Dan Brown bashing

We were in the newspaper this week. Our local twice-a-month paper ran a front page story about mountain churches trying to "crack" the DaVinci Code. I remember asking one of their reporters whether any other churches were dealing with the book or movie and she turned this into a news story. Apparently there was enough interest to write about it. There was a picture of me in there with several of our members to boot. I haven't had any requests for autographs, though. The reporter also dealt with the subject in an editorial, referring to her experience in one of our sessions. You never know how the media is going to relate church to the public, so you hope for the best.

It's interesting to hear how other churches are handling (or not handling) the book. Of the four churches mentioned in the paper, ours and a Presbyterian church did some type of study on it while the Church of Christ and Episcopal church passed on the opportunity. The two that were doing nothing said things like they were too busy sharing the love of Christ or didn't want to give the Devil any attention other than rebuking him. To each his own, and it's not a test of fellowship to do a study of Dan Brown's book. But, our church is dealing with it to capitalize on a golden opportunity to discuss our beliefs and learn how others view the church.

If I had announced that we were having a doctrinal series on "the person and work of Christ'" or "The authority and inspiration of Scripture" there would not have been the response that I have had since starting the discussion on the DaVinci Code. I regret admitting that, but suspect that this would be true in a large majority of Baptist churches. Talking doctrine with many church members would be a yawner for sure, especially without a catered meal. Many Christians (at least Baptists) accept with the deity and humanity of Christ for the most part and don't need convincing about it. They could use a fresher course to have some ammo to discuss their beliefs with some degree of intelligence (After hearing some Baptist preachers and denominational leaders, you'd think having a little brain power is a bad thing. Besides, you can always say that those who disagree with you "just don't believe the Bible"--I digress). Anyway, Baptists are also "people of the book" and are passionate in their discussion about it. Unfortunately, too many take God's Word for granted because they've "heard all the stories." So, utilizing the DaVinci Code makes sense to demonstrate how faith intersects with real life. There are too many misconceptions about God, Jesus, and the Bible for the church not to respond in a positive way. As one of my theology professors said, "Wrong ideas about God are idolatrous." Bad doctrine messes people up.

We are in the middle of this study and will be finishing up in a few weeks. We've talked about issues raised by the Brown novel with a cup of coffee in one hand and the Bible in the other. The newspaper reporter seemed to suggest we were "focusing" on the DaVinci Code, but in reality we are talking about theological issues that surface in its reading. I have been encouraging by the lively discussion, most recently from our look at "Jesus, Mary Magdelene, and women." Going through the preparation and presentation each week has had an unexpected result, however. I have lamented the fact that many are reading this novel and saying "Yes, that's what I thought about the church all along!" The book deals with the Roman Catholic Church in particular, but the impact is felt along other denominational lines as well. I have also been reminded that apathy toward basic Christian doctrines is causing spiritual decay in our ranks. This has been going on for a long time and we are going to pay a price for it.

This is the 21st century. There have been many assaults on Christianity and the church, so the DaVinci Code isn't the first time. I'm not convinced that the book is "anti-church" or if that was the author's purpose. Some preachers have called it "heresy" or an "epistle from hell" and other less complementary descriptions (By the way, the church hasn't had a great report card throughout certain periods in history). I told our bunch I wasn't endorsing the book or movie version. What we're dealing with is the theological underpinnings of Brown's work, and if that makes us think more seriously about who we are, what we believe, and WHY, the effort will be worth it.

CBF General Assembly in the Rearview Mirror

Well, it's official. I never really doubted how things stood, but it's good to have something in writing to clarify matters for folks inside and outside the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF). Perhaps the most important business to occur during the Atlanta General Assembly pertained to the approval of a Preamble to the CBF Constitution. The Preamble reads:

As a fellowship of Baptist Christians and churches, we celebrate our faith in the One Triune God. We gladly declare our allegiance to Jesus Christ as Lord and to His gospel as we seek to be the continuing presence of Christ in this world. Our passion is to obey the Great Commandment (Mt 22:34-40) and the Great Commission (Mt 28:19-20) of our Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit, and to uphold Baptist principles of faith and practice as we partner with one another and other Christians.

This statement was approved with very little discussion in the business breakout session and without any debate in the open assembly. I'm very pleased about this addition to the Constitution and believe it will serve as a guiding principle in the CBF's business. As one attendee stated, "More people know the preamble of the US Constitution than they do the Constitution itself." This is an addition that CBF individuals and churches can proclaim when asked about CBF priorities.

The keynote speakers all gave challenging addresses. First, Moderator Joy Yee, a Chinese-American, talked about the importance of becoming inclusive in our service to the gospel with those of different races and nationalities. This is one issue that CBF is attempting to improve upon. Next year's moderator, Emmanuel McCall, is an African-American. It is good so see this diversity on the platform as well as in workshops and worship gatherings. Second, Trevor Hudson gave a stirring message on the theme "Have you got the ticket?" A South African Methodist, Hudson gave thanks for the privilege of speaking to a group of Baptists. He compared the CBF to a train headed for ministry to the poor and overlooked in the world. Hudson was also a leader in the AIDS Summit preceding the General Assembly. Finally, Coordinator Daniel Vestal reemphasized CBF's dedication to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the authority of God's Word, Baptist principles, women in ministry, justice, missions, and ministry to those most neglected in the world. Vestal mentioned that after 15 years, CBF has grown in its mission, ministries, and members.

Lori and I attended several workshops between sessions and enjoyed lunches sponsored by the Baptist Center for Ethics and the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (BJCRL). We sat by Joe and Carolyn Crumpler at the Ethics luncheon; Carolyn (known then as Weatherford) served as the national WMU Director for years before taking early retirement. It was good catching up with Joe and Audra Trull as well. Joe was Professor of Ethics at New Orleans Seminary when I was a student there and helped a great deal during my doctoral studies. He and Audra are special friends to Lori and me.

Dr. Walter (called "Buddy" by friends) Shurden gave the keynote speech at the BJCRL luncheon. Next to the approval of the CBF Preamble, his remarks were the most meaningful part of the week. Buddy talked about the danger of seeing the "Wall of Separation" between church and state collapsing and gave several examples of how this was happening today. He said several times "it could happen here" in relating to the fall of Germany to Hitler and how Germany was blessed with religious and cultural leaders at the time of their fall. No one then could have imagined what would happen. The church became filled with "German Christians" who were more passionate about the first word in the phrase than the latter. In a similar way, there are "American Christians" who are convinced that we live in a "Christian nation" and are working toward merging church and state into a theocracy. It's a dangerous thing when we depend upon the government to do the work of the church. The "separation of church and state" is a precious principle and must be upheld.

Sometimes folks ask how CBF is doing. I'm reminded of what Bo Prosser said to that question in 2004. He said, "About as well as any 13 year old I know." Well, CBF is only 15 years this year but has made significant strides. It's not perfect and has its critics. But, it is a home for Baptist individuals and churches who are seeking to be "the presence of Christ" through word and deed.

The CBF General Assembly meets in Washington D.C. next year. There will be some association with the American Baptist Convention who gathers there at the same time. The two groups will celebrate their commonalities with Baptist missions, ministry, and distinctives.

Still Baptist after all these Years

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly begins this Tuesday in Atlanta. I'm looking forward to the events of week and praying for a good experience. Having Lori with me will add to the enjoyment of these next few days at the World Congress Center.

The last time I attended a CBF meeting in Atlanta it was to hear former President Jimmy Carter. There were about 8,000 people gathered the night he spoke. I remember being overwhelmed at the attendance and moved by the former President's remarks. Regardless of how you feel about him as a political figure, he has demonstrated a genuine concern for Baptist life and has been active in making the world a better place. Some have called him the best former president we've ever had. His comments on denominational life, in particular, struck a chord with me and I realized I had found a home with the CBF.

The CBF is not perfect by any means. One thing that I appreciate about the organization is its missions emphasis and appreciation for local church autonomy. This means that there are some churches out there that give financially to the CBF with whom I might differ theologically. This is confusing to non-CBFers and a source of criticism which tends to ascribe "guilt by association". To buy into this tactic is to miss the purpose of the Fellowship. The primary concern of the CBF is to be resource for Baptist Christians and churches to "be the presence of Christ" in the world through our words and actions. If the confession "Jesus Christ is Lord" has real meaning for you, then you'll find a home among CBFers.

It is a wonderful privilege to serve as pastor of a church that appreciates Baptist distinctives and celebrates our freedom in Christ. One lesson I've learned is that we were never "God's last and only hope" and bigness isn't all it's cracked up to be. I remember one of my seminary professors saying "the greater the good, the greater the danger" meaning we can succumb to the temptation of pride in our accomplishments if we're not careful. Our church has a good mix of SBC folks, CBFers, and some who don't know or care what the fuss is about. The vast majority of our people, however, are concerned about the SEC (Southeastern conference--I do live in Tennessee). We don't make these preferences a litmust test for fellowship or membership. It's quite a diverse and educated group, one that proclaims Jesus Christ as Lord, affirms the authority of God's Word, and is passionate about missions and caring for one another.

It is refreshing to find a larger body of people who believe these things as well. There is quite a lot of good outside the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message box. Anytime you meet with Baptists, there will be differences but hopefully we can agree that people need the Lord. The old adage "in essentials unity, non-essentials liberality, and in all things charity" resonates with me and other like-minded Baptists. I'm looking forward to rubbing shoulders with folks like that this next week at the General Assembly.

Check those Refrigerators!

The Southern Baptist Convention in Greensboro produced some interesting news. The election of Dr. Frank Page as SBC President proved somewhat of an upset in that he was selected by rank and file Southern Baptists rather than handpicked by the current power brokers. Page appears to be a fundamentalist like his predecessors but doesn't want to be mean about it. It will be interesting to see what, if any, impact this selection will make.

Even more amazing is the fact that there are things left to argue about after all the "moderates" were exiled about 25 years ago. Out of the blue comes this resolution on alcohol. It would ensure that no trustee of a Baptist institution touches a drop of the stuff while serving in that capacity. I guess it's okay to drink as long as you're not aspiring to be a trustee of something in the SBC.

Now I'm not an advocate of using alcoholic beverages and will take a Diet Coke over a beer any day. Abstaining from the beverage is a good thing and you don't need the old Church Covenant to tell you that. My questions are "Why stop with the ban on drinking alcohol?" and "How can you enforce it?"

I guess the "refrigerator patrol" will be out in full force to check what is being chilled in the homes of trustees from now on. Perhaps the honor system would work. But, trust doesn't seem to work well in the SBC. What does it say that there has to be a resolution on this matter at all?

There are so many other vices to consider that I'm surprised they stopped with just one. I mean, tobacco has to be among those at the top of the list. I've buried more people who died of cancer than by consuming too much alcohol. Cancer is such a dreaded disease it would have been a logical choice. Of course, the convention was in North Carolina and that wouldn't have been popular on tobacco row.

How about obesity? Food is one subject that all Baptists know something about. Nothing wrong with eating and meeting. Honestly, can you think of an easier stipulation to enforce? All you have to do is look at somebody and say "you've tipped the scales too much big boy!" Plus, the consumption of alcohol and use of tobacco can be easily done in secret. You can do these vices in the privacy of your own home but overdo it on the sweets and you are in real trouble. You can put down a beer can somewhere but that pouch stays with you all the time. Of course, the obesity rule may have been unrealistic because it would have made finding eligible trustees even more difficult. You'd have to have a picture of them before voting them in and finding someone to verify the percentage of fat would have been a real chore.

There are biblical references to avoiding alcoholic beverages and specifically against drunkeness. Yet, Jesus turned water into wine (Jn 2:9) and the Apostle Paul advised Timothy to "use a little wine because of your stomach and frequent illnesses (I Tm 5:23). Folks who claim to know so much about the Bible ought to realize this. A better approach could have been to adopt Paul's principle that that our bodies are "the temple of the Holy Spirit" and each one should "glorify God with your body" (I Cor 6:19-20). This principle would have covered the whole range of behavior for trustees and other Southern Baptists alike. The way things are now, even Jesus and Paul wouldn't qualify for service in the SBC.