Archives
-
Retired ministers from 22 states gather at Glorieta
Posted: 10/05/07
Bill Tolar (center), retired biblical backgrounds professor from Southwestern Seminary, shows archeological items from the Holy Land to (left to right) Mary and Price Mathieson of Lawn Baptist Church in Abilene and Davis and Neta Harrell from Mont Clair, Calif., members of White Avenue Baptist Church in Pamona. (Photo by David Clanton) Retired ministers from
22 states gather at GlorietaBy David Clanton
Special to the Baptist Standard
GLORIETA, N.M.—Think of it as fellowship among old friends interrupted by food, Bible study and worship. That’s the way one participant described the annual gathering of retired ministers, missionaries and church staff at Glorieta Conference Center in New Mexico.
About 400 participants converged on the mountain retreat from 22 states and one foreign country—Brazil—to hear preaching by Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Director Emeritus Bill Pinson, music led by Keith Ferguson of First Baptist Church of Carrolton and Bible study led by Bill Tolar, retired professor from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
10/05/2007 - By John Rutledge
-
One verse memorized for the last 79 years—and counting
Posted: 10/05/07
One verse memorized for the
last 79 years—and countingBy Toby Druin
Editor Emeritus
WAXAHACHIE—Lucile Manning considers Romans 12:1 her life verse: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (KJV).
The verse has guided her life since August 1929, when at age 18 she responded to her pastor’s plea to “give everything to Jesus.”
Lucile Manning, who turns 97 in December, has memorized a Bible verse
each year for the last 79 years.10/05/2007 - By John Rutledge
-
Cybercolumn by Berry D. Simpson: To the very edges
Posted: 10/02/07
CYBER COLUMN:
To the very edgesA few months ago, I read a passage from Leviticus, and ever since that morning, I’ve been wondering about my life—wondering where the edges are; wondering when I should be generous; wondering what I should be giving away.
The verse I read was Leviticus 23:22, which says: “When you reap the harvest of your land do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your harvest a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and alien. I am the Lord your God.” This verse is located among a collection of rules about how to present offerings to God, so I’m assuming the command to leave some of the crop behind was more about worshiping God than about sharing with the poor. I wrote in the margin of my Daily Bible: “I wonder what the equivalent is for me? What are my crops, and where are my edges?”
Berry D. Simpson God wasn’t encouraging the people to be sloppy farmers when he told them not to harvest to the very edges; he wanted them to live a generous lifestyle. He expected them to not be greedy, even with the fruit of their own labor, but rather to be generous and free. He also meant that they shouldn’t make needy people beg for help—don’t make them stand in line to ask for the leftovers, but leave them respect and honor along with the crops.
So my questions: What is the harvest of my land? What do I produce? What is it that I should leave behind, around the edges, for others to glean?
10/02/2007 - By John Rutledge
-
Move over She-Hulk. Make room for Samson.
Posted: 9/29/07
Move over She-Hulk. Make room for Samson.
By Mary Warner
Religion News Service
HARRISBURG, Pa. (RNS)—Jesus and Moses were sold out, but consumers still could line up at the checkout counter to pay for Mary, Noah, David and a ferocious-looking Samson, packaged with Delilah in hot pink.
Discount chain Wal-Mart is test-marketing biblical action figures.
(RNS photos courtesy of one2believe)The world of posable action figures has traditionally belonged to hulking heroes such as Spider-Man and He-Man. But this latest crop—heroes and heroines from the Bible, on local Wal-Mart shelves since mid-August—are a testament to central Pennsylvania’s proclivity for religion and Wal-Mart’s marketing savvy.
09/29/2007 - By John Rutledge
-
Around the State
Posted: 9/29/07
Around the State
• Fielder Road Church in Arlington and Dallas Baptist University are partnering to bring the “Lead Like Jesus” conference to North Texas via satellite. The Oct. 19 conference will feature Ken Blanchard, Erwin McManus, John and Nancy Ortberg, and other Christian leaders from around the country. The simulcast will begin at the Arlington church at 10:15 a.m., but the doors will open at 9 a.m. Tickets are $25, or $10 for students with a current student identification card. Lunch is included in the ticket price. For more information, call (817) 460-2234 or (214) 333-5103.
• JoAnne Ivy has been appointed an apprentice missionary by the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. She will serve in West Africa. Southcliff Church in Fort Worth is her home church, where she served as a preschool associate.
United Churches of Marshall Food Pantry volunteer Dave Rayner helps East Texas Baptist University students Zack Francis and Katy Little sort out donated food. Freshmen students from both ETBU and Wiley College walked Marshall neighborhoods collecting donated canned foods left in bags by residents. The food pantry has been serving families more than 20 years with 18 congregations participating in the ministry, according to Rayner. Students collected more than 5,000 plastic bags of food donated by Marshall residents. The ministry is open five days a week, serving an average of 10 families per day. “I really think the students enjoyed what they did today,” ETBU Director of Student Activities Tye Easterly said. “No one is complaining, and they are excited about learning more about the community and want to learn more about community activities.” • Eleven new board members have been appointed by the Baylor Health Care System Foundation. They are Glenn Callison, Tom Dunning, Stan-ford Finney, Gini Florer, Bill Miller, James Miller, Beverly Nichols, Wallace Reed, John Tolleson, Michelle Valdez and Terry Worrell.
• Catherine Crawford has been named vice president for institutional advancement at East Texas Baptist University.
09/29/2007 - By John Rutledge
-
-
Book reviews
Posted: 9/29/07
Book reviews
Premium Roast with Ruth by Sandra Glahn (AMG Publishers)
In Premium Roast with Ruth, the newest addition to the Coffee Cup Bible Study Series, award-winning author and seminary professor Sandra Glahn brings the biblical character Ruth to her reader’s front doorstep.
Glahn presents a panoramic picture of Ruth’s world, the history of Israel and Moab—spiritual climate, Levitical laws, Israelite customs and past relationship between the two nations—while showing how it all correlates with the world of the “21st century woman with cell phones, washing machines and SUVs.”
Other Bible studies cover the book of Ruth, but the rich blend of warm anecdotes, engaging questions, in-depth extra-biblical research, aesthetics and sensitivity to the current reading audience, as well as the audience of biblical times, is where Premium Roast uniquely shines. At the author’s website (www.aspire2.com), we even find recipes that use barley!
What are you reading that other Texas Baptists would find helpful? Send suggestions and reviews to books@baptiststandard.com. 09/29/2007 - By John Rutledge
-
Baptist Briefs
Posted: 9/29/07
Baptist Briefs
ABP Names Interim Development director. The Associated Baptist Press board hired an interim development director at a recent meeting. Todd Heifner, managing partner of Charles Heifner Associates of Birmingham, Ala., will work six-to-nine months as development director for ABP and the strategic alliance formed between ABP and three Baptist state newspapers—the Baptist Standard, the Virginia Religious Herald and the Missouri Word & Way. Heifner, who holds master’s degrees in business administration and institutional advancement, previously worked in development for the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and Samford University.
Candidate claims Baptist identity. Republican presidential candidate John McCain raised questions about his religious affiliation with a comment at a recent campaign stop in heavily Baptist South Carolina. The Associated Press reported McCain answered a question about how his Episcopal faith affects his decision-making by saying: “It plays a role in my life. By the way, I’m not Episcopalian. I’m Baptist.” McCain previously had identified himself as Episcopalian and is listed that way in several congressional directories. But he also has acknowledged that for years he and his family have attended North Phoenix Baptist Church when at home in Arizona. He had said in the past his wife and family had been baptized at the church, but he had not. However, Associated Press reported McCain indicated in his South Carolina comments he was an “active member” of the North Phoenix church.
09/29/2007 - By John Rutledge
-
2nd Opinion: A better way to find pastors
Posted: 9/29/07
2nd Opinion:
A better way to find pastorsBy Roger Olson
Recently, our church was invaded by a group of thieves. Well, not exactly, but that’s how it felt to us. We only discovered the deed later when our beloved pastor announced her resignation. The group of thieves were a pastoral search committee from another state. They infiltrated our Sunday morning worship service and conspired to persuade our pastor to move to their church.
It’s a little difficult to be very hard on them. That’s how we got her to come to our church nine years ago! Our pastoral search committee flew hundreds of miles to the church she was then pastoring in another state and infiltrated its Sunday morning worship service and conspired to persuade her to come to our church.
You might think I’m being a little hard on pastoral search committees. And, of course, I am—for the purpose of provoking thought about a tradition that needs re-consideration.
09/29/2007 - By John Rutledge
