Posted: 10/29/04

Buckner brings hope to boys in 'cages of gold'

By Felicia Fuller

Buckner News Service

GUATEMALA CITY, Guate-mala–Their stories are heartbreaking. A boy suffers severe hip displacement from repeated sexual abuse by an older sibling. Brothers coerced by their mother to beg for money in bars are abducted by two criminals, assaulted and dumped in a cemetery. Children are forced to drop out of grammar school to help support their family.

These troubling accounts only tap the surface of the abuse and abandonment endured by youngsters who found refuge at a boys' home in Guatemala City.

“Some suffer serious emotional problems,” says psychologist Elizabeth Morales, who counsels the children regularly. “Sixty percent have been sexually violated. The scars are deep, but they can overcome.”

The home currently houses 39 boys from 13 to 18 years old, although occasionally age restrictions are bypassed if no other viable alternatives are available for a child in need of shelter. Referrals usually come from the courts, but some children admit themselves voluntarily because they have nowhere else to go.

“These institutions are like cages of gold,” Morales explains. “They have the necessary things to live and survive, but they don't have freedom and the love of a family.”

Psychologist Elizabeth Morales offers comfort and counsel to a boy at a child care home in Guatemala City.

That's where Buckner Baptist Benevolences steps in. Organization officials first visited the government-run home in January to meet director Brenda Seikavezza and discuss how the ministry could augment care.

Mission teams have ministered to the boys and delivered humanitarian aid in the form of food, shoes, clothing and furnishings. Donations have provided for new plumbing and bathroom facilities, and plans are under way to construct designated space for workshops and vocational training so the boys can find lucrative employment upon leaving.

“Buckner represents hope to us–a better quality of life for the boys,” says Seikavezza, who's been on the orphanage staff six years.

"They've given us material that the therapists have been able to use for special projects with the kids. The activities have been very creative, and the kids are happy with them."

Morales and an occupational therapist work closely with the children to help them overcome personal issues related to abuse and abandonment.

Group sessions are held on a rotating schedule according to room assignment. Individual sessions also are available as needed.

“Buckner has been a big support to us,” Morales says. “The children feel more affectionate to us now because of the Buck-ner family and the teams they bring.”

Buckner also has contributed educational materials for the children. Most of the boys attend classes on site, while others have scholarships to private high schools. Mentally challenged residents take special education courses at the home. An after-school program offers tutoring assistance in reading, writing and arithmetic.

Despite the programs and people, Seikavezza says a critical void remains–positive male mentorship.

“The only man on staff is the special education instructor,” she said. “We would like to have at least three men here, so they could be models for the boys.”

Jesus, 15, says although he lacks a male model, he's resolved to rise above his circumstances. He and his brother, Jorge, were panhandling in a bar when two con-men lured them with promises of food and shelter.

“We were tired of living on the streets with our family, so we went with them,” he says.

After assaulting the brothers in a hotel room then dumping them in a cemetery, the men returned wielding machetes and forced the boys to accompany them on a heist.

They later were arrested, and the boys were sent to an orphanage in Xela, where they lived five years before coming to Eliza Martinez.

“We like it here,” Jesus says. “We go to school, and we have people who care about us.”

Brothers Jesse and Pablo share that sentiment. Forced to work during grammar school, they received little formal education until they came to the orphanage four years ago.

“I want to get my master's degree in computers, and the people here are encouraging me,” says Jesse, 16.

“I feel more love here than with my own family. I've had two auditions with the judge where I could have gone with them, but I chose to stay here.”

Seikavezza says that while she and her staff do all they can with the resources provided by the government and Buckner, what the children need most is a family.

“Because they're mostly older kids, there haven't been many offers for them,” she says. “They're good kids; they just need direction.”

Posted: 10/29/04

Clarendon crusade makes eternal
impact on community, residents testify

CLARENDON–Donley County may claim a population of only 3,200 people, but more than 600 recently made spiritual decisions during a five-night crusade.

The Go Tell GreenBelt Crusade saw 349 people make first-time professions of faith in Jesus Christ at the Clarendon football stadium.

Crusade Chairman Eddie Helms, a deacon at First Baptist Church in Clarendon, worked on crusade planning and preparation for more than a year.

Helms, who enlisted more than 200 committee workers, said: “The crusade was the most thrilling thing we've ever experienced in Donley County. Our churches came together across denominational lines in a spirit of unity and cooperation to love and reach people, and we will continue what the crusade started.”

His pastor, Truman Ledbetter, has been praying for revival in the area almost 18 years.

“God answered our prayers,” Ledbetter said. “Nothing like this has ever happened in our community.

"Words are so inadequate to describe the mighty outpouring of God's Spirit on so many. We are rejoicing in what God has done and in this great harvest that has eternal consequences. "Our community will not just be changed for weeks or months, but for years to come."

Darrell Burton, pastor of Martin Baptist Church in Clarendon, said he and his family always will remember the crusade.

“I was blown away seeing the hearts of so very many people touched and changed by the power of God,” he said.

“I can't begin to tell what it did for me personally, as a pastor, as a believer, and as a member of this community.

“I will especially cherish one moment forever, in fact, for all eternity. It was the moment my 9-year-old daughter raised her hand to be saved.”

Evangelist Rick Gage and the crusade team visited local schools, speaking to issues such as drugs, alcohol abuse and teen suicide.

Jay Lowder, staff evangelist with the crusade team, spoke to 40 basketball players from Clarendon College at the invitation of their coach. Thirty-one of the 40 athletes indicated a desire to give their lives to Jesus Christ at the end of his talk.

Excited people throughout the community are quick to talk about what God did in the lives of friends and loved ones.

"I have a good friend for whom I had been praying for many, many years," said James Thomas of First Baptist Church. "Wednesday night of the crusade, he surrendered his life to the Lord. I couldn't believe it.

“He hugged me and cried, then looked me straight in the eye and said: 'God has changed my life. For so long, I've done wrong, but now I have a chance to do things right.' It is just a miracle.”

One 72-year-old man reportedly asked a counselor, “Do you really want to deal with this hard-hearted old buzzard?”

He proceeded to make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ.

In some cases, entire families came to faith in Christ as a result of the revival.

Gage said he was thrilled to be able to preach in even small communities like Clarendon.

“God has burdened my heart to take the gospel to as many towns as possible in my lifetime,” he said.

“As a native Texan, however, Texas is especially dear to me. I consider it an honor to preach in my home state, and I give God the glory for every life that has been touched and transformed by his power.”

Posted: 10/29/04

Former Euless pastor declines seminary chaplain's position

FORT WORTH (ABP)–Claude Thomas, who recently resigned as pastor of First Baptist Church of Euless, to become chaplain and special assistant to the president at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, has abruptly declined the new position.

Within days of Thomas' accepting the Southwestern job, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported the 8,500-member Tarrant County church was investigating the pastor's spending history.

The review found no missing money and concluded many of the church's financial practices are sound, but it raised questions about Thomas' spending during a 2002 overseas trip and about a lax credit card policy, the newspaper reported.

Thomas, 61, has not commented on the church's audit, and it is unknown if his resignation from the church or the seminary is related to the audit. Harold Samuels, a church trustee and former Euless mayor, said he did not know whether Thomas resigned at the request of church leaders, but added, “I would not say it was a coincidence.”

Paige Patterson, president of the 3,000-student Southern Baptist seminary in Fort Worth, had named Thomas to the newly created post of seminary chaplain.

“Upon more mature reflection, I am not certain that this move is best for my family or for the seminary at this particular time,” Thomas said in a statement released by the seminary. “I have come to believe that I should not make such a commitment until I am certain about what I should pursue as the next step in my life and ministry.”

Patterson said that, while he was personally disappointed, he fully understands the decision and prays “heaven's richest blessings on Dr. Thomas and his family.” Patterson added, “I am sure that he is making a wise decision for all.”

The $35,000 audit by a local CPA firm examined a $25,000 European trip and month-long sabbatical the church gave to Thomas in 2002 and found Thomas had exceeded that budget by several thousand dollars, according to the newspaper. It also examined the use of credit cards by staff members.

“There were some questionable charges to the credit cards of all the senior staff, some more than others,” Samuels said. “I won't single anybody out.”

Thomas, a two-time graduate of Southwestern and former national alumni president, was pastor of the Euless church 12 years.

He was president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee and Pastors' Conference.

Posted: 10/29/04

After a 43-year run, Baylor coach still not winded

By Toby Druin

Editor Emeritus

WACO–Maybe it was coincidence, but more likely divine intervention. That's how Clyde Hart describes a trip from Hot Springs, Ark., to Glorieta, N.M., in 1952 that led through Waco and to his becoming a student at Baylor University instead of Louisiana State University.

Hart is in his 43rd year as track coach at Baylor. His latest protégé, Jeremy Wariner, won the 400 meter run at the Olympics in Athens in August, and he and his Baylor teammate, Darold Williamson, ran the last two legs on the winning 4×400 meter relay team.

They and former Baylor runner Michael Johnson, also coached by Hart, have won eight gold medals in Olympic competititon.

But had it not been for that Waco trip in 1952, Hart easily could have been coaching at LSU, and those gold medals could have hung around the necks of Tigers instead of Bears.

Hart was a star athlete at Hot Springs (Ark.) High School, playing halfback on the football team and winning the 100-yard dash in track in his senior year in 1952.

That spring, he recalled, his uncle called to tell him he had arranged for a scholarship for him at LSU and for him to come to Baton Rouge to talk to the coach.

Baylor University Track Coach Clyde Hart poses with Olympic medalists Darold Williamson and Jeremy Wariner.

“For the son of a Baptist pastor,” Hart said, “the offer of a full scholarship was great. We had a parsonage furnished and never hurt for anything, but my dad did a lot of weddings and revivals to help us out.”

After an all-night bus ride to LSU, Hart was taken by his uncle to the LSU stadium to meet a Coach Moreau, who apparently didn't know he was coming. He was busy putting on a track meet, and Hart said it was obvious he didn't know anything about a scholarship. Hart's uncle, however, asked if Hart could run in the track meet, and Coach Moreau said it would be OK.

“There weren't as many restrictions then,” recalled Hart. “We could never do that today.”

Nevertheless, wearing borrowed shorts, shirt and track shoes, Hart competed in the freshman junior varsity division and won the 100-yard dash with a time of 9.8, which was faster than the varsity runners posted that day. He left for home with a scholarship in hand. Later that spring, he won the 100-yard dash in the Arkansas high school track meet with a time of 9.3 seconds.

He had not thought about going to Baylor, he said, although he was somewhat familiar with the university. His father had several Baylor preachers in his church for revivals.

“I just thought Baylor was this school in Texas, and I would never get to go there,” he said.

His father, however, was on a committee to select a site for a new Southern Baptist conference center in the West, similar to the one at Ridgecrest, N.C. In early summer 1952, after his high school graduation, Hart, his father and mother drove to New Mexico to see what was being developed as Glorieta Baptist Conference Center near Santa Fe.

“I know that Waco is not on the way from Hot Springs to Glorieta,” Hart recalled, “but on our way to New Mexico, we stopped in Waco. To his dying day, my dad denied it was a setup to get me to come to Baylor and so did Jack Wilson, the track coach at the time. So maybe it was coincidence or divine intervention.

“Coach Wilson and I talked awhile. He said he had not tried to recruit me because he thought I was going to LSU. He gave me his card and told me to see the campus. I walked around on my own, and I liked it. After we got back in the car, my dad never said I had to come to Baylor, but I had a calling after that visit that Baylor was where I wanted to do my running.”

Hart came to Baylor, competed in Southwest Conference track for four years, and graduated in 1956 with a bachelor of business administration degree with a major in personnel management and a minor in marketing. He also met and married his wife, Maxine, a twirler and aspiring majorette from Gladewater, who had been offered a band scholarship to LSU but whose parents had insisted she go to Baylor. Mrs. Hart is emeritus professor of information systems at Baylor.

After graduation, Hart worked for an oil company in West Texas for a year but had decided to quit to become a track coach at a Houston junior high school when his father called one day to tell him the coach at Little Rock Central High School had resigned to go to the University of Tulsa.

“Central was the premier high school in the South, educationally and athletically,” Hart recalled. “I didn't have much hope of getting the job since I had no coaching experience and no teaching certificate, but Maxine and I drove all night to get to Little Rock for an interview.”
After pledging to begin work immediately on a teaching certificate, he was given the job, and over the next six years his teams rewrote a lot of Arkansas track records. They won a state championship in 1958 before the school was closed for a year because of the integration dispute. After it was reopened, his teams won 50 straight track meets.

The year off during the integration crisis helped teach him a valuable lesson, Hart recalled.

“I was an assistant football coach,” he said, “Central was the largest school in the state, and we had contracts with other teams we felt we had to fulfill. So we played a full schedule, even though there was no school being held.

“When we started the season, we had more than 100 kids in uniform, but when it became apparent the school was not going to reopen and some realized they had enough credits to graduate, they began to drop out. On Thanksgiving Day, when we played our last game, we had only 24 or 25 kids in uniform, and some of them were our managers and trainers.”

“They did a great job,” he said. “Some of them had been told they weren't good enough and had accepted roles as third and fourth stringers in junior high. But you'd be surprised at what happens when you tell one of those kids he's starting and it's his job. For a young coach, it showed me you have to go with what you've got.”

He applies the lesson to facilities as well as athletes.

“When I came to Baylor, we didn't even have our own track,” he said. “We ran at old Waco Municipal Stadium. Now, we have excellent facilities. They are not the best in the Big 12; but they are not the worst. They've been good enough to have helped us produce eight Olympic gold medallists.”

“I tell coaches that you don't recruit with facilities,” Hart said. “You sell what you've got and Baylor was and is Baylor. We will never be Texas or Texas A&M. If someone gave us $100 million today to build new facilities, we aren't going to surpass Texas or A&M.

“The good news is they can never be us. They can't reduce the size of their institutions. They can't have the freedom we have at Baylor. Baylor is a private university, the only one in the Big 12.

"Baylor is a Christian institution, and we live by those values. The last place I take an athlete is to the athletic fields. I bring them to the Baylor campus."

Hart said when Michael Johnson came to Baylor to visit, he went home and told his mother he liked what he had seen and liked what Hart had done with sprinters and quarter-milers. Mrs. Johnson told Hart that Michael said there wasn't much to do in Waco at night and on weekends, however.

“She said she told him he could study,” Hart recalled. Johnson got his degree in business.

“If Michael had based his decision on where he would go on where he could have the best parties and the best facilities, he wouldn't have come to Baylor,” said Hart. “But a lot of coaches who sell their recruits on those kinds of things are the ones who are in trouble today.”

Hart said he has never applied for another coaching job but was offered one at the University of Alabama. After an interview with Athletic Director Bear Bryant, he agreed to take the position, Hart said, “but the closer I got to Waco and my family and when I considered the intangibles we have at Baylor, I made a commitment to staying here.”

In recruiting athletes for his track team, Hart said, he first looks for a kid “who wants to be successful, who has focus and a good work ethic.”

He has had athletes who have been faster than Michael Johnson, he said, but who did not have Johnson's focus or his work ethic, and he gives the credit to Johnson's parents.

“They would sit down with him at the first of the year and ask him what his goals were for the year. When he told them his goals, they would tell him it wasn't enough to have goals, that he had to have a plan to reach them. He taught me that. He came in as a goal-oriented person. Track was second for him; academics was first, and even when he got a taste of success at track, he never let his academics suffer.”

Hart credited both Johnson and Jeremy Wariner with having the ability to focus, to not show fear and not to be self-destructive when things go wrong. Wariner, he said, was more focused on breaking Johnson's school record in the 400 meters than he was in winning the Olympics in Athens, both of which he accomplished.

“His first words to me “after winning the gold medal,” Hart said, “was, 'Coach, I broke the school record.'”

Track teaches great lessons for life, Hart said.

“I don't know of any other individual sport where you can be on a mountaintop one moment and then in the valley the next. You learn to keep coming back. You learn self-motivation and discipline. It's like being in combat by yourself.

“There is success one minute and a pulled hamstring the next. Life has its ups and downs, and you have to learn to cope with them. You learn that in track.”

Hart is a committed Christian, but said he would rather show it in his actions rather than words.

“Although I will give a devotional and tell folks that I am a Christian and how I got saved,” he said.

“I am a deacon and member of First Baptist Church of Waco, and I speak everywhere; but I feel that my faith is a personal thing.”

Outside of coaching, he enjoys hunting and fishing and is playing more golf and enjoying it more “since I decided I was never going to be real good.”

As for any retirement plans, he said, “As long as I am happy and healthy and doing the job, I don't have anything I enjoy more.”

Posted: 10/29/04

Executive Board elects committees

At its regularly scheduled fall meeting, the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board approved committee members recommended by the board's nominating committee.

Administrative Committee

Term to expire in 2007: Dan Malone, First Baptist Church, El Paso; Nolan Duck, First Baptist Church, Lufkin; J.C. Parmer, First Baptist Church, Vernon; Cherry Peach, Avenue Baptist Church, Hereford; Rogelio Rodriguez, Segunda Iglesia Bautista, Rosenberg

Baptist Church Loan Corporation

Term to expire in 2007: Walter August, Jr., Bethel's Family Baptist Church, Houston; Joe Cargile, First Baptist Church, Crosbyton; Barbara Jane Kaplan, First Baptist Church, Garland; Wayne McWhorter, First Baptist Church, Marshall

Baptist Distinctives Committee

Term to expire in 2007: Brian Harbour, First Baptist Church, Richardson; L.S. Wilson, East St. Paul Baptist Church, Fort Worth; Orpha Esqueda, Primera Iglesia Bautista, San Antonio

Baptist Student Ministry Committee

Term to Expire in 2007: Jim Spence, Willow Meadows Baptist Church, Houston; Linda Winder, First Baptist Church, College Station; Danny Quintanilla, First Baptist Church, Portland; Jerry Raines, Hampton Road Baptist Church, DeSoto

Term to expire in 2006: Danny Pickens, Mount Carmel Baptist Church, Whitehouse

Business and Audit Committee

Term to expire in 2007: Don Rawls, First Baptist Church, Waxahachie; Marion Bryant, Indiana Avenue Baptist Church, Lubbock; Paul Jefferson, Brentwood Baptist Church, Houston; Tom Strealey, First Baptist Church, Corpus Christi; Marisela Saldana, Primera Iglesia Bautista, Dallas

Christian Life Commission

Term to expire in 2007: Cy Fletcher, First Baptist Church, Baytown; Buddy Helms, Bethel Baptist Church, Big Lake; Charles Kemble, Leesville Baptist Church, Leesville; Hector Tavera, Iglesia Templo Bautista, Lubbock; John Bell, First Baptist Church, Corpus Christi

Term to expire in 2006: Dan Griffith, First Baptist Church, Haskell

Member-at-large: Dan Treviño, Harlandale Baptist Church, San Antonio

Center for Christian Leadership Advisory Committee

Term to expire in 2007: Dorothy Wilkinson, Park Cities Baptist Church, Dallas; Howard Anderson, Singing Hills Baptist Church, Dallas; Trezzie Presley, First Baptist Church, Commerce; Mario Ramos, Heartland Hills Community Church, San Antonio; Bill Hasse, South Park Baptist Church, Alvin

State Missions Commission

Term to expire in 2007: Reed Harris, First Baptist Church, Belton; Robert Miller, North End Baptist Church, Beaumont; Diana Longino, First Baptist Church, Sulphur Springs; Rudy Camacho, Genesis Baptist Church, Fort Worth; Sylvia Jordan, Temple Baptist Church, Amarillo

Member-at-large: Lupe Perez, Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida, Wolfforth

Texas Baptist Historical Council

Term to expire in 2007: Roy Kornegay, First Baptist Church, Amarillo; Jim Mullin, Lakeshore Drive Baptist Church, Weatherford; Marvin Griffin, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Austin

Theological Education Committee

Term to expire in 2007: Linda Brian, First Baptist Church, Amarillo; J.A. Reynolds, First Baptist Church, Belton; Doyle Young, Dayspring Baptist Church, Waco; John Thielepape, Meadow Lane Baptist Church, Arlington; Bob Cox, Green Acres Baptist Church, Tyler

Texas Baptist Laity Institute

Term to expire in 2007: C.M. Singleton, First Missionary Baptist Church, Fort Worth

At its regularly scheduled fall meeting, the Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board approved committee members recommended by the board's nominating committee.

Posted: 10/29/04

Actions show Americans don't really believe
in democracy, commission report asserts

By Ferrell Foster

Texas Baptist Communications

SAN ANTONIO–Most Americans no longer believe deeply in democracy–at least, not if their actions reflect their beliefs, a new report on Christian citizenship concludes.

“Alarming numbers of citizens are unwilling to make even the smallest investment of time to preserve the democratic ideal,” says the 2004 report of the Baptist General Convention of Texas' Christian Life Commission.

Many Americans are not voting and participating in other ways in the democratic process, says the report, which will be presented to messengers to the BGCT annual session in San Antonio.

This is an issue for Christians because believers hold “dual citizenships,” the report says. “Precisely because we are subjects of God's reign, we are called to live as sojourners in the kingdoms of this world.”

The report lists five ways Christians can express their faith and ministry in citizenship.

Vote. “Voting is the most basic act of participation. To not vote is to let others decide. This is a country 'of the people' and ultimately 'for the people' only if the people show up to vote. Most Americans do not,” the report states.

In the 2000 presidential election, 51 percent of eligible voters went to the polls. Forty years earlier, 65 percent voted. In the nonpresidential election year 2002, turnout was 39 percent in the November general election and 18 percent in the party primaries.

Churches can encourage voting by asking a member to become a deputized voter registrar and help members register.

Christians also have a responsibility to be informed about officeholders and issues, the report says. “Seek out nonpartisan information.”

Participate in issue politics. Heightened commitment to citizenship often leads people to “look for ways to have a greater impact,” the report says.

“Get involved. Get to know legislators and local officials. Become an advocate for the public good. Testify at hearings. Stay aware of political developments. Share your concerns with others, including legislators and other key decision makers. Even if you are not an expert on an issue, your views are valuable.”

Participate in party politics. “Power politics have a powerful influence on decisions,” the report says.

“Christians involve themselves in party politics in order to challenge corruption, incivility, hate politics and special-interest control,” the report continues.

The report calls for greater civility in political discourse. “We need to listen to and respect the opinions of people that have different political opinions. Constructive policy decision-making comes from people with different views working together to find solutions, not from destroying the reputations of those who disagree.”

Run for political office. “Christian citizens should see public service as Christian vocation,” the report says. But it's a job with challenges and temptations.

“Running for office somewhat resembles walking into the lions' den. Candidates risk having their ethics and characters being devoured by the political process, and many who succumb to the siren song of potential power experience this very tragedy,” the report says.

“There are many alligators. The danger of running for political office is usually not a danger to the pocketbook, but a danger to the soul.”

Those warnings notwithstanding, “American politics desperately needs Christian involvement. Specifically, we need men and women who are morally secure and who are driven by the Christian vision of a just and caring society to take the risk of running for public office.”

Be involved as a church. The report spells out things churches can and cannot do if they are to retain their tax-exempt status.

Churches cannot endorse or support candidates, allow distribution of campaign literature or display of political signs, or contribute to political action committees. Churches can teach the importance of involvement, encourage people to register and vote, distribute issue information and candidates' voting records, sponsor debates or forums and invite candidates to speak, as long as all candidates are invited.

The full report is available at www.bgct.org/clc.

Posted: 10/29/04

Denton church adjusts to growing
community, growing number of challenges

By Karen Willoughby

Baptist Press

DENTON (BP)–First Baptist Church in Denton has a brand-new purpose statement: “To love and serve the Lord so we can reach and influence our community and the world for Christ.”

But the church has been doing that since its founding in 1858 by residents of what then was a 1-year-old town a day's wagon ride north of Dallas.

The Denton church, in addition to its new purpose statement, has just purchased 90 acres five miles north of its current location.

“One of the things I challenged our church with this year is to be an influence in our city,” said Jeff Williams, pastor the last seven years. “We want to show Denton we love Christ and invest our assets right here at home.”

First Baptist members helped build five Habitat for Humanity homes over the last five years. Demand has quadrupled this year at the church's food pantry. Members also assist in and financially support Denton's Our Daily Bread soup kitchen.

Until First Baptist started the FAITH strategy of evangelism through the Sunday school four years ago, it had no evangelism strategy, the pastor said.

“It's going strong,” Williams said of FAITH. “Three people were saved the first night of this semester.”

Over the last four years, baptisms have averaged more than 100 a year.

“We're pretty much like the norm,” he said. “We baptize a lot of high school and junior high school students.”

First Baptist also baptizes about 30 percent of children who make decisions for Christ during Vacation Bible School, Williams said.

“Denton County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation,” he said. “We have about 15,000 students in the Denton school system. Nine years from now, they're predicting 30,000. We've got a lot of young families moving in.”

Denton also is home to the University of North Texas and Texas Woman's University, which together add about 40,000 people to the city's 95,000 population.

The church ministers to its members through an upbeat blended worship, Sunday school, discipleship training, small groups and missions involvement, Williams said.

First Baptist helps support three mission churches in its association, along with one in Wisconsin and one in Indiana. Its high school students have gone to Haiti during spring break five times to work with youngsters at an orphanage and on construction projects. This year, due to political upheaval in Haiti, the teens went to Washington, D.C., where they worked in one of the nation's largest homeless shelters.

Students in First Baptist's college department in recent years have worked on mission projects in Las Vegas, Boston and New York City in conjunction with the Southern Baptist Strategic Focus Cities thrust in those metropolitan areas.

First Baptist Church of Denton's senior adults went to First Baptist Church of Huntertown, Ind., this summer to lead Vacation Bible School. Adults and teens went to Germany for nine days, where they ministered through sports camps and public schools.

First Baptist gives 10 percent of its undesignated offerings through the Cooperative Program for funding Baptist missions and ministry initiatives.

“In all, our missions budget is about 17 percent of our total budget,” Williams said. “We give to about 20 different mission ministries.”

The need for additional space has become more acute than ever this year, Williams said.

“Preschool space is at a premium,” he said. “We recently gave them the last two rooms we possibly can give them.”

The number of sixth- to 12th-grade students has increased more than 100 percent on Sunday mornings since Williams was called as pastor. Wednesday evening student attendance also has grown.

“It's going to be a challenge to grow here the next five years before we move to our new location,” Williams said. “We bought land at the edge of town because we knew we weren't going to be able to continue to grow here.”

The church's two buildings, about 130,000 square feet, are supplemented by seven houses adjacent to church property, purchased as they became available to use for Sunday school, staffing needs and missionary housing.

The church is forming a task force this fall to work out details of the construction project and move, the pastor said.

“With 90 acres of land, our opportunities for ministry are almost endless,” Williams said. “I've challenged our people to be an influence in city government and schools. I've challenged them to run for the school board, city council and for mayor.

“We believe that when Jesus said we are to be salt and light in the world, that it includes having an influence in all areas of our city,” he continued.

“It is my hope that First Baptist Church of Denton will be seen as a place of hope, healing and influence in the years to come.”

Posted: 10/29/04

DOWN HOME:
They're retiring; not from ministry

The sun set on an era of church history Sunday, Oct. 31.

The Roman Catholic Church didn't select a new pope. Billy Graham didn't pass his mantle to “the next Billy Graham.” All the Muslims didn't convert to Christianity. And, unfortunately, nobody settled the hymns vs. praise choruses “worship wars.”

No, 10/31/04 won't get written up in church history textbooks. But it's a significant day nontheless: My father, Marvin Knox, retired from the pastorate.

Forty-seven years and 10 months after he became pastor of the Baptist church in Gage, Okla., he preached his final sermon as pastor of First Baptist Church in Stratford, Okla.

I can't remember Daddy not being a pastor, since he began preaching sermons and ministering to the folks in Gage when I was less than four months old.

When I was a kid, my friends' fathers had jobs, but I always felt like Daddy was his job.

For one thing, he never was off work. Wherever we went, he was “Brother Marvin,” even to the Methodists and Nazarenes and backsliders of all faiths. If people needed help, he'd minister to them.

For another, Daddy's life always has been so integrated that being a Christian, a minister, a pastor, a father/husband and a friend were all rolled into one complete package. He's never compartmentalized himself into the “on the job” pastor and the “off the job” private person. He knows being a Christian is itself a call to ministry, and for as long as I can remember, he's always given it everything he's got.

To tell you the truth, that probably won't change much. As Mother puts it: “We say we're retiring from the pastorate, not retiring from the ministry.” Her statement emphasizes a couple of truths.

First, quitting ministry is not an option. Not for Daddy. As long as he has breath, he'll look after the spiritual and physical needs of others. I expect he'll preach some more, too, just not in a full-time job.

Second, she said “we.” My mother's not a preacher. She's never delivered a sermon (except for a few we kids got growing up, but that's another matter). But this ministry of the pastorate always has been theirs, not just his. Frankly, I can't imagine how a pastor ever could be successful unless pastor and spouse walk together, step-by-step. And I can't conceive of that stopping now, after 50 years together.

So, after the pastorates in Gage and Stratford, as well as Borger, Dalhart, Perryton, Wichita Falls and Marlow, Okla., Mother and Daddy are retiring “from the pastorate, but not from the ministry.” They've bought their first home, and they're moving back to Marlow. And my sister, brother, all our families and I couldn't be prouder. Or more grateful to God.

Posted: 10/29/04

EDITORIAL:
Our next president should restore civility to America

The past few weeks, have you sometimes felt battered and bruised when you clicked your TV set off? Did your ears feel assaulted as you left your business breakroom or lunchtime diner? Have you had a tension headache after Sunday school? Did your pulse pound when you read the letters to the editor in this newspaper?

You know what I'm talking about: Incivility anxiety. It's the ferocious unease millions of Americans have suffered because of this down-and-dirty political season.

If you've traveled in any of the so-called battleground states, you've seen this played out. TV ads have competed for voters, challenging them to choose George W. Bush or John Kerry. And from what we hear, most of those ads have taken the low road, mongering fear and suspicion for the sake of ballots. Although no one doubts where Texas' electoral college votes will go, we haven't been exempt from the mayhem. Thanks to re-gerrymandered congressional districts, we've heard incumbents verbally bludgeon one another for the opportunity to return to Washington and represent us in Congress.

The TV and radio attack ads would have been enough. But rank-and-file Americans seem to think they have to speak and act as venally as the candidates themselves. In our neck of the woods, we've seen a rash of vandalism against political yard signs. That's about the most polite political practice around here. You couldn't go far–to the grocery store, a restaurant, even church–without hearing the kind of partisan political opponent-bashing that would make Rush Limbaugh blush. If you've been listening, you've probably heard people ask, “How can you call yourself a Christian and vote for …” more in the past two months than in the previous two decades. And it's gotten personal. Stories abound about friends and family who have practically stopped talking to each other because they can't avoid arguments over politics and parties and candidates and issues.

That's a big reason why I'm worried about America. Of course, we've got plenty of other reasons for concern–the ever-present threat of terrorism, a war that's not going well, a sputtering economy, an educational system that's failing millions of children, ominous clouds hanging over the health care system, crippling poverty, and on and on. But the most insidious problem facing the United States–and our next president, whether it's Bush or Kerry–is the corrosive incivility eating away at our social and moral infrastructure. To quote the plaintive plea of Rodney King, “Why can't we all get along?” And if we can't re-learn to get along, how can we expect to tame the monstrous problems howling at our national door?

So, although homeland security and the Iraq war will clamor for the attention of the president elected Nov. 2, he better give attention to restoring civility to America. It's a moral, spiritual, political and social problem that deserves his best efforts. Here are some places to start:

Form a bipartisan cabinet. Surely, some Republicans and Democrats are secure, sensible and self-sacrificing enough to step up, if asked by the president, and sit on a cabinet headed by the other party. A collegial, bipartisan cabinet could set the tone for civil discourse, compromise and shared vision that could lead ordinary Americans back together.

(Lest you think this never would work, remember how a bipartisan Governor Bush worked with Democrats as his Republican administration guided Texas. This is the kind of affirmative leadership many voters thought they would get when they cast their ballots in 2000.)

Work on common goals. Find a couple of issues around which all Americans can rally and create models for mutual concern and partnership that can achieve lasting results.

For example, almost everyone knows health care needs help. The next president could convene a panel that (a) acknowledges the legitmate interests of doctors, insurance companies and health care providers but also (b) places the health interests of individual Americans above all else. If such a problem-solving team could succeed, it could demonstrate that other challenges can be overcome–if we cooperate civilly. And if health care is too tough, convene a similar problem-solving team to improve our transportation system. Anbody who has to go from Point A to Point B in America knows we can, and should, do better.

Fix a tough problem. We're failing on abortion because we've framed the issue incorrectly. Right now, it's presented as legal question of women's rights. It ought to be a common question of reducing, and ideally eliminating, abortions.

I don't know a pro-choice advocate who wants to see the abortion total increase. We need to reduce all the causes of abortion, not just the eliminate the legality of abortion. An abortion-reduction policy ought to focus on education, jobs, child care, adoption, marriage and the web of issues that influence the abortion rate. Pro-life advocates have been vexed when they come to the end of seemingly supportive presidents' terms and abortion rates have increased and they've made no progress. It's time to be pragmatic about abortion; rather than grasping for a judicial goal that may prove as elusive as the Holy Grail, work with all people of goodwill–whatever their stand on the legality of abortion–to bring the abortion rate closer and closer and closer to zero.

Say the hard, but correct, things. Wouldn't it be refreshing to hear politicians from opposing parties say, “You know, I think we agree on that” or “You're doing a good job”? What would happen if a president said: “I was wrong, and I've learned my lesson. Help me do better this time”?

Call me a Pollyanna or a Christian with misplaced faith, but I think these ideas could work. No matter if George Bush or John Kerry lives in the White House. And along the way, a more civil America would be a far, far better place to live.

–Marv Knox
E-mail the editor at marvknox@baptiststandard.com

Posted: 10/29/04

Wesley Shotwell of Azle, vice chairman of the BGCT Executive Board, responds to criticisms of proposed changes in governance.	Charles Davenport of Tulia urges the Executive Board to send the governance proposal back to committee for one year.

Executive Board recommends changes in
governance; rejects efforts to postpone

By Marv Knox

Editor

The most significant reorganization of the Baptist General Convention of Texas in five decades has cleared another hurdle.

Meeting in a called session Oct. 26, the BGCT Executive Board approved amendments to the convention's constitution that define how the BGCT governs itself.

Messengers to the BGCT annual session will consider the reorganization when they meet in San Antonio Nov. 8-9. To take effect, the changes must be approved at both the 2004 and 2005 annual sessions.

The Executive Board voted 81-28 to amend the constitution after a motion to delay the process for a year failed 38-59.

The Executive Board previously approved a set of mission, vision, values and priority statements at its regularly scheduled fall meeting Sept. 28. But board members asked for more time to think about reorganizing the convention's structure.

The reorganization would decrease the size of the Executive Board from 234 members to less than 100.

Currently, each of the BGCT's 114 affiliated associations has at least one member on the Executive Board. The new system would divide the state into 30 geographical sectors of 52,000 resident church members. Each sector would get three board members.

The reorganization also would eliminate the convention's two coordinating boards, which act as liaisons to the BGCT's schools and human-welfare ministries; its two commissions, which give direction to Executive Board staff programs; and the Administrative Committee, which serves as the convention's finance, personnel and review committee.

Glen Schmucker, pastor of Cliff Temple Baptist Church in Dallas, Anthony Sisemore, pastor of First Baptist Church in Floydada, and David Nabors, BGCT chief financial officer, count executive board votes on a governance proposal. The plan passed.

Those functions would be assigned to committees of the new Executive Board, which would meet for two days three times a year.

Opponents and others who expressed reservations about the governance changes cited several problems with the proposals.

Executive Board Vice Chairman Wesley Shotwell, a member of the team that drafted the revisions, responded to the three major issues:

Reduction of the Executive Board's size.

“The Executive Board is legally responsible and potentially liable for litigation,” said Shotwell, pastor of Ash Creek Baptist Church in Azle. “Those who are legally liable for the decisions and policies of the organization must be well-informed and influential in the development of those policies.”

But a 234-member board cannot perform those tasks and “cannot govern effectively,” he added.

“We now have as many as a dozen committees and commissions … with no real connection to the Executive Board, who have the power to make decisions but have no legal responsibility. The Executive Board has the legal responsibility but no real opportunity to make informed decisions.”

Noting some Texas Baptists have expressed concern over decreased “participation” through a smaller board, Shotwell countered: “We must redefine what it means to be on the Executive Board–that its purpose is not for participation, but that its purpose is for governing. … Participation should not be measured by how many people are involved in governance. Participation should be measured by how many people are involved in ministry and missions.”

Responding to a concern that a smaller Executive Board will make the convention “less inclusive,” Shotwell pledged, “We will be intentionally more inclusive of some groups who have not been fairly included in the past.

“Even though there will be a smaller number of people, (the board) will be inclusive of a broader range of Texas Baptists.”

A change in representation, from a system that highlights associations to one built upon resident church membership.

“Executive Board members are not delegates from associations or churches, nor do they represent the interests of their geographical region,” Shotwell said.

He warned against “connectionalism” and “violating traditional Baptist polity” if the convention were to codify representation by associations.

The strategic planning committee focused on providing a mechanism for reflecting a cross-section of Texas Baptists on the Executive Board, he noted, predicting a new board with representation based on resident membership according to counties would break down the “systemic barriers that still prevent us from reaching our goals of inclusion.”

Acknowledging Baptists in West Texas and other rural areas worry about losing their voice on the board, Shotwell said the percentage representation on the new Executive Board would be very close to current representation.

For example, members from the Panhandle, South Plains and West Texas would comprise 10 percent of the new board, while members from those areas reflect 11.5 percent of the current board.

Consolidation of power within the Executive Board when the coordinating boards and commissions are eliminated.

“If the Executive Board is legally responsible, it needs to have the ability to make informed decisions,” Shotwell maintained.

The new structure would enable the Executive Board to work more closely with the BGCT's institutions and “give those who have the responsibility the ability to discern the right course of action.”

Pointing to concerns that the BGCT Christian Life Commission's effectiveness could be reduced, Shotwell said: “No one wants to endanger the Christian Life function of being a prophetic voice to Texas Baptists. … It is our conviction that there is no provision in the current proposal that will endanger this role.”

The proposal also streng-thens the CLC's ability to speak “for” Texas Baptists, he added.

After Shot-well's presentation, Executive Board members discussed the proposed reorganization, and some clearly indicated they did not agree.

“Things need to be changed, but this is not it,” said Van Christian, pastor of First Baptist Church in Comanche.

While the Executive Board needs more involvement and a balance between responsibility and accountability, “I do not accept that these proposals do that,” Christian said.

Also, reduction in the size of the board will diminish its representative nature, he contended. He illustrated by noting his association now has a board member, but if the reorganization passes, three members will represent 14 associations.

Charles Davenport, pastor of First Baptist Church in Tulia, added, “My concern is what the perception is going to be across the state.”

For example, some people have responded negatively because they don't understand the reorganization, and some feel the process has been “rushed,” he said, noting he was “concerned for diminished participation.”

Board members need to “distinguish between 'participation and governance' and 'participation in governance,'” pleaded David Keith, pastor of Carlton Baptist Church in Carlton. “What we're doing is decreasing 'participation in governance.'”

Keith offered a “friendly amendment” to require that at least 40 percent of the Executive Board be comprised of men, women, Anglos, non-Anglos, members of smaller churches with membership under 100 and members of larger churches.

Rudy Camacho, lay member of Iglesia Bautista Genesis in Fort Worth, affirmed that idea. “I'm thinking of people who think they're forgotten out in West Texas,” he said. “This will enhance the opportunity of those to serve who do not presently serve.”

Board members debated the merits of including the percentage requirement in the constitution. Some said the requirement is necessary to guarantee fair participation by all groups, while others said such measures should be featured in bylaws, not the constitution.

Eventually, the board approved a related amendment, which removed the percentage requirement but added “large and small churches” to a statement that says, “The membership of the Executive Board shall be generally representative of the Baptist membership in the convention and shall include men and women, Anglo and non-Anglo persons, and those who have abilities and experience needed by the board.”

Davenport asked the board to delay the issue for a year. His suggestion would have referred the recommendations back to the strategic planning committee that offered them and authorized the Executive Board chair to supplement the committee with other members. Then that group would re-examine the issue, report to the churches and provide a follow-up proposal in time for the BGCT to act on it in 2005.

“People back home don't understand it,” Davenport said of the current proposal.

“Not only do we need to be clear; we need to bring people along with us.”

“My greatest fear is this is not ready to go to the convention,” echoed Ron Bowles, minister of worship and communications at First Baptist Church in El Paso.

But Bill Skaar, pastor of First Baptist Church in Grand Prairie, predicted no end to the postponement, once it is started. "The changes are needed," he said, comparing current expectations of the board to a "giant church council that is asked to put a stamp on what others have done."

Time for change is running out, added Glen Schmucker, pastor of Cliff Temple Baptist Church in Dallas. “Those who are 40 years and younger won't care any more about this a year from now than they do now,” he said, stressing that young adults see the convention as irrelevant and need to see the convention responsibly handling change.

Hugh Tyree, a lay member of Park Central Baptist Church in Dallas, suggested, “We ought to pass this today but ask our leadership to … come up with another plan to allow more people to participate.”

Randall Scott, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Paris, pleaded for postponement. “West Texas people cannot afford to be disenfranchised. Neither can East Texas or anyone. I believe we're on the right track, but we need to do some refining before we offend people, drive people away.”

The proposal is a responsible action in light of the Executive Board's legal liability, stressed Steve Wells, pastor of South Main Baptist Church in Houston.

Besides, the convention needs to change to demonstrate its value to younger adults, he said. Noting only five members indicated they are younger than 40, he said: “This structure is seen as irrelevant to people under 40. They will not become more active merely by getting older.”

The vote to delay for a year failed, and then the overall proposal passed.

BGCT President Ken Hall explained the proposals sprang from “the outcry of younger pastors for changes in the way Texas Baptists do their work.”

The proposals arrived through established channels, took nearly a year to develop and involved Texas Baptists representing all ages and ethnicities, men and women, clergy and laity, and small and large and rural and urban churches, Hall said.

“The purpose was to use the processes and not rush to conclusions,” he added.

“This is only one step of many,” he said, noting amending the constitution requires two years and changes cannot be implemented until after the BGCT meets in 2005.

“We'll come back with bylaws and core strategies,” Hall reported. “The intention is to use as much of the breadth and width of our convention as possible to bring changes.”

He stressed the intention of the changes is to be inclusive, not exclusive. “Nothing was done in a back room; everything was done in the open,” he said. “Every meeting we held was covered in detail by the Baptist Standard. …

“We're a family, and we're about kingdom business. God wants us to go beyond anything we could dream for ourselves. The important thing is that we do God's business with his mind and his heart.”

Posted: 10/29/04

LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for Nov. 7

Make following Christ the focus of your ministry

Luke 9:51-10:42

By Pakon Chan

Chinese Baptist Church, Arlington

Previously in the conversations of the disciples (Luke 9:57), an argument broke out among them, “as to which of them would be the greatest” (v. 46). They wanted to strive for the prominent position in this band of followers.

This concern may not have come from a bad motivation. They might just have wanted to settle some arguments as to who would be the leader if Jesus were not among them. After all, they needed a leader to take care of things when Jesus was absent. Jesus did not rebuke their behavior but took this opportunity to teach them the true meaning of leadership in God's kingdom (Mark 9:33-37).

It was natural for anyone who wanted to follow Jesus to find out where he would go, since they were concerned about the leadership position in the group. From Jesus' answer, we may infer the motivation behind that statement (Luke 9:57). They wanted to find out if Jesus could give them a promising future as a follower.

A Chinese saying states, “A good and intelligent bird will look for a right tree to make its nest.” People select their master or teacher with a similar criteria. No one wants to follow an unworthy master his entire life. In ancient Chinese culture, once a person picked a master, they would follow that master for the rest of their life.

Likewise, a good master also will set criteria to select his disciples. In the Greek and Asian cultures, some scholars or philosophers would set barriers to repulse prospective disciples with enormous demands. The purpose of this was to test them and acquire the most worthy ones.

Motivations for following Jesus

Jesus responded to his disciples with criteria his followers should meet. Jesus told them that they should not follow him with any selfish and materialistic reasons. If any one wanted to follow him for material goods, Jesus had nothing to offer–he himself didn't even have a place to stay permanently.

Jesus also told his followers to place him as the highest priority. A son was responsible for burying his father in the Jewish tradition. Most likely, the father of the son in this passage had died and been buried, and now he was waiting a year to rebury the deceased's bones.

We may have a lot of different responsibilities, but when compared with our Lord, he should always be the top priority. This is the true meaning of claiming Jesus as our Lord.

The third criterion for following Christ is concentration with determination. Many things distract us from our mission. When we say we are following Jesus, we are following his footsteps in serving in the kingdom of God. Following Jesus is synonymous with serving him and God's kingdom.

Jesus requires his servants to possess keen focus and great determination. We need to keep our eyes on the path of the plow to keep its furrow from becoming crooked. Once we set out on our journey, we should not look back until we reach the goal Jesus has set for us (Philippians 3:13-14).

Concentrating on the mission

After having said these things, Jesus “appointed 72 others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go” (Luke 10:1). It was the time to put what they had learned into practice.

A servant of Jesus should not have clutter from material things, for he has enough things to worry about in his ministry and should not add anything not directly related to it (v. 4). After all, he should know the Lord will provide what he needs, and he will rely only on God for his survival.

A servant of Jesus will concentrate on the task, and will not be idle and chitchat with a passer-by (v. 4). Elisha told Gehazi: “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take my staff in your hand and run. If you meet anyone, do not greet him, and if anyone greets you, do not answer,” (2 Kings 4:29). Gehazi had a very important mission to save a dead child. He had no time to lose, so he could not greet or talk to anyone on his way to that woman's house. Likewise, Jesus instructed his servants not to spend time with less important things, for he had commissioned the most important task to them.

A servant of Jesus will be content with whatever is given by others as support and love gifts. We do not work for reward or money, so we should not complain about anything given or even nothing given by others in return for our service. When we receive, we receive with no apology–God intends us to receive material support from whom we serve (v. 7).

Handling rejection and pride

When we are rejected as we share the gospel, we are not rejected personally. Actually, people are rejecting God (v. 16). We should not take any rejection personally. Even though we are rejected, we still need to share the gospel, for we were sent solely for this purpose, and we need to fulfill this responsibility (v. 11).

If we are successful in our ministry, we should not be proud. We should not misunderstand our ability or power to make ministry successful. The only thing we should rejoice in is our names are written in heaven (v. 20). A servant should always be humble, and let God have the glory.

Discussion questions

What motivates you to serve in church?

Do you understand that when you follow Jesus you are appointed for service?

Posted: 10/29/04

LifeWay Family Bible Series for Nov. 7

Guard against becoming resistant to wonder

Psalm 104:1-5, 13-15, 24, 27-30

By Angela Hamm

First Baptist Church, Lewisville

This month's theme is: “What Creation Says About the Creator.” Four lessons will look at this theme from the book of Psalms. The book of Psalms is perhaps the best known, best loved and most often read book in the Bible. Reading the Psalms is like reading someone's journal. The Psalms encompass a vast amount of material and is the longest book, in number of pages, in most English Bibles. The Psalms are quoted or alluded to more often in the New Testament than any other Old Testament book. The Psalms are written in beautiful poetry. Many of these verses are unforgettable.

Psalm 104

Psalm 104 has a distinct theme. It describes one of the first gifts God gave us–creation. Psalm 104 is a sustained praise to God, celebrating and revering his worth. It is a look at the awesomeness of God. Walter Brueggemann describes this psalm as an extended celebration of the goodness and awesome character of the Creator.

In verses 1-4, the writer begins with a description of the manifestation of God's power. God stretched out the sky like a tent. He rides on the wind and the clouds. God established skies to cover the earth as a tent covers tent dwellers. He laid the foundation of beams above the water in the sky. God formed all the heavenly elements including the wind, the clouds and fire. By his power, God dwells within his creation.

Psalm 104:13-15 emphasizes God's care of all forms of life. God gives water to all the beasts and the birds. He waters the mountains from his upper chambers in the skies. God provides grass, plants and trees for the cattle, man and the birds. In his wisdom, God made the earth suitable for all forms of life.

The writer breaks into the psalm with praise: “How many are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures” (v. 24). The writer senses the wonder and the reverence because it reflects the wisdom of its Creator. It is as if after rehearsing all of God's creative attributes, the writer is drawn to worship the God of all creation.

Psalm 104:27-30 now emphasizes how all creatures depend daily on God. God gives food at the proper time. He may open his hand or turn his face away. God gives life and takes life. Why? Because God is God and there is no one who compares to him.

God is awesome

Matt Redman writes: “Awe is reserved for God alone. It is the look of wonder and amazement that flows from one who has glimpsed God in his splendor. Face-down worshippers found throughout Scripture all have one thing in common: an awesome view of God.”

God is the master of the universe; he created it. He sustains it. He runs it. Creation by itself gives us all the motivation needed for worship. Worship is the furnace of the spiritual life. Our spiritual lives must be marked by the mystery and awe of God. We can never rush wonder.

A.W. Tozer writes, “No one who knows God intimately can ever be flippant in his presence.” When was the last time you looked at God and said: “God you are incredible. You are majestic and glorious and awesome!” Are you allowing yourself to be awed by God?

Most people will say they encounter God the most in nature. Nature seems to be the clearest and most accessible window for experiencing God. There is something about nature which draws us close to God.

Let's be attentive to creation. Why not spend some time focusing on the awesomeness of God in creation: take a walk, work in the garden, listen to the birds, look at the moon, watch a sunset. Stand or sit in silent awe, praising God with your heart and rejoicing in his creation. We praise and honor God when we respect, honor and enjoy creation.

A word of warning: If we are not careful, we may become indifferent to the wonder of creation. As things become more familiar to us, they seem to lose their greatness and wonder. For example, last year I was in a hotel dining room overlooking Lake Louise and the Canadian Rockies. I was in awe of the beauty. I commented to my server that his work provided him with an awesome view of God's creation. I said, “I bet you cannot wait to come to work every day so you can enjoy this wonderful view.” He replied: “Oh, I have gotten used to it. It is not that big of a deal.”

As I continue to think about my server's comment, I realize many believers reflect the same attitude. As things become familiar to us, they seem to lose their greatness and wonder; we become indifferent to the wonder of creation and the awareness of God. When life becomes routine we become resistant to wonder. May we never become resistant to wonder.

Discussion questions

Describe an awestruck moment in your life.

Are you resistant to wonder?