Posted: 1/07/05

Operation Inasmuch prompts ministry to the 'least of these'

Ten years ago, Snyder Memorial Baptist Church in Fayetteville, N.C., was a church ready for a new challenge. To revitalize the congregation, staff members envisioned a brief local-missions blitz with the ambitious goal of involving more than half of the people attending Sunday morning services.

What resulted was a one-day effort to minister to “the least of these” in and around Fayetteville, a military town. Blending military and biblical terminology, they called the project “Operation Inasmuch,” taking inspiration from Jesus' parable in Matthew 25.

The first event drew 450 participants from the church–two-thirds of the average Sunday attendance.

“The day after, … some members came to me and said, 'That's our idea of missions,'” recalled David Crocker, at the time the church's new pastor. “Operation Inasmuch became the heart of the church's mission statement. It changed the identity of the church in the community. From that point on, the church was sold on it.”

So, apparently, were a lot of others.

A decade later, more than 300 churches representing many denominations now participate, as the idea has spread from North Carolina into Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Florida and even across the Atlantic. Burton Latimer Baptist Church in England held an Operation Inasmuch last year.

“When you start something like this,” Crocker said, “you have no idea where it's going.”

People of all ages gravitate toward expressing their concern for missions in local and personal ways, he noted. “They want hands-on involvement,” he said.

Operation Inasmuch attempts to get church members outside of the church and into the community. But it's not about church image. “It's about doing what Jesus said,” Crocker explained. “It's practicing what we say we believe. I grow weary of how often we gather in comfortable places and talk about doing missions. And I know that when you offer a way to do missions, laypeople in particular are very enthusiastic about it.”

An event last spring in Knoxville, Tenn., where Crocker now is pastor of Central Baptist Church in Fountain City, included Presbyterians and Methodists and provided hands-on missions activities for almost all age groups.

That is a key to involvement, said Martha Johnson, a registered nurse who has been Central's volunteer coordinator for three Operation Inasmuch efforts.

Janet Busman cares for a young girl while her parents shop in the rummage sale as part of Operation Inasmuch.

During the April event, children in the church were part of a pizza party given for guests at a Ronald McDonald House, which offers temporary housing for families of ill children. The church children also packed personal-care kits that were distributed to people in local homeless shelters. Senior adults participated in light assembly projects.

Other church members prepared and froze 112 casseroles for the Fellowship Center, another organization that houses out-of-town families of local hospital patients. Central sponsored a baby shower, with all gifts donated to a home for unwed mothers. They prepared 500 “compassion bags.” Each item inside had a Bible verse attached. Church members sorted food and clothes that had been donated to the Fountain City Ministry Center, an interdenominational project of eight churches housed at Central Baptist.

Youth and adults, working under the direction of project leaders, completed 20 construction-related projects during the one-day event, including painting, roofing, landscaping and installation of a wheelchair ramp in a home.

Even when construction is involved, the costs are kept to a minimum, Crocker said. It's often possible to partner with local groups that are “pass-through organizations” for projects funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“HUD makes money available to almost every community in the nation for repair of resident-owned property for people who are unable to do the repairs themselves,” Crocker said. “These organizations are looking for volunteers. Our proposal is: 'You provide the materials. We provide the volunteers.'”

The Operation Inasmuch churches provide lunches for all participating volunteers. And churches must purchase items to be used in the personal-care kits. But the average out-of-pocket cost for Central Baptist for an Operation Inasmuch with approximately 500 volunteers is only $3,000. “So often people are willing to donate things,” Crocker said. “Lots of businesses are eager to help out when they understand what this is.”

In many Operation Inasmuch projects, those ministering and those ministered to are in direct contact. Does this then become an evangelism effort? And, Crocker was asked, how do you keep the recipients from feeling patronized?

In home-repair projects, volunteers are asked to take time to visit with homeowners, get to know them, share with them, and pray with and for them. Operation Inasmuch gives homeowners a Bible with the names of the volunteers listed inside.

“While volunteers are putting on a new roof, other volunteers are meeting and talking with the owners,” Crocker said. “We do ask volunteers to inquire about their spiritual situation and, to whatever extent they will allow, to share with them. But we don't want it done in a heavy-handed way.”

Operation Inasmuch has contributed to church growth at Central Baptist. “We've had people join the church because they were impressed that people would do such things,” Crocker said.

But public relations and church growth are not the goals of Operation Inasmuch, Johnson emphasized.

“You have to be careful about the image you want to project,” she said. “We don't want to imply that we're doing something that nobody else is doing.

“It's not an opportunity to brag about your church. It should be done more quietly than that. It's an opportunity to know that our church has a presence in the community. And people know that we are out there helping other people. Not that it's something great. It's just something that we are supposed to do. With just a little bit of effort,” she said, “you can help a lot of people.”

A manual for Operation Inasmuch is available for a nominal charge from the ministry's website, www.operationinasmuch.com.

Posted: 1/07/05

Suit would prevent teaching of 'intelligent design'

By Robert Marus

ABP Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (ABP)—Two civil-liberties watchdog groups have filed the first known lawsuit to prevent public schools from teaching the theory of "intelligent design."

Critics of the theory, including supporters of evolution, call it "junk science" and say it is a back-door way to teach creationism. Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit against the Dover, Pa., school board to bar the district from teaching intelligent design.

The theory argues that an "intelligent agent" guided the development of life on Earth, using that assertion to explain alleged gaps or inconsistencies in the theory of evolution. Conservative evangelical Christians have been intelligent design's main promoters.

Many mainstream scientists, including many Christian biologists and anthropologists, have criticized intelligent design as pseudo-science.

On Oct. 18, the Dover Area School District Board passed, by a 6-3 vote, a resolution requiring students to "be made aware of gaps/problems" in evolutionary theory. The district—in a small town near the state capital of Harrisburg—then produced a statement that ninth-grade biology teachers at Dover High School would have to read to their classes.

The statement asserts that "gaps in the theory (of evolution) exist for which there is no evidence" and points to an intelligent-design text, "Of Pandas and People," as available for students who "would like to explore this view."

The groups filed the lawsuit on behalf of 11 Dover parents who oppose the teaching of intelligent-design theory in their children's classrooms. It charges that such teaching violates the First Amendment's ban on government endorsement of religious views.

The Supreme Court has previously ruled that public schools could not teach creationism, which is the belief that God created the world—according to many advocates, in six literal, 24-hour days several thousand years ago.

"Intelligent design is a non-scientific argument or assertion, made in opposition to the scientific theory of evolution, that an intelligent, supernatural actor has intervened in the history of life, and that life 'owes its origin to a master intellect,'" the suit charges.

Dover science teachers opposed the policy at the time of the board's vote, and the three board members who voted against it later resigned in protest.

The suit further contends that "Of Pandas and People" was published by a group that promotes so-called "creation science" and Christianity, and that the school board's purpose in recommending it was religious.

"As far as we know, this is the first (legal) challenge of the intelligent-design concept being taught in science classes," said Americans United spokesman Joe Conn. Intelligent design is "clearly not coming from the science community; it's coming from ideological sources," he said.

A statement posted on the school district's website said that the schools' attorney was reviewing the lawsuit and that administrators would not comment on the case until the review was completed.

The Seattle-based Discovery Institute, which promotes intelligent design, nonetheless called the Dover school policy "misguided" and said it should be "withdrawn and rewritten."

"When we first read about the Dover policy, we publicly criticized it because according to published reports the intent was to mandate the teaching of intelligent design," said John West, associate director for the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture, in a Dec. 14 press release. "Although we think discussion of intelligent design should not be prohibited, we don't think intelligent design should be required in public schools.

"What should be required is full disclosure of the scientific evidence for and against Darwin's theory," he continued.

The case is Kitzmiller vs. Dover Area School District.

-30-

Posted: 1/07/05

TEXAS BAPTIST FORUM:

Faith is foundation for all knowledge

The ongoing situations at Baylor and Louisiana College open the question of the very nature of academic freedom. Following Michael Polanyi, the late missologist Lesslie Newbigin (hardly a fundamentalist) observed: “Truth is not a fruit of freedom. It is the precondition for freedom.” In other words, freedom extends to the discovery of the truth and no further. Once the truth has been ascertained, academic freedom works within those bounds. Polanyi, a first-rate scientist, understood that all fields of knowledge—not just theology—begin on a foundation of faith. William Dembski understood this when he used Polanyi’s name for his ill-fated center at Baylor. In all fields, the sciences included, knowledge is “credo ut intelligam”—“I believe that I may know.” The question for a Christian university is not a conflict between academic excellence and “holding as a matter of faith that certain truths already are definitively settled.” The question is: Which truths are held by faith as settled, those of the Christian or those of the naturalist?

Tom Whitehouse

McAllen

Letters are welcomed. Send them to marvknox@baptiststandard.com; 250 words maximum.

“We're seeing devastation and death beyond belief. I've been through many disasters around the world, but I've never seen anything like this. There's really nothing to compare it to.” Michael Elmquist United Nations assistance director in Indonesia (New York Times) “If I just fed people and that's all I did–if I clothed people and that's all I did–I would be cheating people. I would be holding back the most important information that I have to give them. It would be a sin for me not to share with them my faith.” Franklin Graham Evangelist and head of Samaritan's Purse (Newsweek) “There are those people who are an anchor or a cornerstone in each congregation. Roy Honeycutt was (an anchor). At the center of his life was a deep love for the church. This love informed his scholarship, his teaching, his leadership, his service. He loved the body of Christ.” Bill Johnson Minister of spiritual formation at Crescent Hill Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., speaking at a memorial service for former Southern Seminary President Roy Honeycutt (BP)

More on the Star of Bethlehem

“Star of wonder” (Dec. 20) was correct on one point: It was subtle and unspectacular, as was the King it announced. Modern scientists attempting to explain the star of Bethlehem contradict one another, because they omit the only reliable source of information—the Bible. Left unexplained is why an eclipse or a conjunction of stars and planets should provoke Persian astrologers to undertake a journey requiring several months to accomplish (Matthew 2:16). Ordinary celestial objects cannot pause and change direction in such a manner that would guide travelers. Following a star in the eastern sky would have led the wise men in the wrong direction; an ordinary star would have led about in circles. The Bible foretold the star 1,500 years previously: “There shall come a star out of Jacob” (Numbers 24:17). The wise men could have known the prophecy of Balaam, who was a fellow Mesopotamian.

“We have seen his star in the east” should be read as, “We in the East have seen his star.” When Jesus was born, God caused a supernatural light to appear in the west, contrary to nature, seemingly rising out of Israel as seen in the east. This miracle prompted the wise men to find the fulfillment of Balaam’s prophecy. The star, specially created to announce the birth of the King of Israel, rose in the west, hung in the western sky long enough to lead the wise men to Bethlehem. Ordinary heavenly objects were as unnecessary as they were unsuited for the purpose.

Wes Duckett

Odessa

Government should maintain social order

I would like to bring up some counterpoints to the views expressed by two letters in the Nov. 1 issue of the Standard. First, the state is ordained by God to establish laws and social order (Romans 13). Marie Hartzfeld is misled about the job of government. Since our country is a government “by the people and for the people,” when we elect them, we have the right to request them to make laws that promote the social order. Gay marriage was illegal until some crackpot judges in Massachusetts decided 200-plus years of American law was wrong. Abortion was illegal until the High Court overturned it in 1973. So, I contend that it is the government’s job to maintain the social order. I am proud that in 11 states people have exercised their rights to ban gay marriage. Genesis 1 and 2 set the social order; it was Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. Second, I must contend with the statements made by Charles Lee Evans about our founders’ faith. While I have read these quotes before, it does not tell the whole story. I challenge my brother to read the Mayflower Compact and the Articles of Confederation of Connecticut. America was founded as a Christian nation. She is not a perfect place, because she was founded by imperfect people, but she did use Christian values and ideas to lay her foundation.

Michael L. Simons

Cleburne

Shortage of organs for transplants

This nation faces a tragic shortage of human organs for transplant operations. That shortage kills more than 6,000 Americans every year. Most of those deaths are needless. Americans donate only half the organs that could save lives and reduce suffering. They bury or cremate the rest. The solution to the organ shortage is simple: If you don’t agree to donate your organs when you die, then you go to the back of the waiting list if you ever need an organ to live. A grassroots group of organ donors called LifeSharers is making this idea a reality, one member at a time. LifeSharers is a nonprofit network of organ donors. Members agree to donate their organs when they die, and they give fellow members “first dibs” on their organs. This gives other people a strong incentive to sign donor cards and join the network. More donors means fewer deaths on the transplant waiting list. LifeSharers also helps make sure that organ donors get their fair share of organs. About 70 percent of the organs transplanted in America go to people who haven’t agreed to donate their own organs when they die. As long as we let people refuse to sign a donor card and still jump to the front of the waiting list if they need a transplant, we’ll always have an organ shortage. Anyone who wants to donate their organs to others who have agreed to donate theirs can join LifeSharers at www.lifesharers.com. Membership is free. LifeSharers has 2,562 members, including members in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

David J. Undis

Nashville, Tenn.

U.S. was provoked

I am compelled to answer the letter written by Bob Cheateam, who said, “… we went to war with Germany, and they did not provoke us” and “Hitler did nothing to us.” Germany declared war on America shortly after America declared war on Japan following their attack on Pearl Harbor. Germany and Japan were allies. One nation declaring war against another nation certainly rises to the level of a “provocation.”

Jim Wallace

Richardson

Call country back to obey God

When our country was founded, there were no ugly or pretty people, just people with beautiful souls, seeking a homeland where they could worship God without persecution. For a number of years, we grew closer to the Lord. Then we started to do as Eve did when she was tempted by the devil. The devil told Eve, “You shall not surely die,” although God had said she would. We started to believe that same lie, that God was mistaken in how he told us to live our lives, so that we would know peace, happiness and prosperity. I noticed it first in our doctors, who used to live by their oath. I think Norman Rockwell captured the idea in one of his paintings where a family doctor had made a house call on a sick little girl. The little girl was holding up her rag doll, and the doctor was listening for the heartbeat of the doll. But now so many of the doctors are only in it for the money, as they raise the cost of office visits when you receive Medicare. Look at all the documented cases of how some have taken advantage of the system to gain greater wealth. God has told us to love one another, even love our enemies, and to return good for evil. We still think we know better. When will we learn and return back to the peace and prosperity we once knew?

Daniel Younger

Itasca

Champions of faith

Over the Christmas holiday, the world of professional sports and the body of Christ suffered two significant losses. Reggie White and Johnny Oates exemplified Christian character and stood for biblical principles.

White's intensity on the football field, and most notably his knack for punishing opposing quarterbacks, earned respect around the NFL. Yet it was his religious convictions, especially his stance against homosexuality, that drew general attention. Refusing to bow the knee to the postmodern idol of tolerance and drawing severe criticism, White refused to let go of his convictions and continued to preach that homosexuality is a sin and not a biological condition.

For every pound of intensity White had for football, Oates had a pound of intensity for baseball. He assumed the coaching reins of the mediocre Texas Rangers and led them to three division titles in six seasons. Yet Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist Jim Reeves described how Oates will be remembered not only as a passionate baseball coach but as a loving husband and father who had a healthy relationship with God.

Professional sports and the American church will surely miss Johnny Oates and Reggie White. They were not only champions of the arena, but champions of the faith. Will we follow their example?

Lance Higginbotham

Arlington

Hitler's aggression

Letter writer Bob Cheateam suggested the United States went to war against Hitler's Germany without provocation (Dec. 6). Actually, Germany first declared war on us. We had little choice but to respond on Dec. 11, 1941.

For all his faults, Saddam Hussein never suggested that he was planning to initiate a war against the United States. He wasn't that stupid.

James O. Morse

Woodway

About time

I read the article about Eugene Florence (Dec. 6) with great joy and great sadness. With joy, because, at 100, he finally obtained his degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. And with sadness, because I wonder how many black students died without the blessing of getting a degree from one of the Baptist seminaries.

However, I thank God that Eugene Florence and the black students who died without a degree, probably having earned one, got an Eternal Life Degree from God the moment they accepted Jesus as Savior.

J.R. Aldape

Corpus Christi

'Body chemistry'

Your article on free teaching materials that help parents and youth ministers prevent drug abuse in teenagers (Dec. 6) is great. It's about time somebody came to the rescue and help in such serious subjects.

However, as far as the drug abuse of alcoholism, it would serve more folks by using the term “body chemistry” rather than “genetic predisposition.” That merely means one drink is enough to begin the road to becoming an alcoholic, no matter what age they start the drinking process. Drinking alcohol for any reason doesn't mean that God approves of such activity.

Dorothy Taylor

Lockhart

Heathen theories

Anybody who teaches the “evolution of man” is making God a liar (1 John 5:10).

God created Adam to be an adult male without parents and Eve to be an adult female made from the bones and flesh of Adam. That is the record God left behind of his son Adam to be the progenitor of Immanuel, called Christ.

Evolution theory is for animals/ beasts, and Neanderthals were the highest form of animal/beast. They were never the progenitors of Adam and Eve, who were created in the image of God with a soul.

Because scientists disavow God in their sciences, they have dug pitfalls for their own heathen-concocted theories and have caused our teachers and academic professors to practice making God a liar, which is satanic.

B.D. Norman

Dallas

Posted: 1/07/05

On the Move

Franklin Atkinson has completed an interim pastorate at Friendship Church in Marshall.

R.L. Clay has resigned as pastor of New United Church in Greenville.

Don Crum to Friendship Church in Marshall as pastor.

Bill Heston to First Church in Rising Star as interim pastor.

Posted: 1/07/05

BGCT president's tenure already bearing fruit

By Marv Knox

Editor

SAN ANTONIO–No matter what else happens this year, Albert Reyes' tenure as president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas will hold eternal consequences for Homer Carrejo and his family.

Reyes and Carrejo met when they were 14-year-olds in Corpus Christi, but they lost touch years ago.

Then Reyes got elected president of the BGCT last November, and Carrejo saw a newspaper story about him.

Carrejo tracked down his friend at Baptist University of the Americas, where Reyes is president. Until then, neither knew they both lived in San Antonio.

They reunited after 18 years and brought their families together. Soon, the Reyeses invited the Carrejos to visit their church, Trinity Baptist in San Antonio.

During a Christmas holiday trip, Reyes received good news from his pastor, Charlie Johnson.

“Charlie called me on my cell phone,” Reyes recalled. “He said: 'Albert, I have good news. I just left the Carrejos' house, and all four of them prayed to receive Christ as their Savior.'”

So, when the Carrejo family stands in Trinity's baptistery, Reyes will celebrate their birth into the kingdom of God.

The Carrejos' conversion experience represents in microcosm Reyes' goals for his tenure as BGCT president. He wants Texas Baptists to do everything they can to reach people for Christ.

At the end of the year, one of the BGCT's major headlines will be “Texas Baptists reinvented themselves,” Reyes predicted, pointing to the convention's biggest reorganization in 50 years.

This year, BGCT messengers will consider a second vote on constitutional revisions, as well as new bylaws. In the meantime, BGCT Executive Director Charles Wade will reorganize the convention staff to implement new mission, vision, values and priorities statements.

“My role is to make sure we don't forget to do what we said we would do” in reorganization, Reyes said.

Part of the reorganization plan is controversial, he acknowledged, noting Baptists in West Texas and rural East Texas are concerned about representation on the Executive Board.

“We need to ensure that everyone is fully informed and heard, that Texas Baptists can support the reorganization,” he said. “But I want us to keep our focus where it needs to be. Being a Baptist does not mean being a better organization. That's just a means to an end, and the end is to glorify God through missions.”

And that, Reyes hopes, will be the topic of the other three headlines that will summarize the BGCT in 2005: Texas Baptists prayed, went and gave to support missions.

Prayer provides the grounding for missions, he explained. “Every time we meet, I'm going to ask our people to pray. We need to pray for people without Christ. We need to pray for missions, whether it's across the street or all the way to Southeast Asia. And we need to pray for unity in our Baptist family as we work through our governance/reorganization situation.”

Reyes will ask Texas Baptists to “Pray the 5th” by gathering in Austin for a prayer rally May 5, the National Day of Prayer.

“If possible, we will meet on the steps of the Capitol or at one of our Texas Baptist churches in Austin,” he said. “This gives us one thing all of us can do together–pray for our state, pray for people who need Christ, pray for convention unity.

“If you can't make it to Austin, go to your church to pray, gather with others in your community and pray.”

Texas Baptists also need to put feet to their prayers by going on missions and crossing cultures with the gospel, Reyes stressed. He envisions Texas Baptists going to minister to victims of the Dec. 26 tsunami. He urged BGCT institutions, churches and individuals not only to pray for the people of that region, but also to go and help them.

“I hope we'll see wave after wave of churches and institutions going there; it's such a huge area, and the needs are so vast,” he said. “God didn't cause this tragedy to happen. But since it has happened, it's time for us to rise up and do what we do best.”

He also hopes sensitivity gained by the tsunami disaster will help Texas Baptists to “be aware of the other cultures around us” and serve all Texans more effectively.

Financial giving is vital if Texas Baptists are going to do missions as they should, Reyes said. He is urging the convention to conduct a campaign to promote the Cooperative Program, the BGCT's missions/ministry budget.

“Texas Baptists can do more together than we can do apart,” he insisted. “The money we give through the BGCT supports missions in Texas and around the world. And every Texas Baptist can be involved in missions–from Texas to the other side of the world.”

Reyes pointed to missions resources, saying: "One of the best ways to get connected to missions is through WorldconneX. I want to invite every Texas Baptist who wants to be involved in missions to start by visiting the WorldconneX website (www.worldconnex.org) to discover how to directly connect to missions locally and globally."

Missions is Reyes' passion, and it's the BGCT's stack pole, he said. “If we don't stand together for missions, we lose our vitality, passion and purpose for being a family.”

Expect him to explain that to the Carrejo family very soon.

Posted: 1/07/05

Baptist Standard has a new look

The Baptist Standard begins 2005 with a new look, and its editor hopes the changes–both in appearance and content–will prompt non-subscribers to take another look at the Texas Baptist news journal.

The redesigned publication features larger photos, an updated typeface, brighter paper, a new banner and logos intended to make the paper more user-friendly and appealing to readers. But Editor Marv Knox insists the changes run deeper than type styles and paper stock.

“We hope the redesigned Baptist Standard signals the beginning of a new era in Texas Baptist life,” he said. “The Baptist General Convention of Texas has been involved for more than a year in a re-visioning process. Our convention's leaders have spoken of the need to move beyond the controversies and conflicts of the past and to follow the vision Texas Baptists believe God has given them. Likewise, the Baptist Standard wants to focus on the future and report on how that vision becomes reality.”

New elements include:

An in-depth cover story exploring a missions opportunity, ministry challenge, developing trend or other topic of interest to Texas Baptists.

Practical articles featuring ideas that have worked for churches and could be a model for others to follow. “We already have been telling many of these inspiring stories, but we want to do a better job of packaging them so readers can take the ideas and run with them,” Knox said.

A brief, concise overview of national news in the print edition. For up-to-date, comprehensive coverage–including expanded versions of some condensed articles–visit the Baptist Standard website at baptiststandard.com.

Book, music, movie and software reviews designed to help Texas Baptists engage the larger culture. “We want to spark a dialogue, not deliver a monologue,” Knox said. In addition to feature stories about authors and artists, the Standard will encourage everyday Texas Baptists to tell other readers briefly what they are listening to, watching and reading–and why it's worth their time, he explained.

The Baptist Standard will continue to provide Bible study commentaries for the BaptistWay, LifeWay Family Bible and LifeWayExplore the Bible series, but the lessons will appear only on the website, not in the print edition.

Due to paper and printing costs, devoting three pages to the lessons in the print edition no longer was feasible, Knox said.

“We recognize the importance of providing a Texas Baptist perspective on the Bible study lessons, and we remain committed to making these lessons available on our website,” he said.

“We encourage ministers of education, Sunday school superintendents, teachers and others who have Internet access to download and print multiple copies of the lessons and distribute them to church members who may not have access to them.”

Posted: 1/07/05

Texas Tidbits

DBU awards more than 400 degrees. Dallas Baptist University awarded degrees to 292 undergraduates and 115 graduate students at two winter commencement ceremonies in December. Mamo Ishida, DBU's coordinator of international student services, delivered the address for both commencement ceremonies. DBU also awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters degree to Marv Knox, editor of the Baptist Standard, and an honorary doctor of divinity degree to Charles Taylor, founding pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church of Dallas.

BGCT governance committee meets. The 21-member Baptist General Convention of Texas governance committee held its first meeting in mid-December to discuss issues that need to be addressed in developing new bylaws for the convention, said Chairman Wesley Shotwell, pastor of Ash Creek Baptist Church in Azle. Messengers to the 2004 BGCT annual meeting in San Antonio approved a sweeping revision of the convention's constitution. It must be approved on a second reading at the 2005 annual meeting Nov. 14-15 in Austin to take effect. New bylaws are being developed now so they will be ready for convention consideration if the new constitution is approved. The committee will hold its second meeting Jan. 13 and is seeking input from Texas Baptists. Concerns may be sent via e-mail to governance@bgct.org or by regular mail to the Baptist General Convention of Texas, Attention: Governance Committee, 333 N. Washington, Dallas 75246-1798. The committee will develop a proposal and allow members of the BGCT Executive Board to respond to it at their March 1 meeting. A final recommendation will be presented to the Executive Board May 24.

Posted: 1/07/05

TOGETHER:
Find something you can do, & do it

The whole world has been reeling under the shock of the tsunami in the Indian Ocean. In Japanese, the word “tsunami” means “harbor wave.” If only it had been as harmless as that sounds. Waves lashed all the islands and coastlines of 12 countries of the northern Indian Ocean, and more than 150,000 people are believed dead.

Relief efforts are under way from around the globe. One of the first groups to arrive was the Hungarian Baptist response team. Missionaries began to contact mission boards, churches and friends seeking help. Texas Baptist Men was contacted by Baptist missionaries in Sri Lanka from Boerne, and TBM promised to come. Gifts to support TBM relief work are pouring in. Four water purification teams have gone to Sri Lanka and Thailand. Four feeding teams will join them in the next few days. This will be an ongoing need, and volunteers are standing by to relieve these teams in the weeks ahead.

Our institutions are responding. Baylor Health Care System has a relationship with a hospital in Sri Lanka and will send a doctor with Texas Baptist Men to assist in medical assessment. Baptist Child & Family Services has been asked by the Sri Lankan government to provide training and medical help for children in need and those orphaned by the disaster. Buckner Baptist Benevolences has made clothing and shoes available.

Your church can help by praying. Relief volunteers will live in difficult, dangerous surroundings. But most of all, pray for families who have lost loved ones, health of survivors and that out of this people will find reason to believe God loves them. Pray that as people work together to solve problems and lift one another, they may find a sense of God's grace causing people to care for one another in extraordinary ways. Pray that the good news of God's love in Christ Jesus can be seen, heard and felt in meaningful and saving ways.

Your church can help by giving. A special offering Sunday could provide an opportunity to give. One hundred percent of whatever comes through the BGCT will be used for disaster relief and will help the people of Southeast Asia recover from the tsunami. Your Cooperative Program and Mary Hill Davis offerings support the infrastructure of our disaster relief work so that special relief offerings can be focused entirely on direct aid and ministry.

Your church can help by encouraging and supporting volunteers. Contact TBM for information about training and priorities.

You can help by staying informed. Find updates on the BGCT website, www.bgct.org, and the Standard website, baptiststandard.com. There will be links to ways to help.

We live in such a beautiful world. No other planet yet discovered shines in space with the sapphire blues of the oceans and the emerald greens of the forests. Those who have circled the planet have called the earth “a beautiful gem.” But it is also dangerous and unpredictable. Jesus did not say God keeps sparrows from falling, but he did say he knows when they fall. Tragic things do happen, unexplainable to our spirits, but in the midst of every grievous moment, those who have eyes to see will see God at work in a redemptive way, and they will join him in that work of mercy and care.

Your inability to do all that is needed is no excuse to do nothing. Find something you can do, and do it. And while your heart goes out to the people on the other side of the world, don't neglect those who live nearby.

You, and they, are loved.

Posted: 1/07/05

Churchgoers eat more veggies

By Wangui Njuguna

Religion News Service

WASHINGTON (RNS)–An academic study shows that churchgoers eat more of the healthiest fruits and vegetables than those who don't attend services.

The study, released recently by St. Louis University School of Public Health researcher Deidre Griffith, found those who frequently attended church ate 26 percent more “powerhouse” fruits and vegetables than those who didn't frequently attend.

Griffith defines “powerhouse” vegetables and fruits as those that contain the most nutrients. They include dark, leafy greens, such as spinach, and bright orange carrots and cantaloupe.

Many of the 554 people interviewed for the study said they attended choir rehearsals and Bible study groups and workshops. Griffith said healthier food options often were present at these church events.

“Church can be a big part of your support system for changing your diet,” said Griffith.

Posted: 1/07/05

Reggie White, NFL star and minister, dies

By Erin Curry

Baptist Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)—Reggie White—whose life as a professional football legend and outspoken Christian witness earned him the nickname “minister of defense”—died the day after Christmas at age 43.

White was a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, was elected to the Pro Bowl a record 13 straight times, set a Super Bowl record with three sacks and retired in 2000 as the NFL's all-time leader in sacks.

"I've always believed since I was a kid that God was going to allow me to play of Jesus," White once said on "The 700 Club" on the Christian Broadcasting Network. "And, you know, that's the most exciting part about my life because God has done things in me to change my character to benefit the Kingdom."

White, who was a standout defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers and Carolina Panthers for 15 total years, spoke at the Southern Baptist Convention 1999 annual meeting in Atlanta, urging messengers to unite for a common goal.

"Jesus prayed that we might be one in unity, as he and the Father are one," White said. "He also commanded us to love one another. One thing I see lacking in the church of Jesus Christ is that many of us don't love each other. We don't watch each other's back."

Paul Tagliabue, commissioner of the National Football League, called White a "gentle warrior" who will be remembered as one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history.

"Equally as impressive as his achievements on the field was the positive impact he made off the field and the way he served as a positive influence on so many young people," Tagliabue said.

White encountered much criticism following a 1998 speech to the Wisconsin Legislature in which he presented homosexual behavior as a moral choice and said it should not be equated with the civil rights movement.

Posted: 1/04/05

Scalia: Church-state separation
didn't protect Jews in Holocaust

By Robert Marus

ABP Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (ABP)—The man who may be the next chief justice of the United States reportedly gave a speech in which he suggested church-state separation did nothing to prevent the Holocaust.

At a conference in November on religious freedom, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia offered a lengthy critique of the idea that the framers of the Constitution supported strict separation between church and state. According to accounts of the speech from the Associated Press and the Jerusalem Post, he then pointed to episodes of American history that he said proved the government has always supported religion.

"There is something wrong with the principle of neutrality (toward religion by government)," Scalia said, according to the Jerusalem newspaper. The kind of neutrality the framers intended, he continued, "is not neutrality between religiousness and non-religiousness; it is between denominations of religion."

Scalia contrasted that with the reticence of modern-day European leaders to discuss God or religion in public life. "You will not hear the word 'God' cross the lips of a French premier or an Italian head of state," Scalia said. "But that has never been the American way."

The AP story noted that, in response to an audience member's question about church-state separation, Scalia said the following: "Did it turn out that, by reason of the separation of church and state, the Jews were safer in Europe than they were in the United States of America? I don't think so."

The Jerusalem Post reported a slightly different version of Scalia's response: "Do you think it's going to make Jews safer? It didn't prove that way in Europe."

Scalia's comment attracted little attention until it was mentioned in a Dec. 2 column by liberal talk-show host Thomas Hartmann on the website CommonDreams.org.

"Scalia has an extraordinary way of not letting facts confound his arguments, but this time he's gone completely over the top by suggesting that a separation of church and state facilitated the Holocaust," Hartmann wrote.

Hartmann noted that, in actuality, church and state were closely wed in Nazi Germany, with German dictator Adolph Hitler going so far as to unite all German Protestant denominations into one government-controlled "Reich Church" and to appoint a "Reichsbishop," Lutheran pastor Ludwig Müller, to head the entity. Müller, like Hitler, committed suicide at the end of the war.

Scalia's comments were delivered at a conference commemorating the 350th anniversary of Congregation Shearith Israel in New York, one of the nation's oldest synagogues.

The congregation's senior rabbi, Marc Angel, was present for the speech and said the AP reporter took the comment in question "completely out of context."

Angel said Scalia was discussing Europe's current situation—where "people have taken God out of government," rather than World War II-era Europe.

"In a secular society, such as Europe, are Jews really better off?" the rabbi asked. "I don't think he was talking about the Holocaust. He was talking about the current situation."

But Verena Dobnik, the AP reporter who wrote the story, stood by the quotation's accuracy and said she understood Scalia to be talking about Europe during World War II.

"I didn't make up the quote," she said, noting that she had been careful to audiotape Scalia's speech.

Scalia has made several headlines in the past year for run-ins with reporters covering his speeches. Prior to one incident, he did not allow journalists to record his public comments at all. He now reportedly permits audiotapes of his remarks for reporters' own use in writing their stories, but does not allow them to be distributed.

Angel said that, due to the controversy over the remarks, he has written Scalia requesting permission to release a tape the synagogue made of the speech.

Scalia generally is considered one of the Supreme Court's two most conservative members and a front-runner for the job of chief justice, which many court watchers believe is likely to become vacant soon. In his opinions, he has frequently sided with those who argue for more government support for religious institutions and allowances for government endorsement of religious messages.

Hartmann said such views, coupled with the judge's view of history, are dangerous.

"In some distant place, Adolf Hitler and Bishop Müller must be smiling at Scalia's encouragement of the growing conflation of church and state in America. It's exactly what they worked so hard to achieve, and what helped make their horrors possible."

Supreme Court spokesperson Kathy Arberg said Scalia had no comment on the controversy.

Posted: 1/04/05

LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for Jan. 9

Humility is the starting point for prayer

Luke 18:9-14, 18-23

By Pakon Chan

Chinese Baptist Church, Arlington

After Jesus had addressed the issue of the coming of the kingdom, he urged people to pray with a courageous heart. He used the parable of the widow and the judge to illustrate how to pray with faith to seek God's justice (18:1-8).

This widow probably was oppressed by someone and sought justice from a judge. Even though that judge was not a good judge and tried to ignore her case, he eventually granted her request and brought her justice. The teaching of this parable is not about the bad judge, but the courage and faith of the widow. Jesus was encouraging his people to pray with faith for God's deliverance from an unjust situation.

Jesus wants to find faith in his people (v. 8). What does this parable teach us about faith and prayer? First, we should keep on praying even though our prayer seems not to be immediately answered. God may delay answering our prayer for several reasons, but he wants us to have faith in him and continue praying.

Second, there is another reason we need to keep praying. If a corrupt judge will eventually answer a widow, God loves and cares about us so much he must answer our prayer. This is the faith we should have in God.

Third, we should have faith in God's nature and character. God must act according to his nature and character. God is just and will bring justice to his people.

Pray with a humble heart

After the parable of the judge and the widow, Jesus immediately spoke the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (vv. 9-14). He also changed the theme of a widow being oppressed by an unjust adversary to a tax collector who was oppressed by sin. It also is a parable Jesus used to teach about prayer.

One of the problems of the religious leaders of Jesus' day was their self-righteousness. The purpose of the law given by God is cultivating the love between God and his people and also the love among their neighbors (Mark 12:29-31). But to the religious leaders, the law became the means of boasting in their religious pride and self-righteousness.

Jesus used the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector to illustrate the contrast between a prideful religious leader who saw only his self-righteousness and the humble sinner who was begging forgiveness from God.

Pharisees were professional religious practitioners who knew every detail of religious laws and observances.

From the contents of the prayer of this Pharisee, he was praying about or to himself ( v. 11). Even though he started his prayer with thanking God, he was not really praying to God. He did not need God to listen to his prayer. Probably his prayer was aimed at boasting about his appearance of righteousness to show his superiority in morality and religion. He did not ask for forgiveness, for he needed no forgiveness from God. He was not condemned by his good deeds and religious piety but by his pride and self-righteous attitude.

In contrast, the tax collector stood a distance from that Pharisee and did not dare raise his face to heaven, for he realized how sinful he was (v. 13). “Beating on his breast” is a gesture of expressing the deepest regret and repentance. He did not have many things to pray for, and the only purpose for his prayer was to seek forgiveness from God. He wanted to be relieved from the oppression and bondage of sin and guilt.

After telling this parable, Jesus concluded it and said, “I tell you that this man (the tax collector), rather than the other (the Pharisee), went home justified before God” (v. 14). God wants to justify us and rebuild the relationship with us if we can humble ourselves and ask for forgiveness. God not only wants us to be good people, but he also wants to have a loving relationship with us and for us to have loving relationship with others.

The Pharisee might be very good at keeping all the religious and moral laws, but he did not love people. A self-righteous person loves to criticize others and look down upon those who may be less moral or religious. That is the reason the Pharisee stood apart by himself. Such a person will be very confident of his own righteousness and despise others (v. 9). Even though he keeps all the laws, he falls short of “the most important commandment” of love (Mark 12:29-31).

The pride of self-sufficiency

Besides self-righteousness, wealth is another thing that makes people proud. Material riches give people a sense of self-sufficiency that they need nobody nor God in their lives. Wealth can also make people feel superior and look down on the poor. Material possessions are the tangible security people can create for themselves. The sense of security, pride and selfishness will be mixed together in a wealthy person's heart.

It also is one of the biggest obstacles that hinders people from trusting God. It is very hard for a rich person to give up such a sense of self-suffiency and superiority. Therefore, when Jesus told the rich Jewish leader to give all he had to the poor, he was sad. He was an achiever who had worked very hard to accumulate religious merits and wealth, and now he wanted to gain the privilege to enter into God's kingdom. Once he got the entrance permit, then he would be perfectly secured. He then would gain all things. But Jesus told him that if he wanted to enter into God's kingdom, he needed to give up all he had and to trust and follow God (v. 22).

Strengthen others in love

From this lesson, we have learned to pray persistently, humbly and with faith. Our prayer life will not draw us near God unless we humble ourselves and trust in him. We praise God if he strengthens us in keeping his commandments, so that we can love him and people more. If we are strengthened by the Spirit and strong in faith, then we should strengthen others who are weak in faith (Jude 1:20-23). We should not have pride, even if we can do good.

We also should have a right attitude toward our material possessions. They are blessings from God to be used to bless others. Material wealth can never be our protection and security. Any self-righteousness and pride in our heart will destroy our relationships with God and people.

Discussion questions

Have you ever criticized people and thought that you were better than they were?

u What should you do if you think that you are stronger in faith?