Posted: 11/02/06

BaptistWay Bible Series for November 12

Christians are called to lives of integrity

• Proverbs 11:1-11, 17-21, 23-25, 28

By David Wilkinson

Broadway Baptist Church, Fort Worth

Although he was a harsh critic of Christian religion, British philosopher Bertrand Russell often exhibited penetrating insight into human nature. “Without civic morality,” Russell once commented, “communities perish; without personal morality their survival has no value.”

Proverbs, as the distilled wisdom of the Israelite people, also reveals an understanding of the importance of individual character as the foundation for public morality (note the shift from individual to corporate integrity in verse 10 of Proverbs 11). The call to obey and serve God that runs from Genesis to Revelation is a call to live lives of integrity. In Proverbs, wisdom and integrity are two sides of the same coin of faith.

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Integrity in everyday life

“Integrity” is a word that gets tossed around a lot in conversation these days, and the meaning often gets lost in the process. The word is related to the Latin integer which connotes wholeness. In mathematics, an integer is a whole number. In terms of moral character, integrity reflects a kind of seamlessness between the inner and outer life, between private thoughts and public actions. Integrity is what Brennan Manning describes as “a continuity of character” in our lives, a consistency over time between what we say and what we do.

This original meaning of integrity also has been distorted—and its value cheapened—in another sense. As reflected in Proverbs 11:2, integrity and humility go hand in hand.

As Madeleine L’Engle has noted: “It’s a sad commentary on our world that ‘integrity’ has slowly been coming to mean self-centeredness. Most people who worry about their integrity are thinking about it in terms of themselves. It’s a great excuse for not doing something you really don’t want to do or are afraid to do. ‘I can’t do that and keep my integrity.’ Integrity, like humility, is a quality which vanishes the moment we are conscious of it in ourselves. We see it only in others.”

Proverbs 11 is a call to right living, to living “uprightly” or “righteously.” The nouns translated “righteous” or “righteousness” appear in more than a third of the chapter’s 31 verses (vv. 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 18, 19, 21, 23, 28, 30 and 31, along with two uses of the synonym “upright” in vv. 3 and 11). Verse 3 declares that those who live upright lives are guided by their integrity. Persons of integrity follow unflinchingly an inner moral compass that guides every decision made and every word spoken.

It is no accident, then, that the collection of proverbs in this chapter begins with an example of integrity from the everyday world of business (v. 1). Proverbs recognizes that integrity in one’s livelihood grows out of an inner integrity in one’s life. Proverbs joins other Hebrew Scriptures in denouncing the dishonesty of merchants who cheat their customers and take advantage of the poor (Proverbs 16:11; 20:10, 23; also Leviticus 19:35-37; Deuteronomy 25:13-16), represented in falsifying the scales used to weigh the currency of silver as payment for goods.

This is nothing new, of course. Cheating in business—from the employee who rationalizes the use of work time or resources for personal use to the corporate executive whose fraudulent schemes rob employees of their retirement savings —is a pervasive and costly problem in American society.

Teaching through contrasts

Most of the wisdom sayings compiled in chapter 11 are examples of “antithetic parallelism,” where the second line in a couplet contrasts the first line with its opposite viewpoint, using the conjunction “but” as a hinge. One effective way to teach a concept is to describe what the concept is and what it is not. Chapter 11 offers multiple examples of who a righteous person is and who he or she is not. It repeatedly contrasts the behavior of the righteous and the actions of the wicked. “This is what righteousness is and does,” declares Proverbs, while “this is what wickedness is and does.”

Wisdom and righteousness are related. Right thinking leads to right living. Similarly, right living brings blessings and benefits, while wickedness has its own reward in the form of tragic consequences (vv. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 18, 19, 21, 23, 28, 30 and 31). Always implicit in these contrasts is an implied choice. The admonitions in Proverbs are to choose wisely, to choose to live in obedience to God’s commands, to choose God’s way.

Right living and right giving

The emphasis on moral integrity in this chapter begins with the example of the person who conducts his business with a straightness rooted in integrity in contrast to the wicked whose dealings and lives are filled with “crookedness” (v. 3). Another collection of sayings, found in verses 24-28, expounds on the wisdom of the righteous person that finds expression in acts of generosity.

The righteous person does more than conduct business with integrity and honesty. He or she also gives freely. Verse 24 declares that those who give will gain, while those who grasp will lose even what they have, a paradox explained in the following verse. Giving inspires others to reciprocate. The Hebrew verb translated “give freely” is a strong verb that connotes distributing widely and generously. It suggests a spirit of giving wildly, without careful calculation, in contrast to selfishness. As C.S. Lewis once advised, “I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare.”

Discussion questions

• Read Madeleine L’Engle’s comment about the common use of the word “integrity” in a way that is actually self-centered in spirit. Do you think this criticism is on target? Why or why not?

• What does living with integrity as a follower of Christ mean to you?

• In what ways are right living and right giving connected?

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 11/02/06

Bible Studies for Life Series for November 12

Place your trust in God, not things of the world

• Isaiah 8:18–9:7

By Kenneth Lyle

Logsdon School of Theology, Abilene

Certainty in an uncertain world—a commodity that many seek, but few find. At times in our lives, both individually and as community, we find it difficult to maintain a sense of hope and purpose. Even a cursory glance at the newspaper or television news broadcast reveals a world that is at best, strained to its limit, and at worst, tearing apart at the seams.

How do God’s people live in such a world? We might imagine there never before has been such a challenging time to live as God’s people. We might believe our world never before has been so close to destruction—that the darkness never has been quite so dark. Scripture shows us, however, that there have been and always will be difficult challenges facing those who hear God’s voice and follow his leading.

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The focal passages from Isaiah 8:18-9:7 come in the midst of a series of messages Isaiah preached during the Syro-Ephraimite War (734-732 B.C.). Isaiah records in 7:1-2 the effort of Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, king of Israel, to defeat Judah and attack Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 28).

Isaiah understands these aggressive threats as God’s punishment of Judah because of the unfaithfulness of King Ahaz and the people. Isaiah recognizes Ahaz and the people seek guidance not from God but from “mediums and spiritists” (8:19). Isaiah mourns because the rich in Judah refuse to acknowledge the poor, and in some cases, they “… make unjust laws … oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed” (10:1-2).

Perhaps most distressing, Isaiah sees that Ahaz places trust in disastrous political alliances with the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III rather than in God (7:1-12, 2 Chron. 28:16).

In response to this state of affairs, Isaiah presents a series of messages that alternate between judgment (7:1-8:22; 9:8-10:34) and hope (9:1-7; 11:1-12:6). In 7:1-8:22, Isaiah presents a picture of judgment on God’s people.

From judgment comes hope: Isaiah proclaims the coming gladness over the establishment of God’s kingdom (9:1-7). In turn, judgment comes to Assyria (9:8-10:34) for its arrogance, pride and neglect of the poor; however, Isaiah’s optimism about the future culminates in further reflection about the coming reign (11:1-6) and the praise it will bring (12:1-6).

From Isaiah’s perspective, the coming Assyrian conquest of Judah is God’s way of dealing with the sad state of affairs in Judah generally and in Jerusalem in particular. As we have seen, in spite of the endless worship of God through empty sacrifice, the people neglect the weightier matters of doing good, seeking justice, defending the oppressed, taking care of orphans and pleading for widows (1:16-17).

While Ahaz and the people see the intervention of Assyria against Syria and Israel as deliverance, Isaiah understands God is acting to purge his people and prepare the way for a new reign (9:1-7).

How do Isaiah’s words to Ahaz and the people of Judah inform God’s people today? What principles within these historical circumstances speak to the question posed earlier: How do God’s people live in such a world? How do we move from darkness to light?

I would like to suggest three other questions that may help Christians reflect on what it means to live in light rather than darkness: Where do you put your trust? What do you expect God to do? What kind of world does God desire?

Isaiah painfully recognizes that many of God’s people were placing their trust in things other than God or God’s word. Ahaz trusted his alliance with Assyria so much that he refused to seek God’s leading (7:12). The people were placing their trust in “mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter” (8:18).

In the 21st century, we also might find individuals who place more credence in “psychic-hotlines” and fortune tellers, but many more people who place their trust in political slogans, self-help mantras and even religious quick fixes. When faced with the question, “Where do you put your trust?” many Christians might respond with their lips “In God and God’s word,” while actually placing trust in something far different.

Perhaps the reason for this disparity comes in reflection about the second question: “What do you expect God to do?”

Many suppose God only is concerned about the “end game.” That God will only weigh in when it matters most and when all things are finished, and so “I just have to hang on till Jesus comes!”

A simple reading of Scripture suggests this is not the way God works. Isaiah believed and proclaimed that God worked within history to effect change. Moreover, the New Testament writers understood Isaiah to be pointing to God’s ultimate intervention in history in and through the person Jesus. The overwhelming testimony of Scripture is that God works in the world to move the world from darkness to light.

If you imagine that God is simply going to remove his people from a dark and dying world this will fundamentally change how you live in the world. If you believe God actively is involved with the world through his people, then the light becomes something that overcomes the darkness. As God’s people move from darkness to light, they effect change in the world.

Finally, because the change from darkness to light effects change in the world, we need to think about the question, “What kind of world does God desire? Isaiah saw a world where God’s son reigns as “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (9:6); a world where “of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end” (9:7). Isaiah envisioned a world where God’s people were so in tune with God’s purposes that justice reigns, poverty ends, homelessness stops and righteousness rules. It is a world that can and must be if we are to be God’s people moving from darkness to light.

Discussion questions

• In who or what do you place your trust? How do you demonstrate this in your everyday life?

• What do you expect God to do in the world? Do we as Christians have anything to do with fulfilling God’s expectations?

• What kind of world do you believe God envisions? Do Christians have some responsibility for helping create that world?

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 11/02/06

Explore the Bible Series for November 12

Exhibitions of faith encourage others

• Hebrews 11:1-3, 6-8, 13-19, 24-26

By Howard Anderson

Diversified Spiritual Associates, San Antonio

Hebrews 11 calls the roll of the Old Testament heroes and heroines of faith. Without faith there is no understanding. Faith is the “the assurance of things hoped for, and the conviction of things not seen.”

If things are not seen, how can you be convinced that they exist? The reason faith is rewarded greatly is that it does not see and yet believes. Faith is the foundation of the church, and faith in the risen Christ sustains many.

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The Old Testament heroes and heroines attest to the value of living by faith. They comprise “the cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1) who give powerful testimony to the Hebrews that they should come to faith in God’s truth in Christ.

Faith defined (Hebrews 11:1-3)

Faith is the substance of things hoped for. God tests our faith in the trials of life. The diagnosis of cancer, a hurricane disaster, and the death of a spouse or child require a God-given present assurance of a future reality. The prophet Habak-kuk says, “The just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). Another prophet remarks, “If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established” (Isaiah 7:9).

Faith is evidence of things not seen. True faith is not based on empirical evidence but on divine assurance and is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). We do not need faith to sit in a chair as long as we can see the chair. We need faith to believe the virgin birth and the empty tomb. We need faith to believe there is a heaven and a hell. We all have loved ones that have gone to glory, but nobody has received a post card. My faith and not empirical evidence allows me to believe the entire Holy Bible.

Faith is the invisible backing of the elders. The saints of old, both men and women “obtained a good testimony” alluding to the fact that they were testified to or had witness given about them (Hebrews 11:4-39). God bears witness on the behalf of these saints that they lived by faith, and divine approval is granted to them.

Faith is the creative power of divine works. True saving faith works in obedience to God (James 2:14-26). “The word of God” is God’s divine utterance in that he created the universe out of something that cannot be seen. The invisible something was God’s own energy or power (Genesis 1:1-31).

Faith demonstrated: Abel through Abraham (Hebrews 11:4-19)

The faith of Abel and the infidelity of Cain were sealed up in their offerings. If Abel had not believed in the promise, he would not have chosen and brought the best offerings. He had actually seen his brother, who picked vegetable offerings with contempt and offered them by laying them on the altar. For that faith Abel “obtained witness” about himself “that he was righteous” and certainly not from a human being but from God, “who testified of his gifts,” so that up to this time Abel talks through his faith.

If Enoch had not believed the observation of the commandment could introduce him again to the place from which the house of Adam had come out because of the transgression, he would not have applied himself to please God for 300 years. In fact, “without faith,” if Enoch did not believe that the true God exists and “rewards those who seek him,” he would have never tried to please and seek him.

It is necessary to “believe that God is,” not “what God is.” If “that God is” needs faith and not reasoning, it is impossible to comprehend by reasoning “what God is.” If that “God is a rewarder” needs faith and not reasoning, how is it possible by reasoning to compass God’s essence? Unless we have faith in regard to all things—not only in regard to vengeance but also in regard to the very being of God—all is lost to us.

“By faith Noah was warned by God concerning events as yet unseen,” that is, about things which would have happened 120 years after he had received the warning, and “obeyed” and “constructed an ark” with great toil “for the saving of his household.” By that same faith the world that did not believe was condemned, and that same faith made Noah the heir of the promise.

“By faith Abraham” obeyed and left his father and family “to go” not to his private estate but to “an inheritance” prepared for him. Constantly supporting himself “by faith” through his wanderings, he “sojourned” and lived in the land of promise as in a foreign land “living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise.” Through the promised inheritance, that they did not receive, it became evident that “they looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”

“Through faith Sarah herself received strength to conceive, when she was past age.” She, who was barren gave birth, received the powers and youth that were necessary for conception and bearing, even though her old age was unable to cope with these things. And all this happened to her because, in the midst of the pagan Canaanites, she “considered him faithful who had promised” to give her these things.

Abraham was justified not only by works but also by faith. Through faith, he left his parents, country and home. God promises Abraham a child, and “without being weakened in faith” did not look at the weakness of his body but at the power of him who promised because “he counted him faithful who had promised.” “By faith Abraham offered up Isaac,” his only son, to God, believing “that God is able to raise up even from the dead.” And having bound Isaac and laid him on the wood, he did in purpose offer him. But Abraham received his Isaac alive through the goodness of God in delivering to him a lamb instead of his child. Being faithful in these things, he was sealed for righteousness and received the promise that he would be the father of many nations.

Faith demonstrated: Isaac through Rahab (Hebrews 11:20-31)

Isaac’s revelation of faith can be read in Genesis 27:1-28:5. Isaac was blind and 137 years of age, and thought he was near death. Esau, the firstborn, enjoyed the privileges of precedence in the household and at the father’s death received a double share of the inheritance and became the recognized head of the family (Deuteronomy 21:17).

Jacob, the younger son, in concert with his mother deceived Isaac and received his blessing. The deceit caused severe consequences for Jacob. Isaac had come to understand that the divine blessings would go through Jacob and issued an extra patriarchal blessing, to whom the Abrahamic covenant promises of posterity and land—quite the reversal of prior wishes and understanding.

Both of Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, received a blessing from Jacob. Consequently, two tribes descended from Joseph, whereas only one tribe descended from each of his brothers (Genesis 47:31; 48:1, 5, 16).

Joseph spent all of his adult life in Egypt and, even though he was a fourth-generation heir of the promise given to Abraham, he never returned to Canaan while he was alive. Facing death, he still had “faith” that God would fulfill his promise and demonstrated confidence by making his brothers promise to take his bones back to Canaan for burial (Genesis 50:24-25).

In verse 23, the “faith” described here actually is exercised by Moses’ parents, although it is unclear how much Moses’ parents understood about God’s plan for their child. “By faith” Moses refused the fame he could have in Egypt if he would have capitalized on his position as the adopted son Pharaoh’s daughter (Exodus 2:10).

Moses identified himself with the Messiah because of his own role as leader and prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15). Moses knew of the sufferings and glory of the Messiah (John 5:46). Anyone who suffers because of genuine faith in God and for the redemptive gospel suffers for the sake of Christ (1 Peter 4:14).

Rahab, a harlot, provided her house for two men sent by Joshua to spy the land of Jericho. God, in his sovereign providence, wanted them there for the salvation of Rahab (Joshua 2:1). Most importantly, by God’s grace Rahab was in the Messianic line (Matt. 1:5).

Faith demonstrated: Many others (Hebrews 11:32-38)

The many accomplishments and sufferings described in these verses apply generally to those faithful saints. Some experienced great success, whereas others suffered great affliction. The point is that they all courageously and uncompromisingly followed God, regardless of the earthly outcome. They placed their trust in him and in his promises (2 Timothy 3:12).

Faith: Approved (Hebrews 11:39-40)

The Old Testament saints had faith in the ultimate fulfillment of the eternal promises in the covenant (Hebrews 11:13). They looked forward to the promised salvation, whereas the faith of those after Christ looks back to the fulfillment of the promise. Both groups are characterized by genuine faith and are saved by Christ’s atoning work on the cross (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Discussion questions

• If you were writing about examples of faith you have witnessed that future generations could look to as examples, what would you include?

• What examples might others take from your own life?

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 10/27/06

Volunteers give makeover ministry facility a facelift

By John Hall

Texas Baptist Communications

WAXAHACHIE—A ministry that gives people’s lives a makeover received a remodel of its own recently.

Texas Baptist volunteers painted the facilities, repaired shingles and removed overgrown landscaping from Christian Women’s Job Corps of Ellis County.

Mallory Harrell, a state Acteens panelist and member of Tallowood Baptist Church in Houston, prepares to paint a wall in a house used to temporarily shelter homeless people.

The volunteers’ work mirrored the makeover that Christian Women’s Job Corps workers encourage in people’s lives, said Executive Director Kathy Borroughs. Women have entered the program—which teaches women vocational skills and disciples them spiritually—with low self-esteem and few vocational skills, and they have graduated with a job and a sense of purpose as a result of newfound faith in Christ.

“We’re beginning to see changes in these ladies,” she said. “They’re excited to come everyday. They hug you everyday.”

Participants in the program will be encouraged to know Baptists traveled from around the state to help a ministry that helps them, Borroughs said.

“It’s fantastic,” she said. “We wanted to do something to spruce up the home.”

The work at the CWJC of Ellis County was part of TouchPoint, a Woman's Missionary Union of Texas-sponsored missions weekend Oct. 13-15. More than 300 Texas Baptists participated in missions projects across Ellis County, which included a block party, prayer walking, a fiesta, construction projects, children’s activities and motorcycle rally.

Lakeside Drive Baptist Church in Weatherford used the weekend as a retreat where fathers and sons could bond through mission work. The time together provided an easy way for fathers and sons to talk about spiritual issues.

“It’s a precious time,” said Larry Floyd, the church’s youth and education minister. “Between the ages of 13 and 18, important spiritual decisions are made.”

Nicole McClendon paints a door of a house used to provide temporary shelter for homeless people. McLendon's work was part of TouchPoint, a Woman's Missionary Union of Texas-sponsored missions event.

Patricia Boquet, who teaches Girls in Action at Arcadia First Baptist Church, said TouchPoint allowed her to bond with her daughter while practicing what she teaches young people in her church.

The Bible “talks about everyone going” on mission, she said, referring to a passage that encourages Christians to minister around the globe.

“I don’t speak French very well. Ellis County is a good place” to serve.

Larry Johnson, director of missions of Ellis Baptist Association, said he was pleased to see so many Texas Baptists care about ministries in his area of the state.

“I see God’s people empowered to do ministry,” he said. “I’m excited to see all the people willing to serve.”

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 6/20/03

Baptist volunteers help unload supplies used in water purification units for Iraqi hospitals. At right, Dick Talley of Dallas, logistics coordinator for Texas Baptist Men, talks with military personnel about the ongoing operation and maintenance of water purification units Baptist volunteers installed for five hospitals in Iraq.

Texan recounts journey to provide water for Iraq

By Ken Camp

Texas Baptist Communications

Baptist volunteers entered war-torn Iraq in a U.S. military helicopter that sustained enemy fire, and they returned to Kuwait in a C-130 cargo plane bearing the remains of four Marines who were killed in action.

But the relief workers' mission was peaceful–showing Christian compassion by providing pure water for Iraqi hospitals.

Dick Talley, logistics coordinator for Texas Baptist Men, was among the 10 Southern Baptist volunteers who served on the humanitarian aid mission last month, installing five water purification units for hospitals.

Baptist volunteer Sam Porter (center) from Oklahoma accompanies Marines on a helicopter to a humanitarian relief mission in Iraq.

“We worked through an organization over there that was looking for groups like Texas Baptist Men that do food service, water purification and medical help,” he said. “We felt like the window of opportunity might be open just for a short time.”

Originally, the Baptists had planned to install water purification systems in remote rural villages of southern Iraq after the Saddam Hussein regime was removed from power. But after arriving in the area, they learned the greatest need was in the hospitals of Karbala and An Najaf, just south of Baghdad.

“The hospitals needed safe water. Children particularly, and adults too, were getting sick from parasites that the chlorine in the water wouldn't kill,” said Talley, a member of Lakeside Baptist Church in Dallas.

In addition to installing the water purification units, the Baptist volunteers also trained the military personnel and hospital engineers who would be responsible for their ongoing operation and maintenance.

The volunteers said that even before they entered Iraq, they experienced God's provisions for them.

While in Kuwait assembling the supplies they needed for their mission, they realized they lacked the necessary granulated charcoal filters. One member of the crew remembered that any bottling company should have them, so the volunteers kept their eyes open for a soft drink truck. They spotted one, followed it back to a warehouse, and talked with the supervisor in charge. He secured the supplies they needed from the local bottling plant at no cost to them.

Also while they were in Kuwait, the volunteers ate hamburgers at a fast-food restaurant where they received soft-sided thermal bags as a promotional giveaway. The insulated bags proved invaluable once the crew started work in the stifling heat of Iraq.

“The Lord provided them for us,” Talley said. “He knew even before we did what we needed.”

The Baptists felt God's provision and protection even more keenly as military helicopters transported them to their assigned workstations in Iraq. At one point, a helicopter passed through a hail of gunfire unscathed.

“We realized right then that the prayers of the people back home were being answered,” Talley said.

Military helicopters unload supplies to aid in Baptist water purification efforts in Iraq.

While the volunteers felt the prayers of Christians in the United States sustained them, that didn't mean the relief workers' job was easy. They assembled and installed five water purification units at hospitals, including two rooftop units. And before they could install the new units, they had to remove old water tanks filled with sediment.

“The radiant heat on the roof was 140 degrees, with no air movement. It was taking its toll on all of us,” Talley recalled, noting nearly all the workers suffered heat exhaustion to some degree.

The other great challenge the Baptist workers faced was sand. “We found out that after purifying about 450 gallons of water, we'd have to flush the filters on the units because there was so much sand,” Talley said. “Normally, we'd be able to go thousands of gallons before having to do that, but the fine sand clogged the filters.”

Sand also obstructed visibility as the workers traveled from one site to another in military Humvees.

“There was so much sand in the air, we'd lose visibility frequently, and the driver would have to drive by GPS,” global positioning systems, Talley said.

The Baptists bunked alongside military personnel, shared meals-ready-to-eat with them, and grew close to many of the armed services personnel serving in Iraq. When a helicopter crashed with four Marines on board, the Baptist relief workers shared the experience with the military personnel in a way few civilians ever can.

“We were honored to be the only passengers on the C-130 going back to Kuwait with the Marines whose bodies were recovered,” Talley said.

The volunteers left Iraq convinced they had “opened doors” for future humanitarian aid projects in Iraq and in conjunction with the military.

“The hospital administrators, the mayors of the cities and everyone we worked with appreciated the fact that we didn't come in with any agendas,” Talley said. “We didn't try to push anything on them. Our hearts' desire was strictly to help them, and they appreciated it.”

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Storylist for week of 10/02/06

Posted: 10/27/06

Fit or fat? Covered-dish dinners take toll on Baptists’ health

By Hannah Elliott

Associated Baptist Press

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (ABP)—Of all believers, Baptists are the most likely to be obese, a new study from Purdue University has revealed.

But then, obese people tend to live in states heavily populated by religious people—particularly Baptists.

So, why are Baptists fatter?

Some experts have suggested Baptists substitute gluttony for other vices.

Students at Baylor University work out lifting weights.

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Ken Ferraro, the Purdue professor of sociology who led the eight-year study, said the trend could have resulted from a “strong emphasis for Baptists to avoid alcohol and tobacco and, as a result, indulge in overeating instead.”

While many conservative denominations abstain from dancing, smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol, they have no guidelines when it comes to overindulging in food.

Apparently, that attitude has taken its toll. Obesity cases increased from 24 percent in 1986 to 30 percent in 1994 among two Baptist groups—the 16-million-member Southern Baptist Convention and the North American Baptist Conference, a group of roughly 400 churches in the U.S. Midwest and Canada.

“This cause could be from less-healthy eating patterns in the South, home to many Baptists,” Ferraro said. “But we controlled for residency, and still Baptist women were more likely to be obese. More research is needed to learn how denominations view overeating and obesity.”

Ferraro’s research of 2,500 adults also found not all religious activities correlated with obesity.

To be sure, women who watched or listened to religious television and radio were more likely to be obese. However, women who actually attended religious services were less likely to be obese.

And men who gained comfort from religious sources—instead of from food—were less likely to be obese as well.

After the Baptists, fundamentalist Protestant congregations—Church of Christ, Pentecostal, Assembly of God and Church of God—had the second-highest rate of obesity, at 22 percent.

In contrast, Catholic obesity rates remained steady at 17 percent during the research period, and Jewish obesity remained at 1 percent. Non-Christian faiths, including Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism, increased in the number of obesity cases from 0.2 percent to 0.7 percent.

Doctors consider a person obese when he or she has a body-mass index of more than 30. Body-mass index is the ratio between body weight and height—weight divided by metric height squared. Studies consistently show that 30 percent of adults nationwide are obese. An additional 34 percent are overweight, with a body-mass index of 25 to 30.

More than just a hindrance to energy levels, confidence and quality of life, obesity is expensive and socially isolating, researchers say. It can cause chronic illnesses like adult-onset diabetes and heart disease, as well as asthma, sleep apnea, liver disease, depression and reproductive problems.

Richard Kreider, director of the Baylor University Center for Exercise, Nutrition and Preventative Health Research, said the study made some good points, especially when it comes to Baptist life.

“There are certainly cultural issues, regionality issues and socialization issues about what people do when they get together,” he said. “What attracts people to meetings is food. Churches use that to get people to come to things. They’ll have after-service dinners and Sunday night ice cream—you name it.”

Those between-service donuts and heavy potluck casseroles take their toll. When food becomes the object of an event—or the event becomes an excuse for food—unhealthy weight gain can creep up on parishioners.

Part of the problem, Kreider said, is that food has become ingrained in the culture of some churches. Many people assume sports and exercise are OK for kids but not needed for adults, he said. Others just accept being overweight as OK.

It’s not. According to Kreider, an inactive non-smoker is as unhealthy as someone who smokes—a habit often frowned upon in Baptist circles.

“I think we need to be cognizant of what we tell people,” he said. “We tell people not to drink and not to smoke and that they should take care of the temple (body), but we don’t work out. Many leaders inside the pulpit are way overweight. We don’t think about the way it affects our health and the message it sends to our kids.”

The key to fixing that, Kreider said, is to develop a different mentality.

Ferraro echoed that sentiment.

“These high-fat meals are saying implicitly, ‘This is how we celebrate,’” Ferraro said. “Instead, religious leaders need to model and encourage physical health as an important part of a person’s spiritual well being.”

Religion does promote health in many ways. Prayer, meditation and social interaction all promote good health, and many churches have blood-pressure stations, exercise clubs and health fairs.

Another great way to stave off obesity is to disguise exercise as something fun, Kreider said, like softball leagues, church fitness centers and physical group activities. Churches also should be deliberate about providing wholesome food at events and speaking clearly and often from the pulpit about maintaining a healthy weight.

The most important thing, experts stress, is to take steps, no matter how small, in the right direction. Otherwise, taxpayers will pay the price.

“America is becoming known as a nation of gluttony and obesity, and churches are a feeding ground for this problem,” Ferraro said in the report. “If religious leaders and organizations neglect this issue, they will contribute to an epidemic that will cost the health-care system millions of dollars and reduce the quality of life for many parishioners.”

Ferraro’s findings were published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

Posted: 10/27/06

Baylor among most physically fit schools

By Hannah Elliott

Associated Baptist Press

WACO (ABP)—On the heels of a Purdue University study that listed Baptists as the most obese religious group in America, Baptist-affiliated Baylor University has been recognized as one of America’s fittest schools.

The study, published in the October issue of Men’s Fitness magazine, labeled the Waco school the nation’s ninth-most-fit university.

The survey focused on factors like student intake of fast food, alcohol and cigarettes; student levels of exercise and sleep; the availability of fresh fruit and nutritionists on campus; and the general campus culture for fitness. The magazine, in conjunction with the Princeton Review, questioned 12,500 students at the nation’s top institutions for the report.

Baylor was the only Baptist-affiliated school on the list. Other schools included No. 4 Wheaton College in Illinois; No. 6 Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota; No. 7 Grove City College in Pennsylvania; No. 8 Texas Christian University in Fort Worth; and No. 19 Roanoke College in Virginia. Catholic-affiliated Boston College was ranked No. 3.

Kim Scott, director of campus recreation at Baylor, said the school promotes a holistic lifestyle because habits students learn in college will serve them long after they leave the school.

Scott was instrumental in choosing the equipment and scheme for Baylor’s 156,000-square-foot fitness facility. The McLane Student Life Center includes a running track, basketball and volleyball courts, a pool and a freestanding rock-climbing wall.

“We wanted to make a statement that our students deserve the best there is—not just varsity athletes—so we did just that,” she said.

The presence of a new, large and well-equipped recreation center was a factor boosting several colleges in the study. According to Steve Kintigh, TCU’s director of campus recreation, Baylor and TCU are the only two Southern schools on the list. They’re also the only two in Texas that have relatively new fitness facilities.

“I couldn’t prove to you that we’re thinner or healthier than any other school, but the rec center is a big draw,” he said. “We’re competing with mid-range schools, and this center is one of the things that separates us.”

TCU built its 232,000-square-foot center in 2003. Baylor built its center in 1998.

Richard Kreider, the director of Baylor’s Center for Exercise, Nutrition and Preventative Health Research, said the Purdue study made good points about fitness levels among Baptists, although any study should be “taken with a grain of salt.”

“I think the study makes some good points when it comes to obesity, especially within Baptist circles,” he said. “We need to promote activity, living healthy lifestyles and eating right.”

In the Men’s Fitness story, each school received four grades based on student responses. Baylor received an A- for limited intake of fast food, cigarettes and alcohol; a B- for the amount of physical activity and sleep each week; an A- for school offerings of fresh fruit and extended gym hours; and an A for having a campus culture of fitness.

TCU received a C-minus for intake; an A- for exercise and sleep; an A+ for school offers of fruit; and a B for its culture of fitness.

And despite the “pleasant surprise” at being ranked on the list, Kintigh stressed academics still take first priority at TCU. Of course, he added, physical fitness often helps in that department too.

“Exercise helps you sleep, it gives you a clear mind, it helps you handle stress,” he said. “And frankly, this is a facility that makes people feel good about themselves and the campus.” News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist churches, in the BGCT, the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.