New Group Blog Promises MissioMind

Several years ago a group of young(ish) Southern Baptist pastors/leaders got together to use the new(ish) technology of the blogosphere to voice concerns about the SBC. Certainly they were able to raise the bar on how Christ followers think about affecting our world. That project took some twists and turns that made it become, well, “ish”.

So they moved on, stepping back from the political fray that is the SBC but keeping a presence in the blogosphere. Some of these guys I know personally, and others have become my friends through the electronic medium. All of them have forced me to think about my faith and the practice of it. And now it’s time for their collective missional voice to try to challenge our thinking once again.

I for one will be trying to keep up, and you can too by clicking over to MissioScapes.com. I will not guarantee that you will always agree with what is proposed there. I will not guarantee that you will even want to read what they have to say. I will promise you that you will be forced to think about what you believe. And maybe you’ll be challenged to grow.

 

Leaving It Better

Joe Ball at Despising None is urging Baptists to take a long look at how we act. I think this one is worth your time (it won’t take much).

HT: Art Rogers

 

Consuming Conviction

Here’s a list of things that people say they are committed to:

Ø      Family

Ø      God

Ø      Country

Ø      Love

Ø      Friendship

 

Here’s another list—things that I’ve observed that people are really committed to:

Ø      Sports (you choose which one)

Ø      Sports teams

Ø      Clothes

Ø      Food

Ø      Self

Ø      Self

Ø      Self

Ø      Self

 

I see a pattern here. Do you? What makes me think that people aren’t really committed to those things that they claim to hold their commitment? Simply put it boils down to time, finances, and conversation.

When we are really committed to our families, we spend our time with our spouses, with our children. Face it, husband, does your wife know that you love her? That you’re committed to her? Does she know that you put her ahead of everyone, everything, else? Do your children see you as their protector and guide or as the legs and feet beneath the newspaper? I speak to the husbands and fathers here because that is the direction that I must approach this issue from, but the questions can easily be addressed to women readers here. Does your husband feel like you would have no other one? I know that my blushing bride likes movies starring Tommy Lee Jones (she has this thing about older men), but if there ever came a choice between the movie star and the man at home, I have nothing to fear from Tommy Lee.

When we are really committed to the things of God, our finances reflect it. When we look at our expenditures, do we bring more into God’s storehouse (that is, the church), or do we amass clothing, electronics, games, or entertainments that have nothing to do with God?

What is it that we talk about? The weather? The world series? The latest fashion?

What consumes our time, our money, our discussions? All too often, I see people (preachers in particular) wasting time talking about politics. Not just any politics, but the political side of church. We strain at gnats when horseflies are contaminating our soup. Interestingly enough, leaders and preachers in my own SBC continue to be caught up in argumentation and debate over what we believe. Since revisions and re-edits were made that changed our faith statement (Baptist Faith & Message) in 2000, the document has not been allowed to say what it’s supposed to say—things that we as Southern Baptists believe. First one side of the politicos in the convention, and then the other want to use the document as not a statement of faith but a manifesto to be endorsed and worshiped by all who would call themselves Southern Baptist. The difficulty with this is that whenever one side wants it, the other side wants to interpret what it means (and vice versa). It amounts to the same kinds of discussions as are reported about early theologians who were more interested in determining the number of angels who could dance on the head of a pin than they were in sharing the gospel.

Others are consumed with talking about American Idol, or the latest craze in fashion or politics, or the price of tea in China.

So what are we consumed with? What do we spend our time on? What do we spend our money on? What do we let dominate our conversation? Discover that and we discover what it is that holds our commitment.

 

SBC-Bound

I hope that doesn’t look like I’m bound by or bound to the SBC, but that (as intended) we are en route to the SBC. My goals are to spend time with my blushing bride, touch base with some old friends, assess some of the intricacies of the convention (be a part), but not get caught up in the politicking that has been corrupting our convention over the years.

One of the reasons for attending this particular year is that we can leave our older children with my folks and trek to San Antonio (we haven’t really visited there in 6 years). We also will get to visit with some of our colleagues from the former Soviet Union since that is the focus for the year at the IMB.

 I’ll try to keep some posts up, but am not worrying over that too much.

 

Fun for Me

I’m getting ready to go on a trip. One of my church members and I will be attending the IMB Volunteer Summit Central & Eastern Europe in Apex, North Carolina. Our hope is that this two-day event will help us determine some ways that our little Midwestern church can get involved in partnering with on-going mission work on the other side of the world. This is a double good trip for me because I’ll get to visit for a minute or two with some of my former colleagues from the mission field.

Ya’ll have a good time while I’m gone now, ya’ hear. (The summit will be at Salem Baptist Church–click on the logo to see their site.)