Posted: 9/27/07

BaptistWay Bible Series for October 7

It’s a wonderful life

• Romans 5:1-11

By Andrew Daugherty

Christ Church, Rockwall

It might strain our credulity to compare the Christian life to a Jimmy Stewart movie. However, consider the connection between the iconic American film, It’s a Wonderful Life, and the Apostle Paul’s theological account of justification by faith, including themes of suffering and hope.

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Set on Christmas Eve, the film features the main character, George Bailey (played by Jimmy Stewart), who is faced with the certain bankruptcy of his family business. He is liable for an $8,000 deficit at his family’s savings and loan association, which would result in jail time; not to mention the shame it would bring on his family while leaving the town to the greedy devices of the spiteful banker, Mr. Potter.

George’s panic leads him to think the citizens of Bedford Falls and his wife and children would be better off without him. Overwhelmed by his own (distorted) sense of personal failure, George contemplates suicide. But thanks to the prayers of the people of Bedford Falls and even the prayers of his own household, a guardian angel named Clarence comes to rescue George by persuading him of his goodness.

Through flashbacks of his life, Clarence shows George how much worse off the town would be without him. He convinces him his life was deeply meaningful and his caring for the working-class people of the town had affected them in powerful and positive ways. Despite the despair and disillusionment George felt, Clarence helped him understand that his life truly was a gift.

The life choices he made to sacrifice his personal ambition for the benefit of others made him an agent of redemption. His life was wonderful, because his life was redemptive.

The Christ figure in this film is the angel, Clarence, who leaves the luxuries of heaven to come to earth to persuade George his life was filled with goodness and wonder. Rather than being anyone else’s enemy, though, George was an enemy of himself. Whatever hatred and ill-will this righteous man possessed, George aimed it squarely at himself.

Have you ever considered that God sent us the gift of Christ to persuade us of our own goodness? If our goodness derives from our positive relationship to God, Jesus’ life reveals the dramatic measures God takes to re-establish diplomatic relations with humanity.

Just as we did nothing to earn the right to be born, Paul says we are justified through no act of our own. It literally took an act of God in order for us to have standing in God’s grace. Therefore, we cannot boast about our justification arrogantly as if we are self-made. We only can boast in what God has accomplished through the person of Jesus who used divine diplomacy to negotiate a peace treaty on our behalf to ensure our good standing as God’s people. Christ redeems human beings in order that human beings might be redemptive.

Paul wastes no time transitioning from his preceding remarks about justification. Just as Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness, so all are people credited with righteousness who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. “Therefore,” Paul says, peace is the product of being justified by faith.

Notice this peace is a present reality even in the midst of unfavorable circumstances. Often preachers and church leaders talk about peace as if it were the result of our knowing we are going to heaven one day when we die. The thinking goes that if we can only survive this life, we’ll be rewarded in the life to come.

Such other-worldly optimism is lost on Paul, here. Perhaps a more faithful rendering of Paul’s words would be to contemplate how the effects of God’s gift to us through Christ make a difference in this life before considering its impact for the next. Since justification and peace are present realities, how might this make a practical difference in our lives now?

Certainly there is a “real-time” dimension to the effects of Christ’s work. This is most evident in Paul’s understanding of suffering that produces endurances, and endurance that produces character, and the character that produces hope (5:3-4).

Suffering can produce endurance, but sometimes human suffering can be so severe that to boast about it may sound as illogical as praying for the opportunity to suffer in order that character can be developed. To quote Paul elsewhere in his writings, “God forbid!”

Many experiences of suffering appear grossly disproportionate to the kind of character produced by it. Perhaps you have known people who have been through such trying times that you have said, “Lord, maybe there’s meaning in their suffering, but don’t you think that is a little too much!?”

Surely a person disillusioned by clinical depression has felt the distant otherness of God. National tragedies like 9/11 reveal a deep dissonance between the present experience of human pain and Paul’s talk of hope that does not let us down (5:4). Anyone who grieves the atrocities of war must despair over the continuing deaths of U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians and the 1.1 million Iraqi refugees that have been driven from their homes and country. The enduring conflict between Israelis and Palestinians and the constant global threat of nuclear war wears thin our political patience and spiritual stamina.

When we consider Paul’s words to the Romans about boasting in our sufferings, we must likewise acknowledge the various manifestations of human suffering that challenge our understandings of spiritual hope. These sufferings are both personal and communal. They are felt in our world, our communities, and even within ourselves. What Christ did about them is the basis of our hope. What we do about them is the expression of our love. And it is a wonderful life, because it is the redemptive life.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 9/24/07

Bible Studies for Life for October 7

Quality is Job #1

• Matthew 5:1-12

By Steve Dominy

First Baptist Church, Gatesville

Matthew 5 begins: “Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down, his disciples came to him, and he began to teach them … .”

The crowds eventually followed, and at the end of the sermon, we see the crowds were once again amazed at one who taught with such authority. But the primary point of the sermon was to teach the disciples. The Sermon on the Mount is not concerned so much with ethics in general, but with discipleship, with our obedience to God.

If we understand the Sermon on the Mount as a set of rules or ideals to live by, we have missed the point. The ideals are too high, and we never could achieve them by ourselves; the demands of Jesus are just too great. This approach has caused many to dismiss the Sermon on the Mount as something completely impractical and irrelevant to daily living.

A better approach is to understand the Sermon on the Mount as the ethic of the kingdom of God. Matthew 4:17 says, “From that time on, Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’” Other than calling Peter and Andrew to follow him, the very next words Jesus utters are the Sermon on the Mount. The sermon then is Jesus’ declaration of what it means, and what it looks like, to live in this world as people committed to God’s kingdom.

When we understand the sermon as the ethic of the kingdom we gain a greater understanding of the word “blessed.” Our society tends to understand blessing as a reward for a service rendered or a state of character we have achieved. But the word for blessing here carries with it the idea of a condition of life. The word “happy” often is substituted for “blessed,” but we associate that with a state of mind more than a condition of life. Joyful might be the best word for us to use in understanding blessing. There is an abiding joy in our lives as we follow Jesus in every area of our life.

Joy is listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit and is evidence of God at work in our lives. The same is true of the beatitudes, all of the characteristics Jesus mentions are evidence of God at work in our lives. Just as we cannot pick and choose between the fruit of the Spirit, neither can we pick and choose between the beatitudes. All eight of the beatitudes serve as evidence of the work of God in our lives. They are eight qualities of the same people who are meek and merciful, poor in spirit and pure in heart, mourning and hungry, peacemakers and persecuted.

When we focus on the blessing as a result, we miss the blessing altogether. The second half of each beatitude tells us what the blessing is and why there is joy. Theirs is the kingdom of heaven and they are comforted. They inherit the earth and are filled. They are shown mercy, they see God and are called sons of God. Their heavenly reward is great.

The characteristics of the kingdom that Jesus lists in the beatitudes can’t be achieved in and of our own power, they are the results of following Christ. In the same way, the blessings and joy Christ lists are gifts of God. They cannot be attained in and of ourselves, they are pure gift.

To say these characteristics and blessings are gifts does not mean that we do not pursue these gifts, it does say something about how we pursue them. The Christian life always is a life lived in the real world. One of the greatest barriers to people who are not followers of Christ are people who claim to be Christian but bear no evidence of it in the way that they live. The more we grow to be like Christ the more evident these characteristics become in our lives. We don’t pursue these characteristics so we can be blessed, but because they are pleasing to God, and we already have tasted the blessing of his salvation and presence. We seek to live out these character traits because they are pleasing to God.

All of these characteristics, which are so valued in the kingdom of God, have little value in the rest of the world. Our society does not place great value on meekness, or poverty of spirit. We do not know what to do with those who mourn or those who are peacemakers. Because the value system of the kingdom stands in such stark contrast to the values of the world we open ourselves to at least misunderstanding and more likely scorn and ridicule. Jesus says to rejoice when this happens because it is due to our following him.

Jesus brings the beatitudes into a coherent whole in the last verses of this section. When Jesus says, “because of me,” he gives us the reason for applying the beatitudes to our lives now. It is because of Jesus that we work to develop those character traits that are his character traits. Exhibiting the traits Jesus lists in the beatitudes strengthens his work in our lives and in his world, and that is blessing in and of itself.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 9/24/07

Explore the Bible Series for October 7

Watch your words

• Matthew 11:1-12:50

By Travis Frampton

Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene

In Deuteronomy 5:12-14, Moses commands the Israelites to: “Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work.”

God created the world. On the seventh day, he rested. Sabbath, which means “rest” in Hebrew, was set aside as a sacred time for creation to recuperate. In Matthew chapter 12, the Pharisees confronted Jesus on the issue of working on the Sabbath.

Before we look at their dispute, consider the verses which immediately precede their debate. Jesus told his followers: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29).

Matthew’s narrative is arranged in such a way for readers to make associations between Jesus and the Sabbath. This passage implies Jesus is one in whom people can find rest. Two accounts on matters related to Jesus’ interpretation of Sabbath laws then follow.

Picking grain on the Sabbath

In the first account, the disciples were picking heads of grain to eat on the holy day. The Pharisees drew attention to Jesus’ followers doing what was unlawful. Harvesting one’s food on the Sabbath was a violation of the Mosaic law. When confronted on this issue, Jesus reminded his opponents that David had not done what was lawful by eating consecrated bread (see 1 Samuel 21:1-6), and he was not reprimanded. Jesus also contended that in Numbers 28:9-10 the priests prepared sacrifices on the Sabbath and also are not condemned for their actions. He went on to paraphrase Hosea 6:6, which states, “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” Jesus proposed a new hermeneutic, a new way to read the Law.

The Pharisees prioritized the letter of the Law. With regards to the laws of Moses, there were no grey areas. Commandments were written in black and white. The Law said it, and they believed it. Jesus’ interpretation, radical for his day (and even for ours), was more fluid and not as concrete. Whereas for the Pharisees the Law may have been written in black and white, and whereas they insisted others live in a black-and-white world, Jesus rejected their model. Those more moderate may have seen shades of grey where the Pharisees saw only black and white, but Jesus saw the world differently. He saw the world as a place of vibrant color. He rejected a two-tone interpretation of Scripture.

Instead of prioritizing the needs and requirements of the Law before all else, Jesus placed the needs and requirements of people before the letter of the Law. How could he do this? Were not the Pharisees justified in bringing the disciples and Jesus before the scrutiny of the Law?

In the first century, “the Law and the Prophets” was the Bible of Jesus and the Pharisees. Jesus provided examples from the Bible in his dispute with the Pharisees over picking grain on the Sabbath. He quoted two passages from the Law (1 Samuel and Numbers) and one from the Prophets (Hosea). He chastised his accusers for bringing charges against the innocent, and then gave them a warning they failed understand: “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8). To put it another way, Jesus was insisting that “the Son of Man is Lord of the Law.” To put it in 21st century vernacular, Jesus was essentially saying: “The Son of Man is Lord of the Bible.”

Jesus healing the man with a withered hand

After the dispute over picking grain, Jesus then strode audaciously right into the synagogue. The synagogue of all places. Pharisees instructed their students on matters of law there. It was a place for education and for worship. Jesus was on his opponents’ turf. As soon as he entered, the Pharisees asked him whether it was lawful to heal on the Sabbath. The question posed to him was very direct and to the point: black and white.

A man with a shriveled hand was present. Jesus told the man to stretch it out his hand, and there in the midst of the Pharisees and beneath the roof of the synagogue, Jesus prioritized human suffering over strict observance of commandments in Deuteronomy. In so doing, he turned the law upside down. Which was more important: strict observance of the law or compassion for human beings? In this way, Jesus read “the Bible” in color. He colored over the black-and-white letters with the primary colors: red, yellow, and blue. Fulfilling the Law took on new meaning. For Jesus, mercy came before obedience to the Law.

Matthew then records: “The Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus” (Matthew 12:14).

What then does this reflection have to do with watching one’s words? In Matthew 12:22-37, verses which follow the disputes over Sabbath laws, the Pharisees called Jesus “Beelzebub,”—the Prince of Demons. Jesus had driven a demon out of a man, and the “religious” had mistaken him for Satan. They had mistaken what was good for what was evil.

Is it possible for us to hinder the spread of the gospel with our tongues, even though we intend to honor God with our words? Television evangelists in the past have been quick to read natural disasters as the work of the hands of God. From their perspective, God sends disasters when people do not follows his law. They see human suffering as the result of God’s initiative.

In many ways, this type of interpretation of world events fails to understand how “the Son of Man is Lord of the Law.” In Christ, mercy is the work of God’s hands. Those who are quick to judge disasters as the work of an angry god miss the good news of God revealing himself in Christ, in mercy and in love.

Sitting back and being an armchair judge is much easier than being the hands and body of Christ helping the victims of natural disaster. Instead of preaching judgment when disasters strike, the church is commanded to be with those who have been knocked down, so that they also are there to help them stand up and walk again.

Unfortunately, whenever we preach the Bible is more important than people, we come dangerously close to being like the Pharisees. Whenever law becomes more important than grace, we fail to see how Jesus completed the law and the prophets. Whenever “sacrifice” is placed before “mercy,” we fail to live according to the word of Christ. Whenever “the Bible” becomes more about God’s laws and less about God’s love, we live—as Paul instructed us not to—under the letter of the Law instead of under the spirit of the Law. We too are prone to seeing only in black and white, color blind, unable to see Jesus as the Word incarnate.

Discussion questions

• In what ways do we turn the gospel into law?

• Can you think of examples of how we honor religious practices and customs more than we do people?

• Why is mercy more important than observance of the law?

• “People matter more than things.” Is this statement true about Jesus’ attitude in these stories?

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 9/21/07

Trustees question Roberts’ leadership
after VP resigns from Midwestern Seminary

By Greg Warner

Associated Baptist Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (ABP)—The chief financial officer at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary resigned Sept. 20 in a dispute with President Philip Roberts over a financial analysis that raised questions about Roberts’ leadership, the school’s trustee chairman said.

David Hodge, vice president of business services, confirmed his resignation but declined to talk about the dispute or criticize the seminary.

However, according to trustee Chairman Gene Downing and other sources, Roberts placed Hodge on administrative leave Sept. 20 after Hodge declined to give Roberts a copy of the confidential analysis, which Hodge prepared at Downing’s request.

Phil Roberts and his trustees have been in a behind-the-scenes conflict in recent months over the president’s leadership and alleged financial “irregularities,” according to sources close to the seminary. Those issues, and Hodge’s resignation, are expected to be addressed by trustees at their mid-October meeting.

Chairman Downing, a businessman from Oklahoma City, said he requested the “professional business analysis” from Hodge, who was a banker for 26 years, with the understanding the document was confidential. Downing said he sent the document to the other members of the trustee executive committee.

When Roberts found out about the analysis, he asked Hodge for a copy, Downing said, but the vice president refused. “David Hodge, being the honorable and reputable guy he is, felt that was not ethical,” the chairman explained.

“I asked him, as COO, to give me his assessment of where we are at,” Downing said of the document he requested from Hodge, who is the seminary’s chief operating officer and chief financial officer. “Some of those things may not have been complimentary toward Dr. Roberts. … I thought it was a good, very professional review.”

The analysis included information that had been requested from Roberts “for quite some time” and that Roberts “had not responded to,” Downing said.

The VP’s resignation was “very unfortunate because David Hodge is one exceptional guy” who was “just trying to do his job,” Downing said. Asked if Hodge was put on leave because he provided the analysis to trustees or because he didn’t give Roberts a copy, Downing said “both.”

Roberts did not respond to two telephone requests for comment or a request for an e-mail interview.

Downing said he is arranging an “exit interview” in a week or two between Hodge and the trustee executive committee, acting on a recently adopted trustee policy to interview any departing vice president.

He insisted Midwestern is not in financial trouble and there are no financial issues. Instead, the dispute with Roberts is over his “leadership” and his dealings with trustees and staff, Downing said.

Eight years ago, trustees fired Roberts’ predecessor, Mark Coppenger, over his treatment of staff. “Expressions of anger admitted to by Dr. Coppenger had irreparably damaged his ability to lead the seminary,” said Carl Weiser, trustee chairman in 1999.

Downing, the current chairman, declined to say if the trustees are likely to fire Roberts, except to say “the majority always rules.” He added: “There’s a saying: ‘It takes hard work to get you to the top, but only character will keep you there.’“

Downing said the seminary remains strong despite the dispute over Roberts’ leadership. “These are some of the finest professors I’ve ever met,” he said of the Midwestern faculty. “The students don’t go there because of Phil Roberts.”

Roberts has drawn criticism recently for his handling of an $8 million sale of seminary land to a developer, plans to build new student housing, and the opening of an off-campus extension program reportedly without the approval of the seminary’s accrediting agency. The off-campus center is located at First Family Church in nearby Overland Park, Kan. The church’s pastor, Jerry Johnston, is under investigation by state law enforcement officials for his financial dealings.

Downing said some trustees are upset about Roberts’ friendship with Johnston. Roberts, who publicly supported Johnston against the allegations, recently awarded Johnston and three family members bachelor’s degrees.

Hodge declined to discuss his departure. “Obviously something happened or I’d still be sitting at my desk this afternoon,” he said by cell phone while driving home. But he said the exchange with Roberts that led to his placement on leave and resignation was confidential.

Hodge, who in February resigned as president of Central Bank and Trust in Hutchinson, Kan., to go to Midwestern, worked at the seminary only six months. When he was hired, after a quarter century in banking, Roberts called him “an extraordinarily gifted Christian financier.”

Hodge said he did not want to say anything that would reflect poorly on the seminary,and he repeatedly expressed his confidence in the seminary, adding he had nothing but praise for the students, faculty and staff. Hodge said there were no financial improprieties at the school and that Southern Baptists can have full confidence in the seminary.

Hodge added he would do “everything in his power” to support the school—including going back to work there if asked. “I would go back if the (management) team wanted me there,” he said, even if Roberts remains president.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 9/21/07

College students ‘Focus’ on sharing gospel

By Eric Guel

Texas Baptist Communications

ARLINGTON—More than 2,000 Texas Baptist college students prepared for the school year by taking a hard look at the needs of the world around them.

“The story of Jesus Christ — it’s the story of all stories,” Mike Stroope of Baylor University’s Truett Theological Seminary told the crowd at Focus, sponsored by the Baptist General Convention of Texas. “His story pursues us; it transforms us. We need to listen to his story, and turn other stories down.”

The event featured messages by Stroope, and worship led by musician Charlie Hall. Students also engaged in equipping tracks on topics such as small group leadership, New Testament study, shaping worldview and ministering to unbelievers.

Throughout the weekend, conference halls resounded with voices of students ministering to each other, encouraging one another and sharing lessons learned through sermons and equipping classes.

“Here at Focus, God’s really shown me how proud I am,” said Ricky Salvato, a junior at Angelo State University. “The equipping track on ministering to unbelievers opened my eyes to my fear of losing my reputation for the sake of Jesus Christ. I’ve realized that all I have to do is show the love of Jesus to lost people, and who cares if you lose your reputation.”

Fear of the unknown gripped Texas A&M University senior Whitney Travis before ministering at the prison in Huntsville this summer through Go Now Missions, the BGCT’s student missions effort. Travis told her story to Focus participants, citing a holy love for people who seem unlovable.

“Who am I to deny the gospel to murderers and rapists?” she said. “Because of our sin, we’re just as guilty as they are. Jesus died for them, too.”

Bruce McGowan, director of the BGCT collegiate ministry, said the weekend served a dual purpose. “Our intent here is really two-fold,” he said. “It’s about equipping students and also giving them an opportunity for a personal encounter with God and with each other.”

Baylor University freshman Kyle Lewis said enjoying fellowship with other believers helped strengthen his faith.

“It’s refreshing to be with like-minded people and to feel invigorated before I undertake such a huge endeavor my freshman year,” he said. “I think my faith has grown here. It’s a faith that I can take to whatever mission field God sees fit for me, whether that’s overseas or here in Texas.”

Chelsey Burleson, a junior from the University of North Texas, fills out information to send a Bible to someone overseas.

Keith Baldridge, college pastor of First Baptist Church in Canyon, said Focus helped his students hone in on hometown missions. “The weekend’s been good at equipping our students to live a life of missions on campus. A lot of times we think of missions as being overseas, but the mission is right here æ it’s right in our home.”

The event attracted students from more than 100 campuses, and participants gave more than $12,000 to student missions through offerings and a silent auction. “The students gave generously,” McGowan said. “And hopefully, they’ve made some important decisions here—decisions about what they’re going to do next summer, next semester, or what their call in life may be.”

For Joel Lakes, a junior at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, the decisions he made at Focus helped ignite his passion to share the love of Jesus with unbelievers.

“I’m feeling this year that I’m really going to take a lot of ground for Jesus and I’m not going to forget what he’s taught me,” he said.

Stephen F. Austin State University sophomore Kayla Herring, described her Focus experience succinctly: “It changed my worldview.”

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 9/21/07

Enrollment, student test scores
up at many Texas Baptist schools

While college enrollment across the nation is down slightly, enrollment and student test scores are on the rise at many Baptist General Convention of Texas-affiliated universities.

The U.S. Department of Labor recently reported slightly fewer 2006 high school graduates across the country are enrolling in colleges as compared to 2005 graduates. But many Texas Baptist schools saw enrollment grow or remain nearly even.

Houston Baptist University posted the highest increase in enrollment, a 9.1 percent jump to a total of 2,338 students.

“This is truly a phenomenal time for HBU as we welcome the largest class of freshmen in our history,” said HBU President Robert Sloan. “Every facet of the campus has been impacted by the significant growth and caliber of our students. In fact, as we celebrate the increase of new students on campus, we have also begun preparation for future classes with the construction of a new residence college to be completed by fall 2008.”

Enrollment at Howard Payne University increased 4.2 percent to 1,384, including students taking classes at the school’s satellite campuses in Midland, Corpus Christi and El Paso.

“We are pleased to report this enrollment growth this year,” said Howard Payne President Lanny Hall. “This underscores the rising demand for Christian higher education and the response of students and parents to Howard Payne’s efforts to keep higher education as affordable as possible. We continue to help families find creative ways to manage the critical investment they are making in the lives of students.”

Overall enrollment at Wayland Baptist University increased 3.3 percent, including 7 percent at the school’s Plainview campus. In Wayland’s campuses across the nation, 5,709 students are enrolled in classes.

“The freshman class is more than 17.5 percent up from last fall, with more than 250 freshmen,” said Claude Lusk, Wayland vice president of enrollment management. “From the new student perspective, we do have the largest number living on campus that we’ve ever had before as well, an 11 percent hike from last year.”

Hardin-Simmons University, which is near capacity, saw enrollment grow to 2,435 from 2,372. The university carefully chose its students. Selectivity has tightened to 26 percent from 29 percent in 2006, 39 percent in 2005 and 53 percent in 2004. 

Logsdon Seminary has record enrollment at 115 students.

Dallas Baptist University set an enrollment record for the 20th consecutive year with an increase to 5,244 students, 91 higher than last year’s enrollment.

More than 14,170 students enrolled at Baylor University this fall, including the academically most qualified freshman class and the largest number of seminary students in the school’s history.

This year’s freshman class has a record average SAT score of 1219, compared with last year’s previous record of 1213. Since 1999, the average SAT score for Baylor freshmen has risen 50 points.

More than 400 students are enrolled at George W. Truett Theological Seminary. Baylor’s overall fall enrollment of 14,174 students is the second highest total in university history, behind 2001’s record enrollment of 14,221 students.

Enrollment at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor dropped slightly to 2,685, but the percentage of minority students jumped from 25 percent to 28 percent.

“One of the university’s strategic goals is to recruit an ethnically diverse student body that reflects the population demographics of our region,” said Ron Brown, associate vice president for enrollment management. “We have also been working in recent months to increase the number of international students enrolled at UMHB, which we more than doubled this fall.  We are pleased to have this increase because we recognize that these students bring an important global dimension to learning experiences on our campus.”

Enrollment at East Texas Baptist University dipped slightly to 1,308 students, which Vince Blankenship, ETBU vice president of enrollment management and marketing attributed to tougher academic admission requirements.

Baptist University’s of the Americas enrollment in accredited programs remained about even at 200 students. An additional 500 students are enrolled in non-accredited BUA programs around the globe.

Compiled by John Hall at BGCT Communications

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 9/21/07

Students see dramatic difference at Sul Ross

By George Henson

Staff Writer

ALPINE—The decision by students involved with the Baptist Student Ministry at Sul Ross State University to present the multimedia drama “Last Chance” was a win for the men desiring to join the school’s basketball team.

While the new coach has not made his selections for this year’s squad, 20 of the students going through tryouts attended the drama, and 18 made professions of faith, said Moises Morales, who hopes to make the team as a shooting guard.

Morales and BSM President Jermaine Packard both have been members of the hoops squad and hope to be selected for this year’s squad, but are just as involved in the work of the BSM. Young men who are trying out for the school’s basketball team attended the drama at their invitation.

“Some of them I had to do some talking and twisting arms, and some of them wanted to get out of study hall and this was just an out for them. And some of them were there for the girls. But after they were there, God went to work on them,” Packard said.

Their attitudes and actions since seeing the 45-minute drama offers tangible evidence that their commitments are real, Packard added. In the past, the team had been known as a group who was pretty wild, he said.

The differences are obvious, Morales said. “They keep asking us questions about the BSM and stuff like that—what churches there are, about Bible studies—they just want to know more. Most of them don’t want to look too religious in front of their buddies, but when it’s just us, then they say, ‘When you go to church can I go with you?’ and things like that.

Twenty-two members of the basketball team attended the Mighty Monday Bible study recently, doubling the usual attendance, said BSM Director Dan Dunagan.

“This is without a doubt the best year of my ministry here,” Dunagan said, who has been at Sul Ross 16 years.

But the influx of new Christians has been so great, Dunagan admitted discipling them will be a challenge.

“If I didn’t have students willing to stand in the gap and help with these new believers, I might be in some trouble,” he acknowledged.

The sacrifice of students already involved in BSM made the success possible, he stressed.

Because the students felt so strongly that drama was worthwhile, they raised the more than $5,000 it took to bring the production to Alpine, and then gave of the time and talents to learn the lines and put on the show.

Members of the basketball team were not alone in seeing their lives changed. Sixty-seven students made professions of faith in Christ, and 20 people rededicated their lives to Christ.

That number extended even to a couple of the BSM students who acted in the drama. They were so affected by the parts were portraying, they became convinced they had not had real conversion experiences in the past, Dunagan noted.

“They came in thinking they were saved, and in the end, knew they were saved,” he said.

Morales has a very specific prayer for his teammates.

“I don’t want the highlight of their college careers to be that they played on the Sul Ross State University basketball team, but that this is where they gave their lives to Jesus Christ,” he said.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 9/21/07

Church offers motorists bargain gas and full service

By George Henson

Staff Writer

SCHULENBURG—Not too many people have experienced blessings at the gas pump lately, but residents of Schulenburg did recently, thanks to First Baptist Church.

For a couple of hours on a Saturday, the church pumped gas and washed the car windows of patrons of Alfie’s Food Mart & Shell Station, all the while subsidizing the price of gas by 50 cents a gallon. So, the bargain rate for gasoline was $2.19 a gallon rather than the $2.69 that had been posted.

In just two hours, church members pumped 1,758 gallons of gas. That put the bill for First Baptist Church at $879, and Pastor Eric Vaughan said it was money well spent. About 120 people were able to fuel up during the ministry.

“It was a neat, neat day,” he said. “A lot of people were surprised, and their first question was ‘Who are you?’”

A convenience store employee lowers the gas price for a couple of hours, thanks to a subsidy and volunteer labor provided by First Baptist Church in Schulenburg.

When customers learned a church was helping them fill their tanks and washing their windows, many stopped for longer conversations. Meeting so many people in such a positive way made the expense paltry in relation to the good will engendered, Vaughan stressed.

“It was all about blessing the community, and that’s what our church is all about—just loving people,” he said.

While the line was sometimes a little long, no one was unhappy. Vaughan had talked to the police department well in advance, so a traffic flow plan was in place to keep things moving as best they could.

“No one was unhappy with their wait.” Vaughn said.

When the two hours were up, a sign was put in the back glass of the last vehicle in line at that time to let those behind know that discounted gas was ended. A volunteer also stayed in the area to make sure there were no misunderstandings.

Vaughan had served previously been on staff at a church that had a similar ministry, but the work of the 27 volunteers and the church council who helped make the preparations made the day such a success, he emphasized. The church already is making plans to repeat the project, he added.

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 9/21/07

CYBER COLUMN:
Attack of the kitchen witch

By Jinny Henson

It had been a benevolent weekend for my family. We all participated in The Race for the Cure 5-kilometer road race for cancer research. Our church hosted the group from The Fuller Center for Housing to build homes, and I had worked in our Praise Kid Children’s service. All in all, a wonderful weekend full of terrific experiences.

Monday morning arrived and with it the start of a new and exciting service project for me—Meals on Wheels. John had participated in the program faithfully for years, and so I decided I could certainly spare an hour of my week for such an important job. I called to volunteer my services, and the affirming voice on the other end oozed anecdotes about how cute and appreciative the clients were. She assured me they would give more than I could ever give them.

I attended the training session and learned quickly the basic tenets of sanitary food distribution. The milk and bread in baggies were the only slightly confusing concept, but I focused real hard and finally got it. The main rules were to always deliver with somebody, so you don’t get shot or something and to never leave the food if the recipient was not there to personally accept it. If the food is left and spoils then later consumed by the recipient, it can very dangerous.

I accomplished my first task of finding the pickup point. With cooler, hot box, binder and map, I was eager to go make my small difference in the big world. I was “Jesus with skin on,” ready to do his bidding for the day. I had no idea what to expect, but when in doubt, my subconscious always reverts to the best-case scenario. Flying high with great expectations, I began.

My team member was unable to meet me to distribute the meals, so I was already insubordinate on rule No. 1. I was not afraid to make my deliveries, though. I’d been my share of urban “mission trips,” and besides that, once you live through monthly business meetings in a Baptist church, everything else you do is a picnic. God is great that way!

I reached my first house, and since she did not have a phone number, I rang the doorbell. No response. I cautiously opened the screen door to the porch, staring at the two doors of the duplex that shred a common address. Hmm … . Behind door No. 1, I pictured Estelle Geddes, ready to embrace me. Behind door No. 2 could be a crackhead tore up from the floor up. “Which door? Which door?” I truly could not decide.

I gingerly knocked on the left one and the right as I backed away toward the entrance to the screened-in porch, hedging my bets. I rang both doorbells and again heard no signs of stirring. No television or phone. I knocked once more and waited. When I received no response, I turned to leave.

About halfway down the sidewalk, I heard a door open and a voice as cracked as the early 1900s cement path before me.

“You were just going to LEAVE?” accused a 4-foot-tall woman draped in a worn housecoat and shawl which belied the 90 degree weather. Her shrunken face resembled that of a kitchen witch like the one I had gotten for my Mom at King Super Drug in the 1980s.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I sure knocked.” I began and formulated my defense. She peppered me with questions, revealing her deep distrust in humanity in general and me in particular, confused as to why such an energetic woman would give up on her so easily.

In her eyes, my lack of persistence was the only thing standing between her and her 17 ounces of daily sustenance (with milk, bread and a cookie in separate baggies, mind you, just like the laminated training manual pictured.)

“So, you mean you were just going to leave with MY meal? Just like that, huh?”

Now, I was beginning to get offended at the tone in the kitchen witch’s voice. Clearly she doubted my dedication to the cause and didn’t much care for my methods, either.

She further insulted me by actually sticking out her tongue at me after each repetition of “You were JUST going to leave with my meal?” Every taste bud giving me the what for as they thrust in unison.

At first, the rational side of my brain, which interprets peoples’ actions, dismissed her tongue as an involuntary bodily blurb. But as she continued to syncopate each accusation with it, I was beginning to see that this was no reflexive spasm. Had we been in the Middle East, I feel certain she would’ve removed her worn out shoe and beaten me on the head like a toppled Saddam statue. She was just that insulted.

I repeated with as much compassion as I possibly could the rational reasons we are unable to leave food. To her, my words were as cogent as the teacher in A Charlie Brown Christmas. “Whaah, whaah, whaah, whaah, whah, whaah.” Convinced that I would not win her over that day, I decided to give her the brightest smile I could and simply leave. As I continued my delivery route, I was filled with malaise where once anticipation had been. I certainly did not feel like any Mother Theresa, but then as we’ve recently learned, to my relief, probably neither did she.

I usually laugh when bizarre things happen to me or when great grandmothers use the nonverbal communication of a preschooler to get their point across to me. I am typically pretty hard to sink, but I was measurably deflated by the misunderstanding. “I love old people!” I wanted to shout from the rooftops in my defense.

When I stop to consider this dependent, little lady in need of nourishment, her actions don’t really seem so bad. I guess I do not know how I will be when I am her age and possibly in her predicament, which I pray I never am.

I see our inability to connect as a great common denominator in most relational problems. We stand at opposite ends of the porch, unwilling or unable to understand from another’s perspective. In our DNA is the propensity to lash out at those trying to get close enough to help us and retreating when we are misunderstood.

We are all waiting for those in our lives to get on our programs. We spend years trying to cram our spouses into our molds because our faults are so much better than theirs and trying to persuade our children to realize that the dishwasher actually accepts dirty dishes. We wait for our co-workers to pull their weight in the office and for those with whom we do church life to esteem God by the exact method we use or they are simply wrong.

We are chronically impatient and impertinent about our perspectives, entrenched and eager to stick out our tongues before we know the full story. I have a feeling this woman will grow to be very special in my life. That’s the way Jesus usually moves in my life; a rocky start usually makes me listen far more carefully about how God wants me to love someone. I will return next week with high hopes, only this time I will knock with my hammer.

Jinny Henson travels the country as a Christian comedienne. John, Maggie Lee and Jack are an endless source of material for her. You can find out more about her at www.jinnyhenson.com

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: 9/21/07

Bible Studies for Life for Sept. 30

Reading the handwriting on the wall

• Daniel 5:1-6,22-28,30-31

By Steve Dominy

First Baptist Church, Gatesville

The fifth chapter of Daniel introduces a new character in the drama, Belshazzar. In chapter 4, Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar are at the top of the political food chain. Nebuchadnezzar knew no other king or nation could challenge him, there were no rivals to Babylon.

But with Belshazzar the situation has changed. Babylon is facing a Persian threat, Belshazzar is not the leader Nebuchadnezzar was and the country is in crisis. Persia stands at the door of Babylon, ready to overthrow them. In fact, that event is played out at the end of chapter 5. Belshazzar is killed and the kingdom overthrown.

The twin themes of pride and arrogance have resonated through each previous chapter and they sound again here. Even though Nebuchadnezzar had the tendency to be full of himself, we see him recognize God in each story. On more than one occasion, Nebuchadnezzar was humbled and then turned from his arrogance to recognize the true God.

Nowhere is this more evident than in last week’s lesson from chapter 4. Nebuchadnezzar exalted himself even above God, looking at Babylon and giving himself all the credit and praise. God humbled him by reducing him to living like an animal until he acknowledged God’s superiority and was reinstated to his former place.

Such is not the case with Belshazzar. Belshazzar has learned nothing from Nebuchadnezzar even though he looks up to him as a father. There is no repentance in Belshazzar, only arrogance and disdain for anything that is not under his power. The story of Belashazzar concludes quite differently than the story of his predecessor.

Nebuchadnezzar’s pride always led him to exalt himself; his weakness was the tendency to think too highly of himself. Belshazzar’s pride and arrogance led him to a direct attack on God.

We don’t know Belshazzar’s motivation in using the vessels taken from the temple. It may be that Belshazzar was using them to encourage the people at the banquet by remembering the conquests of previous times, or he may be directly and knowingly attacking God himself. Whatever the case, using the goblets that were only to be used in the worship of God is an attack on God whether that was intended or not.

Even when the hand has written on the wall and the king is pale and weak, we see has arrogance toward Daniel. The queen tells Belshazzar Daniel, “… has the spirit of the holy gods in him,” and it has no effect on the king other than viewing Daniel as someone who can be used for his purposes. His arrogance still is in full effect calling Daniel one of the “exiles” and reminding him his people have been conquered. There is nothing that will humble Belshazzar.

Belshazzar’s arrogance caused him to profane holy things. He was guilty of blasphemy. Belshazzar dishonors God both in speech and action by misusing things set aside for the worship of God and using them to praise false gods. It is not only that these goblets were used for a common banquet, but also that they were used to toast the, “… gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.”

Do we take God too lightly? Are we guilty of taking God’s grace for granted? Do we presume upon the goodness of God and therefore diminish our commitment to Christ?

Annie Dillard writes in Teaching a Stone to Talk: “It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping God may wake someday and take offense, …” While we might not say it in that way, her point is well taken—we serve the one and only God, and he will brook no rivals to his throne.

Yesterday I was able to baptize three people. During the service, I was constantly reminded of the power of God to redeem and make new. I was reminded that this is God’s work, that our transformation takes place only because of God’s grace and power. How can we ever take that lightly?

On the Sunday for which this lesson is prepared, our church will celebrate the Lord’s supper as God’s people. “Celebrate” is the right word for that occasion. We are reminded of the price God paid for us, of the sacrifice Christ made on our behalf and we celebrate all God has done and continues to do.

We can see in baptism and the Lord’s Supper the commitment God has made to the redemption of his world. He calls for that same commitment from us, to take up our cross daily and follow him. Will we respond with the commitment of our lives or will our response be cavalier?

Discussion questions

• What is the proper response to the investment God has made in you?

• How do pride and arrogance continue to interfere with our relationships to God?

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 9/21/07

BaptistWay Bible Series for September 30

Faith is the way

• Romans 4:1-17, 23-25

By Andrew Daugherty

Christ Church, Rockwall

It is paramount to the Apostle Paul’s proclamation that what had been promised “beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures” (1:2) is directly linked to the disclosure of righteousness based on faith. Paul continues to stress that righteousness is not defined by the Torah as a possession of the few. Rather, righteousness is sharing a faith like Abraham’s that is available as a gift for many.

Here, Paul uses the Genesis story about God’s calling of Abraham and creating a covenant with him to provide a framework for understanding this righteousness that comes by faith. God called “Abram” to leave his country, kindred and father’s house, and trust the One who promised to bless him and bless the world through him.

At the time, Abraham was childless. Yet God told him his descendants would be as countless as the stars. Abraham believed the Lord, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. His righteousness was not based on any of his good works or personal merits. There was no understanding of Abraham’s righteousness based on works under the law. How then, was Abraham considered righteous?

Regarding how Abraham came to be righteous, New Testament scholar Luke Timothy Johnson explains that Abraham’s story provides the fundamental features of the ways humans relate to God. While he was still uncircumcised, God gave to Abraham a gift he did nothing to earn. The gift was God creating a covenant relationship with Abraham whereby he could be in a positive relationship to God by becoming the father of many nations. Certainly this was not Abraham’s idea. Such a relationship was original to God.

If it were not a gift original to God, Paul suggests our personal works would then be like a job where we earn wages by what we do. To earn our spiritual worth, we would need to produce proof of our righteousness. All manner of spiritual mischief would result, because then our works would be the sole reason for our righteousness. We could then claim bragging rights over against others who did not work as hard. Under this “ethic of earned credits,” we could draw dark, bold boundaries around people who threaten our sense of self-righteousness. What’s worse, we could pull the rank of race, nationality or economic status as a way to determine who God blesses and who God doesn’t bless. But surely we don’t do that, because righteousness is not relegated to such categories.

Paul writes to rupture such boundaries. Even though we want to be paid what we’re worth and earn what we get, the problem of God’s grace makes it theologically impossible to earn righteousness. It’s impossible to be paid for a job we don’t do.

Righteousness, then, begins as God’s gift, and human beings can only receive such a gift by trust. Since this relationship is God’s idea, God is the one who reckons righteousness to another. God is the only one qualified to decide whether or not someone is righteous. Therefore, the gift of enjoying such a relationship to God should not be exploited by thinking one becomes righteous enough to earn God’s good gifts. To follow the example of Abraham is to share his like-minded trust in the One who makes Abraham’s trust possible in the first place.

As you will recall, the law had not yet been revealed to Moses at the time God called Abraham. As Paul explains in Galatians, the law was given 430 years after God’s promise to Abraham. Therefore, the grace of God’s calling precedes the giving of the law. Paul’s thesis is that faith, not law, is the foundation for relating rightly to God.

It wasn’t until Abraham was 99 years old that he was circumcised in the flesh. However, by his faith, he was spiritually circumcised long before that. Abraham’s faith that was reckoned to him as righteousness is the faith Abraham had before he was circumcised. This reinforces Paul’s earlier point that circumcision is not a mark of the flesh. Circumcision is a matter of the heart. Therefore, if someone is genuinely a Jew, then such a person is a Jew inwardly, not outwardly.

Since Abraham’s faith was reckoned to him as righteousness before he was circumcised, Abraham is the ancestor of all who believe without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them (4:11). Abraham is likewise the ancestor of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow his example before he was circumcised (4:12).

Righteousness is a possibility for every human being. We share the faith of our founder Abraham (and surely Sarah) by virtue of God’s grace, not Abraham’s genes. Paul’s concern is, who will be considered part of Abraham’s family? Would it be just Jews or also Gentiles? Paul answers affirmatively that Abraham is the father of both Gentiles and Jews and all who would be reckoned as righteous by trust in the God who created the covenant with Abraham and raised Jesus from the dead.

Discussion question

• Many affirm with their lips that faith and righteousness are gifts from God and can’t be earned, but is there a danger lurking in many of our hearts that we continue to judge people’s devotion to God by their degree of involvement in various ministries?

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.

Posted: 9/21/07

BaptistWay Bible Series for September 30

Faith is the way

• Romans 4:1-17, 23-25

By Andrew Daugherty

Christ Church, Rockwall

It is paramount to the Apostle Paul’s proclamation that what had been promised “beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures” (1:2) is directly linked to the disclosure of righteousness based on faith. Paul continues to stress that righteousness is not defined by the Torah as a possession of the few. Rather, righteousness is sharing a faith like Abraham’s that is available as a gift for many.

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Here, Paul uses the Genesis story about God’s calling of Abraham and creating a covenant with him to provide a framework for understanding this righteousness that comes by faith. God called “Abram” to leave his country, kindred and father’s house, and trust the One who promised to bless him and bless the world through him.

At the time, Abraham was childless. Yet God told him his descendants would be as countless as the stars. Abraham believed the Lord, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. His righteousness was not based on any of his good works or personal merits. There was no understanding of Abraham’s righteousness based on works under the law. How then, was Abraham considered righteous?

Regarding how Abraham came to be righteous, New Testament scholar Luke Timothy Johnson explains that Abraham’s story provides the fundamental features of the ways humans relate to God. While he was still uncircumcised, God gave to Abraham a gift he did nothing to earn. The gift was God creating a covenant relationship with Abraham whereby he could be in a positive relationship to God by becoming the father of many nations. Certainly this was not Abraham’s idea. Such a relationship was original to God.

If it were not a gift original to God, Paul suggests our personal works would then be like a job where we earn wages by what we do. To earn our spiritual worth, we would need to produce proof of our righteousness. All manner of spiritual mischief would result, because then our works would be the sole reason for our righteousness. We could then claim bragging rights over against others who did not work as hard. Under this “ethic of earned credits,” we could draw dark, bold boundaries around people who threaten our sense of self-righteousness. What’s worse, we could pull the rank of race, nationality or economic status as a way to determine who God blesses and who God doesn’t bless. But surely we don’t do that, because righteousness is not relegated to such categories.

Paul writes to rupture such boundaries. Even though we want to be paid what we’re worth and earn what we get, the problem of God’s grace makes it theologically impossible to earn righteousness. It’s impossible to be paid for a job we don’t do.

Righteousness, then, begins as God’s gift, and human beings can only receive such a gift by trust. Since this relationship is God’s idea, God is the one who reckons righteousness to another. God is the only one qualified to decide whether or not someone is righteous. Therefore, the gift of enjoying such a relationship to God should not be exploited by thinking one becomes righteous enough to earn God’s good gifts. To follow the example of Abraham is to share his like-minded trust in the One who makes Abraham’s trust possible in the first place.

As you will recall, the law had not yet been revealed to Moses at the time God called Abraham. As Paul explains in Galatians, the law was given 430 years after God’s promise to Abraham. Therefore, the grace of God’s calling precedes the giving of the law. Paul’s thesis is that faith, not law, is the foundation for relating rightly to God.

It wasn’t until Abraham was 99 years old that he was circumcised in the flesh. However, by his faith, he was spiritually circumcised long before that. Abraham’s faith that was reckoned to him as righteousness is the faith Abraham had before he was circumcised. This reinforces Paul’s earlier point that circumcision is not a mark of the flesh. Circumcision is a matter of the heart. Therefore, if someone is genuinely a Jew, then such a person is a Jew inwardly, not outwardly.

Since Abraham’s faith was reckoned to him as righteousness before he was circumcised, Abraham is the ancestor of all who believe without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them (4:11). Abraham is likewise the ancestor of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow his example before he was circumcised (4:12).

Righteousness is a possibility for every human being. We share the faith of our founder Abraham (and surely Sarah) by virtue of God’s grace, not Abraham’s genes. Paul’s concern is, who will be considered part of Abraham’s family? Would it be just Jews or also Gentiles? Paul answers affirmatively that Abraham is the father of both Gentiles and Jews and all who would be reckoned as righteous by trust in the God who created the covenant with Abraham and raised Jesus from the dead.

Discussion question

• Many affirm with their lips that faith and righteousness are gifts from God and can’t be earned, but is there a danger lurking in many of our hearts that we continue to judge people’s devotion to God by their degree of involvement in various ministries?

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Baptist churches, in Texas, the BGCT, the nation and around the world.