Memorial Day Weekend - Part 2

John Armstrong posted a good analysis on Politics, Cultural change, and our mission as believers in Christ here. His analysis has a lot of merit. In my opinion he has nailed the issue on the head.

Conservative Resurgence

Al Mohler in his commentary today wrote about a first hand account of the conservative resurgence in the Southern Baptist Convention. He reviewed Anatomy of a Reformation: The Southern Baptist Convention 1978-2004 written by Paige Patterson. Dr. Patterson is one of the chief architects of the conservative resurgence that began in 1978/79 and is now the president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

I have not read a great deal about this era in Southern Baptist life, but know a couple of professors who recommended books for me to read. I'll probably get this booklet and begin studying history so I don't unknowingly contribute to making the same type of mistakes of the past. I know that this era in SB life has been very distressing for many.

I suppose that theological controversy will continue until we all stand before the Trinity and realize that none of us had it entirely correct. I hope that when controversy comes my way that I will be able to stand before God and give a good account of my actions, all the while knowing that it is by His grace that I stand in His presence anyway.

Memorial Day Weekend

This was a really good weekend. We had a good worship time Sunday morning recognizing graduates from the local schools, remembering those who serve or have served in the military, and the God our patriots worshiped. Talked about God's love for the church and if we are bricks, then we need to stay in the wall where He puts us, til He takes us out and puts us somewhere else.

Had a barbeque on Sunday evening - burgers, dogs, chili, corn on the cob, chips, cake, ate too much. Had a really good conversation with Justin (a summer intern for Phelps Dodge). Justin is a college student with one more year to go - and is ready to start work. Sounds like he has a good foundation for life. He just needs to spend more time playing drums!!! Practice, practice, practice........

Another friend called yesterday morning and asked us to go to the river with them. Had never been there, had a blast getting there - four wheel drive roads, playing in the water, eating, talking, just hanging out. Caught 3 catfish - if you want to call them fish - all 3 together wouldn't make a decent meal. It was fun anyway you want to look at it.

Always in a hurry?

Mike DeVries posts today about Rhythm. Raises some great questions. I need to think through some of them, reevaluate.

Several years ago I started turning off the radio, shutting down the continual noise in my life. Helped a lot, but I find at times other kinds of noise have crept in unnoticed - busyness, worry, trying to do it all, etc. Guess I'd better pull out my "Not to do list" again and cut some more things so the noise level goes back down - so I can hear the still, small voice when it says "Turn left, this is the way, walk in it."

New Friends

Yesterday I finally began a conversation with someone who I have met but not known except through others. He is a pastor who has pastored other pastors. I need that kind of help. I recognize some of my own limitations, while he has been there and done that and can help me see other limitations I have. He has helped another pastor friend through some really tough times and has my respect, not only for that, but for his approach to ministry and what it means to minister.

Sam - I really am looking forward to our conversations and walking through things with you, seeing where He takes us.

Perspectives

My family and I went to a baccalaureate service at the local high school this past Sunday night. My wife and I have been to lots of graduation ceremonies and such the past several years because I was teaching the 11th and 12th grade in Bible Study. This was different because the girls went with us this time.

My oldest is 17 and will graduate next year. My baby is growing up (can you see the tear stains on the screen????) As the soon to be graduates pictures (baby, pre-teen, and recent) were shown on a slide show, I wondered where their lives would lead. Some have great potential academically, others as leaders in their own right - business, family, community, etc. Thought back to when I was their age - have I lived up to my potential since then? Don't know how to answer that question - have I lived up to my potential today, or am I just getting by with what I get by with.........

Change

It is amazing how quickly almost a week goes by without sitting down to blog. I knew it would be a challenge, guess I didn't know just how much of one!

I've been reflecting on changes lately, in the Southern Baptist denomination (www.sbc.net) most specifically.

I spent almost 10 years playing Engineer in an Aerospace firm that produced airplane engines. The last 2 or 3 years of which I was involved in what was known then as Total Quality. The company knew it needed to change in order to maintain its competitive edge in the industry - everybody else was becoming more efficient, they had to do the same in order to keep up or go bankrupt. I learned over the last 2 years of my employment that the company stated that it wanted to change and the leadership was driving the change, but the people in charge were threatened by change and resisted it as fiercely as they could without getting into trouble.

One common complaint from those who wanted to change was that the "Good-Old Boy" network needed to be destroyed before any significant change would take place. There was no denying that the GOBN existed. Everyone who had been around for more than 2 weeks knew who was in and who was out.

Fairly quickly management personnel changes were made, and the GOBN adapted. Some of the names changed, but the network still existed. What I did not see was an attitude of humility and a desire to work together with those outside the GOBN to develop a different way of doing the same job more efficiently.

That lead me to make the only choice I thought I could make at the time - I quit!!!! Became self-employed, no more GOBN, or so I thought - more on that later perhaps.

I became the pastor of a small Southern Baptist Church the last Sunday in 2003. Within the past year I have becoming more aware of changes in the larger church community. Started reading lots of blogs, eventually started commenting and entered the conversation.

In the middle of last year, Dr. Jimmy Draper - SBC's Lifeway asked a couple of questions that started the discussion of how younger leaders in the SBC could become more involved (basically). He has traveled a bit talking with younger leaders and recently started his own blog (here) - thanks Steve McCoy.

One idea that has been floating around in my head for awhile is pretty much the same as when I was employed in the aerospace industry - the "Good Old Boy Network."

Some folks (not everyone) in the conversation (no one in particular, putting several together, fair or not....) IMO apparently have the idea that the GOBN needs to be done away with in order for constructive change to occur. Many do not want to see the structure of our denomination completely demolished, although some do.

It is common for those not in charge to want the ones who are in charge to go away - to destroy the GOBN so that the new can come and change can happen. What many people do not seem to recognize is that a "new" GOBN will step into the void left by the previous one.

It would be a shame for those of us younger leaders in the SBC to work for the utter destruction of the GOBN that exists at this point just so the New GOBN could take over. Each New GOBN starts out with their own ideals and grand plans and each usually becomes stuck in the way they have always done things.

One telling mark that the Holy Spirit has been active in the hearts of His people is a sense of unity - not uniformity. Dr. Draper has started to talk, he is trying to connect with us. Perhaps many more in the existing GOBN will enter the conversation soon (here's hope).

Hopefully all of us see that we must change how we present Christ to those around us, people in general have changed while many churches have not recognized it yet. We have a lot to learn from those who have gone before us, and they have some to learn from us. Hopefully we can both be better disciples of Christ because He has used us to sharpen each other.

Scholarship presentation

Had the opportunity last night to present around $5000 worth of scholarships to High School students. Realized as I approached the podium that I did not know many of the parents of the students (most of who I know). I lost my train of thought and didn't say many of the things that I wanted to say.

I was representing the Clifton-Morenci Rotary Club. I've been a member of Rotary for less than a year now. Getting to meet a lot of people who don't immediately turn me off because I'm a "Preacher." Met the father of one of the students across the fence in my yard this morning. Real nice guy, his first son is leaving for college this summer and he is hoping that he and his wife raised him good, that his son will turn out alright. I do too. I know where their house is now, and will have something to talk about with him next time.

Met someone I went to High School with who was presenting scholarships last night too. Didn't get to talk to him much, just sat next to him on the platform.

I hope these relationships will continue to grow and develop. I have no idea where these guys stand with Christ, but we have some things in common right now - hopefully more in the future.

She's home!

My best friend in the whole world came back home last night. She was away for almost a week helping her mother in Albuquerque. Her mother fell and broke her leg, had surgery to put it all back together and is now in a Rehab Hospital for a couple of weeks.

It never ceases to amaze me how much my wife does. Somehow I forget when she is around all the time. When she's gone, life just doesn't seem right, something vital is missing, even when stuff gets done that normally gets done.

Why do we do apologetics?

Steve McCoy over at Reformissionary made an interesting statement/question about apologetics today 'lately I've been starting to wonder if what many call "a defense" of the faith has really become about being "defensive" about the faith.'

I thought of H. Richard Niebuhr's book - "Christ and Culture." I read it several years ago in Seminary (GGBTS Arizona Regional Campus). Perhaps I need to go back and review it again. It was written in 1951 before the major changes of 60's and the 90's, but still holds a lot of wisdom and insight. This book among others helped to refine my overall view of the apologetic task.

The most important apologetic defense is a life that speaks the love of Christ without using words initially. Telling someone about the love of Christ using words are necessary at some point, but I wonder if we have become too confident in the words we speak and not relying enough on the work of the Holy Spirit using our actions as the medium.

I suppose it's time!

I suppose it's time to add my voice to the fray. I've been reading blogs for quite a while now and I suppose it's time I joined in the fun! May 16 is a good blogday anyway.

No guarantees considering the content, hopefully it will be coherent (mostly)!