Posted: 10/15/04

CYBERCOLUMN:
Rain must fall

By John Duncan

I’m sitting here under the old oak tree, remembering drops of rain dripping on my head. Recently I stood under a tree while making a pastoral visit. The picturesque scene might well have been painted on a postcard.

Clouds looked down. Rain dripped. The orange sun like a ball of fire peeked behind the clouds and over the horizon as it set. The grass beneath my feet glowed green. Conversation ensued.

The poet Longfellow once spoke of rain: “Be still, sad heart! and cease repining; / Behind the clouds is the sun still shining; / Thy fate is the common fate of all, / Into each life some rain must fall,”

Grief ensued as part of the discussion. Grief grabs the gut, the heart, the emotions, and spins a tangled web in life. Henri Nouwen says, “We can only keep it together when we believe that God holds us together.”

I visited with Lance, standing in his yard as the rain dripped. I watched and listened as he shared with me how grief was spinning a web around his life. Lance drives a white truck. He lives in a house on open spaces. He proudly smiles because he has a new baby. His 26-year-old wife teaches school. She also has cancer for the third time—breast cancer, then spinal, now brain. We can only keep it together when we believe that God holds us together. Lance and his wife, Amy, aim to keep it together as God holds them together.

Rain dripped on my head while Lance shared his pain, grief, hopes and tears.

Grief makes friends, like the bond of friendship formed in the foxholes of war or crises of despair. My mind drifted back two years ago as I listened to Lance. My wife had cancer. After surgery, a double mastectomy, four rounds of chemotherapy poured like poison into her body and put her on the road to a long recovery. I sensed Lance’s grief, misery and agony. Grief takes no prisoners. Grief sends in swarms of uncertainty. Grief happens.

Before I left that day, I prayed with Lance. Rain dripped on my hand. Into each life some rain must fall.

I drove down the muddy road thinking of Lance, cancer, and Zoe. Just days earlier, a mother and father buried their 28-day-old baby. Born prematurely the parents named her Zoe Grace, “Zoe” for abundant life and “Grace” for God’s gracious hand that catches tears that push up from grief-stricken hearts to eyes so that eyes like waterfalls pour forth tears.

Zoe’s mother spoke at the funeral. Zoe survived for days on life-support equipment, a child kept alive by machines even when little Zoe had no inkling of life, not even the remotest brain wave. Zoe’s mother spoke of the family decision to let go of Zoe. She spoke with tears. Into each life some rain must fall.

At the funeral, the mother eloquently spoke: “I know today God understands. He had to let go of his Child (Son) like I had to let go of Zoe. He watched his Child die. But now Zoe is in heaven with God.”

As I drove out onto the main road, I pondered life in its mystery and grief. The poet Tennyson says, “I am a part of all that I have met.” Frederick Buchner says, “Grace is something you can never get but can only be given.” Jesus says, “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in me” (John 14:6).

So now here I am under the old oak tree, remembering. God gives “zoe,” an abundance of life to those who embrace him. His grace like rain drips as a pain, happiness and grief, and forms us to him to make us whole. He stills the troubled heart. He sees all. He knows. He cares. He understands. Into each life some rain must fall.

As I think back to the dripping rain under the tree with Lance, I know. I know the dripping rain fell from the heart of God, God’s heart pushing up tears like rain that fell from his eyes to help us know that in grief we do not weep alone. God weeps with us. He sheds tears that drip a waterfall of compassion. When he does weep with us, we experience hope in the shadows, “zoe” in death and grace in all its parts.

Into each life God’s rain must fall.

John Duncan is pastor of Lakeside Baptist Church in Granbury, Texas, and the writer of numerous articles in various journals and magazines.

Posted: 10/01/04

Church sees its wellness ministry as modeling life of Christ

By Greg Garrison

Religion News Service

HOMEWOOD, Ala. (RNS)–When people visit Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, they often go to run, lift weights and work out their bodies, as well as their worship and prayer lives. They also find out if they have cancer, diabetes or high blood pressure.

Dawson has placed an emphasis on health, with a gleaming recreation center and programs devoted not just to fitness, but also to the overall medical health of the congregation.

Just as Jesus healed people as part of his teaching ministry, so churches should strive to heal and keep healthy as well, said Debbie Moss, a registered nurse who serves as minister of health and wellness on the Dawson staff.

“It's an incredible ministry that models the life of Christ,” Moss said.

With a spate of health screenings every Wednesday and Sunday, along with frequent workshops on health and fitness and a nurse on staff who can run a blood test in her office, Dawson Baptist is part of an increasing trend toward churches taking on the role of a thriving health clinic and fitness center.

Not every church can do it on the same scale.

“A lot of the churches don't have that kind of budget,” said Debbie Duke, a registered nurse who serves as congregational health program coordinator for Baptist Health System and also is the parish nurse and health ministry team leader for ClearBranch United Methodist Church in Argo, Ala.

But every church can take steps to care for the overall spiritual and physical health of the congregation, Duke said.

“Instead of churches having a one-time or twice-a-year health fair, we are working toward having a health team that addresses health needs all year long,” Duke said.

Duke, as the health ministry leader at ClearBranch, helps coordinate blood pressure screenings twice a month, an educational bulletin board, guest chaplains, a grief recovery support group, a cancer support group, a diabetes support group, blood drives twice a year, weight-loss programs and flu shots.

The trend harkens back to the early days of the church, before modern medicine, when people brought their sick to see a priest for healing, Duke said.

“In the beginning, the church ministered holistically–body, mind and spirit,” Duke said.

Samford University offers a preparatory program for parish nurses. Nearly 300 registered nurses have gone through additional training at Samford to be certified since 2000, Duke said.

A church needn't have any members who are doctors or nurses, she said. A health team can arrange for guest speakers or health-care volunteers to visit, or a cancer survivor could lead a support group, for example, she said.

At Dawson, the church's “Healthy Lifestyle” program signed up 120 people this year to go through health screenings.

Dawson Memorial Baptist Church's gym looks like many fitness facilities except for the Bible verses and biblical admonitions strategically posted throughout it. (Beverly Taylor Photo)

Physiologists, nurses, dietitians and personal trainers offered plans for cardiological workouts at the gym and at home, along with healthy diets tailored to individual health.

Screenings have caught some early cases of skin and prostate cancer, Moss said.

One man who signed up for the program did the beginning exercise of a 12-minute walk at the Family Recreation Center and experienced chest pains. He was referred to a doctor and soon underwent heart bypass surgery.

Many people have health conditions that could be helped if detected, Moss said. Others just want to get or stay in shape.

Neal Schooley, associate pastor for pastoral care at Dawson, said he's among those who have been helped.

“My blood pressure had been creeping up,” he said. “They're the ones who detected that.”

He's been taking medication for it, thanks to the church's thorough approach to wellbeing.

“It has brought health issues to the front,” Schooley said.

Posted: 10/08/04

CYBERCOLUMN:
Do you dare to wait?

By Brett Younger

Stephen O’Brien, an investigative reporter who’s always on the lookout for breaking news, published a thought-provoking piece on how to pick the right checkout line. His article in the Waco Tribune-Herald is a compelling look at, and this is a quote, “the pain of waiting longer than necessary—even if it’s just a few seconds.”

The author offers tips on how to avoid the anguish of extra seconds in line:

On the way into the grocery store, look for efficient cashiers.

Avoid checkers with blinking lights or name tags that say things like “Hi, I’m Mike. This is my first day.”

If you hear the words “price check,” move quickly in the opposite direction.

In addition to evaluating cashiers, don’t forget that sackers play a critical role. If bag-boy help looks thin, consider a longer line that has customers with fewer groceries.

Brett Younger

Don’t look just at the length of lines, but also at who’s in the line. Stay away from distracted shoppers who are less likely to fill out checks ahead of time. The article is mercilessly critical of those who wait until the transaction is complete to swipe their credit card though the machine. Everyone knows that they should do that as soon as the cashier starts ringing them up!

Steer clear of customers with coupons or an abundance of produce.

Once you’ve processed all the variables, pick a line and don’t look back. The article quotes one embarrassed shopper saying: “I don’t put a lot of thought into the checker or exactly what the customers in line are buying. Maybe I should.” The implied response is: “Of course, you should. What’s wrong with you? You don’t deserve a place in the express line.”

Is it just me, or is it scary that newspapers assume that we worry about “the pain of waiting longer than necessary—even if it’s just a few seconds”? If journalists are investigating how to pick the quickest checkout line, shouldn’t we all be asking whether we’re in too much of a hurry? The problem isn’t the speed of the cashiers. We are the problem.

We complain that we don’t have enough time. There’s so much to do—earn a living, explore a vocation, nurture relationships, care for dependents, get exercise, schlep over-programmed children from one activity to another, clean the house. Time abhors a vacuum.

Modern technology promises to make our lives easier, but in the end, computers and cell phones increase the pace of work. We can no longer say that a proposal is in the mail; they’ll tell us to fax it. Prior to cell phones, we relaxed when we were driving. Now, even if we don’t have a cellular phone, it’s hard to relax knowing that other drivers do.

We want everything fast—fast food, eyeglasses in an hour, drive-through banking. Like the white rabbit in “Alice in Wonderland,” we’re always in a hurry. There’s never a moment when there’s not something else we should be doing. We carry a list of errands in our head. We fill every minute.

How many times have you thought, “I wish there were a few more hours in the day”? The assumption is that given more hours we would accomplish more of what we want to get done. What’s more likely is that it would only mean more hectic hours to live through each day. Maybe we should wish for a shorter day, so that the crazy pace of our lives would be limited to fewer hours.

When we believe that busyness is noble, we measure our days by how much we get done, stop measuring things that matter more and hardly recognize the gifts we’ve been given. We lose our ability to play. We lose our passion. We forget our priorities. The psychiatrist Carl Jung said: “Hurry is not of the devil. Hurry is the devil.”

So here’s what we should do: We should take a break. We should stop working, thinking about work, or talking about work. We should rest. Relax. Breathe. Sleep. Dream. Hope. Think. Contemplate. Read. Reflect. Pray. Play. Walk. Talk. Listen. Sing. Dance. Love. Celebrate.

We should stop long enough to look at the world, see that much of it is good, and give thanks. We should stand back and view our lives the way that an artist stands back from the canvas to get a broader perspective. We should take our lives off the easel to get a better look. Attaining some degree of independence from our routine can be the difference between feeling like a gerbil on a spinning wheel and giving thanks for the gift of life.

We should slow down by finding a nice long line in which to stand.

Brett Younger is pastor of Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth and the author of “Who Moved My Pulpit? A Hilarious Look at Ministerial Life,” available from Smyth & Helwys (800) 747-3016.

Here's the code:

Posted: 10/01/04

'Aiding spaces' at 121 Community Church

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

GRAPEVINE–If healthy families begin with healthy homes, 121 Community Church recently gave several families a huge shot in the arm.

To celebrate the congregation's fifth anniversary, members remodeled the homes of several families who live between Dallas and Fort Worth. The families are not members of the church but were selected through an interview process.

The project, dubbed “Aiding Spaces” after the cable television show “Trading Spaces,” included repairing homes in many cases, as well as painting, carpeting, insulating and redecorating–all in 48 hours.

Josh Phillips throws trash into a large dumpster in front of a home 121 Community Church members remodeled.

Allen Branam, who directed the effort at one of the homes, said the stories of each family touched the congregation in a unique way. The house where he was working provided shelter for a single mother of four children, three with special needs. Hearing her testify about how God is working in their lives led him to want to help them.

“It just grabbed me,” Branam said. “I can't tell you how or why.”

While the family rested in a hotel paid for by the church, volunteers put in hardwood floors, added air conditioning to a room, replaced furniture, erected a wall and gave the family new pots and pans, as well as its first set of matching dishes.

The family's gratitude was clear even before construction started. Each member wrote notes on the walls for volunteers to read. Many praised God's goodness. Others were expressions of thanks to the workers. Long poems were written in several parts of the house. The family marked “God is good” on many of the windows.

The project took hold of the community as well. Neighborhood residents were drawn to the project and the number of volunteers surged from 30 per house to 75. Other individuals bought toys for the children. Hardware stores donated materials.

“I've not yet called anyone who has said, 'No, I will not donate,” Beth Brockert said before the construction started.

Workers gathered at the end of construction to present the homes to the residents and celebrate the work. The congregation viewed a video of the project that was shot in a reality-show style.

“I think this is where I'm supposed to be,” Brockert said. “This is where the Lord want me to be.”

Posted: 10/01/04

Learn to control, channel anger into
positive outlets, therapist recommends

By George Henson

Staff Writer

DALLAS–Anger is not a sin; it's an emotion that needs to be controlled and channeled into positive action, Mark Gomez, a therapist with Rapha Christian Counseling, told youth ministers during a workshop at Lakeside Baptist Church in Dallas.

The workshop was part of series sponsored by Dallas Baptist Association for youth ministers.

Time constraints, finances, children, car problems and a myriad of other problems constantly build pressure in lives–just like what happens when a soft drink can is shaken, Gomez observed.

The question, he said, is whether the pressure is going to be expelled in small, safe bursts or spewed all over people nearby.

“You're always going to have pressure,” Gomez asserted. “The question is 'How are you going to channel it, release it, control it?'”

Gomez, a former pastor, said the Bible gives evidence that anger is a neutral emotion and can be channeled for either good or bad.

He pointed to Proverbs 17:27, which says a wise man is even-tempered.

“He is even-tempered, not non-tempered. It doesn't say he doesn't have anger. It says he controls it,” Gomez said.

“Anger is natural and spiritual. It is a part of human nature, but it also is a part of God's nature.”

He explained that being created in the image of God makes humans moral creatures with a concern for right and wrong.

But anger is an emotion that must be kept under control, he cautioned.

“Anger is power; it's like dynamite,” he said.

He also compared it to a river. “Like a roaring river, it can wipe out a village, or it can be channeled to produce electrical power for that village.”

The first step in channeling anger is to know what precedes it.

“Pay attention to your body and how it is that your body does anger. Pay attention to your kids in your youth group and what they do when they are feeling the pressure build, but also pay attention to yourself,” he counseled the youth ministers.

It is important to deal with anger before it becomes the controlling factor, Gomez said.

“If I'm going to work with someone on their anger, the last place I'm going to start is the feelings. Thoughts are the key,” he said. “Anger as an emotion is something you can't control directly.”

Gomez used a volcano as another illustration of anger. Behaviors are the rock and lava that spew from the top, but other forces beneath the surface are the real cause.

“Anger is not a primary emotion. It is secondary. It has to have another core emotion to get anger going,” he said.

“You never vomit from the neck up. It has to have a deeper source. Anger is the same way. Something deeper is needed to push it up.”

Some of the core emotions that fuel anger are frustration, fear, hate, depression, grief, guilt and shame.

“While anger sometimes seems like it comes out of nowhere, if you do an 'anger autopsy,' you'll see the patterns involved,” he said.

Anger often begins in a gap between expectations and reality.

“The gap between our expectations and reality are where emotions are born,” Gomez said. “The farther our expectations are from reality the more volatile the emotion.”

Part of changing expectations is changing thoughts and words. Words like “must,” “never” and “always” provide for unrealistic expectations. “These are words that demonstrate no flexibility or room for compromise in the way a need can be met,” Gomez said.

Gomez turned to Romans 12:2 to illustrate his point. “We are not renewed by the changing of our emotions, but our minds, our thoughts,” he said. “The bottom line is I need to change my expectations.”

One youth minister at the workshop said he could see how he needed to change some of his thinking to curb his own anger.

“I have to watch having anger toward certain students in my youth group. I'm beginning to see that maybe I have some unrealistic expectations for them–that I don't need to look at them and think, 'You should be better than this by now,'” he said.

Gomez told the youth ministers they can help change the way teens react to frustrations. "Teens are still moldable. The concrete hasn't set yet," he said.

He put on a tool belt that held nothing but different sizes and types of hammers to illustrate.

“Some of us don't have enough different tools in our emotional tool belt–not enough coping skills,” he said.

“Some kids, all they have in their tool belts are hammers for whacking. It may not be physical. It may be verbal, but that can do just as much damage.”

The test for whether anger is healthy is whether it restores relationships or destroys them, he said.

“An angry God aims to restore, bringing people together, to ultimately give them peace. Satan's anger aims to destroy, divide and bring fear,” he said.

Core emotions that may bring on a healthy anger are a hatred of evil, zealousness for righteousness and disappointment.

Gomez used Jesus' cleansing of the temple to illustrate.

“Jesus expected the temple to be a place of worship, and it was turned into a mall where common people were being used and abused to the point where the last thing on their minds was worship. And worship was supposed to be the only purpose for the temple,” he said.

“God has the same zeal for cleansing the lives of young people and restoring them, just as he did that temple 2,000 years ago,” Gomez added.

Posted: 10/01/04

Christian therapist Mark Gomez
offers 10 tools for beating stress

Get a grip on yourself.

You are in contol of your emotions. You may not be able to change the outside world, but you can learn to deal with it.

Recognize you are in charge of your stress.

You have control over most of your activities. Prioritize your time to reduce stress.

Determine the importance of a situation.

Not getting invited to a party is not the end of the world. It may seem that way, but there will be other parties.

Go easy on yourself.

No one is perfect. Try hard and do your best. That's all anyone can ask of you.

Take one thing at a time and prepare for it.

Prioritize your time. Don't wait until the night before to study for two tests. Keep a calendar of activities.

Take care of yourself.

Eat healthy food, exercise and get enough rest. Drugs and alcohol only lead to bigger problems.

Laugh or cry to relieve your tensions.

Laugh at yourself. It's hard to do, but it helps reduce stress.

Get involved.

You will have less time to be sad, bored and lonely if you stay busy.

Visualize.

Use your mind to “see” how you can manage a potentially stressful situation.

Don't suffer in silence.

An honest talk with someone you trust helps you get rid of bottled-up feelings and see things in a different light.

Posted: 10/01/04

Around the State

Tom Moritz, assistant professor of marketing for the Hardin-Simmons University Kelley College of Business for 24 years, has retired.

Henry Morin, Lauren Clemens and Brent Burks have been hired as admissions counselors at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

East Texas Baptist University has added four faculty members–David Collins, instructor in kinesiology and associate athletic trainer; Shane Fuller, assistant professor of theater arts; Donald Spencer, associate professor of chemistry; and Stanley Self, instructor in accounting.

First Church in Early held a noteburning ceremony to celebrate paying off the note on the congregation's Christian Activity Center. Participating were Pastor Eddie Ailshie (left) and deacon Jerry Wheat.

Baptist Hospital in Beaumont will hold a training program for registered nurses interested in becoming a congregational nurse. Classes will be held Nov. 17-20 at the Holy Family Retreat Center in Beaumont. Call Rebekah Seymour at (409) 212-5648 for more information or to register.

Anniversaries

First Church in Wimberley, 120th, Aug. 15. Bill Jones is pastor.

Gregorio Albineda, 20th in the ministry, Sept. 19. He has been pastor of Iglesia Calvario in Vernon eight years.

Dan McClinton, 25th as associate pastor, minister of music, and formerly minister of education at The Oaks Church in Grand Prairie, Sept. 23. Prior to relocation, the church was known as First Church of Oak Cliff in Dallas. His wife, Myla, has served as pianist, organist and preschool director during the same time period.

Charles Davenport, 30th as pastor of First Church in Tulia, Sept. 26.

First Church in The Woodlands, 25th, Oct. 2-3. The church held a community give-away on Saturday as part of the celebration, where members of the community could claim items given by church members. Founding Pastor W.D. Broadway attended. Pete Freeman is pastor.

Good Hope Church in Three Rivers, 100th, Oct. 10. A barbecue luncheon will follow the morning service. People attending are asked to bring photos and recipes for inclusion in an anniversary scrapbook. A second service will begin at 1 p.m. Guest speakers for the day will include area pastors Chris Walker and Lee Bevly, and former director of missions for Blanco Association Claude Jacks. Guest singers will be The Baileys and Song of Glory. David Darling is pastor.

Fairplay Church in Carthage, 100th, Oct. 10. A luncheon will follow the morning service. An afternoon service and reception will begin at 1:30 p.m. David Murrell is pastor.

First Church in O'Donnell, 90th, Oct. 10. A noon meal and afternoon service will follow the morning service. Scott Hensley is pastor.

Broyles Chapel Church in Palestine, 65th, Oct. 16-17. Saturday at 5 p.m., the church will hold a barbecue to honor the fire department, sheriff's department and other emergency personnel. Local officials and former pastor Ken Rawson will speak. On Sunday, flautist Lino Lopez and singer Lorraine Handorf will participate in the morning service. Mike Smith, director of missions for Dogwood Trails Area, will preach. The church's history also will be remembered and the congregation's new facility dedicated. A handmade quilt will be auctioned to benefit the building fund. Willie Reagan is pastor.

First Church in Seymour, 120th, Oct. 24-31. The preaching schedule of former pastors includes Rick Markham, Sunday; Jerry Lemon, Monday; Joe Ainsworth, Tuesday; Don Chaffin, Wednesday; Corky Karka-lits, Thursday; and Tommy Culwell, Saturday. Markham's sermon will be at noon, all others at 6 p.m. Fellowships will follow each service. There will be no Friday night activities. Oct. 31 will be high attendance day and a lunch will follow the morning service. Glenn Shock is pastor.

Pastor Ray Vickery of Royal Lane Church in Dallas (right) recently baptized three generations of the Berrier family–father, Sean; grandfather, J.J.; and son, Austin.

Hollie Briscoe, 20th, as pastor of Caranchua Chapel in Bay City.

Bosqueville Church in Waco, 150th, Nov. 7. Speaking in the morning service will be former pastors Preston Taylor and Jim Houser, and former Music Minister Bert Crossland will lead the congregation in worship. A luncheon and time of fellowship will follow the service, during which other former pastors and members will have the opportunity to speak. A video of past events in the church will be shown throughout the afternoon. Brad Herridge is pastor.

Update: Former Pastor Otis Testerman will not be able to attend the anniversary services at First Church in Breckenridge Oct. 9-10.

Retiring

Don Blackley, as associate pastor of music and worship at First Church in Richardson, Sept. 30. He served the church 13 years, and has been in the ministry 45 years. He previously served First Church in Norman, Okla., and Shiloh Terrace Church in Dallas. The church will hold a reception in his honor Oct. 10 at 6:30 p.m.

Larry Taylor, as pastor of Holly Brook Church in Hawkins, Oct. 31. He has served the Hawkins congregation 13 years and has been in the ministry more than 45 years. Other places of service include Northwest Hills Church in San Antonio, First Church in Arlington and Moyer Church in Moyer, Okla. He also was Baptist Student Ministries director at Kilgore and Panola colleges and the University of Texas at El Paso. He can be reached at (903) 769-5164.

Licensed

Bobby Spangler to the ministry at Trinity Church in Quanah.

John Messenger and Chris Uhlaender to the ministry at First Church in Wimberley.

Ordained

Clinton Staj to the ministry at College Heights Church in Plainview.

David McPherson and Jason Dean to the ministry at Coryell Community Church in Gatesville.

John Lay to the ministry at First Church of Urbandale in Dallas.

Dennis Kelly, Sara Lee and Pat Whisenant as deacons at Broadway Church in Fort Worth.

Milton Watson as a deacon at First Church in Seguin.

Deaths

Jesse Leonard, 77, Sept. 9 in Kerrville. Leonard served the U.S. Marine Corps as a dog trainer. After graduation from Wayland Baptist University, he began a life of ministry, serving churches in Texas, Washington and Georgia. He was preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Carolyn; brothers, Lester and William; sisters, Laverne Newman and Roberta Stevens; and grandson, Jason Ray. He is survived by his wife, Lynn; daughters, Gina Ireland and Gay Ivey; sons, Ray, Jay and Trenton; brothers, Joe, Dinzel and Aubrey; and eight grandchildren.

Ray King, 72, Sept. 28 in Corpus Christi. A deacon at First Church in Bishop, he participated in Texas Baptist Men disaster relief projects. Missions work took him to Honduras, Brazil, Ecuador, Germany, England, The Netherlands and Scotland. He also served as a coordinator for missions groups in the Texas-Mexico border region. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Deloris; daughters, Del Rhea Watson, Glenann Gebhart and Jill King; and three grandchildren.

Events

A select vocal ensemble and hula dancers from Hawaii Baptist Academy will perform in Texas churches as part of an October tour. Included among the stops will be First Church in Tulia, 11 a.m. Oct. 3; First Church in Amarillo, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 3; First Church in Texarkana, 6:05 Oct. 6; Mobberly Church in Longview, 9:30 and 10:45 a.m. Oct. 10; First Church in Tyler, 6 p.m. Oct. 10; First Church in Winnsboro, noon Oct. 11; Columbus Avenue Church in Waco, 7 p.m. Oct. 11; First Church in Richardson, 6:30 p.m. Oct. 13; Broadway Church in Fort Worth, 10:50 a.m. Oct. 17 and Wedgwood Church, 6 p.m. Oct. 17.

A dinner theater will be presented Oct. 7-9 and 14-16 at Park Central Church in Dallas to benefit the Well Community Center, a home for the mentally ill. Tickets are $16 and include a dinner from La Madeleine; tickets are specially priced for the Oct. 9 gala performance. For tickets, call (972) 661-8888 or (972) 669-8517.

A Southern gospel concert will be held at Lakeside Church in Dallas Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. Featured performers will be The Galileans, The Wills Family, The Jubil-Heirs, Trusting Hearts and Sylvia Green. The concert will benefit Mission East Dallas, a clinic offering Christ-based health care to low-income and uninsured residents of eastern Dallas County. The clinic began as a ministry of Shiloh Terrace Church in Dallas, and now also partners with Casa View, Gaston Oaks, Lake Highlands and Lakeside churches in Dallas, as well as St. Pius X Catholic Church. Adult admission is $10 in advance or $12 at the door; children are $6. For tickets or more information, call (972) 682-8917.

First Church in Clint will dedicate its refurbished sanctuary Oct. 17. A lunch will be served. A program of music and testimony will follow in the afternoon. Gayle Hogg is pastor.

The student ministry of First Church in Denton will hold its annual House of Judgment Oct. 20-31 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., except for Oct. 22, 25, 26 and 29 when there will be no performance. An alternative to haunted houses, it is a walk-through drama of 10 scenes. It takes approximately 40 minutes and is not recommended for children younger than sixth grade. Admission is $5, and reservations are required for groups of 10 or more people. Call (940) 382-2577, ext. 194 for group reservations.

The Heights Church in Richardson will offer a free festival that will include a petting zoo, preschool bounce house, rock climbing wall and many other attractions Oct. 27 from 6 p.m to 8 p.m.

Revivals

College Avenue Church, McGregor; Oct. 3-7; evangelist, Malcolm Ellis; music, Sherman and Tammy Aten; pastor, David Thompson.

Old Palestine Church, Lufkin; Oct. 8-10; evangelist, Curtis French; music, Brush Arbor and One Way; pastor, Dan Eakin.

Immanuel Church, Paris; Oct. 10-13; evangelist, Chet Haney; music, Alan Shoumaker; pastor, Randall Scott.

First Church, Vernon; Oct. 10-13; evangelist, Bubba Stahl; pastor, Derrell Monday.

Posted: 10/01/04

Autistic child's gift teaches lesson
about God's love; leads to church start

By George Henson

Staff Writer

THORNDALE–Some people think the days of miracles are past, but Pastor Larry Griffith says he knows better. He's seen God use a child's toy to start a church.

Griffith took a step of faith when he prepared to travel to Brazil with Evangelist Sammy Tippit this summer, leaving behind his pregnant wife.

“One of the hardest things I've ever had to do was get on that plane instead of staying with her,” Griffith said.

But he still felt God's leading to go. He received confirmation as he said his goodbyes to his two sons.

His oldest son, Dallas, is 9 years old. He also is autistic. His father says Dallas lives primarily in his own world, and the key components of that world are his little toy Hot Wheels cars.

“He is very possessive of his toy cars and had his favorite one that he always kept with him–his security blanket–in his hand,” Griffith recalled.

While some autistic children are not very vocal, Dallas is. Dallas asked his father to bring him back a car from his trip.

“Part of the price you pay for being a preacher's kid is that everything is a life lesson,” Griffith said.

“So I preceded to tell him that I would try, but I wasn't sure if I would be able to or not. And he should remember that in Brazil, the children were very poor, and many of them had never had even one car or any other toy.”

Dallas stood before his father for a few seconds and then held out the hand that held his most precious possession.

“He told me to give it to a boy in Brazil. My wife and I were dumbfounded and just stood there in tears,” Griffith said.

Autistic children tend to be self-centered and reluctant to share, he explained.

“We knew at that moment that God was up to something very special,” he said.

The flight from Texas to Sao Paulo, Brazil, was a long one, and all the way there, Griffith's thoughts were drawn back to his son's gift of his most prized possession.

“I began to see that as a picture of what God has done for us–the way he gave his son that we might have eternal life,” he said.

In Brazil, he preached at First Baptist Church in Jardra, and he recounted the story of his son's gift.

In the midst of telling that story and relating to the congregation how it was a picture of God's love, he asked if a 9-year-old boy were present.

A boy named Jefferson came to the front. Griffith presented Jefferson with the first toy he ever possessed on behalf of his son, Dallas, who was giving the first gift he ever gave.

“The congregation just wept,” Griffith said.

After the service, four men said they had been impressed that they needed to share the story of God's gift of love with people in a nearby neighborhood that had no church.

One of the men owned a garage where he worked on cars and said it could serve as a church for the community.

The next day, Griffith and the four men went door-to-door through an impoverished neighborhood. The residents' poverty had hardened their hearts toward God, he said.

“They said, 'God doesn't love me.' But as we shared the story of Dallas' gift and God's gift of his Son, we would see hearts melt, and 27 people gave their hearts to Christ that first day,” Griffith recalled.

The men decided that with so many making professions of faith in Christ, the meetings in the garage could not wait until the next Sunday but needed to start that night.

Each of the 27 who had made commitments to Christ was present.

Griffith and the men continued witnessing to the people and telling the story of a boy's gift and how it mirrored God's gift. By the end of the week, 131 people had made professions of faith in Christ.

When Sunday came, the garage overflowed with people.

“It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen God do–start a church with an 88-cent car,” Griffith said.

The church in the garage still doesn't have a name. Charter members have to go through paperwork and receive city approval before they have an official name.

But unofficially, Griffith has his own name for the congregation.

“I call it First Baptist Church of Dallas.”

Posted: 10/01/04

BaptistWay Bible Series for Oct. 10

Christians are ambassadors of reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:11-21

By Todd Still

Truett Seminary, Waco

Christian believers arguably are at their worst when they are disconnected from one another and unbelievers. It is easy to become self-absorbed in tasks and routines and to ignore the spiritual and physical needs of neighbors both near and far. When we fail to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, we sin against them and God.

Adding insult to injury, some Christians have embraced a doctrine of election whereby they seek to exonerate themselves from the responsibility of outreach. They reason that God has destined some to be saved (and others to be damned), and nothing can be done to alter divine design.

If this theological orientation were not objectionable enough, some of these “elect” also possess an attitude of hubris and hardheartedness. Their beliefs and behaviors say, “We are the chosen few; all the rest are damned. There is no room in heaven for you; we don't want heaven crammed.”

Christian believers at their best view outsiders as potential insiders and lovingly seek to bring them into the Good Shepherd's fold. This is what the Apostle Paul did in his ministry. Having been entrusted by God with the ministry and message of reconciliation, Paul perceived himself Christ's ambassador (5:18-20). As such, he entreated and sought to persuade people in Corinth and elsewhere to embrace the evangel (5:11, 20).

The text for this week not only highlights Paul's reconciliatory ministry but also gives important insights into the motives and message that underpin Christian ambassadorship.

Because Paul believed Christians would be held accountable by Christ for the way they live their lives (5:10), and because the apostle felt an acute sense of accountability to a holy God in the midst of life (5:11), he sought to persuade people to “walk by faith, not by sight” (5:7). Perhaps some detractors of Paul accused him of trying to please people (Galatians 1:10) and of “breaking his arm trying to pat himself on the back” (5:12). Slanderous accusations notwithstanding, the apostle propounds he has a clear conscience before God and hopes the Corinthians can see their way clear through the smear campaign of his opponents (5:11).

Paul insists his purpose in “setting the record straight” is not to commend himself again to his converts; rather, he is attempting to equip the church with the necessary knowledge and motivation to defend him when others malign him (5:12). While Paul thinks his adversaries are guilty of putting on airs and placing too much value on external appearances (5:12), the Corinthians should have known full well he knew what Samuel of old knew–whereas people look on the outward appearance, the Lord looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). The apostle knew his own heart and did not lose faith (4:1, 16), because Paul, like King David, was a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22).

During the course of his Christian life, Paul was sometimes privy to ecstatic spiritual experiences, including “speaking in tongues” (1 Corinthians 14:18), “being caught up into the third heaven” (2 Corinthians 12:1-6) and certain other revelations (Galatians 2:1). Be that as it may, the apostle, in contrast to those who criticized him, did not make much ado about his mystical encounters with God when relating with the Corinthians. On the contrary, he conducted his ministry with clarity and frankness for the benefit of his congregants in Corinth (5:13).

Spiritual oneupmanship did not drive Paul; Christ's love compelled the apostle. He did not think for a moment, however, that the love of Christ was his individual preserve. His conviction was that Christ's wondrous love as shown through his vicarious death was for any and for all (5:14). Paul was persuaded that there is no shortage of or limit to the love of God in Christ (Romans 5:8; 8:38-39).

Why did Christ die? According to Paul, it was not merely so people could go to heaven. The apostle asserts Christ's physical death led to the spiritual death of all people. What is more, he contends Christ's resurrected life enables those people who believe the gospel to truly live, not for or unto themselves and not for this life only, but for and unto Christ the Lord, both now and forevermore (5:14-15; Romans 14:7-9; Galatians 2:20).

There was a time, Paul acknowledges, when he conceptualized Christ and others “according to the flesh,” that is, from an unregenerate perspective. What was once true, however, was not always true (5:16). His conversion and call, coupled with subsequent theological reflection, led Paul to conclude a new day had dawned and a new epoch had begun in Christ. Resultantly, Paul proclaimed that those who would entrust themselves to Christ could live in the new reality. In Christ, “there is a new creation; the old things passed away, behold new things have come” (5:17).

Paul grounded God's reconciliatory work in Christ's life-giving death. The One who knew no sin became sin so the people who knew sin all too well might experience and express God's righteousness (5:19, 21).

Discussion questions

If you perceived yourself as Christ's ambassador, what would change in your life?

Are Christians Christ's ambassadors whether they accept the position or not?

How is the value of the sacrifice of Christ's life evidenced in the life you lead each day?