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Other Recent Blog Entries: A Sincere and
Respectful Call for A Great Commandment Renewal VBS Is a Blessing! Taking the
'Stew' Out of Stewardship |
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| Submitted: Saturday, June 27, 2009; 8:14 p.m. print this page ● feedback ● main ALSBOM site |
Southern Baptists are a big family and, each year, we have a
family reunion of sorts. There is a huge amount of behind the
scenes planning which takes place prior to the annual meeting of
the messengers (family members) who come for the reunion of
Southern Baptists. Believe me, I know something about such
preparation efforts. The state convention is obviously smaller
than the national gathering, but the preparation is intensive
and extensive nonetheless. I can only imagine how much energy
and time goes into making the annual meeting possible and
effective for the messengers to come together for inspiration,
information and interaction.
This year, the Great Commission was the major topic for
discussion. A motion was made and overwhelmingly approved for a
presidentially appointed task force to be named for the purpose
of studying how Southern Baptists can be more effective as Great
Commission Christians. The 18-member group will meet throughout
the year and bring a report to the convention in Orlando at our
next annual meeting. They need the prayer support of all
Southern Baptists, and I am pleased to join my family members in
praying for this important task force as they faithfully serve
our Lord and our beloved SBC family this year.
Personally, I left the convention gladdened that the Great
Commission has become a missional topic for Southern Baptists to
discuss.
For Alabama Baptists, two topics -- the Great Commission and the
Cooperative Program -- have been inseparable emphases over the
past 11 years. When we speak of our ONE MISSION, we are focusing
on the Great Commission, because we are a Great Commission
people. When we refer to the ONE PROGRAM, we mean the
Cooperative Program, because we believe in the unified budgeting
approach to supporting missions in Alabama, North America and
around the world. Currently our state convention is the best
supporter of SBC causes through the Cooperative Program, and we
thank God for this type of partnership.
My prayer is that a Great Commission Resurgence (GCR) will lead
to a Cooperative Program Resurgence (CPR). In reflecting over
the needs of our global missions effort, it would be interesting
to learn what current Cooperative Program giving would look like
if we gave at percentage levels of 1989. In other words, if
churches had maintained a 10 percent level of giving through the
Cooperative Program throughout the last two decades, rather than
the decreasing percentage, which is now slightly above 6
percent, what would the picture be for Southern Baptists?
Consider this past year as an example. If we had maintained the
10 percent level of giving, then the receipts for the SBC alone
would have $869 million instead of $539 million. That is a 61
percent differential. The additional amount going to the IMB
would have funded the present shortfall they are experiencing.
It would have meant more funds for every missions effort in SBC
life. There would have been much more money for the seminaries
and other entities in Baptist life.
Remember that is just one year: 2008. If you add the cumulative
of the past 20 years, you would be astounded. The point I am
making is the same one others have made on the national level.
We don't have a funding problem but a faith problem! The real
issue is personal stewardship on the part of Baptists who, like
other evangelicals, are not being good stewards of their
resources. Debt and economic upheaval are only the symptoms of
the problem.
When we exercise faith personally and become good stewards of
storehouse giving through our churches, then we demonstrate an
evidence of a Great Commission revival or resurgence. For
Southern Baptists, a Great Commission revival or resurgence
should mean a Cooperative Program Resurgence. This is the kind
of CPR which can invigorate and energize Southern Baptists. I
know that the Great Commission Resurgence is bigger than one
issue, like funding, but if I heard the debate correctly, then
it is an important one for all of us to consider.
I am a loyal Southern Baptist, from the top of my head to the
tip of my toes. I am sold out to Jesus and to my family of faith
called Southern Baptists. I am committed to our ONE MISSION, the
Great Commission, and to our ONE PROGRAM, the Cooperative
Program. I am also concerned that we do a better job with the
resources we have been given. I pray that we as a family called
Southern Baptists will experience a revival, a resurgence in our
Great Commission living and in our Cooperative Program giving.
Whatever Happened to Old Fashioned Respect?
| Submitted: Saturday, June 20, 2009; 7:24 a.m. print this page ● feedback ● main ALSBOM site |
Since I began blogging as a ministry tool, I have felt that my
subjects for readers should be about the missions and ministries
of Alabama Baptists and Southern Baptists. That has been the
motivating philosophy behind my modest endeavors in this sphere
of influence. As a result, I have NOT sought to set forth a
personal political agenda, nor have I tried to become a social
commentator on the secular trends in our society. There are far
better thinkers and writers than I who can do this kind of work.
However, I have a concern burning in my soul about the apparent
loss of old fashioned respect in our culture. Granted, I may be
voicing a generational or even a Southern bias in offering this
perspective, but here goes.
Recently, controversial California pastor Wiley Drake made some
unimaginably unwise comments about President Obama on a network
radio talk show. Now, I realize that Bro. Drake is a
shoot-from-the-hip kind of fellow, and I also know personally
that statements can be taken out of context and sound worse than
intended, but his comments have been verified by Baptist Press
and Fox News.
What did he say? I don't want to repeat his viewpoint in
verbatim form. I ask you to go to Baptist Press or Fox News
radio archives for the actual statements. Bro. Drake in essence
called for imprecatory prayers against the well being of the
president as a means of expressing his political opinion about
Mr. Obama.
Don't get me wrong, the president has espoused views with which
I strongly disagree. His political perspective does not reflect
mine in some major ways. However, as a Christian, I am to
respect him and pray for him. Bro. Drake needs to read Paul's
admonitions concerning praying for those in authority. Further,
he should think about his Christian witness and those he seems
to want to represent in the SBC family.
In the last several months, I have traveled abroad to Ukraine
and the United Kingdom. In both places, people asked me
personally and in public venues what I thought about President
Obama. My responses have always been predicated with a
respectful appreciation for the office by saying, "As an
American citizen, traveling abroad and living and traveling in
my own country, I want you to know that I pray for my
president." I have spoken kindly about Mr. Obama's dedication to
his family and my concern for his well being. I was utterly
amazed to come home and hear the horrific comments of Bro.
Drake. I will be praying for him as a brother. My prayer is that
Wiley Drake will come to see that such outlandish statements are
not only wrong, but such words hurt the cause of Christ.
Recently I've noticed other illustrations of disrespect from our
culture. David Letterman's inappropriate attempts of making a
joke at the expense of Sarah Palin's family is so disrespectful
that I can barely contain myself as I write about what he said.
Again, I will not repeat them verbatim. Doubtless, you have
heard them for yourself. David Letterman and his writing team
need a real wakeup call concerning decency and respect for the
young and impressionable among us. I know he is in a ratings war
with Conan O'Brien, but how far will someone stoop just to get a
point ahead of his competitors? I don't watch Letterman, and I
won't criticize those who do. However, this man needs to learn
from this huge mistake and pledge never to jump across that line
of disrespect again -- I mean never!!!
In South Carolina, Rusty DePass, former Richland County GOP
chairman, misused his Facebook page when he made unflattering
remarks about Michelle Obama after hearing a news report that a
gorilla had escaped from the zoo in Columbia, S.C. After the
Republican activist's comment was exposed by a blogger, DePass
quickly deleted his Facebook page, but the ensuing controversy
led to DePass issuing an apology to Mrs. Obama and resigning his
job as a real estate broker. This incident should remind us
about stewardship of language. One slip of the tongue, pen or
keyboard can wound others and damage our own reputations. We
should embrace a more Hebraic view of words that recognizes that
words spoken can't be taken back. (For a biblical illustration
of that truism, see Genesis 27 when Isaac spoke a blessing to
Jacob thinking it was Esau.)
Senator John Ensign of Nevada has admitted that he failed to
honor his vows of marriage. Standing before the microphones
addressing the media and the nation, he called it the worst
mistake of his life. This is not the first time that someone of
a high profile who has been in a lofty position of leadership
has had to admit such a failure, and for certain it will not be
the last. For John Ensign, his plans for a bright political
future have been dimmed by a lapse of respect for his marriage
vows. Again, this is another sad example of a loss of old
fashioned respect for fidelity in marriage. As is true for all
experience such failures in life, Senator Ensign can learn from
this experience and so can all of us. We need to regain a sense
of old fashioned respect for the institution of marriage.
The last illustration may appear to some as the weakest one. To
me, however, it is a big issue. Forgive me if I offend anyone
for feeling that Senator Barbara Boxer crossed the line of
respect into disrespect recently. The senator was hearing the
testimony of a brigadier general concerning the military
situation in the hotspots of the world. The general referred to
her as "ma'am" in a response, perhaps several of them. This
annoyed the senator from California, and she then said in a real
snippy fashion, "General, I wish you would call me senator and
not ma'am. I worked hard to earn this title."
Indeed Senator Boxer has worked hard for her job, and I realize
that she is proud of her accomplishments. I do not want to
assume that the title of senator should be demeaned in any way.
Yet my father, a World War II veteran, always taught me to refer
to ladies, younger and older, with the deferential terms "Yes,
ma'am" and "No, ma'am." This has been embedded in my DNA since
my childhood. In the military culture, anyone who is a superior
is addressed with the deferential expressions "Yes, sir" and
"No, sir" for the males and "Yes, ma'am" and "No, ma'am" for the
females. In other words, the general was being respectful of the
senator, even though he did not use her title. In my opinion,
the senator was being disrespectful to the general. More than
likely, the general had used the expressions "Yes, sir" and "No,
sir" as he addressed the male senators. I do not know that for
certain, because the sound bite was so brief.
Well, I warned you that this blog was different. I will not
stray much from the course of focusing my comments on missions
and ministries in the future. But, please help our culture to
regain some respect for old fashioned respect of others. Wiley
Drake, David Letterman, Rusty DePass, Senator Ensign and Senator
Boxer are not the only ones who cross the line; we do too. Every
time we express road rage or fail to exercise common decency, we
lose that perspective of old fashioned respect.
John Wesley Would Be Proud of You!
| Submitted: Sunday, June 14, 2009; 8:17 a.m. print this page ● feedback ● main ALSBOM site |
"John
Wesley would be proud of you." These are the words expressed by
Timothy George to David Leese, pastor of the Wesley Memorial
Church in Epworth, England. During our recent visit to Great
Britain, our group was afforded the opportunity to visit the
historic church and we were privileged to spend some valuable
time with this fine pastor.
The complimentary affirmation from Timothy George came at the
end of our fellowship time with David Leese. What precipitated
these words of appreciation and blessing? You would have to have
been there to fully understand. This warmhearted evangelical
pastor is seeking to make a difference for Christ in this small
English village of Epworth, located in the beautiful countryside
north of London.
The
church is a thriving witness in the community. David is welcomed
into the local schools to share his faith with the students. The
Anglicans in the area also hold this pastor in high esteem. The
worship style at Wesley Memorial is non-traditional, featuring
all kinds of musical instruments and celebrative singing by the
people. Wesley Memorial Church worships with a spirit of
enthusiasm found in the preaching style of John Wesley and in
the music of Charles Wesley.
During the brief dialogue with David, he shared his testimony
with us. He traced his pilgrimage to faith by describing how he
was moved by conviction after hearing a sermon by David Watson
in York, England. This was 1971, and he was a young man,
searching for answers to the questions of meaning and purpose in
life.
Following the message, he walked across the park and, by the
time, he had reached the third lamp post, David was praying the
prayer of repentance from sin and trust in Jesus. Since that
moment in the park, David Leese has been a changed man. His
desire is to share Christ with others and to see them come to
know Jesus as Lord and Savior.
Standing in the sanctuary, in front of the very table the
Wesleys used for Communion, David Leese said, "This church is
not a museum, it is a place of worship." Well said, my new
friend from Epworth, England. The Wesley home is just behind the
church and it is a museum, but the church which bears the famous
family name is a mission – not a museum. Yes, to borrow the
words of Timothy George, "John Wesley would be proud of you."
