As we make our way through this pandemic shutdown, many churches are lagging behind financially. Sadly, large numbers of our people who see giving to their church as unimportant usually give, when they do give, it is only if they are present in church. Since everything our churches do is in one way or another directly connected to the one-dollar bill, reduced offerings mean reduced missions and ministry. Missionaries around the world and in our nation may soon face cutbacks. I fear some … [Read more...]
We find heroes all around us
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be at the forefront of most people’s minds. It has affected nearly every aspect of our lives, from how we buy groceries to how we interact with other people to how much gasoline we burn in our cars to how we worship. The pandemic has also given prominence to a type of person we should honor every day, not just in a crisis. These people are called “heroes.” The doctors, nurses, respiratory technicians, healthcare workers, EMTs, paramedics and other first … [Read more...]
On the philosophy of being bored
JEFFERSON CITY – As of press time (we journalists love that phrase, don’t you know), I’ve watched 44 classic movies since I began sheltering in place (this journalist hates that phrase… just say “stay at home.”). I love movies, but I’m beginning to grow bored with my Stay at Home Film Festival. The situation, my friends, is growing dire. To be sure, a little cabin fever is preferable to the very literal, very real fever that might have spread even more if we weren’t all camping out at … [Read more...]
Lean on God, reboot the church campus
After several frustrating attempts to make my digital device work correctly, I called the IT expert. Invariably, his first question is, “Have you rebooted your device?” Sure enough, when I do the first thing on the trouble-shooting chart – “reboot” – most of my struggles with tangled-up electrons running amuck on a silicon chip sort themselves out. As federal and state guidelines are changing from quarantine and shelter-in-place to reengagement with businesses and communities, it is … [Read more...]
Thank you for supporting the CP, The Pathway
Thank you, Missouri Baptists, for giving through the Cooperative Program (CP). The Pathway is a Cooperative Program-funded ministry. That is why we do not have a subscription charge for mailing it directly to your homes, businesses and churches. The Pathway’s mission has always been to make Jesus Christ known and that all honor and glory is due Him. We attempt to do that by telling the story of how He is at work in our state through you. It is our desire to “build up the body” through … [Read more...]
One hundred years ago, pandemic ushered in a new era of Southern Baptist giving
GAINESVILLE, Ga. (BP) – Canceling services due to illness is not new to Baptist history. Pandemics, epidemics and weather have all been part of our collective experience. Possibly the most feared epidemics were those of yellow fever, which periodically swept through the South, emptying cities, towns and villages. Three major outbreaks occurred in 1820, 1854 and 1876. But these earlier epidemics did not have the impact of the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918. It began in the fall of 1918 near … [Read more...]
On whom do you rely? A meditation on Isaiah 36-37
And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail, And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal; And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword, Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord! – Lord Byron (George Gordon), from “The Destruction of Sennacherib” In the year 701 B.C., the Assyrian army under its king Sennacherib attacked the fortified cities of Judah and lay siege to Jerusalem. For some two centuries, the neo-Assyrian empire had been a force to reckon with … [Read more...]
Are we sinning by not assembling together?
The COVID-19 crisis has led to unprecedented closures across our country. Currently in Missouri we are not allowed to gather in groups larger than ten and, even then, we must remain six feet apart to maintain social distance in order to slow or prevent the spread of the virus in our area. Many if not most churches across the state opted to close down for at least two weeks in order to adhere to the CDC’s recommendation as well as to our own state law. Yet, as the crisis continues to extend … [Read more...]
Making peace with the dishwasher door
Forget all those personality tests. Never mind the character studies. If you want insights into your own psyche, try the dishwasher. It’s a handy-dandy machine that can reveal what you’re really made of. All you have to do is follow these simple operating instructions: 1) Leave dishwasher door open. 2) Unwittingly apply shin forcefully to side of the open door. 3) Repeat as needed. There’s your temperament analysis. A few years ago there was a week or two when our dishwasher door wouldn’t … [Read more...]
We will not retreat: The real reason for supporting the Cooperative Program
NASHVILLE (BP) – When the coronavirus (COVID-19) began to spread across the globe, our work as Southern Baptists did not stop. And as we approach and celebrate Cooperative Program Sunday in the SBC on April 26, it's possible that in our lifetimes, we have never had greater reason to continue to generously support the Cooperative Program. Our missionaries are still on the field, both overseas and in North America. Our seminary students are still being trained for ministry and missions. … [Read more...]
Where is your security?
Judging by nearly every metric, COVID-19 has significantly exposed what we value most. Widespread toilet paper shortages, panicked monitoring of the Stock Market, and food hoarding all bear evidence of people’s security being shaken. The recent pandemic’s sobering reality is we find security through what we believe we control. When our sense of control is either taken or shaken, so too is our sense of security and well-being. The feeling of lost security often results in familiar responses … [Read more...]
First person: Don’t waste your medical crisis
EDITOR'S NOTE: Karen Allen is the wife of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary president Jason K. Allen. KANSAS CITY (BP) – A year ago, on April 11, 2019, my life was forever changed. Until that day, 2019 was a year marked primarily by busyness. Life and ministry with my husband and family was full. The days were good, but long. Daily, I raced through my to-do list. When reading God's Word, too often my heart wasn't still before Him. Rather, I found myself looking for a quick nugget … [Read more...]
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