"Can churches retain theological integrity and still find common ground among those with differing beliefs?"

That's the question presented by the cover story in this issue of the paper. And it mirrors a key question the board of directors and staff of Baptist Standard Publishing—our parent organization—have been asking for several years: Can a 123-year-old Baptist news organization create a website that will strengthen and expand the larger Christian community, particularly teens and young adults?

We believe the answer is a resounding Yes! So, we have spent more than three years praying, researching, thinking, cooperating and dreaming. Now, we are building FaithVillage, a website that will gather a vast online community of evangelical Christians, ages 13 to 44. FaithVillage will expand their personal faith, provide them with a broad range of excellent Christian resources, and enable them to contact and collaborate with each other in ways never imagined before.

Our research revealed the vast majority of young Christians access the Internet and spend much of their lives online. They told us they would like to use the web to strengthen their faith, but that's daunting. For starters, they must visit dozens of sites to find the range of resources they need—from inspiration, to Bible study, to missions and ministry, to growing in their faith, to strengthening relationships, to worship, and on and on. Beyond that, they don't have a clue what's trustworthy. And these lonely, disjointed treks into the Internet leave them feeling isolated and frustrated, rather than welcomed into the larger family of faith and encouraged.

As we listened to young Christians, we prayed. We asked God to give us a clear vision for how to build on our decades of strength as a Christian publisher so we can inform, inspire and empower them to grow in their faith and expand Jesus' kingdom. What we saw was FaithVillage.

Visitors to FaithVillage will stroll down four virtual "streets" in our community. Each building they see will house a unique channel of information about a particular aspect of faith or ministry. Each channel will be marked with a sign, much like you would see on a store or business facing a commercial street in your town. For example, Momentum will house church leadership resources, Scriptura will offer Bible study materials, Engage will involve participants in missions and ministry causes, Epic House will minister to college students, while Revolution will serve middle schoolers and high schoolers, and the Grove Theater will present videos. FaithVillage will be home to these and many other channels—providing participants with access to resources otherwise available only by visiting scores of different websites.

FaithVillage is built on a social networking infrastructure, so each member of the Village will receive a profile page. It will enable members to post photos and comments, create and participate in all kinds of groups, and easily share materials from throughout the Village. We're making FaithVillage available free to individuals and churches. So, congregations can use the groups function as the backbone of their communication with members individually, as well as teams, committees, Sunday school classes, small groups and staff. Imagine the value of operating your own free in-church communication network within a village of excellent, trusted resources.

If you'd like to visit FaithVillage, go to our blog website, www.faithvillage.com. Be sure to click the arrow in the FV TV box, and you can watch a six-minute video that will give you an excellent overview.

Meanwhile, we would be grateful if you would help us build FaithVillage. Please consider taking these faith steps:

• Most importantly, pray for FaithVillage and our team.

• Tell everyone you know who is 13 to 44 about FaithVillage, and show them the online video.

• Sign up as a charter member on our homepage or apply to become a free church partner (click the partnerships tab).

• If God leads, contribute to this vital venture.

You can contact me at mknox@faithvillage.com.

Marv Knox is editor of the Baptist Standard. Visit his blog at baptiststandard.com.

Texas Baptists talked and talked about relationships at our annual meeting in Amarillo this past week. But as the old saying goes, talk is cheap. We will define our relationships by how we act throughout the year.

The key relationship that must be repaired is the rift between the Baptist General Convention of Texas and its churches. This year, the vast majority of Texas Baptists voted, but not in Amarillo. They voted from home by not bothering to show up. Their no-show ballots indicated they don't believe the BGCT matters to their churches. They voted to say it is irrelevant to their ministries and their lives. You may disagree, but perception represents powerful reality.

Those few of us who assembled in Amarillo talked about relationships because we debated how to relate to another vital part of our convention—our institutions.

Repeating history, Baylor University dominated the debate. The BGCT's relationship with its oldest institution came up twice. Baylor won one round and lost another. Messengers approved an agreement that gives Baylor effective control over the nominating process for the 25 percent of its board elected by the convention. (The other 75 percent is self-perpetuating.) But messengers also approved a 2012 budget shaped by a new funding formula that exacts a price for that control, and that price next year is a loss of about $900,000.

Messengers continued talking about relationships when they discussed a constitutional amendment that allows the other Texas Baptist institutions to select a larger percentage of their own board members. In recent years, each institution could elect up to 25 percent of its board, with the BGCT electing at least 75 percent. The amendment reduces the convention's share of slots on each board to a simple majority. As two university presidents explained, the change provides help for recruiting board trustees who live out of state, who are racial minorities and who support the institutions even when their churches do not support the convention.

In the debates, messengers frequently lamented what they described as increasingly distant BGCT relationships. As often is the case, those recoiling relationships can be divided into two categories—Baylor and everybody else.

Face reality—the BGCT?is powerless to fix the Baylor relationship. Baylor must fix itself. Loyal Texas Baptists populate both "sides" of the struggle for Baylor's future. If Baylor President Ken Starr can restore relationships with disenfranchised alumni and keep his job, he should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. But the rest of the BGCT can't influence that outcome, no matter how much money it gives to or withholds from ol' BU.

As for everybody else, the BGCT can begin to mend relationships by affirming and supporting its institutions. For about a decade, many leaders have talked about "the BGCT" as if it were the Executive Board staff. While the Executive Board provides unique and important functions in proposing the convention's budget and planning the annual meeting, it is only one of about 25 BGCT institutions. This identity confusion has puffed up the importance of the Executive Board at the expense of universities, child- and aging-care ministries, hospitals and a few other organizations—to say nothing about the astronomical value of the churches and associations. With declining income, the convention can't disburse new money to show love for the institutions. But its leaders must vigorously and repeatedly demonstrate respect and appreciation for them. And perhaps, if it's not too late, the churches will begin to realize "the BGCT" includes the schools, hospitals and ministries they love and start providing more money to support them.

The next executive director of the BGCT Executive Board faces a daunting challenge. Proverbs reminds us, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." Unless the BGCT develops a vision that engages our faith, inspires our hope, compels us to cooperate again, and embraces our churches and institutions, our relationships will continue to drift further and further apart.

—Marv Knox is editor of the Baptist Standard. Visit his blog at baptiststandard.com.

Hats off to the folks planning this year's Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting Oct. 24-26 in Amarillo. Faced with slumping attendance, they've tried to revamp Texas Baptists' yearly gathering. They modeled it after the popular Catalyst conferences, featuring strong speakers with compelling stories. They crammed it with breakout sessions providing practical resources. They planned opportunities for hands-on ministry. And they focused everything on a couple of Baptists' favorite themes—evangelism and missions. So, we've been praying and hoping for a big turnout.

These are laudable innovations. But for drawing a crowd, they're beside the point. People attend the annual meeting because they care about the BGCT; they'll return when and if they start caring again.

Controversy always attracts Baptist crowds. That accounts for the record 1991 gathering in Waco (11,159 messengers), when a wary Baylor University distanced itself from the BGCT after ultra-conservatives took control of the Southern Baptist Convention. Add Amarillo in 1994 (6,199), when Texas Baptists redefined the Cooperative Program so churches could direct their funding toward or away from the SBC and its new competitor, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. Include Corpus Christi in 2000 (6,713), as the BGCT wrestled with identity after a competing SBC-centric convention formed. Conflict created a common denominator for those crowds. But passion for the convention provided a greater reason for gathering. So, even during less-contentious years, the meeting often attracted from 5,000 to 7,000 messengers. This year's event is likely to reach a count closer to last year's 948 than the mid-2,000s, typical before all the "Baptist battles" began.

Figuring out how to ignite Texas Baptists' torch will be the next BGCT executive director's No. 1 task. (A search committee is expected to recommend a candidate soon, perhaps by the end of the year.) And while attendance at annual meetings provides one indicator of how brightly that torch burns, fiddling with the format won't stoke the flame. It will burn brightly if we resolve larger issues. They include:

• Determine the convention's purpose. Most Texas Baptists agree the BGCT exists for the churches. But the elephant in our room is disagreement over what that means. Is the convention's purpose to help churches collaborate to do big things they can't do themselves? These include missions, large-scale church planting, benevolence, student ministry and education. Or is it here to provide low-cost congregational resources, such as consulting for programs? Can—and should—it do both? Recently, many of our strong churches determined they can work with hand-picked partners to take on the big tasks, and they can secure resources from myriad providers. They've taken much of their money with them, leaving the convention with an unfunded mandate for servicing smaller churches. We've got to figure out the BGCT's priorities and the churches'—large and small, rich and poor—stake in them.

• Allocate resources wisely. This is a corollary to the first point; budgeting is a specific tactic necessary to achieve larger strategies. Messengers in Amarillo will vote on a BGCT operating budget of $41.3 million; eight years ago, the figure was $50.9 million. We've still got a lot of money, but to be effective, the BGCT must make hard decisions. We would be better off funding the highest-priority items for excellence than spreading money as broadly as possible. We also need to think how we can coordinate skills, knowledge and ability, so that Texas Baptists help each other directly and depend less on centralization.

• Restore identity. One source of malaise is the sense that "the BGCT" is its political apparatus and the Executive Board, both sources of recent disaffection, whether or not you agree with the rationale. Meanwhile, the convention's 20-plus institutions knock the top off ministry, associations collaborate regionally and hundreds of churches innovate creatively. We're all "the BGCT," and our identity is stronger when we see ourselves standing together.

—Marv Knox is editor of the Baptist Standard. Visit his blog at baptiststandard.com.

Do you ever feel like you're living a "microwave life"? You know you're too rushed when you program the microwave oven to heat your leftovers and you stand in the kitchen thinking, "Why won't this blasted thing heat faster?" Seems like we're always in a rush.

That's why I conducted a little experiment. On a Sunday at church and a Monday at the Texas Baptist Executive Board meeting, I paid attention to how often the word "busy" or its equivalent came up in conversation. Over and over, friends and acquaintances mentioned the frenetic, harried pace of their lives.

We live in a culture that demands speed and nonstop activity. This is a factor in almost every phase of life. It impacts students, young adults starting careers, parents of growing children, middle-agers sandwiched between children and aging parents and jobs, and even senior adults who could be expected to control their calendars and the pace of their days. Most of us wear our busy-ness as a badge of honor, or at least validation of self-worth.

The cost, of course, is enormous. Just consider how many friends have drifted off your relationship radar, simply because neither of you "had time" for the other. Think about important family occasions—such as evening meals—that you missed completely or rushed through because of other supposedly pressing duties.

This carries over into our spiritual lives, doesn't it? I'll confess that's true in my life. How often do work, or your to-do list or even church duties crowd out quiet time alone with God—reading the Bible, praying and listening?

Beyond that, how often do we try to force God to work on our highlighted and over-regulated timetable? Raise your hand if you've been frustrated because God failed to complete the assignments you deemed divine on your timetable. I'm preaching to myself here, but I'd guess there's a better-than-even chance you know exactly what I mean.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, much of God's best work totally defies human clockwork. Repeatedly throughout my life, I've experienced frustration with God's slow pace. Occasionally, like Abraham and Sarah, I've taken God's work into my own hands, only to fail miserably. And then, in God's own time, the Lord provided answers to my anguished prayers that exceeded all imagination. A good work could have developed according to my timeline; the best work developed slowly according to God's plan.

Take comfort in realizing the I-want-it-done-now vs. God's-own-time struggle is not a 21st century phenomenon. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a French Jesuit paleontologist, biologist and philosopher who lived from 1881 to 1955, addressed this in a lovely poem titled "The Slow Work of God." A friend shared it with me, and I want you to experience it:

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.

We are quite naturally impatient in everything

to reach the end without delay.

We should like to skip the intermediate stages.

We are impatient of being on the way

to something unknown, something new.

Yet it is the law of all progress that is made

by passing through some stages of instability

and that may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you.

Your ideas mature gradually. Let them grow.

Let them shape themselves without haste.

Do not try to force them on

as though you could be today what time

—that is to say, grace—and circumstances

acting on your own good will

will make you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new Spirit

gradually forming in you will be.

Give our Lord the benefit of believing

that his hand is leading you,

and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself

in suspense and incomplete.

Above all, trust in the slow work of God,

our loving vine-dresser. Amen.

Marv Knox is editor of the Baptist Standard. Visit his blog at baptiststandard.com.

How should a church behave when it's seeking a pastor? That's a more complicated question than you might think. Unfortunately, many congregations bungle the process.

Too be fair, few laypeople ever seek enough pastors to become professionals at the task. Most search committee members are complete novices. No wonder they make mistakes. Just think how well you perform when you try a job for the first time without clear instructions or a mentor.

So, the latest focus package of articles produced by the Baptist Standard and our New Voice Media partners provides help for search committees and the pastors they seek. Also, here are a few direct tips for search committees, based on hundreds of conversations with pastors and personal experience as a search committee member. (By the way, pastors, keep this package and get "a friend" to send it to search committees the next time you're talking to them.)

OK, search committees, here you go:

• Communicate early and often. Many search committees fail to acknowledge receipt of resumes and recommendations, fail to follow up once they have spoken with or written to candidates, and never tell prospective pastors they no longer are being considered.

This is bad manners. Whether you receive two resumes or 200, you're dealing with people's lives. Once they know they are on your "list," they invest time, emotion and prayer in you and in the possibility of serving as your pastor. They have families whose uncertain futures hang on your delibertations.

So, when you receive resumes or recommendations, let the candidates know whether they are under consideration. Then, keep them up to date. Even when the process is slow, a call or email with a brief progress report helps. And finally, when you remove candidates from consideration, let them know right away. They realize you're only going to call one pastor, and even bad news is better than no news.

• Don't ask more than you give. Increasingly, pastors are telling me they receive long questionnaires and surveys from search committees. This is a good start, because the more you know, the stronger your decisions.

But remember, communication is a two-way street. When you send a questionnaire, include a packet of materials for the candidate. Send information about your church, its ministries, budget, financial reports for several years, history and challenges. Send material about your community, including housing, schools, industry and significant events.

• Describe your church as it is. Many pastors think search committees lie. I disagree, but not because committees always tell the truth. A search process is potent, passionate and personal. A committee can get so caught up in thinking about the potential of its church that it presents its ideal future, not the present reality. So, it should …

• Provide references. You expect references from pastoral candidates; reciprocate. Give them contact information for community leaders who don't attend your church; church members of all backgrounds who aren't on your committee; other pastors in the area, including non-Baptists; your director of missions; and your previous pastors.

• Consider candidates' families. Offer information and contacts to help the spouse and children envision God's leadership for them in your church and community.

• Deal with compensation up front. Sure, pastoral selection is a divine process. But pastors experience the same physical needs as every family in your church. Don't pull them through a long process, only to learn you won't pay enough to educate their kids, or prepare for retirement, or simply maintain a decent standard of living. Pastors don't go into ministry for the money, but they can't stay in ministry without a fair salary and benefits.

• "Sell" your church. Just because you receive scores of resumes to choose one pastor, don't assume the best pastor for you is going to jump through hoops to join you. Part of the discernment process is helping your next pastor glimpse a vision of what you believe God has in store for your church.

–Marv Knox is editor of the Baptist Standard. Visit his blog at baptiststandard.com.

Some moments clarify others, and you're blessed to be awake and alert when it happens. This is one of those moments. Thank God, I'm here, and my eyes are open.

It's late at night in the coronary care unit of St. Anthony Hospital in downtown Oklahoma City. My father, Marvin Knox, lies in a bed two feet from my knees. When I was growing up, he and I strung the lights on Christmas trees with fewer wires than all the cables, cords and tubes his nurses have taped, poked and spliced into his chest, belly and arms. Monitors flash green, blue, yellow and red graphs. My eyes keep following a green line squiggling across a black screen. It records how well he's breathing on his own, and eventually, it will free him from the ventilator tube snaking down his throat.

For several days, I've been remembering a book written by the late, great Southern humorist Lewis Grizzard, They Tore Out My Heart and Stomped That Sucker Flat. That's not exactly what happened to Daddy, but if the morphine in that bag over there were not sliding down an IV tube, floating up his arm and whitewashing his senses, he could relate. This morning, a cardiothoracic surgeon and a team of helpers cracked open his chest and bypassed four major arteries in his heart. Right now, Daddy looks like a techno-zombie.

But he's winning this battle. Thi, his overnight nurse, just pointed to the big screen behind his right shoulder and called across the room: "Would you take a look at those numbers? They're spot-on. He's doing just great."

To say this day has been a relief would be like saying we'd all be grateful for some rain. The sledgehammer started pounding in his chest a couple of weeks ago. Then, when the cardiologist studied his angiogram, she said he couldn't go home until, well, a surgeon tears out his heart and stomps that sucker flat. So, we're delighted he survived the surgery well and didn't have a heart attack in the meantime.

The staff here at the hospital has been kind, upbeat and professional. Nobody has noted the irony of a Baptist preacher checking into a Catholic hospital to get his heart patched up. In medicine, we're all ecumenical.

Moments like these define what matters. For the past several days, what matters most—for my mother, my brother and me, at least—has been the heart beating inside the remarkable man lying in front of me.

Sure, we've followed pennant races and presidential aspirations, the start of football season, and the ebb and flow of the stock market. We've kept up with the news and fretted over the ups and downs of our jobs. We've watched the weather and talked about everything going on at church. All these topics reflect the "stuff" of our lives, and they're at least semi-important, even sports. But what matters most is the heart beating inside the faithful man lying in front of me.

Myriad issues distract us. But the core of life is just that—life. My father's illness reminded me life is measured, fragile and short. A long life passes quickly. And a seemingly healthy life turns in an instant.

Suddenly, cares of a job and the economy and government gridlock slide to scale. I happen to think my job is important; I feel called to do it. Likewise, the economy and elections are important, because they impact millions—no, billions—of people. Still, issues pale in comparison to the single, solitary life of an individual you love. And the most valuable currency is the time you spend with family and friends, for time and tears and laughter and conversation measure the depth of those relationships.

Of course, I realize that while my father's life is infinitely valuable to me, it is of no greater or lesser value than the other 7 billion lives on this planet. As a follower of Christ, who loves all people equally, I should place no greater value on his life than on the lives I never will know. Humanly speaking, that is impossible. We are each other's flesh and bone, spirit and sinew. I cannot imagine my life without his. But spiritually speaking, loving all people is our goal. How the world would be different if we treasured each life as dearly as the lives closest to our own.

Where were you?

Chances are, you recall exactly where you were and what you were doing the moment you knew nobody ever would forget Sept. 11, 2001. Unless you saw it for yourself and realized the size of the aircraft, maybe the first plane crash into the World Trade Center tower didn't sear itself into your memory. But then a second plane slammed into the other tower, and another rammed into the Pentagon, and a fourth plummeted into the Pennsylvania countryside. By late morning, the whole world knew terrorists burned "9/11" into eternal consciousness.

Still, we couldn't fathom the depth of all we witnessed, could we? That evening, Joanna and I kissed our girls goodnight, prayed for their safety and wondered what kind of world they inherited. We cried for the unspeakable grief borne by people who lost loved ones that fiery day. We prayed for the survivors, for New York City and Washington, and for our leaders. We agreed we had no idea what this meant and how our world would change. The enormity of the moment dwarfed our imaginations. Conversations like ours echoed in millions of homes that night.

Ten years later, we still struggle to comprehend what 9/11 means, don't we? On that sunny morning, explosions, flames and smoke altered our global landscape. We woke up in a seemingly structured world, where nations, militaries and economies exerted order and seemingly supplied safety. We went to bed in a chaotic world, where terrorism transcended borders and random violence destabilized peace. On that day, perversions of world religions (Islam vs. Christianity) replaced implementation of economic theories (communism vs. capitalism) as the political narrative of our era.

Since 9/11, much has changed. And little has changed.

If you don't think we live in a different world, fly somewhere. Or visit a government building. Or discuss where Muslims should be allowed to build their mosques. Or follow the news of the United States' longest war (Afghanistan) and a war of questionable origin (Iraq).

Positively, consider the increased respect we now afford firefighters, police and emergency medical providers. Think about how we've learned to remain vigilant, adapt to security measures and keep on keeping on. Unfortunately, many among us—some Baptists included—have at times regressed in their resolve to protect religious liberty for all people. Too often, we've failed to recognize terrorists do not represent Islam any better than Nazis, Klansmen and skinheads represent Christianity. Historically, you can understand why we have regressed, but regression remains a loss.

Despite all this, much about our world has changed very little. Even in the shadow of the 9/11 anniversary, Americans' primary concerns are economic—the country's debt, jobs, house prices, the stock market and affordable health care. Terrorism affects those core issues only indirectly. Day to day, we care about raising and educating children, going to work, planning for retirement, replacing bum knees and repairing clogged arteries, living in safe communities and driving on good roads.

Fortunately, spiritual realities remain as true today as they were on 9/11:

• Only God can save us. The Sept. 11 terrorists attacked two repositories of American faith—money and military. The Twin Towers, symbols of economic stability, crashed, and a gaping gash ripped through the heart of the Pentagon, seat of armed strength. Neither withstood the onslaught of evil.

The psalmist reminds us where to place our trust: "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the sea, though its waters roar and foam, and the mountains quake with their surging" (Psalm 46:1-2).

• God suffers with us. Jesus, fully divine, took on human flesh and identified completely with us. He feels every pain and comprehends every fear. When terror strikes and uncertainty dominates, he understands. He grieves with us.

• Love defeats fear. If we wish to live without fear, we must love even our enemies. This is a hard, but true, lesson. We must not view all who appear similar to terrorists as terrorists themselves. Extremists in any world religion do not represent the beliefs of millions who wear the same religious label. We must not treat them as terrorists treated us. Love, not hate, is our weapon of choice in a war of fear.

The Apostle John said it best: "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear …" (1 John 4:18).

—Marv Knox is editor of the Baptist Standard. Visit his blog at baptiststandard.com.

Words simultaneously dumbfound and fascinate me sometimes. I love 'em—how words sound ("perambulate," for example, and "lackadaisical"), subtle differences between words that almost mean the same thing but don't ("impersonate" vs. "imitate"), words that are spelled almost alike but are totally different ("cable" and "cabal") and words that tell you something about a person by the way she pronounces them ("banal" and "schism").

OK, that's weird, but I'm a word guy. Words aren't just tools I manipulate to make my living. They're verbal salsa; they add spice to life and to one of the very best aspects of life—conversation.

Lately, I've been pondering a couple of common words in uncommon sentences. See, I've been laboring over a sermon on the 23rd Psalm. Studying this psalm is like examining your best friend's face. You think you know every square millimeter. But upon close inspection, you see wrinkles and creases, scars and blemishes you never noticed before. Each one tells a story, and each one colors the character of the face you love.

The psalm's first unexpected word is "want" in verse 1: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." When I stopped to think about it, I expected "need." The Lord could be expected to supply all our needs. In fact, that's what the Apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:19, "And my God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus." But the psalmist says, "… I shall not want."

The key to "want" vs. "need" lies in trusting God as a sheep trusts its shepherd. The sheep depends upon the shepherd to provide what is best, and that, in turn, is what it wants. Through the years, I've realized when my relationship with God is at its deepest, then what I want is exactly what I need. Like when I come in from running in Texas summer heat, the only thing I want is what my body needs more than anything—water. When I'm consistent in practicing my spiritual disciplines, the first thing I want in the morning is precisely what my soul needs—time alone with God through Bible study and prayer.

The second unexpected word startled me when I read verse 4: "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." If I were King David, I would not have chosen "comfort" to accompany "your rod and your staff." Maybe "your strong hands and resonant voice, they comfort me." Or perhaps "your tender eyes and your sturdy pen, they comfort me."

A rod and a staff are the shepherd's instruments of protection and correction—both valuable, but not necessarily associated with comfort. Some scholars believe both "rod" and "staff" are translations of the same Hebrew word; others believe they're similar, but different.

The rod—a thick club—is an instrument of power. The shepherd protected the sheep and himself with his rod, fighting off predators to save the flock. The rod also represented ownership and control. The shepherd held out his rod as he herded the sheep into the fold, counting each as it passed under the rod.

The staff—a long, curved stick—is an implement of discipline. The shepherd extended his staff to pull an errant sheep back into the flock. He tapped his sheep with his staff to move them along. With his staff, he kept them together and guided them to green pastures and quiet waters.

Upon reflection, no word could be more appropriate than "comfort" to describe the result of God's protection and correction. Like sheep, we need boundaries for our own good. We're no match for the waywardness of our distractions and for our indiscriminate inclinations. We need the Good Shepherd to stand between us and the evil that would devour us. And like sheep, we need continual correction and guidance, to keep us on the path toward our spiritual home.

The psalmist insists we need not fear the valley of the shadow of death. If you don't believe in that valley, read the newspaper. But fear does not dominate us. The Shepherd walks with us. Take comfort.

–Marv Knox is editor of the Baptist Standard. Visit his blog at baptiststandard.com.

Gov. Rick Perry's big prayer rally—The Response: A Call to Prayer for a Nation in Crisis—will be held in Houston Aug. 6. I previously expressed reservations regarding a prayer meeting promoted by politicians who have so much to gain by playing the religion card. But as long as they're praying—and prayer is a good thing—I hope they pray for:

• "The Others." The rally should open with Republicans praying for Democrats, Democrats praying for Republicans and Independents praying for everybody. The rich should pray for the poor, and the poor for the rich. Anglos should pray for people of color, and vice-versa. Maybe if Americans pray for each other, we might develop sensitivity to and empathy for each other, which would be a solid step toward national unity.

• Enemies. Jesus commanded, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you" (Luke 6:27-28). So, we ought to pray for the world, particularly the Taliban, al Qaeda, Hezbollah and Hamas. Of course, we want to convert them. But let's start by praying for their welfare. Enemy combatants are mothers' sons and childrens' fathers. Perhaps if they experience peace and prosperity and security, their incentive to make war will diminish. You say that's naive; pray with faith.

• Climate. Texas is enduring the worst drought in the 116-year history of record-keeping. Heat waves are scorching the United States from the Southwest to New England. These summer extremes exacerbate the damage of crippling blizzards, tornados and floods. We could use some relief, and just about everybody can agree to pray for rain.

• Government ethics. Oh, where to start? How about a bi-partisan trait, like hypocrisy? When Republican George W. Bush was president, Democratic senators Barack Obama and Harry Reid voted against raising the U.S. debt ceiling, while Republicans Mitch McConnell and John Boehner voted for increases. Now, they've all flip-flopped. If politicians would behave consistently—wanting and voting for the same things, whether or not their party is in power—they could do some good. Of course, they still wouldn't agree on everything and would disagree on very important issues, but they would find plenty of room for consensus.

And while we're praying for them, let's ask God to give our leaders servants' spirits. Raise your hand if you believe the president, your senators and your representative place the good of the country ahead of personal power and party politics. Thought so. Think how things would improve if our leaders sought the common good, not the interests of the powerful, and if they truly represented all their constituents, not simply the ones whose money put them there.

• Justice. A new report documents the widest economic gap between U.S. whites and people of color in a quarter-century. The Pew Research Center survey shows that, on average, whites (whose median household wealth in 2009 was $113,149) possess 20 times the net worth of African-Americans ($5,677) and 18 times that of Hispanics ($6,325). This staggers the imagination.

Whites tend to justify their wealth by citing education, hard work and frugality, which are valid points. But I rarely hear them talk about opportunity, particularly the disparity between economic possibilities proffered to them compared to the prospects for African-Americans and Hispanics. And in this scorching summer, I have seen people of color working long and hard in jobs most whites would not consider. All this aside, how can white America seriously believe it deserves to be 18 to 20 times wealthier than blacks and Hispanics? If you think this pleases God, then, in the words of a pastor-friend: Come see me. And bring your Bible.

Well, we're almost out of space, but not out of prayer requests. America stands in need of so much prayer. Let me list other items for our list: Abortion. Capital punishment. Education. Sexual behavior of all kinds. Marriages. Influences upon children and teens. Biomedical ethics.

Make your own list. And pray, sisters and brothers. Pray.

–Marv Knox is editor of the Baptist Standard. Visit his blog at baptiststandard.com.

Will you pray and fast for the future of our nation on Aug. 6? Gov. Rick Perry has set aside that day for The Response: A Call to Prayer for a Nation in Crisis, a rally at Reliant Stadium in Houston. Perry has invited the other 49 governors, plus pastors and various leaders. Thousands of people are expected to fill the cavernous room, asking God to bless and save the United States.

I can’t drive down to Houston that day, since I plan to repair the caulk and grout in a bathroom at my parents’ home in Oklahoma. But I will spend the day in prayer, and I will skip meals so hunger pangs may intensify my focus on the Lord and on our nation’s need. I hope you’ll be praying, too.

First, I will express thanks that God loves us and desires a relationship with each of us. God’s love makes prayer possible and infuses it with infinite value. Next, I’ll thank God for the blessing of prayer and for the opportunity to live in a nation where people can gather to pray, not only at a football field, but in places of worship large and small.

Then, I’ll pray that the Houston rally will neither cheapen nor pervert prayer. This is a practical possibility, particularly for a massive meeting led by people who have much to gain beyond the spiritual benefits of prayer. On the one hand, large rallies featuring government and civic leaders sometimes descend into civil religion, marked by “to whom it may concern” prayers that are so generic they offend no one and address no One. This cheapens prayer. On the other hand, some rallies vibrate with fervency, but the prayers seek to co-opt God on behalf of partisan propositions. This perverts prayer.

Of course, our nation and world need prayer. We may describe the problems and challenges differently, but Americans across political, economic, social and racial strata seem to agree we’re in a hard place. But we must not assume a huge prayer rally will make all things right. In a similar time, a prophet delivered these words from God: “I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream”?(Amos 5:21-24).

Speaking from an age similar to ours, when the chasm between the haves and the have-nots widened daily, Amos reminds us our solemn assemblies and prayer meetings repulse God if we do not seek justice and reconciliation, if our hearts are not filled with mercy, grace and compassion.

Yes, we need prayer. But the Houston rally will do more harm than good if it:

• Politicizes prayer. This can happen at least two ways. First, if duplicitous politicians spout pious platitudes because they please the people. Hypocrisy may be effective in the short run, but it’s usually uncovered, and it’s always an affront to God. Second, if ardent advocates seek to align God’s will with one perspective or political party. Hard as it is for partisans on both sides to believe, many of their adversaries base their politics on their understanding of God’s plan. In broadest terms, one group emphasizes resourcefulness and personal responsibility while the other side underscores justice and care for the vulnerable. Both emphases are needed; neither is sufficient.

• Marginalizes others. The problem with political leaders headlining a Christian rally is that millions of their constituents are not Christians. Spiritual aspirations for souls aside, elected officials have a mandate to treat all law-abiding citizens fairly and equally. A partisan rally can give religious minorities the impression they are not welcome and leaders believe they are part of “the problem.” This would exacerbate divisions that already rend our national fabric.

• Fails to change anything. So much is at stake. Perhaps Americans will turn their hearts toward God in repentance and national reconciliation. If not, the prophecy of Amos will ring true again in our time.

Marv Knox is editor of the Baptist Standard. Visit his blog at baptiststandard.com.

A reader recently sent a long, thoughtful letter expressing disappointment with the Standard’s treatment of David Barton, an activist who advocates for what his website calls “America’s forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on our moral, religious and constitutional heritage.”

The reader felt we should have published a response from Barton in our June 6 article on the Baptist History and Heritage Society’s meeting in Dallas. A speaker alleged Barton and others who claim America is a Christian nation offer “a story with just enough truth to give the air of credibility but riddled with historical inaccuracies.” The reader and I traded reasons for and against interviewing Barton—who was not on the society’s program—for our article. We corresponded frankly, yet cordially, and our e-mails provided food for thought regarding how to report on controversial presentations in which only one “side” is presented.

Our exchange also prompted me to think about claims that the United States is, and always has been, a Christian nation.

The “Christian America” camp cites public statements and letters attributed to the Founding Fathers, as well as those 18th century American leaders’ reported faith affiliations. From this, they claim the Founders intended the United States to be Christian in origin and conduct. Then they extrapolate that Christianity should exert its historic hegemony over the faith-life of the nation. In practical terms, this would mean reinstating organized prayer in Jesus’ name in public schools, providing government funds for faith-based organizations, posting the Ten Commandments in courtrooms, outlawing Sharia law, basing state and federal laws upon conservative interpretatons of the Bible and affirming other practices that preserve Christian dominance in society.

Their detractors assert many of Barton’s historical citations are inaccurate or lifted out of context. They note that while numerous Founding Fathers were Christians, others were not—at least in the way they are presented today. They describe how the Founders, themselves inheritors of the Enlightenment, learned lessons from religion-based, monarchy-sponsored European oppression and war, and so they saw the wisdom in separating church and state and guaranteeing religious liberty for all people.

Any argument between “Christian America” advocates and church-state separation supporters devolves into a vortex. Both sides cite original sources and historical precedent. Neither acknowledges the validity of the other.

Ultimately, for Baptists at least, this doesn’t really matter. Even if every one of Barton’s claims is accurate—and significant historical documentation and even his own website indicate otherwise—his premise that America is quintessentially Christian and the Christian faith merits official favor should be refuted, at least by Baptists who understand their heritage and basic doctrines.

These reasons stand out:

• The Founding Fathers were not infallible, and the 18th and 21st centuries are enormously different. As Brent Walker, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee notes, the Founders could have been wrong on some points. A quote by John Quincy Adams does not settle the issue. And even if the Founders were right for their time, the application of principles looks quite different when you compare their relatively simple society to our enormously complex culture.

• If we are true to our heritage, Baptists seek precedents from our spiritual forebears, not our political founders. For example, 17th century Baptists Thomas Helwys in England and Roger Williams in the colonies suffered persecution because they championed religious liberty for all people—not just Baptists, but people of other faiths and no faith. Eighteenth century Baptist John Leland secured such liberty in the First Amendment. If they lived today, they would fight for the rights of Christians, but also Jews, Muslims, Mormons, atheists and agnostics. They would proclaim all voices should be heard, and government should neither advocate for nor interfere with any of them.

 Marv Knox is editor of the Baptist Standard. Visit his blog at baptiststandard.com.

In a few days, I’ll stand beside wonderful friends and conduct their wedding. Our family has known the bride and her family since she was 4 years old. We’ve watched her grow up and mature into a beautiful, confident, thoughtful woman of substance and of faith. And now she has discovered and fallen in love with her soul mate. We’re thrilled for them. So, joining them in marriage will be one of the best tasks I undertake—not just this year, but my entire life.

My perspective apparently defies conventional wisdom. This week, we’re publishing a package of articles on marriage, and one of them reveals some dismal statistics:

• Divorce has more than doubled since the 1960s, and that pace has slowed only because more unmarried couples are living together.

• Four in 10 U.S. babies are born to unwed mothers.

• Married couples now comprise the minority in America—only 48 percent of households.

• Moreover, a Pew Research Center/Time magazine poll shows almost 40 percent of Americans believe marriage is obsolete.

Still, I’m delighted to join our young friends as they celebrate their marriage. Research from across at least two decades confirms the blessing this marriage will provide, particularly if it produces children and this couple remains together to raise them. The sons will be less inclined toward violence and much less likely to go to jail, and the daughters will be less inclined toward promiscuity and much less likely to bear children out of wedlock. That’s only part of it. Research also shows children raised by their parents are safer and, on the whole, perform better in school. (This takes nothing away from the many single parents who are doing an exemplary job raising children, often under difficult circumstances. It simply attests to the fact most children benefit from the intact marriages of their parents.)

But marriage isn’t simply about the kids. Scripture,  history and human experience all point toward God’s design. “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.’ … For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:18, 24). From the very beginning, women and men have needed—yearned for—the deep, intimate sense of knowing and being known only marriage offers.

When I was younger, I?always thought the reference to “one flesh” was all about sex. Maybe that was because, for young men, practically everything is about sex. And to be sure, biblical scholarship validates the place of sexual relations and procreation as central to marriage.

But the longer I am married, the more I realize “one flesh” far transcends sexuality. As a matter of fact, if sex were the qualifier for “one flesh,” then rampant promiscuity has produced a race of mutants, whose aberrant oneness intermingles among multitudes. No, ideal oneness reflects a unity only attainable when two people so closely identify with each other they realize they are incomplete when they stand alone.

This is tricky, because all people are individuals created in God’s image, and the singular self never should be subsumed beneath another. Dominance—sometimes disguised as biblical hierarchy—produces dysfunction.

But we live in a society too quick to promote the individual. We would be healthier and our marriages would be stronger if we sought to define and derive marital identity as a couple. Describing a healthy marriage is as challenging as explaining the Trinity, the eternal Three-in-Oneness. A strong marriage brings together two vital individuals who still possess personal will and selfhood but who are not completely identified or understood without the other. The only way a marriage—any marriage—can endure the strains and challenges of life is by achieving integrated identity that refuses to see the one as completely separate from the other and prefers the spouse to the self. If Christians modeled marriages like this, perhaps the perception of matrimony would improve.

Marv Knox is editor of the Baptist Standard. Visit his blog at baptiststandard.com.