BGCM Strategy Planning Continues

Weather permitting (2"-4" of snow is forecast for here in the Kansas City area), the BGCM strategy planning team will be meeting tomorrow at the First Baptist Church in Jefferson City to try and come closer to finalizing a strategic plan to guide the organization for the next 5 years. We hope to be able to make significant progress on it so as to be able to share it with the board members early next month and then with those attending the BGCM's annual meeting at our church (First Baptist of Lee's Summit) on March 26-27.

On a personal note, the church history project is nearing completion. The writing and editing is finished and I'm trying to wrap up the final details--jacket cover design and contents that a friend from church is helping with, selecting some appropriate photos for the final chapter, etc.

Aging

Well, Groundhog Day's arrival means another birthday for yours truly. I hit the big 57 today, so the gray hairs that are growing in number around my temples are legitimate I suppose. I've had lots of well-wishers contact me via email or Facebook and I'm grateful to each for their kind expressions and prayers. God has been good to me and I'm grateful to Him for His mercy and grace.

New Pastor Officially Installed

Tonight our church took part in a special service to officially install our new pastor, Dr. Blake McKinney. Blake has been serving with us since January 1st, with his first official sermon delivered on January 7th. The service this evening was quite meaningful, with Blake's father sharing some insights and background from a dad's perspective about his son's ministry as a pastor and then reading some Old Testament passages. Blake's sons, ages 9 & 11, also read some scriptures from the New Testament. Our pastor emeritus, Dr. Wendell Page, who served First Baptist Church of Lee's Summit for 19 years before retiring in 2000, brought a charge to both Blake and the congregation. Blake's former minister of music at Lost Mountain Baptist in Powder Springs, Georgia, where he just came from was present as well to give a charge to Blake.

As a part of the service, we also read responsively a Pastor-Church Covenant in which both Blake and we as a congregation pledged to serve the Lord together, praying for one another, as well as fulfilling other Christian responsibilities as pastor and church. All of those present then filed by to sign a poster-sized copy of the covenant that Blake intends to frame and hang on his office wall. We had a great crowd tonight, which meant that the process of signing took a good while, even with four folks or so signing at a time. We had strongly encouraged the members to be present for this special service and our usual 150 or so Sunday night crowd swelled to I would estimate 500-550 or more.

The service concluded with the pastor search committee gathered round Blake and our chairman of deacons leading in a prayer commending him to God's care and leadership. It was a very meaningful service and a joyous occasion for our members.

Back from Guatemala

I had another outstanding trip to Guatemala this past week for the seventh round of leadership training conferences that the BGCM has offered for pastors and leaders in the western region of the country. We had a great turnout with 81 present in all. The two conference leaders who accompanied me both did a wonderful job of communicating some important biblical truths to those attending. The spirit of unity among the pastors there continues to grow and they without hesitation trace the origin of this harmony to our gatherings every six months. A new board of directors for the regional pastors' association was elected and the make-up of the group offers great hope for continued collaboration.

Several church members asked about the 6.1 earthquake that Guatemala had experienced last Monday. We hadn't yet departed from Houston when that occurred, but the folks there in Guatemala City said they had felt it but that it hadn't caused any major damage.

We were able to pay a visit to the Tabitha Ministry on Thursday morning after we had returned to Guatemala City from Quetzaltenango. Carol Bercian and others continue to meet the needs of a growing number of children whose mothers scavenge through the trash in the city dump, looking for things they can recycle or sell. The kids receive two meals a day as well as 2 snacks. Carol also has a ministry with these mothers--having led many of them to Christ and attempting to disciple them. Her brother told us on Thursday as he drove us to Antigua for some sightseeing that there were close to 50 women who had attended a Bible study and worship time at the Tabitha Ministry house the previous evening.

Plans are taking shape for the trip this next month to Totonicapan. We'll have a total of 11 going (9 from our church and 2 from Wyatt Park Baptist in St. Joseph).

Study the Playbook

Noted researcher and pollster George Barna has started blogging. You can find his blog here. He has already posted a couple of interesting and thought-provoking articles--one dealing with house churches and another talking about the leadership exemplified by Peyton Manning. The article on Manning describes what convinced the Indianapolis Colts to select Manning over another highly touted quarterback in the 1998 NFL draft.

Barna writes, "To figure out who might be the best selection for their team, Colts executives set up interviews with both young men. Both prospects discussed their desire to win and their positive feelings about the Colts. The turning point in the Colts’ decision was the answer they received to one particular question: If chosen by the Colts, what is the first thing you will do? Young Manning’s reply, supposedly offered without hesitation, was 'Study the playbook.' His competitor’s response? 'I’m booking the next flight to Vegas so I can celebrate with my buddies.'”

Barna concludes his article, asking the rhetorical question of which player demonstrated the mind and heart of the leader the Colts needed.

I think there's an even deeper spiritual application for believers in this story than the obvious commitment to excellence and leadership that Manning displayed. "Study the playbook" is outstanding counsel for Christians when we remember that God has given us wise instructions in the Bible on how to succeed in the game of life. As we come to know its Author more deeply each day through studying His written revelation to us, we'll find ourselves "equipped for every good work."

Upcoming Travels

This week I'll be gone a couple of days to Dallas for a joint meeting with some of the leadership of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, the Baptist General Association of Virginia, and the Baptist General Convention of Missouri. That sounds like a lot of generals when you say it or type it. The "generals" of the organizations will be present, but what I like about these folks is that they are very humble and down-to-earth. This will be the third meeting our conventions have held to share insights and best practices as well as discuss the challenges of living and serving in what many have termed a "post-denominational" era.

The following week, it's off once more to Guatemala. I'm as eager as always to go. The leaders whom we work with in the western region of the country have become good friends over the course of the past three and a half years or so that I've been making these trips. I'll have two guys accompanying me this time as conference leaders so I've opted to let them handle the five training sessions while I translate their presentations and the dialogue and interchanges that follow. For one of the guys, this will be his first trip. He's a pastor from the St. Louis area and I'm excited about his participating as I hope he will lead his church to become involved in a church-to-church partnership with a Guatemalan Baptist congregation.

Next month, I'll be leading a group of 11 on a missions trip to Totonicapan, a small department (their term for state or province) that's less than an hour from Quetzaltenango where we conduct our leadership training seminars. I'll be sharing more details about that trip in the future.

In the meanwhile, I did finish the rough draft of the church history project I'm writing and am busily trying to work through editing it. It's far too long I fear and I still have to find additional space for photos. I've enjoyed working on this, but will be greatly relieved and "de-stressed" when it's completed.

What Might Have Been ...

I'm utterly convinced (so it would be impossible to persuade me otherwise) that with a healthy Colt McCoy at the helm in last night's championship game, the outcome would have been totally different. UT was briskly marching toward a TD on their opening possession, following Alabama's failed fake punt attempt, when Colt was injured. Had he remained in the game, I have no doubt that they would have scored not just a field goal but a touchdown on that opening drive. The botched ensuing kickoff by Alabama positioned UT for another quick touchdown with the ball at Alabama's 40 or so. With two TD's under their belt, there's no way UT's defense allows Alabama back in the game.

As it was, Alabama struggled mightily in the second half after Muschamp made some defensive halftime adjustments. At one point well into the half, they had managed only 3 yards of total offense in the half.

Yes, Colt's absence was sorely felt. You can't lose the winningest quarterback in the history of college football and not suffer the effects. Gilbreath played pretty valiantly for a kid who's only taken some snaps during mop up operations in the second half when the game was safely iced away. The two touchdowns to Shipley were nicely executed. I think his baptism by fire will stand him in good stead for his future with the Horns.

Alabama played a decent game, but they didn't dominate at all like they did against Florida. Texas actually had 13 more total yards than Alabama in a losing effort without its star quarterback. Yep, no question in my mind that with Colt in the game, UT wins it easily.

National Championship Tonight

Well, this is the big one. The Longhorns are competing for their second national championship in football in the last 4 years, having won with Vince Young and company over USC in 2006. I'm wearing my burnt orange sweatshirt today. I'm a lot more underdressed than typical when I'm working at church, but with 10 inches or so of snow on the ground, 2 degree temperatures and wind chills of minus 20 degrees, I thought it was appropriate. Plus it's an excuse to show my team spirit.

Alabama promises to be tough and certainly deserve to be considered the favorite. I'm hoping that UT can hang with them for 3 quarters and that Colt and Shipley can work their magic in the 4th quarter.

Hook 'em Horns!

Living in the Deep Freeze

Like most of the mid-section of the country, and I suppose even beyond according to the news reports, we here in the Kansas City area have been feeling the effects of old man winter's icy blast. He hasn't exactly wanted to relax his grip on us either. The snow that fell on Christmas Eve hasn't even begun to think about melting as the temperatures haven't risen above freezing since then, and there's no real relief in sight. We're expecting a fresh 3-6 inches of snow today, prompting the decision to cancel our Wednesday evening services tonight along with just about every other church in the area it looks like.

I'm slated to assist with another memorial service on Friday morning, but in this case, the burial will have taken place on Thursday in Jefferson City. I'm grateful not to be leading in another graveside service like last Saturday, but feel for those who will be doing so tomorrow in Jeff City. I'll be doing the eulogy on Friday and the memorial service is planned for the chapel at John Knox Village, a retirement center here in Lee's Summit. The deceased was a member of our church for the past four years, having moved here after the death of her husband, a long-time pastor in Missouri. She had a beautiful singing voice and taught voice lessons along the way to many students, also serving as choir and music director at several of the churches where her husband pastored. She will be missed.

I'm hoping for a break in the weather by next week when I'm slated to travel to Dallas with the rest of the leadership team of the BGCM for a joint meeting with our peers from the BGCT and BGAV. After that, it's off to Guatemala the following week for another round of leadership training classes with the pastors and leaders in the western region.

Humor and Humility

Three years ago at this time, our nation’s flag flew at half-mast to honor the memory of former president Gerald Ford, the only man to occupy the Oval Office without having been elected as either president or vice-president. President Ford died the day after Christmas in 2006. Keenly aware of the fact that Americans had not elected him to office and possessing the wonderful ability to laugh at his own frequent blunders, Ford was fond of saying, “I’m a Ford, not a Lincoln.”

Despite his shortcomings, historians credit Ford with restoring dignity to the White House and bringing national healing in the wake of the Watergate scandal. My prayer is that God might use each of us in this coming year, in spite of our own weaknesses and imperfections, to significantly impact our community, state, nation, and world with the Good News. A dose of humor and a strong measure of humility in the spirit of former president Gerald Ford will serve us well in this quest.

Sharing the Gospel in the New Year

On January 1, 1946, a lone U.S. soldier recording information about the deaths of U.S. infantrymen on the island of Corregidor suddenly found himself confronted by 20 Japanese soldiers, waving a white flag and announcing their surrender. One of them had ventured forth from the cave where they were hiding to find water and discovered a newspaper announcing Japan’s surrender some four and a half months earlier. The old saying is that “good news travels fast.” Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. The gospel (which means good news) will only be shared and heard where we take the time and effort to go and proclaim it. As we begin a new year, will you purpose by God’s grace to allow Him to use you to reach friends, family members, work associates, casual acquaintances, or even strangers with the message of God’s love for them? That’s information too important to keep to ourselves. Let’s share it!

A Long Silence Explained

It's been almost a month I realize since I last posted anything on my blog. Part of the reason has been dealing with some family health issues of my mom who lives with us and my mother-in-law who lives in the area in Kansas City. My mother-in-law had hip replacement surgery about 3 weeks ago, about the same time that my mom began experiencing painful inflammation and swelling in her joints. A trip to the doctor for her brought the recommendation of some physical and occupational therapy and prescriptions for pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medications but no real relief.

After our oldest son, a doctor, saw her during Christmas, he helped get the ball rolling for some lab work that wound up being done in the ER of a local hospital on New Year's Eve. She was admitted and additional tests were run and other specialists consulted. Yesterday (New Years' Day) she was diagnosed with rheumatoid athritis and was begun on a regimen of steroids. Thankfully, she was already feeling somewhat better today. She's slated to be released to come home tomorrow. I hate to get her out in the cold to bring her home (the official morning low here today was 5 below zero), but I'm glad that she'll be back under our roof.

My mother-in-law is doing well with the hip replacement but has had some other complications along the way. She's been doing rehab at one of the local care centers and should be released on Wednesday.

On a brighter note and as a further explanation of my lack of posting, I managed yesterday to finally finish the initial draft of the church history I've been working on for many months in preparation for celebrating our 150th anniversary in April. My plans are to finish the revisions and editing this month and have it ready to go to the printer by February 1st. That will be a challenge as I will be gone a week to Guatemala for a leadership training event and two days to Dallas for a joint meeting with the leaders of the BGCT, BGCM, and BGAV. I also have to decide about which pictures to select and how many to include in the history book.

Hopefully I'll be able to post a bit more frequently in the coming days. As I've been working through my notes from the church minutes as well as information from our church's newsletter, I've been tempted to share some of the reflections here that I write for our church. Some of them at least I think are thought-provoking and prayerfully they're also inspirational. I'll probably be posting some of those in the interim while I'm finishing up the history project.

Thanks to those of you who still manage to check in periodically on my blog, even when I've been pretty lax about writing.

Good article at Ethics Daily

As one who taught a basic course in Christian ethics at the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Buenos Aires for about a decade, I try to stay abreast of developments and related themes as they pertain to theological education. In an excellent article today from Ethics Daily, William Brackney poses the critical question, "Do Theological Schools Serve as Ethical Communities?" He asks some very pointed questions and provides some thoughtful analysis along the way.

I'd like to quote one section of the article in particular in which he asks, "What exactly does it mean to be a practicing ethical community?" His response follows: "One can take a cue from the school of character ethics. Certain traits are valued and undergird all decisions and behavior. These include: equality of persons; freedom of conscience; voluntary assent to confessional statements; democratic decision-making; shared governance; healthy collegial interaction; transparency in administration; pastoral concern within the community; protection of human rights; the practice of grace and civility; and an overall allegiance to the lordship of Christ. The Christian ethicist understands that all of these characteristics have their root in Scripture."

While one cannot issue a blanket condemnation of the existing Southern Baptist seminaries with regard to their failure to exhibit the character qualities that Brackney references in this paragraph, it's clear nonetheless that many of these basic ethical qualities have been woefully absent or under-represented in the administration of some Baptist seminaries in recent years.

I'd suggest that it's high time that concern for theological orthodoxy which has occupied center stage among Baptists be accompanied by a sound measure of ethical praxis in which our walk indeed matches our talk. A good place to begin that recovery would be to return to the writings of one of Southern Baptists finest ethics professors, T. B. Maston, who espoused that simple truth in one of his books entitled, To Walk as He Walked. It seems that the apostle Paul would concur with the need to do just that (Gal. 5:16, 25; Eph. 4:1, Eph. 5:2,8; Col. 1:10, 2:6).

Horns Win by the Slimmest of Margins

I thought about the line that Fred Samford always used to utter on the TV series "Samford and Son" while watching the closing seconds of the Univ. of Texas - Nebraska Big 12 Conference Championship game last night. Feigning a heart attack, he'd holler "It's the big one." The last second (literally) field goal by UT's Hunter Lawrence was a clutch kick if there ever was one. I was certainly glad for the win that preserved the undefeated season, and my respect for Nebraska's defense and for the play of Suh in particular grew by leaps and bounds last night.

McCoy and Shipley have pretty much had their way all season, hooking up (pardon the pun) for some incredible passes and catches. When Shipley has been doubled, Colt has always managed to find someone else open as he's checked down on the other receivers. Last night he never had the time to follow the progression as he was pressured constantly by the rush. In addition, Nebraska's secondary did an excellent job of bottling up all of UT's receivers throughout the game.

On the positive side of the ledger, UT's defense rebounded after a poor outing against A&M on Thanksgiving Day and effectively shut down the Nebraska offense. One could argue of course that they didn't have much of an offense to shut down, but allowing just 106 total yards was a strong statement. In addition, they kept Nebraska out of the end zone even when UT coughed up the ball deep in their own territory a couple of times.

Here's hoping common sense prevails and UT retains its #2 ranking to face Alabama for the national championship. Alabama looked great against Florida so Greg Davis and Muschamp have their work cut out for them as they work on the offensive and defensive schemes to match up effectively against the Crimson Tide. We'll see how all of that happens.

On a related note, I still hold out hope for Colt winning the Heisman. While he was off of his game yesterday due to the pressure, he's had a remarkable career and an outstanding season overall and I can't see anyone else who's more deserving.

The God Who Came Down

In a plea for God to display His glory and majesty on the earth, the prophet Isaiah prayed in Isa. 64:1, “Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at Your presence.” There are times that the biblical writers earnestly desired to observe God in all His majestic greatness, shaking the foundations of the earth, akin to the experience of Isaiah himself and his vision of God in the temple described in Isaiah 6.

As Elijah learned, however, God doesn’t always come down from heaven in a whirlwind or in an earthquake. For Elijah, God drew near in a still, small voice. For all of us this Christmas, we’re reminded that God has indeed come down to earth-—not with ear-shattering thunder that rent the heavens as Isaiah pleaded—-but with the cry of a baby born in a stable. “And the Word became flesh, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1:14).

Let There be Light

One of my favorite Christmas songs of recent years is an arrangement done by Point of Grace called “Let There be Light.” There’s a verse in it that speaks so powerfully to my heart about the mystery of the incarnation and the glorious truth that God chose to become a man in the person of Jesus Christ. The verse says,

"He spoke after centuries of silence
In the midst of a still, starry night.
And Immanuel came down among us
And the Father said, “Let there be light!”

Two or three things jump out at me from this beautiful song. First, God broke His silence of approximately four hundred years since the time of the final Old Testament prophet Malachi when He sent His angels to announce the birth of His Son to some common shepherds tending their flocks on a hillside near Bethlehem. The writer of Hebrews puts it this way, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son.” Surely the nation of Israel was longing for a fresh word from God after four centuries of silence, and God answered their hearts’ plea with a definitive word by sending them His Son.

Secondly, the word Immanuel is highly instructive. As the angel appeared to Joseph to assure him that Mary hadn’t been unfaithful to him but rather that the baby she carried was a miraculous gift of God, he told Joseph that the baby was to be called Immanuel, meaning “God with us.” The God of the universe invaded planet Earth in the person of Jesus to reveal God to us and to redeem us from our sins.

Finally, the text of the song imaginatively records God the Father saying once again, even as He had at the dawn of creation, “Let there be light!” While perhaps those very words weren’t uttered by the angelic hosts, the message certainly was present. Writing in the prologue to his gospel in John 1:4-5, the beloved apostle penned these words, “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” I’m so grateful at this Christmas season as we observe the beautiful decorative lights, that God sent the true Light, His Son, into the world to show us His love.

Volunteer Hospital Chaplaincy

I don't think I've ever written previously about one thing that I've been involved in for the last two or three years--serving as a volunteer hospital chaplain. When the St. Luke's Hospital chain opened a local hospital here in Lee's Summit a few years back, they hired a former IMB missionary as a chaplain. John Murphy and his wife served in Venezuela before working in the home office in the area of support and scheduling for missionaries on stateside assignment (if memory serves me correctly). Two or three years ago, John contacted several local pastors and staff members to ask if we would be willing to serve as volunteer chaplains to help pick up the slack when he isn't there. Since John typically works "normal hours," the calls for assistance usually come in the wee hours of the morning.

I sleep with my cellphone nearby and it's not unusual to get a call at 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning when there's been a life-threatening accident or a patient has been admitted who's near death and the family requests a chaplain. I received another one of those calls this past Thursday morning just before 2:00 a.m. and went to meet with the family. Their mom/grandmother had been hospitalized for a few days but had taken a sudden turn for the worse and they wanted some prayer support. I was able to spend some time visiting with them, offering some comfort and had prayer with them before leaving. I stopped back by the next morning and she was still lingering, though breathing much more shallowly. I stopped by and gave John an update and he followed up and visited with them during that day before she passed away in the afternoon.

I received a call yesterday and was asked if I would be willing to officiate at the funeral for the woman and I gladly consented. This is the second time I believe that one of these volunteer chaplain's visits has resulted in the additional opportunity to minister to a family in the time of their loss by conducting a funeral service. While the calls in the middle of the night can sometimes startle me awake and cost me some sleep, I appreciate the chance to demonstrate the love of Christ to someone who requests a chaplain to come and hold a hand, offer a shoulder to cry on, or say a prayer on behalf of a family member. I'm convinced that this is one further way that I can seek to be the presence of Christ in the midst of a hurting world.

A New Pastor for our Church

This weekend was an exciting time in the life of our church. We hosted our prospective new pastor, Dr. Blake McKinney, in a series of get acquainted meetings with different age groups in the church on Friday and Saturday and then heard him preach yesterday morning. He chose 1 Samuel 17 as his text, using the familiar story of David and Goliath to stress the basic message that God is bigger than our problems and our challenges. It was a good, biblically-centered sermon that was engaging. What I appreciated the most was his introduction to the sermon, saying that while it was a bit awkward with the sermon in a sense being part of a job interview, he wanted us to lay aside those concerns and hear what God had to say through the Scriptures.

We had good turnouts for the different age-group meetings and a great crowd in each of the morning services yesterday and again last night for the vote. The church clearly was overwhelmingly convinced that God had led our pastor search committee to Blake and the vote indicated that. 98% of those present voted to call him as our new senior pastor. He will move his family here after the Christmas holidays and begin his ministry in January. His first sermon (other than the yesterday's trial message) will be January 10th.

I think our entire church body is excited about this new page in our church's history and looking forward to the challenge that comes with new leadership. It promises to be an exciting new year for the congregation as we welcome a new pastor and gear up for our 150th anniversary celebration in April.

A Big Weekend for our Church

After being without a pastor for a year now, our church is hosting a prospective new senior pastor this weekend. He's got a busy line-up of activities ahead of him for the next three days, beginning with a meeting with the staff this morning as a group and then with us individually afterwards. After lunch, he will meet with our wonderful senior adults among whom I have the privilege to minister. Tonight it will be the youth and their parents and collegiates. Tomorrow morning he will meet with the children and their parents, followed by deacons and their wives in the early afternoon. Tomorrow in the late afternoon is a chance for anyone who missed one of the earlier sessions to meet with him and ask questions, etc. Sunday he will preach in both morning services and then we will vote in the evening service on whether or not to call him as our new pastor.

The pastor search committee has been diligently working for many months now and feel convinced that this is the man that God would have to lead our congregation into the future. We've been praying much for them in this entire process and a good-sized group gathered last night for about an hour and a half to pray for the weekend's events. I'd be very grateful for your prayers for us as well as we seek the Lord's will together concerning our future pastor. I'll try and share an update late Sunday evening after the vote has been taken.

Progress on History Project

I've not been cranking out the production too quickly on the history of our church in preparation for next spring's 150th anniversary celebration, but I have been making steady if slow progress. I'm up to 1975 in the writing of the first draft. That was the year that the church's longest tenured pastor announced his retirement after 27.5 years. He led the church through the Baptist heyday that so many experienced in the 1950s and 1960s. I'm also still doing some further checking on printing options and have a couple of good possibilities I believe.

This really needs to be a fulltime job almost, given the extensive nature of the research and writing, but I don't have that luxury. Life and church ministry both go on, including a funeral this past Tuesday for the 102-year old mother of one of our church members whom I had visited on several occasions in one of the local care centers. I'm also staying fairly busy with my part-time job with the BGCM as we've been working on a strategy planning process for a new strategic focus for the next five years. I've also got trips to Guatemala coming up in January and February, so there's the preparation for those as well. I'm still targeting February 1st or so as the target date to have the history finished by so as to have it available in time for our anniversary in mid-April.

The other big event on the horizon is the visit of a new prospective senior pastor for our church. We've been without a pastor for a year now and are looking forward to his coming in view of a call the weekend of November 13-15. There's a lot of excitement and interest needless to say. I'll have more details following that weekend.