One of my first memories of missions was when I was only 3 and my dad went with a short-term mission team to Guatemala in March 1978 following a massive earthquake there. My dad was part of our church’s second team who went to help Guatemalans after that tragedy. The first team worked alongside our Foreign Mission Board (now the IMB) missionaries to rebuild Damascus Baptist Church in Guatemala City. The second team went to the village of Santo Domingo Xenaco outside Guatemala City to … [Read more...]
Catholic renewal, reaction to reform
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the 15th column in a year-long series leading up to the 500th anniversary of the 16th-century Reformation on Oct. 31, 2017. In our fascination with the theological debates of the Reformation period, we often forget how much turned during this era on the mundane, political events that had very little direct connection with theological or spiritual matters. Take, for example, the Battle of Pamplona of May 20, 1521. The battle itself had nothing to do with religion … [Read more...]
‘Share Jesus without freaking out’
Reid, Alvin L. Sharing Jesus Without Freaking Out. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2017. 144 pages. $16.99. Most people who attend church at least once a month believe they have a personal responsibility to share their faith, but few actually do. A recent survey from Lifeway found that almost half of churchgoers have never shared their faith or invited someone to church, and 61 percent have not done so in the last six months. In a question asking respondents to rank attributes of growing … [Read more...]
The Lord gives grace to ‘dye’ for
I doubt it’s any surprise that I’ve never been known for being low maintenance. Recently, though, I did at least shoot for being a little less of a budget drain. Like maybe a bit more “DIY” in a few areas. I confess, “do-it-yourself” is rather out of my wheelhouse. I’m a lot more comfortable as a “do-it-for-me” kind of gal. But I was willing to try. I decided to focus on the hair budget. No, not giving up the color. I’d dye first (pa-dum-ching). I don’t think I’ll ever be so low … [Read more...]
The Book of Jude: Who is Michael the archangel?
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the seventh in a series of excerpts from the new MBC resource, “The Last Apologist: A Commentary on Jude for Defenders of the Christian Faith,” available at mobaptist.org/apologetics. Jude 9 offers one of the few references in Scripture to Michael the archangel. He is the only archangel named in the Bible, and his name means, “Who is like God?” Michael is introduced in Dan. 10:13 as “one of the chief princes.” He helps another angel, who has been battling the … [Read more...]
Historic Baptists, liberty and the Trinity case
KANSAS CITY – What would John Leland say about scrap tires? Missourians, including churches that own vehicles, pay a fee to keep used tires out of streams and landfills. The fee underwrites a rebate for rubber playground surfaces. It’s open to all nonprofit groups, to keep kids safer and the environment cleaner. Trinity Lutheran Church, in Columbia, applied for a rebate. It was rejected, but not because the money ran out. It was rejected because it is a church. Missouri’s Constitution … [Read more...]
How God used a loving wife to bring me to The Pathway
Anniversaries for two significant events in my life are occurring this summer. One is among the happiest of my life. The other among the saddest. Both intertwined. June 8 is the happy one, marking my 15th anniversary as The Pathway’s editor. July 26 will mark the day my sweet, late wife, Bernadette, succumbed to brain cancer. Even though she no longer is with me, loving me and supporting the ministry God had called us to attend here, her impact on The Pathway ministry – and my life – … [Read more...]
On the eve of a major religious liberty ruling: The nation’s eyes on Trinity Lutheran case
EDITOR’S NOTE: Michael Whitehead has practiced law in Missouri for more than 40 years. He practices with his son, Jonathan, in suburban Kansas City, and he serves as MBC general counsel and represents numerous individuals and ministry organizations. Both Mike and Jonathan are on the legal team defending Trinity Lutheran Church in Columbia, in a religious liberty case that was heard at the U.S. Supreme Court this spring. A ruling on the case is expected by the end of the month, before the … [Read more...]
Talk less, pray more
There seems to be no end of making books. I’m a lover of books, so my desk at the office and at home are piled high with some great-looking books. Some are academic. Others are biographical and fiction, and some are religious devotional volumes. Sometimes a book catches my eye because I know the author, or because of a recommendation by a friend or colleague. Those tend to float to the top of my stacks. One I received recently pricked my interest because it shares a similar title to a … [Read more...]
When angels desert
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the sixth in a series of excerpts from the new MBC resource, “The Last Apologist: A Commentary on Jude for Defenders of the Christian Faith,” available at mobaptist.org/apologetics. The identity of certain angels in Jude 6 is a matter of much debate. Unlike Satan and most demons, who roam the earth in search of mischief, these angels are kept “with eternal chains in darkness for the judgment of the great day, angels who did not keep their own position but deserted … [Read more...]
Living between the times
Someone once told me that all crazy women have super-thin eyebrows. I don’t see how I could even begin to argue with that logic. So I pencil. And I pencil strong. I feel I have a lot to prove. That’s one reason doing makeup in the car is such risky business. One hard stop and a gal could end up with a seriously high eyebrow. No one could ever be as astonished as that kind of brow implies. And please excuse me if the humor here is a bit…ah…highbrow. The other day, even full-well … [Read more...]
The foundational principles of worship
EDITOR’S NOTE: John Francis is an Assistant Professor of Music and Worship at Hannibal-LaGrange University where he teaches music and trains young musicians to be worship leaders through HLGU’s Bachelor of Music with Worship Concentration degree. John has a blogsite, www.gloryhorn.com and is available for worship leading and speaking across the state on the subject of worship. You may email John at john.francis@hlg.edu. To explore the essence of a subject, a helpful exercise is to go all … [Read more...]
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