We all have heard news reports or stories of people diagnosed with post-traumatic stress, or what is commonly known as PTSD. In this condition, people experience their body being taken over by the good protection system God put in our bodies and brains. Their fight/flight/freeze system that prepares the body to deal with threats to life is stuck in overdrive.

Several years ago, during chaplaincy training, I participated in a weekly group meeting with inpatients on the psychiatric floor. One day, a patient came into the room and sat next to me. She was shaking visibly and couldn’t stop. Her fear and anxiety were palpable. It made me hurt for her and wonder if she would find relief and peace.

On another occasion, when I earned my living as a pilot, one of my colleagues lost his footing on the plane’s stairs and fell. Fortunately, he wasn’t injured physically, but shortly after, he began experiencing a racing heart rate, sweat and fear of a heart attack. He felt like he couldn’t breathe. He experienced a panic attack. He was under a lot of stress at the time.

As I dealt with depression over a long period of time, I also experienced frequent tension, even a continual undercurrent of tension. Fear—specific and unspecific—plagued my thinking, behavior and life. I often felt anxiety around people—and still do, especially if asked to get in front of a large group. Speaking and singing in front of a large group might send me to the restroom but always filled me with apprehension.

When is anxiety more than a nuisance?

Anxiety is experienced along a spectrum from everyday tension and worry to an all-encompassing and debilitating anxiety that requires hospitalization.

Everybody experiences worry, fear and tension, but what makes such anxiety a mental illness? When worry, fear, tension and anxiety last for days, weeks or even months and feel debilitating, intrusive or isolating, when it affects sleep, causes a person to feel like they’re going crazy or is excessive and non-stop worry and fear, then anxiety may be a mental illness.

Am I anxious because I don’t have enough faith?

When anxiety is making a mess of daily living, work and relationships and there is no sense of peace, is this a sign of “not enough faith” or sin in one’s life? Maybe, and maybe not.

I’m not an expert in theology or psychiatric issues. I am someone who has lived with depression and anxiety, who loves the Lord and has wanted to be someone who isn’t “anxious about anything” and who “casts every care upon the Lord.” I have learned and am learning.

Sometimes I haven’t exercised the faith God has given me, and an unconfessed sin may lead to feelings of depression and anxiety. But if I have kept the confession list short and acknowledged, “I believe, Lord; help my unbelief,” then a simplistic “turn it over to the Lord and stop worrying” doesn’t help or solve the problem. At that point, anxiety isn’t from a lack of faith.

What may be happening in all forms of anxiety is a “malfunction” of how God designed our bodies to work. Sometimes, the fight/flight/freeze response meant to prepare us for action and equip us with the energy to respond instead turns into a chronic and near-continuous preparedness for action that forces our body into working against itself. What God meant for good becomes harmful.

Five forms of anxiety and ways of addressing them

There are five specific “malfunctions” of the fight/flight/freeze system: generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic attacks, phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Confirmation of what may be happening requires the help of a family doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist or counselor. Medication(s) may be needed to manage the symptoms. Additional therapies may be needed, as well as good support from family and/or support groups.

Particularly important is continuing to grow in one’s spiritual life, which is needed for a return to health and a rich, purposeful life.

Paul instructs us to “renew our minds” and to “have the mind of Christ” through the Holy Spirit. One of the basic problems with any of the disorders listed above is what many call “stinking thinking.” Recognizing the negative thinking patterns and false beliefs we hold is vital. Then, we need to replace them with positive, scripturally-sound patterns and true beliefs.

A handful of suggestions for addressing anxiety

• Recognize that just because you may have had a life-threatening event or condition doesn’t mean you have a mental illness. It also doesn’t mean you don’t. If anxiety really is messing up your life, check it out.

• Don’t hide it or minimize it. Don’t isolate yourself or be tough. Seek out trusted help. A pastor, confidant, doctor or mental health counselor are good starting points. Follow through.

• If you know someone who is struggling, be there for him or her. Don’t have an agenda. Listen, reflect back what you hear, care about them, and when the person opens up, gently suggest he or she pursue seeing a doctor or counselor. Be “quick to listen, slow to speak.”

• There are many good resources, such as Overcoming Anxiety, Worry, and Fear by Gregory L. Jantz and Ann McMurray.

I am not an expert, but I am one who is living through some of these issues and seeks to encourage others. If you have questions or thoughts, feel free to contact me at johnphereford@gmail.com.

John Hereford is pastoral ministry associate at The Woodlands First Baptist Church in The Woodlands, Texas. The Woodlands First provides several mental health resources. If you are in a dark time and need immediate help, call 911 or the national suicide hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

On the way to a meeting this morning, I heard the news. Greta Thunberg is Time Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2019.

Many consider her a modern-day prophet, but others just can’t see her that way.

I’ve seen the memes and the satire. A large number of people think Thunberg is crazy. Some think she is whiny. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro thinks she’s a “brat.” Maybe she is. I don’t really know since I haven’t hung out with her.

Some who despise the Swedish way of doing things wonder if anything good can come from Sweden. Others wonder why anyone would take a 16-year-old seriously.

From where I sit, the reactions to Greta Thunberg are revealing. I look at the situation from the perspective of someone who reads the Bible, has taught it and preached it, and who believes the Bible is true. The Bible portrays some unbelievable characters we know as prophets but who we wouldn’t believe if we could see them now.

Some crazy people we take seriously

Right off the bat, I think of Jesus. Jesus came from Nazareth, from where nothing good comes. When Jesus was 12 years old, he had the nerve to “school” those at the temple who had far more schooling than he had. And they were thoroughly impressed.

Jesus was far more than a prophet, and Thunberg is far less than Jesus—as we all are. Even so, I see the reactions of some Christians to Thunberg and marvel that any of us believe the stories about Jesus.

Then there’s John the Baptist. We hold up that John as a biblical hero for calling the religious leaders “vipers” and fulfilling prophecy by preparing the way for Jesus. However, if he stood in front of us today, we would call him nuts. We might even shred him with memes and satire.

John set himself apart from the establishment in his dress, speech and residence. He called out their sins and called them to account. To those who followed him, he was like Elijah. To those he chastised, he was a crazy man. A crazy man who baptized Jesus, who pointed his followers to follow Jesus instead, who ended up imprisoned and decapitated for his stance on sexual affairs.

John the Baptist wasn’t a Swedish teenager, and Thunberg isn’t calling out the religious establishment for their sins … or is she?

God told Isaiah to strip and go naked, which Isaiah did for three years. Imagine taking him seriously in that condition. Yet, Jesus frequently quoted Isaiah, as do we. It’s Isaiah who wrote of the one who would be “despised and rejected,” the one whose wounds would heal us. We take Isaiah very seriously, maybe because we don’t picture him naked.

Amos was a shepherd God sent to afflict the comfortable, the “cows of Bashan” he called them. A shepherd calling the elites “cows.” That’s funny. Not nice, but funny. But only because he wasn’t talking to us … or was he?

Serious people we think are crazy

If we step back and look at ourselves looking at the Greta Thunbergs of the world, we may see something ironic. We may see we have an exceedingly difficult time taking a prophetic person seriously. The irony is we are able to take prophetic people in the Bible seriously. Or are we?

This should give us pause.

When confronted with unpleasant information, when accused of wrongdoing, we feel compelled to decide quickly between legitimate counsel and hogwash.

In our current climate, if the messenger looks like us, votes like us and holds a respectable position (like us), we are more apt to take that person seriously. But if the messenger doesn’t look or sound like us, doesn’t vote like us, comes from somewhere we despise and speaks from a low position, it’s just too much to believe; it’s hogwash.

We shouldn’t necessarily take Greta Thunberg and others like her at face value. We do have to be discerning. However, while we can’t believe every supposed prophet, we do need to be careful how we respond to them.

If we are willing to take the likes of Amos, Isaiah, John the Baptist and Jesus seriously, then we should be able to give some consideration—prayerfully, thoughtfully and compassionately—to the person whose face we see now.

On the flip side, if we ridicule, mock and deride those like Thunberg as coming across like whiny brats, we need to re-examine the way we engage and understand Scripture. We may not believe the Bible after all.

If we reject every prophetic voice of our time whose message conflicts with our accepted truth, we will dull our senses to all truth. The Bible helps us learn to discern.

Should Greta Thunberg be the Time Magazine Person of the Year for 2019? Does she warrant such accolades? I don’t know enough to make that determination.

Is Greta Thunberg a prophet? I’m not ready to say she is.

What I can say is we’ve been given enough grace to be gracious to her and others like her. We can listen. We can appreciate their concerns. And most importantly, we can look for God’s voice and guidance in whomever God decides to send to us.

Eric Black is the executive director, publisher and editor of the Baptist Standard. He can be reached at eric.black@baptiststandard.com or on Twitter at @EricBlackBSP. The views expressed are those solely of the author.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:1-4).

The surprising Gospel

One of the interesting things about teaching New Testament Survey year in and year out is some things always surprise students. When we read the Gospel of John, for example, it’s always a surprise to them when John doesn’t have a Christmas story. No manger, no angels, no wintery eve in Bethlehem with shepherds and Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Just a crystal-clear pulling-back-the curtains kind of beginning that frames the whole arc of Christmas in the biggest possible setting imaginable.

John 1 intentionally mirrors Genesis 1—in which there is nothing, and then there is everything—with one major exception: The God who has brought everything into being is not brought into being, but always is. The God who has loved all things into existence was not brought into existence, but always was.

And so, at Christmas then, the God who has created all things becomes one with that creation. The One through whom all things were made is joined to it. The One who creates light becomes that light in the darkness.

The surprising God

This is the Christmas story, this is the gospel. This is the drama behind the drama, which peers through every nook of the nativity and illuminates the politics, hardship and terror of the Christmas story, for the light in the darkness gets no free pass from the darkness.

The child Jesus now is helpless in the manger, without language, without mobility, without sleep regulation or warmth or food. Taken by his hands to where he does not wish to go, he will be led into Egypt, defenseless against the Herods and the elements alike.

St. Athanasius, a fourth-century church father, describes the baby in this way: “While he moved in the body, the universe was not left void of his activity and providence. But what is most marvelous, being the Word, he was not contained by anyone, but rather himself contained everything … Being in the human body, and himself giving it life, he properly gives life to the universe also.”

What Athanasius means is this is truly the shape of God, the One who sustains all things, not in spite of being human, but in and through this way. The Word, dwelling among us, was, in taking on flesh, redeeming creation from the inside out.

As Gregory of Nazianzus, a later contemporary of Athanasius, put it, Jesus “bears the title ‘Son of Man,’ not just with a view to being accessible through his body to corporeal things … but with the aim of hallowing humanity through himself, by becoming a sort of yeast for the whole lump.”

The surprise of Christmas

The Christmas story—the drama of Mary, Joseph and Jesus—is playing out of what always has been the case. The light of the world sustains us, not by being over against us, but by being among us, with us, for us, suffering us.

What is so important that Gregory and Athanasius point out is this: This weak child is the one who is holding all creation together. This helpless child is God for us, the only God there is. To wish for a stronger God, one who would save us without also suffering us, is to wish for a salvation that is not patient with the stuff of being human.

This is the Christmas story and the gospel, that the light comes among us and in doing so overcomes the darkness.

And so, as the baby Jesus moves out into the world and continues to take up space and disciples, we are seeing an expanding of the light, radiating out through those disciples, such that the truth of John 1, “that the darkness has not overcome it” becomes a promise Jesus shares with all those who are his disciples.

The call to do likewise

Jesus’ disciples are called to follow in Jesus’ way. They too will share, not only in the hallowing of creation, but also in being abandoned by it; they too will share, not only in Christ’s glory, but also in his suffering. This call is extended to us, as well.

This is the Christmas story and the gospel, that the light of the world shines from within the world, suffering the darkness of the world in order to drive it out, to make holy that which always was destined to share in that holiness which is God. For this is God.

And so, in this Advent season, let us come and take up the cries of the baby. Let us hear his hunger, and let us take him up into our lives like a newborn, frail and irreplaceable. Let us be made alive by the One who is the light in the darkness, and let us be made new in clinging to this child.

For in letting in this weak, defenseless child, we are embracing God and with him who we are meant to be.

Let us, in the words of Gregory, “treat all as God does, so that you may ascend from below to become like God, because he came down from above for us.”

Myles Werntz is assistant professor of Christian ethics and practical theology and the T.B. Maston Chair of Christian Ethics at Hardin-Simmons University’s Logsdon Seminary in Abilene. Email him at Myles.Werntz@hsutx.edu. Views expressed are those solely of the author.

Baptists Preaching is a column from the Baptist Standard. It is not an effort to advance any one theology or style but to present what a collection of Baptists considers a word from God. Likewise, Baptists Preaching offers a repository of Baptist preaching for future study and research. To recommend a sermon to be featured in Baptists Preaching, please contact eric.black@baptiststandard.com.

Troy Allen: Love Like Jesus (John 13:34-35)

Troy Allen, lead pastor of First Baptist Church in College Station, Texas, focuses on the love Jesus demonstrates in washing his disciples’ feet and then calls them to enact. Not only did Jesus call his disciples to a “what”—serving others—he also taught them the “why”—love as the compelling motivation. That love isn’t just any kind of love but is Christ’s love. Quoting a famous song, Allen asks his hearers if what the world needs is love, shouldn’t followers of Jesus show the world what kind of love?

This sermon was delivered during the morning worship services at First Baptist Church in College Station on September 15, 2019 as part four of a series titled “Disciple.”

“And Jesus saw a great multitude, and he felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things” (Mark 6:34).

“The Pharisees answered them: ‘You have not also been led astray, have you? No one of the rulers or Pharisees has believed in him, has he? But this multitude which does not know the Law is accursed'” (John 7:47-49).

In both of the passages above, ‘the crowd’ gets in the way of someone’s plan.

Two interactions with ‘them’

In Mark 6, Jesus had just reunited with his disciples after sending them out to teach, heal and cast out demons. When they returned, Mark reported so many other people were coming and going that they did not have time to eat (Mark 6:3-32).

Jesus and disciples boarded a boat, seeking a place of privacy and rest. Instead, the crowd ran to the landing place, gathering more people as they went, and already were there when Jesus and the disciples disembarked. They were ready to hear Jesus teach, and none of them thought to bring any dinner.

In John 7, the Pharisees and the chief priests set aside their theological differences to accomplish a very practical result—arrest Jesus. Jesus was speaking about being sent by God, many in the crowd believed and wondered aloud whether he was the Messiah, though some doubted his origins.

The Pharisees and chief priests sent the temple police to arrest Jesus. Instead, the officers came back impressed by the things Jesus said and the way he said them. The Pharisees scoffed and insulted the officers by comparing them to the crowd.

How ‘they’ get in the way

In Jesus’ case, the crowd got in the way of rest. Anyone in a position of ministry, service, teaching or healing knows this feeling well. There always is more to do, and no one knows when the next break is going to come.

In the case of the Pharisees and chief priests, the crowd was a threat. If they followed a (presumably) false Messiah, everything would come crashing down, as this same group said in John 11:48: “If we let him go on like this, all men will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

The crowd was a threat because they were gullible, they didn’t know the Law, and they were under the curse, besides. Their opinion on Jesus counted for nothing, because they were ignorant and going to hell.

Two responses to ‘them’

Here’s a curveball for you: The Pharisees probably were right technically. The crowd likely did not know the Law, but even if they did, they certainly were under its curse. For the Pharisees, this meant the crowd’s voice should be ignored. Important decisions such as ‘what shall we do with the one called Jesus?’ were better left to the experts.

Yet, Jesus saw the crowd in a different way, “like sheep without a shepherd.” “Lost,” we might say. Jesus, much more than the Pharisees, had the right to declare the crowd ignorant and hell-bound. If he wished to curse them, he could have done it by right and authority. Instead, “he felt compassion for them.”

Compassion is the major difference between Jesus and the Pharisees and chief priests. The next thing that happened was the miraculous feeding of the five thousand (and more), a miracle of provision and abundance sparked by a heart of compassion.

‘Us’ and ‘them’

Which brings us to “us.” How do we feel about “them?” “Them” is the crowd in your way. “They” are standing between you and a well-earned rest. “They” are ignorant of God’s law. “Their” political views are threatening to bring everything crashing down. “They” should shut up and just let you or whoever you think is an expert be in charge.

If this is the way we feel about “them,” then we can start tithing from our spice rack, blowing a trumpet when we give our offering, and praying, “Thank you, God, that I am not like other people.”

As we enter 2020, we enter another election year. In our homes and our churched, at work and on social media, we will have multiple opportunities to say how we feel about “them.”

What will our family, our coworkers, our congregation, our Facebook friends hear from us? Will they hear, “This ignorant crowd is accursed!” or some version of it?

Or will they hear another voice, a voice of compassion that gives thanks to God before breaking bread and sitting down to feast, a voice in which the crowd discovers that where Jesus is, there is more than enough to go around?

Patrick Adair is pastor of The Crossings Baptist Church in Mesquite, Texas.

Ron Lyles has been senior pastor of South Main Baptist Church in Pasadena, Texas, since August 1981. From deep in the heart of one Texan, he shares his background and thoughts on church and ministry. To suggest a Baptist General Convention of Texas-affiliated minister to be featured in this column, or to apply to be featured yourself, click here.

Background

South Main Baptist Church began in May 1954. I am the second pastor of this wonderful congregation, following Dr. B.J. Martin, who served here for 26 years. After an eight-month interim, I succeeded him.

Where else have you served in ministry, and what were your positions there?

I was the pastor of Brookston Baptist Church from 1971 to 1974, First Baptist Church in Rio Vista from 1974 to 1977, and First Baptist Church in Grandview from 1977 to 1981.

I also have served as an adjunct professor of Old Testament for Southwestern Seminary, Houston Baptist University, Ogbomoso Baptist Theological Seminary (in Nigeria), Logsdon Seminary, B.H. Carroll Theological Institute, Stark College and Seminary and Truett Seminary.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Texas—mostly in East and North Central Texas—and graduated from Decatur High School. My dad was the pastor of churches in Cookville, Naples, Paradise, Tyler and Decatur.

How did you come to faith in Christ?

I grew up in a Christian home. My father experienced a call to ministry at First Baptist Church in Snyder when he was 27. Due to the combination of church and home, I trusted Jesus when I was 6 years old, making my decision public during a revival service at the church where my dad was the pastor. He baptized me after that.

Where were you educated, and what degrees did you receive?

• Dallas Baptist University, Bachelor of Arts in Religion, 1972
• Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Master of Divinity, 1974, and Ph.D., 1980

About ministry life

Why do you feel called into ministry?

I experienced a call from God to ministry during a Royal Ambassador camp at Pineywoods Camp. I shared my decision with my parents, and my dad advised me. I preached my first sermon at 12 years of age at the Temple Baptist Church in Tyler, where Dad was pastor, on Sunday evening, Jan. 27, 1963.

What is your favorite aspect of ministry? Why?

Although I sought the degree that qualified me to teach theological education, I enjoy immensely the privilege of engaging persons of all ages in the local church setting. I love preschoolers, preteens, students, young adults, median adults and senior adults.

What one aspect of ministry gives you the greatest joy?

The proclamation aspect of ministry, in which I interpret a biblical text and seek to deliver its truth creatively for hearers to see the relevance and application to their lives.

What one aspect of ministry would you like to change?

I would like to change the concept some Jesus-followers have that vocational ministers are to perform the ministry of the congregation instead of facilitating and motivating the congregation to do the ministry as a shared commitment.

How has your ministry or your perspective on ministry changed?

I have become more and more convinced that nothing takes the place of personal presence. The presence of the minister in times of crisis is so critical. The balance between preparing to speak for God to the people and embodying the presence of God with the people is crucial to maintain.

How do you expect ministry to change in the next 10 to 20 years?

The adaptation of ministers to the rapidly changing technology and social media landscape and how to adapt the vehicle of proclaiming the good news while maintaining the constancy of the gospel’s truth.

If you could launch any new ministry—individually, through your congregation or through another organization—what would it be? Why?

Individually, a stronger role in advocacy with regard to gender equality in ministry and with regard to lending practices and other social and economic justice matters.

Name the three most significant challenges and/or influences facing your ministry.

• Competing for time with incredibly busy schedules of young families.
• Supervising without micromanaging other ministry leadership team members.
• Knowing when and how to end active ministry gracefully and continue to serve.

What do you wish more laypeople knew about ministry or, specifically, your ministry?

The amount of time required to exegete the Scriptures and to exegete the culture in order to apply the resources of the former to the issues of the latter.

About Baptists

What are the key issues facing Baptists—denominationally and/or congregationally?

The key issue for both is how to represent Christ to our culture in a unified way though we are so divided by hyper-political agendas from the right and the left. How to be the body of Christ rather than a political action committee for either political party.

About Ron

Who were/are your mentors, and how did/do they influence you?

My father, who guided me as a parent and mentor, and Dr. B.J. Martin, my predecessor at South Main, who became my good friend and supporter and provided the best example of collegiality in ministry.

What did you learn on the job you wish you learned in seminary?

Administrative responsibilities in working with a multi-staff congregation.

What is the impact of ministry on your family?

Very positive. Brenda, my wife, is the consummate partner in ministry and loved by South Mainers. All four of our children and their families are involved actively in leadership positions in Baptist churches, two of them here at South Main. One of them, Dr. Tim Lyles, serves as the minister of music and administration at the Southland Baptist Church in San Angelo.

Other than the Bible, name some of your favorite books or authors, and explain why.

• John Grisham, for his exhilarating mystery stories.
• Thomas Cahill, for his interpretation of the contributions of various ethnic groups, especially The Gifts of the Jews and Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter.
• Jon Meacham, for his insightful works in American history, especially The Soul of America.

What is your favorite Bible verse or passage? Why?

Psalm 34:3, the verse that my wife and I have as our life and ministry verse. “Come, glorify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.”

Who is your favorite Bible character, other than Jesus? Why?

Samuel because he responded to the call as a boy. The account of his call by God at night in 1 Samuel 3 was the text for my first sermon in 1963. My dad was my Eli who facilitated my call.

Name something about you that would surprise people who know you.

I am confident publicly but fairly insecure at my core.

If you could get one “do over” in ministry, what would it be, and why?

Supervise fewer persons. Delegate authority and responsibility more to fellow ministers.

HOUSTON—José Altuve, second baseman of the Houston Astros, took some time out of his off-season to pay a surprise visit to a special fan at the Buckner Parkway Place senior living community.

Shirley Clark, who turned 100 years old on Dec. 2, is a die-hard Major League Baseball fan. As a resident of Houston for the second half of her life, the Astros are her team of choice. She watches as many games as she can, whether at the stadium or on TV.

Other Parkway Place residents who want to find out baseball scores and statistics from the previous night know they can ask Clark.

News of Clark’s birthday and her status as a dedicated fan reached Altuve, a six-time MLB All-Star and 2017 American League Most Valuable Player.

Three decades as a missionary in Venezuela

He especially was touched by her work as a Southern Baptist missionary for more than 30 years in his home country of Venezuela.

Prior to living in Houston, Clark and her late husband Charles worked as international missionaries, including in Venezuela. She fondly recalls her time there ministering to those in need and forming lifelong bonds with some of her best friends.

One of her fondest memories was watching Venezuelan children play baseball in the street with a homemade ball and broomstick.

These memories are why her favorite Astros players are the ones from Venezuela, especially José Altuve and Robinson Chirinos.

Conversing in both English and Spanish, Altuve and Clark talked about her time living in Venezuela and what it was like for Altuve growing up there.

She introduced him to some of her children in town for her birthday, and Altuve connected with his wife and daughter via a video call so they could wish Clark a happy birthday, as well.

When their conversation turned to the Astros, Clark showed off her knowledge of player stats.

When asked what she credits as keys to longevity, Clark mentioned enjoying life, eating right and staying active—and getting out to the ballpark whenever possible.

Earlier in the year, Clark was one of 14 Buckner Parkway Place residents who posed for portraits as part of the community’s new campaign, “Life, Experienced.” The campaign captures the varied interests and passions of residents.

Naturally, Clark decked herself out in her Astros apparel and modeled in front of Minute Maid Park.

A once-beloved comedian told about making a cake for his child. He was agitated and grabbed a carton of eggs out of the refrigerator with a bit too much aggression. Coming to his senses, he addressed the audience, saying, “You have to be careful with eggs.”

The same is true of metaphors. You have to be careful with metaphors.

I used a metaphor a couple of weeks ago that had unintended consequences, and I am sorry for what I communicated unintentionally.

The metaphor that went wrong

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the quietness of the BGCT annual meeting. I referred to a garden and pulling weeds. I intended one thing, but some of my readers understood another thing, one of whom wrote a letter to the editor, which I published along with my response.

The letter writer didn’t put me up to an additional response. The reason I’m coming back to this discussion is because I’ve editorialized about the importance of word choice. The words we use matter. The letter writer helped me take another look at my own words.

A metaphor is built on relationships

A metaphor relies on context. Adding to that challenge, contexts differ, taking the received meaning of metaphors along for the ride.

Some of my readers took “pulling weeds” as a direct reference to them. They have felt, with respect to denominational disputes, as though they were treated like unwanted weeds. Others have argued that point, not with garden metaphors, but by saying—right or wrong—those now out of the BGCT chose a path that ultimately led to their being out of fellowship.

Some of my readers may have taken “weeds” as an accurate description of people and churches who no longer are part of the BGCT. These readers may have appreciated the metaphor. They may have agreed, thinking it accurate.

Given the difference between these two groups of readers, my metaphor was not a helpful one, regardless how I intended it.

Responding to readers

To the second group of readers: I was not trying to reduce people and churches from their status as beloved by God to something more like a despised weed to be pulled and thrown away.

To the first group of readers, those who may have thought I called them weeds: I have friends and family among those no longer in the BGCT. It is a source of grief for them and for me. I should have been more careful in the words I chose. I meant you no harm, and I am sorry. I did not intend to reduce you to anything less than who you are—fearfully and wonderfully made in God’s image.

The same goes for both groups of readers. You both are beloved by God.

Be careful. Metaphors are loaded

When we find ourselves holding diametrically opposed views from one another, we tend to draw up sides and reject the opposition. To take the sting out of rejecting people we historically considered part of us, we resort to dehumanization—subtle or blatant.

It’s easier for us to attack, cut off or hurt those we see as less human than ourselves. Sin has so affected us that we don’t seem to mind dehumanizing one another, and once done, we don’t seem to mind hurting one another.

Here’s a test: For Republicans, what do you think about Democrats, or vice versa? For those opposed to same-sex marriage, what do you feel about those who accept it, or vice versa?

And do our thoughts and feelings about one another make our positions any more correct or Christlike?

We will know by our descriptions of one another.

We must guard against dehumanizing others, which is accomplished with dehumanizing words and, yes, metaphors. We must maintain one another’s humanity, even when—especially when—we disagree so strongly with one another.

What’s behind the weed metaphor

It may be too little consolation to know what undergirds my metaphor and much of my thought about the Christian life, but here goes.

Much of my thought about discipleship—a person’s relationship with Jesus and how that person follows Jesus—is informed by the 19th century Danish Christian, writer, philosopher and provocateur Søren Kierkegaard.

Kierkegaard took God, Jesus, the Bible and the church very seriously. Some think he took them too seriously; others think he didn’t take them seriously enough. It’s so easy to disagree, isn’t it?

I’ve spent years reading and studying Kierkegaard’s Christian writings, five of those years for my Ph.D. dissertation. To distill his thought about discipleship into a couple of sentences is difficult, but here goes.

Kierkegaard’s concern was that people submit themselves to Jesus no matter the cost and that each person relate to Jesus with his or her own faith, not with someone else’s faith. For a person to have such a direct relationship with Jesus, that person must allow Jesus to work on him or her inwardly, living in the tension of never being totally certain but always trusting.

Kierkegaard never thought he exemplified his ideas about the Christian life.

Pulling weeds as a metaphor for spiritual formation

I used to be a landscaper. I’ve pulled a lot of weeds, maybe as many as the sand on the shore. I don’t know; I lost count. While I was a pastor, I spent many afternoons meditating as I pulled weeds around our church building.

I tried to pull every weed up by the roots. I didn’t want to break the weed off at the ground because it would just grow back with even stronger roots. Dry clay worked against me, holding fast to the roots as I broke the weed loose. Every time that happened, I knew I would be dealing with that weed again.

If I thought of a specific person while pulling weeds, I asked for God’s help working through a situation with that person or for God to help that person in his or her situation. I didn’t seek for any person to be removed from the church, the community or from life. Mostly, I asked God to rid me of my own sin, to remove it completely from my life so I wouldn’t keep dealing with it.

To my readers, wherever you are in relation to the BGCT, Baptist life in Texas, Baptist life in general or otherwise, every single one of us has the weed of sin growing in us. That weed needs to be pulled out by the roots. We can’t afford to be impatient, imprecise or careless about it, leaving the root to grow stronger while, by all appearances, we look like a well-tended garden.

One weed we need pulled, one that seems to be gaining ground daily, is the weed of dehumanization. It’s sneaky. It’s prolific. It’s deadly. Pull it, roots and all.

Eric Black is the executive director, publisher and editor of the Baptist Standard. He can be reached at eric.black@baptiststandard.com or on Twitter at @EricBlackBSP. The views expressed are those solely of the author.

Baptists Preaching is a column from the Baptist Standard. It is not an effort to advance any one theology or style but to present what a collection of Baptists considers a word from God. Likewise, Baptists Preaching offers a repository of Baptist preaching for future study and research. To recommend a sermon to be featured in Baptists Preaching, please contact eric.black@baptiststandard.com.

Dr. Edward Wagner: Building for the Lord Requires Peace (1 Kings 5:2-5)

Dr. Edward Wagner, senior pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Harker Heights, Texas, emphasizes that anything built for the Lord requires spiritual peace. David wasn’t allowed to build God’s temple because David was not a man of peace. Solomon, by contrast, enjoyed peace on all sides.

All activities of Christians are a way of building something for the Lord. The required peace starts within the self, not within someone else. It involves bringing the self into submission to the Lord’s authority, which results in peace flowing out to everything else. Without this peace, instead of building, Christians will tear down.

This sermon was delivered during the morning worship service at Cornerstone Baptist Church in Harker Heights on September 8, 2019 as part of the series “Making Spiritual Connections.”

“If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

Simon the Pharisee couldn’t resist.

A woman beyond forgiveness?

As Pharisees tended to, Simon thought he knew better, even better than Jesus Christ himself. When Simon saw the woman who “lived a sinful life” was down on the ground weeping at Jesus’ feet, wiping her tears away with her hair while Christ casually reclined at the table, Simon the Pharisee took it upon himself to make sure Jesus knew he needed to stay away from that woman. Simon the Pharisee thought this woman was too sinful, too dirty, too controversial to be anywhere near Christ.

But then, as Christ does with all sinners, he reversed the status of the woman: “Do you see this woman? … her many sins have been forgiven.”

Yet, even after this declaration of forgiveness, the other guests whispered among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” The guests gathered thought this woman was too sinful to be forgiven, so sinful that they began to question the authority of Jesus himself.

In spite of all the murmuring, in spite of what seems to be the guests blatantly ignoring the teaching Jesus just offered in their presence, Jesus went further still, turned to the woman directly and proclaimed, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

A man beyond forgiveness?

Kanye West and his Jesus is King album have revealed too many of us are still like Simon the Pharisee, despite all Christ has done personally for us. Too many of us grumble under our breaths about who this man is rather than shouting out in jubilation about what Christ can do.

Like Simon the Pharisee, we think we are being clever when we proudly say, “It’s just a publicity stunt.”

Like those gathered at the party, we see Kanye West say something we disagree with or think is too far afield and say to ourselves and each other: “See? I told you.”

What have you told us? Have you told us of the miraculous work of Jesus Christ? Of the saving grace only he can offer? Did you celebrate this repentance? Have you forgotten “there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent?” In this case, it is Kanye West who is the one sinner.

Who is beyond forgiveness?

Perhaps, for you, it is not Kanye West whose repentance and newfound faith you meet with cynicism rather than warmth. Maybe it’s your alcoholic uncle who has declared himself for Christ, yet you still struggle to shake his past behavior from your view of him.

For others, it could be a once-distant mother who only now wants to be in your life because Christ is in hers.

Is it the wild friend from college you’re only friends with now on Facebook, whose apparent newfound faith you consider with surprise and maybe a little suspicion?

Are you beyond forgiveness?

There are so many people with so many stories of Christ turning to them and speaking the words he spoke to this woman: “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”

The next time you read about Kanye West or Justin Bieber, hear from your high school friend, read about an inmate on death row, or hear some story of some random sinner turning to Christ, remember: Not that long ago, that someone was you.

“Who is this who even forgives sins?”

Well, Simon, it’s Jesus Christ. And he’s forgiven me, just as he has forgiven Kanye West, who now joins us amongst the chorus of the repentant. Maybe one day soon, it will be the friend or family member sitting across from you at the table.

Praise be to God for this indescribable gift!

Smith Getterman is a graduate of Baylor University and Dallas Baptist University. His work has appeared in the Dallas Morning News, Austin American Statesman, Faithfully Magazine, and the Baptist Standard. You can find him on Twitter @getterman or by email at sgetterman@gmail.com. The views expressed are those solely of the author.

Christians sometimes have misinterpreted and misapplied certain texts from the Bible. This can be out of innocent ignorance, or it can be for more ignoble reasons.

For example, Christians often take Jeremiah 29:11 as a promise of individual prosperity and comfort, when in reality this passage is part of God’s promise to his covenant people as a whole while they prepare to enter 70 years of exile in Babylon.

Another passage I believe gets severely misinterpreted, especially by preachers, is Luke 21:1-4, the story of “the widow’s mite.”

Popular interpretations

“And he looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw a poor widow putting in two small copper coins. And he said, ‘Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on’” (Luke 21:1-4 NASB).

Most interpreters take this passage as a paradigm of “sacrificial giving.” Jesus is lifting up this impoverished widow as an example of how to give financially to the church. “It’s not about how much you give; it’s about how sacrificially you give.” “It’s not about the amount in the plate; it’s about the attitude in your heart.” And so it goes.

However, I believe this fundamentally misunderstands the point of this passage. I think it is mistaken and unwise to preach the text in this way.

The context

Context is everything when interpreting the Bible, and this passage’s context is usually ignored. When this story takes place, Jesus is in the process of fiercely denouncing the temple and its leadership.

In the verses immediately prior to our passage, Jesus says: “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation” (20:46-47).

And immediately after our passage, this exchange takes place: “And while some were talking about the temple, that it was adorned with beautiful stones and votive gifts, he said, ‘As for these things which you are looking at, the days will come in which there will not be left one stone upon another which will not be torn down’” (21:5-6). Jesus then launches into the Olivet Discourse, in which he foretells the way God will judge and destroy the temple.

The historical and cultural context is vital, too. The temple treasury served two purposes. First, it provided the economic means to keep the temple running and support its workers. Second—and this is key—it was meant to provide economic support for the poor, for widows, etc.

The real meaning

Is Jesus commending this widow for her sacrificial giving and piety? He might be; he might not be. That’s not really the point. It is impossible to understand this passage rightly without recognizing its place within Jesus’ condemnation of the temple and its leadership.

This widow has been bankrupted and driven near the point of death by a system that is supposed to care for her and protect her (verse 4). This woman has been economically exploited by the temple and its leaders. This story provides a graphic example of the scribes “devouring widows’ houses.” When Jesus sees this, it’s the last straw.

Jesus pronounced God’s judgment on the temple and its leadership for a number of sins, including the exploitation of the poor and widows. Even if Jesus intended to praise the widow for her behavior, that is not the whole meaning of this passage. If the widow’s piety is in view, it serves as a contrast with the scribes’, further highlighting the temple’s failure.

This passage is not a simple commendation of sacrificial giving; it is part of God’s condemnation of religion that neglects and exploits the poor. And lest you think this is a “liberal, Marxist” interpretation of the passage, consider that preachers no less conservative than John MacArthur have argued this is the correct reading of the text.

Preaching “the widow’s mite”

Popular American preaching of this passage almost always interprets it solely as a paradigm of financial giving. This passage usually is trotted out during giving campaigns. Sometimes, this is well-intentioned, such as for giving to missions. Other times, it is openly exploitative, such as prosperity preachers promising fictional “blessings” in exchange for money.

As I said above, I believe it is mistaken and unwise to ignore the wider context when preaching Luke 21:1-4. Preachers and teachers always should place this text in the context of Jesus’ condemnation of the temple and its leaders. To mention only the contested meaning that Jesus is praising the widow does not do justice to the passage.

Moreover, consider the poorest members of your church. Imagine you’re preaching this text in the popular fashion, and impoverished people in your congregation hear you telling them they need to give all they have left to live on. You may cause them to feel shame for not giving enough when they barely have enough to get by, while also ignoring the church’s responsibility to care for them.

Should we give sacrificially? Absolutely. This widow’s example can serve to confront and convict those of us who are wealthier yet who give only a minute fraction of our income, if anything at all. But we should never forget the condemnation and judgment Jesus pronounces on religious systems and leaders who squeeze cash out of those in poverty.

Joshua Sharp is a Master of Divinity student and graduate assistant in the Office of Ministry Connections at Truett Seminary in Waco, Texas. The views expressed are those solely of the author.

PENGLAI, China (BP)—From the Christmas offering for international missions that bears her name to movies, books and documentaries detailing her life of service, Southern Baptists often hail Lottie Moon as a missionary hero. Now Lottie Moon’s legacy will be preserved beyond Southern Baptist life.

Wulin Shenghui Church of Penglai in Shandong province, where Lottie Moon was a member during her time in Dengzhou, has been designated as a nationally protected historical and cultural site by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, the China Christian Daily reported.

The announcement came just before Southern Baptists began observing the Dec. 1-8 Week of Prayer for the annual Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions. This year’s offering goal is $165 million.

Sandy Wisdom-Martin, executive director-treasurer of national Woman’s Missionary Union, is thankful for the continuing impact of Moon’s legacy.

“We celebrate the decision to protect this location of historical significance,” Wisdom-Martin said. “More than a century later, we still feel the impact of Lottie’s legacy that helped shape our global missionary enterprise. Her sacrifice for the sake of the gospel continues to inspire new generations to fulfill (Christ’s Great) Commission.”

Church built nearly a century and a half ago

Built in 1872 by Southern Baptist missionaries Tarleton and Martha Crawford, the church is still in use, with a current church membership of about 4,000. The church was closed to foreigners in the early 1900s but reopened in 1988.

WMU leaders from the United States were some of the first foreigners to visit Moon’s church once it reopened. Within the walls of the European-style building, WMU leaders discovered a monument dedicated to Moon by Chinese Christians in 1915.

International Mission Board President Paul Chitwood reflected on the vital role Moon has played in Southern Baptist missions throughout the years.

“Lottie Moon’s love for the Chinese people meant that she gave her best to them,” Chitwood said. “And her best was the good news that she shared by her life and witness as a Southern Baptist missionary.

“The Wulin Shenghui Church of Penglai Shandong province was ‘home base’ for Lottie, and we are thrilled to see this site preserved, not as a monument to a missionary, but as a spiritual marker to remind the world that the gospel is worthy of your life. God used Lottie Moon to change China and also to change Southern Baptists forever.

“We’re incredibly grateful for the legacy of her work in partnership with this local church and the more than $4.5 billion given in her honor by Southern Baptists in the past 120 years to advance the gospel toward the vision of people from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, worshiping our Lord.”