EDITOR'S NOTE: Clint Bass (DPhil, Oxford) is a Baptist historian and member of Southern Hills Baptist Church, Bolivar, Mo. Last February, the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee deemed Saddleback Church a body “not in friendly cooperation with the convention.” As an attempt to contest the Executive Committee’s actions, Saddleback pastor Rick Warren published an open letter on 2 June. His basic claim is that Southern Baptists have lost their way in creedalism and this … [Read more...]
Striving to build on a legacy
Several years ago, my father had yet another serious heart attack. This cardiac issue led to a series of events that led my sisters and I to a decision to move our parents to the Baptist Home of Chillicothe. Chillicothe, MO is approximately 400 miles from my parent’s home in OK, so what on earth compelled us to make such a decision? While there were several physical aspects to our decision, the most important was the Christ-like care we knew would surround our parents. My mother was living … [Read more...]
Article XIV of BF&M: Cooperation
Following is another in a series of columns on The Baptist Faith & Message 2000. Article XIV of The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 reads: “Christ’s people should, as occasion requires, organize such associations and conventions as may best secure cooperation for the great objects of the Kingdom of God. Such organizations have no authority over one another or over the churches. They are voluntary and advisory bodies designed to elicit, combine, and direct the energies of our people … [Read more...]
Word Power
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” –Psalm 19:14 (NKJV) Have you ever heard very young children use ugly words while playing or talking to others? I have, and it is not pretty. Where did they get such a vocabulary? In all likelihood, they picked it up from family at home or classmates at school. There was a time when we did not hear so much of such talk. Now, it seems that even news on TV often … [Read more...]
Legislative recap: Gambling bill fails, Bible bill and SAFE Act succeed
The legislative session is over for this year. Our Missouri Legislature, is restricted by our state constitution to adjourn on May 30th of each year. However, the constitution also says that any bills not passed by “6pm on the first Friday after the second Monday in May are tabled.” Of course, being tabled means those bills die since the session adjourns on the 30th and there is no other opportunity to vote on bills. So, for all intents and purposes, the session has ended for this year. … [Read more...]
Loving the lost
There are a lot of things that call for our attention in this world. A few things that come to mind are family, friends, vocation, health, and hobbies. Life is full of good things that we should give time and attention to, however I have found that the bulk of our time and attention tends to drift towards the things that we love the most. If one loves to fish (and I do!), that person will be intentional in finding time for it. If one loves his family, that person will make time to be … [Read more...]
He’s a good, good Father
My dad is a great dad. His jokes though? Well I’ve never traced this all the way back, but it’s quite possible he invented the dad joke. My dad has jokes on jokes on jokes—no joke. Not good jokes, mind you. Just jokes. Not even original jokes probably. Just…jokes. For the record, dad jokes are usually not as bad as uncle gags. The old “gotcher nose” or the infamous “What’s that behind your ear?” If you have an uncle in the category of “one of those,” hear me when I say, never ever pull his … [Read more...]
Article XIII of the BFM: Stewardship
Following is another in a series of columns on The Baptist Faith & Message 2000. Article XIII of The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 reads: “God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; all that we have and are we owe to Him. Christians have a spiritual debtorship to the whole world, a holy trusteeship in the gospel, and a binding stewardship in their possessions. They are therefore under obligation to serve Him with their time, talents, and material possessions; and … [Read more...]
Pause to remember
It’s a fine distinction: Memorial Day is for remembering those who died during war; Veterans Day is to celebrate all of those who have served in our military. Is it okay to celebrate during both special days? Absolutely! We are grateful for both those who died protecting our freedoms, those who served in the past, and those who continue to serve. The first such remembrance day goes back to May 1, 1865 in Charleston, S.C., at the close of the Civil War. More than 10,000 people joined freed … [Read more...]
The importance of relative care, foster care
Take just a moment and think back to when you were a child. Think about how you depended on your parents and family to take care of your needs. Think about your friends and all the familiar places and things you did. Now, use your imagination further – what if you had to be placed in foster care due to abuse or neglect? Imagine how traumatizing that would be. Would you want the case manager assigned to you to place you with someone you know (a relative or friend) or with someone you … [Read more...]
‘Let Israel hope in the Lord’
One of my favorite films, the musical classic “Fiddler on the Roof,” depicts the joys and sorrows of a small community of Jews living around the year 1905 in the fictional Ukrainian village of Anatevka. From sunrise to sunset, the endearing protagonist Tevye lives, with his kith and kin, like a fiddler on the roof, “trying to scratch out a pleasant simple tune without breaking his neck.” The film powerfully depicts the longing of these Jewish “strangers in a strange land,” exiled from the … [Read more...]
The Que-Burger Indicator
I like looking at charts. Don’t you? They can convey a lot of information in a visually appealing way. While they can also mislead (just like words), they allow the brain to process data in a way that often communicates more powerfully than written or spoken words. (At least, from a guy who likes looking at charts.) Recently, while looking at a chart of the dollar’s value over time, I knew inflation was reducing the buying power of my dollar because of the Que-Burger Indicator. The … [Read more...]
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