Jun 23, 2006 | Miscellaneous, Southern Baptist Issues
I am quite sure you have been praying for Dr. Albert Mohler. I received this today from my seminary e-mail: June 22, 2006 Dear Friends of Southern Seminary, I write to thank you for your prayers for Dr. Mohler in recent days and to update you on his health. The corneal surgery Dr. Mohler underwent on Sunday, June 11th, appears to have been a success. While Dr. Mohler is experiencing varying degrees of pain in the cornea and that eye’s vision will remain very limited, daily the cornea is recovering from the surgery. For this progress we are grateful to God. The surgery, though effective, was not a long-term solution to Dr. Mohler’s corneal problems. Rather, the surgery provided short-term help and it served to prepare the eye for future treatment. Again, thank you so much for your prayers and your many expressions of concern for Dr. Mohler in recent days. With warmest personal regards, Jason K. Allen Executive Assistant to the... read more
Jun 23, 2006 | Personal
My first of two classes began today at Southern Seminary: Project Methodology II. The II at the end of the class name supposes that I have taken and passed the one of similar verbage, yet follwed by I. Oh what a difference a year makes. This particular class tells us how to begin going about writing our doctoral projects. My project has to do with the local church being directly invovled in the formal training of future pastors. This has been a project I have been pursuing for quite some time now and there were moments today that it appeared the prof was not pleased with the project idea. As a matter of fact, he changed a great degree of the focus of the project from the direction I was given a year ago. So, instead of writing another book review this afternoon and evening (which I must still do), I have been rewriting my project proposal. Stacy and James, if you are reading, don’t be worried. . . . Be very worried. Tomorrow will be a deciding day for me on the project. I have reworked my proposal and will shower extra carefully tomorrow so as to be at my persuasive best. Despite some of the tension of the class today, my wife Kelly and I had the joy of having lunch with Pastor Steve Weaver. Some of you who read this blog may know him from the very famous and substantive blog creatively entitled, “Pastor Steve Weaver’s Blog.” Steve is a humble and encouraging servant. He was just finishing a week of classes for his ThM in... read more
Jun 22, 2006 | Personal
My wife, Kelly, and I arrived this evening at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for my final DMin seminar. It was a long day, beginning around 4:00 a.m. this morning and we finally arrived this evening around 7:00 p.m. Ten days of fun and excitement!! I will try and post each day and give a few updates on what we’re... read more
Jun 21, 2006 | Blogging, Ecclesiology, Southern Baptist Issues
Conventional Thinking Dr. Albert Mohler and his comments on the Southern Baptist Convention – now a daily read link. read more
Jun 19, 2006 | Culture
CNN.com – Transcripts Here is the transcript from last weeks discussion of homosexuality and religion. Al Mohler was present on what was a very large panel. I wanted to watch this, but alas, school work... read more
Jun 17, 2006 | Personal
As if I had to say anything. I’m in the throes of finishing work for a DMin class I will attend beginning next week. So, I’m buried in book reviews, project writing, and a bit more reading to do. I’m also trying to begin a series on the book of Romans this Sunday evening. What a book – what a slow process of inductively studying the whole thing at once, which is my aim this week. I would appreciate any prayers you could... read more
Jun 17, 2006 | Deacons, Ecclesiology
The Diaconal Ministry in Acts 6:1-6 Acts 6:1-6 provides the church with an originating account for the office of deacon. Its description is invaluable to see several aspects of diaconal ministry, especially in the issues of roles between pastors and deacons (the Twelve and the Seven), pastors and congregation (Twelve and the multitude), and deacons and congregation (the Seven and the multitude). The passage begins with the setting of an ever growing group of disciples and the emergence of a complaint arising from one segment of the burgeoning church, namely the Greek speaking Jews.[1] The language barrier between the Hellenistic Jews and the Hebrew Jews seems to have been causing an oversight to occur in meeting the needs of the Greek speaking widows in the Christian community. Luke expresses that the complaint was that an ongoing oversight was being felt by the Hellenistic widows and that the complaint was no mere contentless murmuring.[2] The widows were being neglected in the daily “service,” which may indicate that there was more involved than the mere handing out of food. It is possible that the term used here (diakonia) refers to a very broad sense of service and might have included monetary as well as food assistance.[3] This oversight may have been also related to the inability of the Twelve to be able to adequately administrate the daily service of the widows as well as their need to give themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word (6:2, 4). The church at this time may have numbered close to 20,000 people in Jerusalem, thus making the leadership and administrative needs enormous... read more
Jun 17, 2006 | Politics, Presidential History
I love to follow the organization and structure of the White House. Management styles, philosophy of leadership, staff arrangements all intrigue me – its a hobby. Here’s some interesting articles on recent staff changes. Michael Gerson – the voice of President Bush since 1999, Wheaton College grad, and openly conservative evangelical Christian is stepping down. Bush has had some magnificent speeches in his presidency – Gerson was the architect. The new chief of staff, Josh Bolton, says he has finished the shake-up of the West Wing staff. No more high profile staff changes around the bend. Let’s see if they can get the public back on their message. Thrilling,... read more
Jun 13, 2006 | Southern Baptist Issues
Frank Page elected SBC president – (BP) An open opponent to Calvinism becomes SBC President (nothing new) and Mark Dever (a strong Calvinist) of Capitol Hill Baptist was very close to becoming the First Vice President. What slays me is that Wylie Drake took 2nd... read more
Jun 13, 2006 | General Theology, Southern Baptist Issues
Patterson, Mohler: Calvinism shouldn’t divide SBC – (BP) Wish I could have been there for this. Reading Patterson makes me think this was a soft ball for... read more
Jun 3, 2006 | Deacons, Ecclesiology
Parallels Between Acts 6 and Later Deacons Acts 6:1-6 can be seen as the demarcation of the beginning of what would eventually and officially be termed deacon ministry. First, there is a linguistic parallel. The key problem in Acts 6:1-6 is a diakonia (service) problem. The Hellenistic widows were not being served (6:1, diakonia). It was not agreeable to the apostle’s to forsake the word of God in order to serve (6:2, diakonein) tables, because the ministry (6:4, diakonia) of the Apostles would be devotion to prayer and the word. Acts 6:1-6 is fundamentally a passage about diakonia (service). As noted previously, the term diakonia or diakonos can have a very broad range of ministry including physical service as well as the service of preaching and teaching. It clearly has both senses here. However, the focus of the passage is not upon the diakonia of preaching but upon the diakonia of serving the widows, because the Apostles needed assistance so as not to neglect the diakonia entrusted to them. The question remains then in the remaining two passages in the New Testament that directly refer to an official group of leaders who serve alongside the overseers (Philippians 1:1 and 1 Timothy 3:8-13), as to why they are called by this term (diakonoi)? When this linguistic parallel is seen in light of the yet to be mentioned structural/functional and selection parallels, it becomes much more clear that Acts 6 is referring to a deacon body; unofficial as of yet in the development of the church, but nonetheless, an acting body of servants. Second there is a structural and functional parallel... read more
May 28, 2006 | Culture
Poll: Americans like instant gratification – Yahoo! News The Department of Motor Vehicles, the U.S. version of the old Soviet bread line, is among the top spots where Americans hate to wait. But grocery stores are the worst. Most Americans don’t like to wait for anything. I confess that I identify with the majority. I’m convicted that I need to be more patient and kind when waiting for something. I wish I had those qualities right... read more
May 27, 2006 | Miscellaneous
Robertson says he leg-pressed 2,000 pounds – Yahoo! News When will this guy quit discrediting himself and the Christian community? He claims to have leg-pressed 2000 pounds, due to his powerful protein shake. I am a little surprised this charlatan didn’t attribute it to his charasmatic theological stance on prayer and the... read more
May 25, 2006 | Pastoral Ministry
In light of yesterday’s video game post, I found this to be a refreshing reminder: Since the principal business of a preacher of the gospel is to “teach”, or to communicate to his fellow-men the knowledge of the truth, the necessity of this qualification for a pastor to be skilled at teaching is obvious. No one should be allowed to enter the ministry who is not qualified to impart “instruction” to others on the doctrines and duties of religion; and no one should feel that he ought to continue in the ministry, who doesn’t have the work ethic, self-denial, and the love of study that constantly drives him to increase in knowledge, in order that he can be qualified to teach others. – Albert Barnes HT: Steave... read more
May 24, 2006 | Pastoral Ministry
Death by Ministry | TheResurgence Here is some interesting info and advice from Mark Driscoll on a hard-working, but balanced approach to ministry and... read more
May 24, 2006 | Culture
Apple and Nike, Running Mates Add an IPod that will track how far and how fast you run. I’m safe here. No temptation for me on this... read more
May 24, 2006 | Culture
Video games can help cut surgical errors – Yahoo! News So, those surgeons that play video games cut things and pull things out straighter and better than those who do not. O.K., sorry for any comments I’ve made in the past about those who play video games. Now, who will invite me over to learn what an X-Box... read more
May 24, 2006 | Culture
Boo Boo the Chicken dies – Yahoo! News The chicken brought from near death by mouth to beak resuscitation has succumbed to death. My, my, what a dark... read more
