moderateBaptists.com

David Allen makes a lot of sense and I appreciate his wisdom on Getting Things Done. He is writing some articles for Business Week, one of which is a reminder of the problem that arises from trying to deal with the too much stuff we possess and manage. The article has a lot of good info on how to deal with it all and there are plenty of spiritual truths to be gleaned from it as well.



A quick look at the landscape of American churches shows that we are not GTD, but are a complacent, overly-resourced, under-actioned bunch. We must decide what to do with our "stuff" and keep asking the question, "What's the next action?"



See link here for Allen's article:



Time Management A Mislabeled Problem - BusinessWeek

Conservative evangelical pastor and author Rick Warren has offered some advice for pastors on endorsing politicians--don't do it! He explained recently:

I don't support anybody for president publicly. ... I never endorse. I never campaign.

On another occasion he said:

I don't think it's right for pastors to endorse in the first place. ... I would never endorse a candidate. I would never campaign for a candidate.

Amen! Although he started to wade fairly deep into partisan politics in 2004, he has taken a much more balanced approach this time around. As a result, it is Warren who will host the first campaign forum where both John McCain and Barack Obama will attend. Hopefully, Warren's advice will be taken seriously by pastors. Otherwise, a pastor might drive people away from the church--and even God--because of partisan involvement.

In my capacity as editor of Formations Adult Bible Study, I was aware of this since last week: Cooperative Baptist Fellowship pioneer Cecil Sherman has been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. Now that the word is out and I no longer feel constrained from discuss ing the matter, I still have nothing to say. Well, one thing: “I’m [...]

I finished Karen Traviss's first Republic Commando novel last night. Way, way too late last night. Amy says I should self-impose a reading curfew and that sounds like a good idea right about now. The book itself is quite good. Unlike most things Star Wars, Hard Contact focuses on the adventures of a squad of commandos thrown together after their original squads are destroyed in the Battle of

The Arklon Black King is so rare it’s difficult to find photographs of it, much less the actual toy. It was produced in Japan by Ark in the 1970s, and was part of a series of six robots based on characters from the Ultraman television series. The Black King was the only part of the [...]

According to an AFP story: US President George W. Bush plans to attend church while in China for the opening of the Olympic Games next month, and will speak about freedom of religion, a top aide said Wednesday. "When he...

You have all heard about the McCain latest juvenile attack on Obama that compares the Illinois Senator to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears? Well, evidently, the Hilton family are big McCain supporters and they don't appreciate the ad. Heh.

Everywhere I turn, I read sharp critiques of McCain's campaign. It started out with the man saying he would run a dignified campaign that was respectful of Obama. Then he is saying that Obama would win a political campaign even if it meant losing a war. Then he bashes Obama for not visiting the wounded troops (even as he shows a clip of Obama playing basketball with the troops) and we learn today that McCain had a clip ready that was going to bash Obama for visiting the troops if he went.

No wonder lifelong Republican and Ike's grandaughter, Susan Eisenhower is not only endorsing Obama, but says today that McCain's campaign shows that the Republican Party is out of ideas.

Hannah Farber blogs about a new report entitled Levelling the Playing Field: Advancing Women in Jewish Organizational Life. I have not read the report yet, but it seems to me that those of us who are trying to encourage recognition...

"A diverse coalition of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish leaders is calling on the Democratic and Republican parties to address poverty in a primetime speech during their respective presidential nominating conventions." Here's more from the Jewish Council for Public Affairs press...

Daniel Nocera, a chemist at MIT, has made a breakthrough discovery for green energy. Mimicing the way photosynthesis works in plants, he has discovered an inexpensive way to store solar energy for use when the sun is not shining. Here's a quote:

He said the discovery could have major implications for the uptake of solar photovoltaic technology. One of the reasons, he said, why solar panels have not penetrated the consumer market properly is that no one has found a way to store energy in a way that, when the Sun is not shining, people still have electricity. "You can't think about an energy economy or a global energy system only when the sun is out."

Batteries could do the job but they cannot store anywhere near as much energy per unit mass as chemical fuels. Nocera's technique would allow the storage of excess energy from sunlight during the daytime. "You could imagine, during the day you have a photovoltaic cell, you take some of that electricity and use it in your house, then take the other part of that electricity for my catalyst, feed the catalyst water and you get hydrogen and oxygen."

At night, the hydrogen and oxygen could be recombined in a fuel cell to produce an electrical current to power a home or recharge an electric car. "So I've made your house a gas station and a power station. It's all enabled because we can use light plus water to make a chemical fuel, which is hydrogen and oxygen."

“Canon” comes from a Greek word meaning “reed” or “measuring stick.” It is the technical term within Christianity for the list of books agreed as being divinely inspired and authoritative in the church. Although Judaism does not use this terminology, preferring simply to speak of “the Scriptures,” Jews also wrestled in the early centuries with [...]

Here are some of my thoughts on the usage of the word, gospel in the Bible. I am no theologian and didn't look into what more learned folk had to say about this, these are just my thoughts, for what they're worth.

1. While the word, gospel, means merely "good news" in the regular sense of the phrase, biblical authors seem to be using the word to mean some specific set of teachings/beliefs beyond just the regular sense. As if they appropriated the regular word as a shortcut term to mean something beyond just the regular sense. Again, that's just how it sounds to me.

For instance, when Mark begins his book, he says, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." (Mark 1:1)

Or:

"For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it." (Mark 8:35)

Or:

"The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it." (Luke 16:16)

It feels like, to me, that they're using the word gospel to mean something specific, instead of generically, good news about God, or God's Kingdom. Like in that last verse, as if BEFORE John, the body of teaching known as "the Law and the Prophets" were taught and AFTER John, the body of teaching known as "the gospel" was taught.

Perhaps someone more informed knows more about this contextually, I'm just offering up how it sounds to me.

2. The word, gospel is, in my estimation, tied fairly closely to Jubilee teachings and to matters of wealth and poverty in the four books of the Gospels.

In the just-quoted Luke 16 passage, the term comes up as Jesus is juxtapositioning the way of the Pharisees (who were "lovers of money") to the "gospel of the kingdom of God" (and, as an aside, what is Jesus indicating when he said, "and everyone is forcing his way into it..."?)

In Luke 4, where Jesus quotes the book of Isaiah and so announces the beginning of His ministry, Jesus says, "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME,BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR.HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES,AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND,TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD."

In so doing, it seems to me that Jesus is saying that his ministry (and the teaching of the good news of the kingdom of God) is very much tied to preaching the gospel specifically to the poor and otherwise marginalized. Now, I'm not saying that I think that means that Jesus doesn't care about the rich, I'm just saying that this is how that verse (and others like it) come across. To me, anyway.

By my estimation, of the 17 times the word comes up in the four Gospels, 9/17 of the time, it is used fairly explicitly in connection with the poor, sick and marginalized. An additional four times (or 13/17), there is a monetary subtext in the passages surrounding the use of the word. Then, in four instances (4/17), there appears to be no direct connection to wealth and poverty.

Another example, even before Jesus we see that John the Baptist is preaching "the gospel" (in Luke 3) and tying it specifically to economic conditions. When the people are asking John of what they should repent and how they should change, John tells them (quite gruffly) if a person has two tunics, he should share one of them with those in need. "and he/she who has food should do likewise." Tax collectors and soldiers should not over-collect and the soldiers should be content with their wages.

This passage concludes, "So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people." which suggests to me, "SO, with many other similar exhortations, John preached the good news..." The gospel, for John the Baptist, seems quite connected to economic practices, with economic justice and living simply.

Indeed, when John (in prison) sends some followers to check out Jesus, Jesus tells them to tell John, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM."

3. In Luke 9, we see Jesus sending the twelve apostles out to preach the good news and proclaim the kingdom of God. That phrase seems to be used interchangeably. In verse 2, Jesus sends them out to "proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing." In verse 6, it is said that they began "preaching the gospel and healing everywhere."

It seems to me that the word, gospel, as used in the four Gospels is very associated with proclaiming the Kingdom of God, which IS good news for the poor and for the ill and marginalized. So, it seems to me, the question is, WHAT is the kingdom of God or the kingdom of Heaven so often referenced in connection with the gospel?

So, perhaps Eric is on to something inasmuch as it might be important for us to discern what exactly is meant when the terms "kingdom of God" and "kingdom of Heaven" are being used.

4. The word, gospel, as used in the rest of the NT, has a different flavor to it - less attached to issues of poverty and marginalization than in the Gospels. Because this post is already long, I'll consider that further on another day. But if anyone has thoughts as to why this is, I'll be glad to hear them.

And, of course, I'm glad to hear further thoughts on any of my opinions on the gospel as found in the Gospels.

My two outside rides this week took place under sweltering conditions.  Temperatures have been in the upper 90s, with heat indexes exceeding 100.  This is what we call Stupid Heat. Additionally, there has been a persistent wind—just enough to make my inbound efforts gruelling when I should be spinning easy on the way home.  During [...]

One of my students turned 21 today. Here’s how she celebrated!

My students did a group project yesterday. Here are a few pics:

Obviously, there were some difficult vocabulary words!
Category Three: Those Damn Words!

I’m so proud!

Salon published this essay...a quotation:For science to become a true object of worship, it must elbow aside the reassuring and seductively simple belief that "God loves you." This deeply personal faith statement would have to be replaced with one that says something like: "The cosmos worked really long and hard to create you and you should be really appreciative."Faith matters...whether it's faith in YHWH or some "original cause."...

Margaret Elizabeth Perry is from Dallas, Texas and will begin her second year at Texas Tech School of Law this fall. Margaret Elizabeth worked for Buckner Foundation after graduating from the University of Richmond in 2006 and is now serving as an intern in Buckner’s legal department.

Much of what defines us as millennials is determined by the effects of globalization: an economic, technological, sociocultural, and political process that transforms a local thing or phenomena into something global.

The world and the people on it are at our fingertips through Facebook, Google, MySpace, YouTube, Wikipedia, etc. Just the other day, my friend Wendy asked me to be her friend on a social network called “Hi5.”

While our eyes are so easily accustomed to the spotlight that constantly shines on the United States, let’s remember that the term “millennial” is not limited to the 18-year-olds to 20-somethings of our 50 states.

Our generation sweeps the globe and includes those emerging adults on all seven continents. So while we could easily define the term millennial by American standards, let us learn something from our millennial cohorts in other parts of the world.

Let me tell you about some fellow millennials from whom I have learned a lot recently.

Yesterday I alluded to my most recent trip to Guatemala. Our second day of ministry began by driving to a small church in a “suburb” of Antigua—Hocotenango. There, we met up with the 20-odd teenage boys and girls who live in Buckner Transitional Homes. Some of you may know their stories; and let me tell you, they are truly a testament to God’s faithfulness and his use of Buckner to transform the lives of hurting children.

It was a Sunday morning, and our Buckner friends had traveled from their homes in Guatemala City to come and serve with us. Yes…I said serve with us! These friends are no different than you and me, millennials. They email, go to school, play sports, and talk on their cell phones; but at one time, they lived in the very orphanages in which Buckner mission teams serve.

So that morning, our team more than doubled in size as we served along side our Guatemalan friends. Through the Shoes for Orphan Souls program, we were able to place shoes on the precious feet of children at the church in Hocotenango as well as those in a mission church on the side of the volcano.

During a lunch break at the local Subway, I walked up to a table where my mom, Chiqui (Director of Buckner Guatemala), and several of the transitional girls were chatting. The girls had asked if they could go with us to Manchen that afternoon. I was amazed that the conversation was even occurring. Manchen is an ugly place which all of those girls had endured. One girl had just left the home six months ago after seven years of living within those jail-like walls. Much to my surprise, Chiqui thought the girls were ready to go back.

I explained to my friends that we desperately needed their help in connecting with the Manchen girls; the previous day, those girls wanted nothing to do with us. So we prayed and we strategized.

When we arrived at Manchen, the team immediately walked to the opposite side of the courtyard and sat down. We discussed the Beatitudes and asked, “What does it mean to be ‘poor in spirit’?” One by one Susy, Celeste, Fiama, Mary Cruz, Maggie, Lizet, Vilma, and Irma answered that question, and several of the Manchen girls began to chime in. Then, an amazing thing happened. One of the transitional girls started sharing her story.

Girls, I feel your pain. I lived here in Manchen, and I understand the horror you face day-to-day. I understand where you have come from and where you would be if you didn’t live in this place. I understand the abuse and neglect you have received from family members. I understand the evil and injustice that you have battled on the streets and in your homes. But God saved me from this place. I prayed daily that he would deliver me to a better life, and he was faithful. Do not lose hope. Draw close to God, and he will protect you.

Each transitional girl shared her story of God’s faithfulness and how Buckner gave her the opportunity to leave Manchen and start a new life.

I stood in the orphanage amazed at those words of wisdom and hope and at how the Manchen girls responded. Those once hardened and unresponsive girls opened their hearts and cried out for God.

Later that afternoon, we left Manchen and stood outside the orphanage amidst the racing chicken buses and diesel fumes. I told the girls how much they had taught me that day. They taught my about perseverance and faithfulness and service. They taught me about putting my hope in God. They had been victims of the injustices and evils of this world and only through God’s grace and redemption are they now able to serve those girls in Manchen.

Then, I heard one girl speak up and say, “We understand what it means to serve and love our sisters in Manchen because you once came to Guatemala to serve and love us. This is God’s calling on my life. I want to serve Him and His people. I want to work for Buckner.”

Then it clicked. She is my fellow millennial. They are our fellow millennials. We are all the future…and the future of Buckner. 130 years ago Father R.C. Buckner started this organization to serve the orphan children and widows of the Civil War. I wonder if he ever imagined that a girl from Guatemala and a girl from Dallas, Texas, would have come together to continue his mission and live out James 1:27, to look after orphans and widows.

I praise God for using Buckner to inspire millennials to unite and serve our Lord and Savior!  

Steve asked some great questions in his reply to my last post that I want to address.

What is the difference between his ‘hate’ and yours?

Painting a broad swath of people with a broad brush stroke, based on what news channel they watch, is just as bigoted as anything that news channel may put out.

I could be wrong here, but here’s my justification.
1. A lot of prophets including Jesus engaged in name-calling, but they restricted it to the hypocrites and folks who were self-righteous. I don’t think I’m better than anyone and I’m open to criticism. I have never been described as self-righteous. Those who know me can testify to that. Pointing out errors within the “Christian” community is not hate.
2. Christians who cannot see how offensive and hate-filled the Fox News folks are are idiots. Sorry. That’s just how it is. Folks who call themselves Christians and are racists are idiots too since they don’t see how racism is inconsistent with the message of Jesus.
3. Idiots aren’t necessarily bad people. I was raised in a very racist context. When I was a kid, I told jokes about persons from various ethnic backgrounds and didn’t think anything of it. However, as I grew up and became more reflective about the message of Jesus, I realized that what I had done was sinful and I needed to change. I realized that I was a sinner and an idiot.
4. I think Christians who watch Fox News and are not offended by the hatred and bad behavior of the folks on the air are idiots. God still loves them and I do my best to love them too, but they’re still idiots.
5. When folks on the other stations start telling people to “Shut up!” and cut their microphones off, then I’ll find them offensive too. Why can’t Christians see this is wrong?
6. When CBS or NBC or any other “news” station refers to Michelle Obama a “baby momma,” I’ll find that offensive too. Why can’t Christians see this as racist?
7. Would real networks joke about a terrorist fist jab? Is this really Fair and Balanced? If you think it is, then you’re an idiot.
8. I could go on, but these ought to be enough. If it’s not, you might be an idiot too. I’m not saying that you’re a threat to America (But I probably should.) and I would never use violent terms such as “war against” or other terms that might be used to justify violence against idiots.

My brother Michael will no doubt disagree with half of this post by Mark D. Roberts, while my other brother Michael is just as likely to disagree with the other half. Platypus that I am, I think Roberts has it right on both issues.