There has never been a stronger argument for the disuse of something in worship in a very long time as the hymnal in the 21st century church. We have projection, chord sheets, SongSelect™, ProPresenter™, and much, much more. Why even bother with a hymnal, especially a denominational hymnal? The denominational hymnal began with Hymns Ancient and Modern back in 1861 in England from a board of Anglicans known as “The Proprietors.” It was presented as such to codify the doctrine and teaching … [Read more...]
‘May we never forget’
I appreciated the article in the August 8th issue entitled, Missouri Baptists honored by seminary for leadership in Conservative Resurgence. The resurgence is a significant part of the history of a people called Southern Baptist. That Southwestern Seminary would honor John Yeats, Gerald Davidson, Jim Wells, Fred Powell, and James Hefley for their leadership in moving the SBC back to its historic commitment to the Scriptures as infallible, authoritative, and inerrant is commendable. Without … [Read more...]
The Cooperative Program and the ‘Missouri Plan’
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third of several articles commemorating the Baptist history in Missouri, written by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention’s Historical Commission. Many Missouri Baptists do not realize how influential our state association was in establishing the current model for the Cooperative Program. In 1845, when the Southern Baptist Convention was formed by withdrawing fellowship from the Baptist Triennial Convention, many states like Missouri had to decide which … [Read more...]
A few suggestions for a late summer movie night
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (BP) – The faith-based drama “The Case for Christ” is the true story of Lee Strobel, a Chicago Tribune investigative journalist who determined to disprove his wife’s newfound religious faith, only to discover that Christ and His resurrection were historical facts. Strobel, in the 2008 documentary “The Case for Faith,” took on two questions meant to debunk Christianity: “Why is Jesus the only way to God?” and “How could a loving God exist if there is evil and suffering … [Read more...]
Mo. missionary movement recalled after 200 years
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second of several articles commemorating the Baptist history in Missouri, written by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention’s Historical Commission. JEFFERSON CITY – At the meeting of the Triennial Convention of Baptist on May 17, 1817, Rev. John Mason Peck (1789-1858) and Rev. James E. Welch (1789-1876) were appointed as missionaries to the Missouri Territory or “Western Mission”. They arrived in St. Louis, Missouri in late 1817. Part of the ministry of … [Read more...]
Soli Deo Gloria: A Healthy Obsession
RICHMOND, Va. – One of the battle cries of the Reformation was Soli Deo Gloria: Glory to God alone. The Reformers looked at the Medieval Roman Catholic understanding of the Christian faith and realized that it was fundamentally flawed at several points. The Medieval Roman church believed in three sources of spiritual authority: Scripture, tradition, and the leadership of the church of Rome. Final deciding authority fell to the Roman church. But the Reformers believed that the Bible was … [Read more...]
Why our church recites the BFM 2000
As a pastor, I’m grateful for the way our church family participates and responds in worship. They are “all in” whether it’s during the musical portion of worship, praying, reciting verses, or the sermon, and I greatly appreciate it. I especially appreciate our time together as each week we recite an article of the Baptist Faith & Message 2000. Granted, I know it’s not the same as Scripture (no Baptist should ever say it is), but it highlights some top-tier things we believe about … [Read more...]
The Baptist missionary movement in Mo. remembered after 200 years
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first of several articles commemorating the Baptist history in Missouri, written by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention’s Historical Commission. JEFFERSON CITY – Upon the purchase in 1803 by the United States, the Louisiana Territory (Missouri) was open to religious and educational freedom. A few Baptist churches were established in southeast Missouri after 1803, there was no organized Baptist missionary effort until 1817. At the meeting of the … [Read more...]
Reformers’ wisdom applied to transgender debate
NASHVILLE (BP) – Amid contemporary discussion of transgenderism, the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation has helped resurface historic wisdom on gender and sexuality. While predating by centuries the modern phenomenon of transgenderism, Martin Luther and John Calvin were among Reformers to denounce those who attempted to blur the distinction between men and women – an error dating back to the ancient world. Union University ethicist C. Ben Mitchell told Baptist Press … [Read more...]
Did an eclipse darken the land on Good Friday?
JEFFERSON CITY – As August quickly approaches, many people throughout the Midwest are gearing up for perhaps the most hyped up event of the year, dubbed solely as the “Great American Eclipse.” As hotel rooms are booked, vacation days are requested, and travel plans are made, some Christians may have wondered if the Bible contains any examples of a similar phenomenon. When thinking of midday darkness, one biblical event specifically comes to mind – Christ’s crucifixion. Just before Christ … [Read more...]
Eugene Peterson and ‘same sex’ marriage
Last week, the well-known evangelical author Eugene Peterson appeared to embrace so-called same-sex “marriage,” and then, he backtracked. There’s a lot to talk about. Last week Eugene Peterson, the author of “The Message” as well as several other pastoral books, said in an interview with Jonathan Merritt of Religion News Service that he didn’t consider homosexuality wrong and would, if asked, officiate a same-sex “marriage.” “I know a lot of people who are gay and lesbian,” Peterson … [Read more...]
‘A Practical Guide to Culture’ helps next generation navigate the world
You know what would be great? If there were a practical guide to help the next generation navigate the culture… oh wait, here it is! John Stonestreet and I talk about culture all the time. And we talk about it, we hope, in a way that’s challenging but still easy to understand. Because in these days of cultural upheaval, Christians need to be able to think clearly about what’s happening in the world, how it influences us, and how we are to live in it. I know Chuck Colson sought to … [Read more...]
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