Check out Ed Stetzer's post about the current decline of the Southern Baptist Convention. Joe Thorn and I have been blogging on these issues for years, and Ed offers some very good commentary and critique. I'm very thankful for guys like Stet who are speaking to the convention honestly and directly. Here's a snippet...
Baptisms are at their lowest levels since 1970 with seven of thelast eight years showing annual declines. Even though some might hope
the decline in membership numbers is due to lack of reporting, the
inescapable conclusion is that baptisms by individual churches is
falling off. (LifeWay Research will provide more analysis in the next
month.)
For now, Southern Baptists are a denomination in decline. Some of
you were born into an SBC church; others of us chose it of our own
accord. Either way, it is dear to us all. Our responsibility before God
is, then, to urgently consider how we should respond.
A Cubs hater (meaning, someone who likes another team) sent me a video filmed from the bleachers of Wrigley Field. In it two fans, who probably had too much to drink (it's a Cubs game, duh), decided to have a hot dog eating context. The result is worth watching. There is at least one word that is not for kids, so please heed the WARNING: Not for kids or judgmental Christians...
My 9 year old, Jack, had a writing project for his 3rd grade class. The project was to write a short essay about someone he knows who helps people. Jack, fresh off an evening watching American Idol's Idol Gives Back, decided he would write about the great philanthropist he knows, Carrie Underwood. The teacher explained to Jack that he doesn't know Carrie Underwood. He was heartbroken and didn't know what to write. The teacher asked Jack if he might know someone, you know, who helps people. Jack decided to write about his Dad, me, a pastor. Here's the essay. I left his spelling and punctuation in tact.
My dad helps people by preaching, yes he's a paster. He goes to church on Sundays the first and last out of church to awnser questions from the church. And sometimes people from the church come to our house for prayer meetings while kids come in the basement to play (if there are any). I think if I had to chose a dad I would chose this one. Our family sometimes we go to different churches but the church I like most is our church. And I know my Dad is teaching lots of things to the church, such as My Mom and children in church in sunday school, so I know my Dad is the paster in church and he's helping people learn about God. But he is also a good photographer, he also puts his pictures on the wall by the ordering area at StarBucks at the square, you should see them there...So that's my Dad almost my favorite parent.
I have now won the second blog voting contest! That has picked me up, between the two contests, $175 in online bookstore gift certificates: $50 for Westminster Seminary bookstore, $50 for Amazon, and $75 for Eisenbrauns. Woohoo! I will order The Reason for God copies from Westminster and Amazon. Eisenbrauns was a late addition to the first place prize and doesn't carry Keller's book, so I will be picking up some books for my personal library. Thanks for all your effort! And thanks to Scot McKnight for his effort to find some votes for me.
On a side note, the total official vote count for all blogs was "666" as you can see by the screen capture. While some might find that a bit off-puttin', I think it's awesomely hilarious.
O Lord, let there be a blog contest for the cost of hotel, airfare and conference fee for the Total Church North America Conference. I WANT TO GO!!!
This is a must see. Remember the 1991 song by Sophie B. Hawkins, "Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover?" Go refresh yourself if you need to. I remember the cool beat, and I remember thinking "Are you allowed to say 'damn' on the radio?" I guess so.
Do you ever wish people could just leave those memories alone? Well, Sophie B. Hawkins had to go and jack it all up by putting together this tragic remake for Hillary's campaign, "Damn, I Wish You Were President." True story. Honestly, if I were Hillary and this is the kind of things people did to support me, I would cry after every primary too. Don't miss the chance to buy your "Damn, I Wish You Were President" T-shirt. Ugh.
This is a funny spoof on The Sopranos ending by Hillary and Bill Clinton for Hillary's campaign. It's a set up to announce her campaign song. I wouldn't vote for Hillary if she were a close relative or the only candidate, but I still like the idea for this video. Oh, and don't miss the "Johnny Sack" cameo.
Update on sabbatical last week. I was greatly encouraged by Jonathan Edwards' Personal Narrative. I also listened (again) Tim Keller's "Being the Church in Our Culture" and "Doing Justice" from the Reform & Resurge conference last year. Every time I hear Keller I stop at some point and freak out by how good it is.
I dunno, I thought it would be fun to put up 13 things worth looking into on this cold and rainy Thursday in Chicagoland. This is going to be pretty random, but I expect most of you will find a gem in there somewhere. In no particular order but numbered for your counting pleasure...
1. Dwight Schrute Video (via Marko): "selling paper, fighting evil." A hilarious, Schrutastic 2 minutes of pure Office-alicious enjoyment. Please use this opportunity to stay in touch with your inner Schrute, who "has the strength of a grown man AND a little baby."
If you speak and discourse as if your
whole neighborhood is present eventually more and more of your
neighborhood will find their way in or be invited. Why? Most
Christians, even when they are very edified in church, know intuitively
that their non-Christian friends would not appreciate the service. What
you want is for a Christian to come to your church and say, "Oh! I wish
my non-Christian friend could see (or hear) this!" If this is
forgotten, soon even a growing church will be filled with Christians
who commute in from various towns and communities far and wide rather
than filling up with Christians and seekers from your church's
immediate neighborhood.
Here are a few things to look for: 1) They are not just open to the
gospel but they receive the gospel freely. 2) They are in a position
of great influence over their family, friends and within the
community. 3) They have the ability to introduce church planters into
their sphere of influence effectively. 4) They are also great
"bringers and includers" of others into the life of the church.
5. Joe Thorn shamed me to switch my feed reading to Google Reader. Great recommendation. I've added a daily updated list on my left sidebar that shows what I liked from my feeds.
This is Joe Thorn's photo of Mark, Greg Thornbury, and Jacob. That rainbow is my creation.
Only the man with amazing magical powers to spread cheer rather than anger and judgment can be accepting to bloggers and bushy haired students alike. Bravo Greg, bravo.
I was watching some of the Pro Bowl with my sports fanatic 6 year old son, Elijah. He asks so many questions during sporting events that I often miss the on-air discussions with the "experts." Yeah, I know talking with my kid is way better than listening to Greg Gumbel, but sometimes I really want to hear what they are saying.
After tonight, I will never question the priority of listening to my son. Somewhere around question/comment #1,724 he noticed that a guy on the Redskins was playing where Brian Urlacher would play. I missed the first half of his comment as I was coming out of my game-mode zombie state and switching to loving-dad-mode, but he said something like, "Dad, did you notice that a guy from the Rednecks is playing where Urlacher plays?"
Where in the heck has he heard of rednecks? I think he has listened to too many Mark Driscoll sermons.
I'm through season one of The Office and a few episodes into season two. Man, this show is funny.
I know there are a bunch of Office lovers out there. Anyone have a favorite episode or moment? So far my favorites are Diversity Day and any time Dwight says or does something.
