed churches -- such as the Presbyterian tradition -- and the assertive new form.
“My experience is that this new wave of Reformed theology -- inspired by John Piper who is inspired by Jonathan Edwards -- appeals mostly to young men who want to avoid any hint of ambiguity in their theology,” he said.
Doctrine that divides
In part because its adherents hold to its teachings so tenaciously, Calvinism has divided some congregations -- particularly when Calvinist pastors have asserted their beliefs in historically non-Calvinist churches.
Such division, some Calvinists say, may be inevitable.
“Any given doctrine will divide. The gospel itself is a doctrine that divides,” said Jonathan Leeman, director of communications for 9Marks, a ministry founded by Reformed Southern Baptist pastor Mark Dever.
“There has been a renewed emphasis on the doctrines of grace, and that could lead to some level of divisiveness. That’s almost necessarily so, in the same way that an emphasis on [biblical] inerrancy led to division within the Southern Baptist Convention.”
In fact, Leeman said, he believes no one should be surprised by the growing interest in Calvinism among Southern Baptists.
“The inerrancy debate brought a renewed interest in the careful study of the Scriptures, and that brings with it a more careful enunciation of doctrine,” he said.
But some Calvinists believe they have been unjustly tagged with the divisiveness label.
“What I have discovered is that Calvinism is blamed far more often for dividing churches or associations than is actually the case,” Ascol said. “Closer investigation has often revealed that Calvinism is often the tail on which the donkey is pinned. I know of more cases where the real issue behind a controversy is biblical Christianity -- what is a Christian and how does a person become one -- not Calvinism.”
Missions and evangelism
Ascol also believes Calvinists often have been unfairly stereotyped as anti-missionary.
“Look at who has been going as [Southern Baptist] career missionaries over the last few years. A significant percentage would classify themselves as Reformed,” he said.
He also pointed to historic Calvinists known for their evangelistic and missionary zeal -- George Whitefield, Andrew Fuller, William Carey and George Muller, as well as Edwards and Spurgeon.
Olson acknowledged the current wave of Baptist Calvinism -- which he calls “Piperism” -- is characterized by a fervent missionary spirit.
“However, I think those who follow it out to its logical conclusion may eventually decide that there is no point in evangelism or missions,” he said. “That has certainly happened in the past with this kind of Calvinism. If you are told that your evangelism and missionary work is nothing more than a ‘foreordained means to a foreordained end,’ and it cannot alter what God has already decided, you might conclude that there is no urgency.”
But Leeman said that problem is solved by framing the evangelistic impetus in terms familiar to most evangelicals, whether Calvinist or non-Calvinist -- love and obedience.
“Being that Christ is my greatest love, I will want to share him with others,” he said, adding that Jesus commanded his followers to share the gospel. “The call to repentance and obedience is not optional.”
But concern about Calvinism’s impact on fulfilling Christ’s Great Commission is a valid concern, even if it’s not well founded, Leeman added.
“The primary cause of division over the issue [of Calvinism] is concern on the part of the non-Reformed crowd that it will hurt evangelism and missions, and those of us who are Reformed need to be entirely sympathetic to that concern,” he said.
“At the same time, instead of debating issues with us, I would like to see the non-Reformed crowd give us the benefit of the doubt. Accept that a Reformed congregation means what it says when it affirms evangelism and missions.”
Show some grace
Ironically, the debate over the doctrines of grace often has been characterized by a lack of grace by those on both sides. Much of the division caused by Calvinism could be avoided if Christians treated each other a bit more graciously, some Calvinists and non-Calvinists agreed.
“I love my Calvinist friends and students,” Olson said. “I have no quarrel with them; it is only with their theology I have a quarrel. And I do not attempt to convert my Calvinist students to non-Calvinism. I only ask them to study all the options and make sure they are thinking biblically and logically.”
In local congregations, Ascol said, shared belief about Jesus Christ and biblical authority should be sufficient ground for both sides to share the same pews peacefully.
“Our church has Calvinists and non-Calvinists joyfully laboring together for the gospel, and I know of many other churches that do, too,” he said.
“We do that by focusing on the gospel -- who Jesus is, what he has done and why that matters. We may not agree on every detail of how the gospel works … but we are all committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and his supremacy over all of life. Where there is a pre-commitment to the authority of God’s written Word and a confessional and covenantal agreement [about] how we will live together, there can and should be genuine unity in Christ.”
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Tiptoe through the TULIP: Floral theology delineates Calvinisim, Arminianism
By Ken Camp
(ABP) -- Theologians past and present have used a bouquet of initials and analogies to describe Calvinist doctrine.
Historically, the Reformed Synod of Dort in the Netherlands delineated the differences between Calvinism -- named for the Genevan reformer John Calvin -- and Arminianism, after the teachings of James Jacobus Arminius. For the sake of simplicity -- and playing on an association with the best-known Dutch flower -- those teachings have been summarized through the TULIP acronym.
TULIP stands for:
-- Total depravity: The belief that human beings are dead in their sins, and they stand justly condemned before God, unable to do anything to save themselves.
-- Unconditional election: From eternity, God in his sovereignty chose specific human beings to be saved. That salvation was entirely determined and willed by God; he didn’t simply have foreknowledge of who would freely respond to his offer of grace.
-- Limited atonement: Also known as “particular redemption,” the doctrine teaches that the death of Jesus Christ was intended for the remission of the sins of a finite number of elect human beings only; in other words, the intention of the atonement and its effects are the same.
-- Irresistible grace: Many Calvinists prefer the term “effectual calling” to express the idea that God’s call to salvation will not fail to bring about the repentance and faith of the elect.
-- Perseverance of the saints: This doctrine teaches that all true believers in Christ will be saved because God grants them faith to persist in their belief to the end of life.
Timothy George, founding dean of Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School, has proposed an alternative floral acronym. George, a Reformed Baptist theologian, recommended a change in terminology from TULIP to ROSES, which denotes radical depravity, overcoming grace, sovereign election, eternal life and singular redemption.
James Leo Garrett, emeritus distinguished professor of theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, has noted Dortian Calvinists and early Arminians may not have differed on total depravity. Rather, he said, the key difference may have been whether faith and repentance were gifts from God -- as the Calvinists taught – or, as the Arminians insisted, human duties.
“That would call for FULIP [for faith] or RULIP [for repentance], not TULIP,” Garrett said.
Without benefit of a floral reminder (the first letters add up to SCENA), Garrett also has delineated the five points of “Hyper-Calvinism,” or Reformed theology taken to the extreme:
-- Supralapsarianism: God’s decree to elect some human beings for salvation and to damn others eternally is logically the first of God’s eternal decrees.
-- Covenant of redemption: An eternal covenant exists among God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for the redemption of elect humans through the Son.
-- Eternal justification: The elect are justified in eternity whether or not they demonstrate requisite faith in earthly history.
-- No offers of grace: Preachers should be discouraged from offering grace indiscriminately to their hearers, who presumably would include both the elect and the damned.
-- Antinomianism: Christians are not obligated to obey the moral laws of the Old Testament.
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Tiptoe through the TULIP: Baptist Boomer theologians show fondness for Calvinism
By Ken Camp
BROWNWOOD, Texas (ABP) -- Among Baptist Baby Boomer theologians, at least half of the major authors are committed to Calvinism, an influential Baptist theologian of an earlier generation has noted.
James Leo Garrett Jr., distinguished professor of theology emeritus at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary examined 10 Baptist theologians of the Baby Boomer generation during a plenary address at Howard Payne University’s recent Christian doctrines colloquy. The Baptist school is located in Brownwood, Texas.
Garrett identified three as “pronounced Calvinists” -- John Piper, Tom Nettles and Timothy George. He listed two -- Donald Carson and Wayne Grudem -- as “moderate Calvinists” and one -- David Dockery -- as “Calminian,” an amalgam of Calvinist and Arminian theology.
Of the remaining theologians Garrett examined, he said three did not position themselves about Calvinism in their writing -- Paul Fiddes, Stanley Grenz and Nigel Wright. One, Roger Olson, he identified as “the principal Baptist advocate of Arminianism.”
In his presentation at Howard Payne -- a condensed version of a chapter from an upcoming book -- he dealt most thoroughly with Piper and Nettles.
Jonathan Edwards -- the 18th century pastor-theologian perhaps best known for his “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” sermon -- profoundly shaped Piper’s theology, Garrett noted. Edwards was particularly influential on Piper’s understanding of the doctrine of God, he said.
“There is a sense in which Piper’s theology consists of only one doctrine -- the doctrine of God,” he said. “It’s the supremacy and the glory of God, even more than his sovereignty, that is central to Piper’s theology.”
Garrett noted with interest the controversy that arose in 2005 when Piper advocated that his congregation, Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minn., adopt a policy of open baptism. The policy would grant full membership to Christians who gave evidence of conversion but who were sprinkled as infants.
“John Piper, who has expanding and far-reaching influence as a pastor-theologian in the God-glorifying school of Edwards, has increasingly demonstrated that he is first evangelical and Reformed and, second, Baptist,” Garrett said.
Nettles, who is a professor of historical theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, simultaneously advanced the causes of Biblical inerrancy and Calvinism in Southern Baptist ranks beginning in the early 1980s, Garrett noted.
“Nettles laid the blame for the demise of Dortian Calvinism among Southern Baptists on E.Y. Mullins for his theological methodology in which experience overshadowed the Scriptures and on L.R. Scarborough for his evangelistic methodology centering on what Nettles called ‘decisional regeneration,’” Garrett said.
Mullins was a president of Southern Seminary, and Scarborough was president of Southwestern Seminary, both in the early 20th century.
“Nettles seems to embrace the ‘domino theory,’” Garrett observed. “That is, if the doctrines of Dortian Calvinism should be rejected and not be allowed to be the fountainhead of all theology, then theological crises, non-evangelical positions and process theology would be the result.”
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Prayer Blog - 4/29/2008
200 people were injured but no one was killed when a tornado hit Suffolk, Virginia. Nearby Franklin was also under a tornado watch but thankfully the disaster did not hit the town.
Bible Trivia - 4/29/2008
Question: What do the initials NIV stand for?
Answer: New International Version.
Comments: The New International Version of the Bible is one of the most popular translation on the market. The (Protestant) translation began in 1965 largely in response to the (Catholic) Revised Standard Version. The New Testament was released in 1973 and the full Bible in 1978. It underwent minor revision in 1984.
It critics have jokingly claimed the acronym stands for “Nearly Inspired Version.”
Word of the Day - 4/29/2008
Fiat
A fiat is an authoritative decree, sanction, or order.
Just prior to Jesus' birth, Caesar Augustus (63 BCE-14 CE) administered a fiat which forced all citizens to register for a census in their hometowns.
Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. (Luke 2:1, NASB)
In Eckleburg's Eyes - 4/29/2008
On Monday, I traveled to Gulfport, Mississippi, as part of a mission trip providing aid to victims of Hurricane Katrina. Some people perform their Katrina relief in the Big Easy, but I chose to do mine in Mississippi. This is actually the second time this year I have ventured into Mississippi. I must be living right...
I traveled as part of an eclectic conglomerate of volunteers from my church. My friend and minister MLM drove the church’s Sprinter (or Missions) van and I followed in Chanana II. MLM was transporting Jim Heizer (JLH), Jim Ingram (JCI), and Henry McCarter (HEM). I am the only rookie on the team. MLM has visited no less than ten times. JLH is a missionary to Russia who once headed the church’s trips to Gulfport. He has been eight times. HEM has been three. The only thing I think we all have in common is excessively pale skin. Naturally, we have volunteered as part of an outdoor work crew in the heat of the deep south.
I spent the better part of Monday on the road directly following MLM’s lead for about ten hours and 550+ miles. We actually may have set a lane change record. MLM set his cruise control at 75-76 and coasted in the slow lane until someone bogged him down. Each time this happened he passed and returned to the slow lane. He also changed lanes at virtually every ramp to nobly allow oncoming traffic to merge. I honestly think I changed lanes more on this trip than in the rest of my fourteen years of driving combined. I was a little worried my turn signal would burn out.
We made several stops, including dining at an Arby’s in Bessemer, Alabama. We also stopped at the “Dizzy Dean Rest Area” on U.S. Highway 49 in Wiggins, Mississippi. Dean (1910-1974) was a Hall of Fame pitcher who resided in Bond, MS, fives miles north of Wiggins. The site was just named in his honored on October 22.
We arrived in Gulfport at Robinson Road Baptist Church (20035 Robinson Road; Gulfport, MS 39503) just in time for 6 o’clock supper. I had no doubts that MLM would arrive in time for a free meal. Hearty breakfasts and dinners are served daily to volunteers made primarily from Sysco products. Sack lunches are distributed in the mornings so that workers are not forced to drive the 4-6 miles back from the sites.
Gulfport is less than an hour from New Orleans and actually registered higher tidal surges than in New Orleans during Katrina. It just lacked the media attention. We are close enough that I listened to a New Orleans radio station on the way in.
The mission is a joint venture of both the disaster relief branches of the Tennessee Baptist Convention (TBC) and the Gulf Coast Baptist Association . The TBC is one of just many denominational organizations (including its North Carolina counterpart) that has disaster relief offices in the area. The TBC has a contract with Robinson Road for three years in exchange for supporting the facility. The congregation was in shambles after Katrina as many of the member’s employers no longer existed. I never grasped the ramifications of the disaster until seeing the area - more than two years after the event itself!
Though they have had volunteers ranging from age 18-83, most of the volunteers are older. Few people have schedules flexible enough for an entire week off in the gulf. Though teenagers have helped in the past, they are now being discouraged from doing so as the environment does not lend itself to high school students.
One young worker named Jocelyn moved to Gulfport after assisting on mission trip. The Albany, New York, native had never even seen this region of the country before the mission trip. She had served 3½ years in public relations prior to heading south.
The facility is well equipped. The TBC actually owns portable showers that are always ensured to have hot water. The facility has countless volunteers staying in it.
The four other church members are sharing a room on the second floor. I had the option of residing with them or in an unfurnished room on the first floor near the noisy kitchen. Is there any doubt which option this only child chose?
Before closing I must acknowledge that the password for the church’s wireless connection is composed of 26 unrelated characters. Welcome to the inherent legalism of the Southern Baptist Convention!
Monday, April 28, 2008
Prayer Blog - 4/28/2008, #5
LAC had a medical emergency yesterday during the church service. Fortunately, the pastor's son (a doctor) was on hand as his niece was getting dedicated. Early indicators point to a heart ailment. Keep LAC and his family in your prayers.
Prayer Blog - 4/28/2008, #4
My grandmother MEHV met with a neurologist today in Knoxville regarding problems she has been having walking. The doctor deemed surgery at her age to risky and as such there was nothing that could be done. This was obviously very disheartening. Pray that she is healed (God is still capable of miracles) but that if she is no, her pain can be minimized.
Prayer Blog - 4/28/2008, #3
I agreed today to preach on May 25th at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Newport, TN. It is my first time preaching there (or any Lutheran church for that matter). Pray that god uses me in this situation.
Prayer Blog - 4/28/2008, #2
My paperwork will be submitted soon to the University of Tennessee’s Department of Educational Psychology & Counseling. RFK (Dr. Kronick, not the deceased presidential candidate) has generously offered to place my materials into the “pipeline” firsthand. Pray that the documents reach their rightful destinations and that I get accepted. Also, pray that if I face rejection, I will handle it well.
Prayer Blog - 4/28/2008
I left this morning for Gulport, Mississippi, as part of a mission team led by MLM. Please pray for travel and the work that we do. The work is far outside my realm of expertise, but I have it on good authority that God prefers my availability to ability.
Also pray that the countless waivers I sign will prove unnecessary.
Bible Trivia - 4/28/2008
Question: What did Jesus do twice while reprimanding those about to stone a woman for adultery?
Answer: Write in the dirt. (John 8:1-11)
Comments: Jesus' inscription in the dirt while defending the woman caught in adultery is the only time the Biblical text documents him writing. There has been much speculation as to what he wrote. One scholar suggested, "Where's the man?" since adultery by defintion involves two parties.
The fact that he wrote is far more significant than what he wrote. The writing served to create a diversion for the presumably scantily clad and embarrassed woman. It is yet another example of Jesus' compassion.
Word of the Day - 4/28/2008
Viridity
Viridity means greenness; verdancy; verdure.
Though the Feeding of the 5000 is the only miracle to appear in all four canonical gospels, Mark is the only one to comment on the viridity of the grass. (Mark 6:39)
And He commanded them all to sit down by groups on the green grass. (Mark 6:39, NASB)
In Eckleburg's Eyes - 4/28/2008
It was a big weekend in Knoxville as the tax free weekend and the Graham Festival both hit the town.
I spent my Friday night with KJW and RAW. As usual, KJW was watching SpongeBob SquarePants when I arrived. Soon after I got there, the show ended and iCarly began. To say KJW was not pleased would be an understatement. A crisis was averted when her father switched the channel, remembering that the show is always on. Always. I am pretty sure it rivals Law & Order in air time.
KJW’s SpongeBob intake is now being closely monitored after she saw an episode which referenced “kicking butt” (“The Bully/Just One Bite” - 10/5/2001). She quickly added the expression to her vocabulary. Though this is cute, it is not something you want her saying regularly. Why do children always picked up the one thing you would least like them to?
We then went to Sunchase Apartments where KL (aka "Sunshine") resides and joined she and MPW for swimming at their exquisite pool. KJW debuted her new lime green swimsuit which she selected herself. I bummed mine off RAW as I did not know we were going. KJW loves the water and is a bit too fearless for her own good. It was fun. The only negative was that KJW continually switched from the hot tub to the comparatively chilling pool. I actually think my body was brittle after the experience.
The night ended as many of my Fridays do - with a meal from Applebees. This time, we ordered take out and ate with RAW and a returning KLTW.
The highlight of the night was learning that “Chan’s Car” (pronounced as one word) has made the list of things KJW lists when she wants to take with her when she leaves the house. Mine is the only automobile which made the list. I am so honored.
On Saturday, JTH and I checked out the Franklin Graham Festival at Thompson-Boling Arena. Unfortunately, the only session we could attend was youth night as a previous engagement forced us to miss Graham’s message. Even so, we could see that this was quite an event. The Knoxville happening is one of only five festivals this year.
JTH and I saw many people we knew. We were greeted at the door by the lovely OMM. Yes, I held up the event to take a picture with an usher. We got to talk with JTH’s brother’s in-laws (is there a word for that?) WDS & CDS. ALC worked the souvenir stand. In the spirit of the event, I refrained from informing the customers that they could purchase virtually any book on the table at McKay’s for a mere 75¢. I was quite proud of myself.
The place was packed when we got there so we created our own seats. The choir section was cordoned off, so we pulled out chairs and sat directly behind the center stage. One usher complimented us on our ingenuity. She saw that we had one of the best views in the house. We had a television monitor directly in front of us and a unique glimpse backstage enabling us to see how the show was run. What the usher did not notice was that acoustically, our seats were horrid. It is just a shame not every seat can be located in 315A.
The event featured musical performances by Christian hip hop artists Group 1 Crew and Toby Mac followed by a message from Graham. Based upon the audience response when all three were announced, Toby Mac (also a member of D.C. Talk) was the draw on this night.
We got to see Group 1 Crew's entire set and a good portion of Toby Mac’s before leaving. Both performances were frenetic inspiring mosh-like activity on the floor. I had a really good time envisioning OMM in a mosh pit. (See above photo of OMM to establish visual.)
Though I wish we could have heard the message, I was glad to experience even a portion of the event. I had only two complaints: 1. Many of the people emceeing the event used Christianianese (which the target audience would not grasp) and an attitude that I always interpret as disingenuous whether it is or not. (One of my biggest pet peeves is Christianese.) 2. Though the huge arena was packed, the congregation was virtually all Caucasian. The church is the last bastion of segregation in this country and I find this abominable.
JTH and I then made our way to the posh The Butcher Shop Steakhouse, a restaurant created in 1983 during renovations to the World’s Far Site. Though the restaurant is well-known I had never eaten there before. The restaurant has great atmosphere and it’s gimmick is that it allows you to select your own meat and either cook it yourself or have the restaurant prepare it for you. I do not know why I would go somewhere to cook myself, but I suppose it was nice to have the option.
I originally ordered the prime rib but I was informed that they ran out. How does a butcher shop run out of prime rib?
We joined a group of nine (and a lot of prom night groups) to celebrate JBT’s 24th birthday. During the dinner's discussion, I was posed a question I had never encountered before. A couple was there and began discussing their future marriage plans, including finances. The man is currently making a good deal of money and while the woman is not, she has good prospects for the future. The man inquired about the possibilities of a future prenuptial in which the document would entitle him to her future earnings. While I did not know, it sounded like a bad idea. As an aside, would a future prenup just be a nup?
I spent Sunday with RAW and his family. First, we ate lunch at Captain D's with RAW's father (ROW) and grandfather (PEW). While at lunch, KJW demonstrated her knowledge of sign language (learned from Baby Einstein). I could swear the sign for refrigerator is the same sign Ross and Rachel created on “Friends” that equates with bird flipping.
While there we ran into NMB and his wife AB. They are doing well and have a beautiful daughter almost exactly KJW’s age.
RAW's immediate family and I then traveled to Dandridge, Tennessee, for a 2 o'clock baby shower for KLTW's sister (KLTK). Yes, I went to a babyshower. I am bucking for the nonexistent minister of the year award. The original plan was for me to keep RAW company. We arrived and found eight children in the house to babysit. They were all well-behaved, but it was still exhausting. Fortunately, KJW was a hit with the older kids there.
We were assisted by KLTK's husband PK. Though I have met KLTK on numerous occasions, I had never met her husband as he works out of town during the week. I was glad to know he existed. I was beginning to think he was the family Mr. Snuffleupagus.
The shower was at the next door neighbor's house and we had access to both lots. The area is a great place for kids. The two families shares a massive play set that was constructed by students at local Jefferson County High School. They paid only for the materials as the edifice was built as a class project. There was also a sizable trampoline in the yard. (Note: The child jumping in the picture is KJW's first cousin KGK who greatly resembles KJW.)
The kids recently received a new puppy chihuahua (not that they grow to be mastodons). KGK named the baby "Lily love" after Emily Osment's character on "Hannah Montana" series. KLTW was discouarged as she had envisioned naming her second girl "Lily Pearl." It sounds like she ought to be making jokes at the Grand Ole Opry. You may remember that only a well-time intervention and an epidural are all that prevented KJW from being named "Cordelia." Begin praying now for the name of KLTW's second baby.
While there I was also introduced to two new children’s fads. First, I discovered Moon Sand. It is a specially formulated sand that molds like dough, yet does not dry out making it easily reusable. KJW loved it. The second craze new to me was Webkinz. The toys are similar to many other small plush toys, however they come with a special code on their labels that allows access to the "Webkinz World" which is a website to own a virtual version of the pet for virtual interaction. Evidently, Hallmark had promotion that gave one away for every $10 spent. All of the kids got theirs this weekend. This concept was lost on KJW but it made me realize that I really need to develop a children's toy.
The highlight of the day came as I supervised KJW and her two cousins. The six-year old boy, JK, suddenly and emphatically asked, "Why does someone stink in here?" Yes, KJW had soiled her diaper. We then performed our well-rehearsed "Do you want your uncle Chan to change your diaper?" bit. She has been trained to say "no" loudly and immediately. This way i can always claim I offered.
KJW naturally did not take a nap all day with so much attention and excitement. This left her a bit restless by the end of the day. We literally had to drag her off of the trampoline as we left. In the midst of her fit, I requested that she show me her sad face. Usually she is so stubborn that she calms down to spite the person who asks. (Can you say heredity?) On this day, she stopped mid-cry to show me the face shortly before continuing her tantrum. Evidently, there is always time to entertain.
Afterwards we made the obligatory stop to the Dandridge Seafood Restaurant. It would be a sin not to eat there while visiting Dandridge. I split the Captain’s Treasure with RAW. It consists of four different portions of seafood. In contrast, KJW ate amongst other things, crackers dipped in apple sauce. I must acknowledge that the concoction was her own creation. Otherwise, we might be accused of child abuse.
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