Attending The Convention

The 2009 Southern Baptist Convention is now history. We met in Louisville, KY this year. The facilities were great, but there were few restaurants nearby. However, one could get "fast" food from vendors at the hall. I noticed they all had "sweet" tea. Yes, Virginia, we are in the South.

We had a break Wednesday afternoon. Since I had never seen The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, we drove through the campus during their open house celebrations. It is a beautiful setting- lots of tall trees, red bricks, and white pillars. The neighborhood around it is gorgeous. Again, this is the South.

We also visited the Louisville Slugger bat factory. We were taken through the shop while various aspects of bat manufacturing were described. Any baseball fan would love the tour, not to mention the souvenir bat you are given as you leave. NOTE: YOU CANNOT TAKE THE BAT ON A PLANE WITH YOU. IT IS CONSIDERED A WEAPON. IT WILL BE CONFISCATED.

But back to the Convention. I thought it went smoothly, despite some hyped headlines like this one on a 95-5 percentage vote: "Vote Reveals Underlying Tensions in SBC." What?

There were also some way-out-there motions made. One would think the convention was all about Pepsi, the KJV Bible, and Mark Driscoll. These were blips on the radar.

The big news was the overwhelming vote to establish a Great Commission Resurgence panel. I'll have another blog post on this one. The news is out- the SBC has lost membership, baptisms are down, and so is missions giving. Something needs to be done. I see nothing wrong with the evaluation of structure and program. But I fear that this will be like so many programs that come down the pike to local Baptist churches. Much noise and effort are made. In the end, little changes.

We heard some great preaching. David Platt is a 27 year young rising star. We will be hearing much more from him. One preacher did something I've never seen at a Convention. He used a visual aid. It was a round bottomed fire bucket. He used it to make the point that the bucket is not meant to sit somewhere. It is meant to be passed on- like the gospel. I have been working with creative illustrations lately, so I was intrigued. I noticed that the audience was as well, especially when the bucket fell off the podium with a loud thud. The preacher had everyone's attention. Even those who seemingly wander aimlessly around stopped to take note. Drooping eyes popped open. Maybe I need a fire bucket next Sunday.

We were led well by Dr. Johnny Hunt, convention president. I listen to his preaching podcasts every Saturday as I exercise. It gets me fired up to preach on Sunday. He has such a passion for the gospel, which is inspiring and contagious.

We heard some great music and singing. There were contemporary songs, praise songs, Southern Gospel, Gospel R&B and some music borrowing a bit from all. I especially liked the choir and orchestra from First Baptist, Woodstock GA, where Johnny Hunt is pastor. I sometimes wish I lived near Atlanta so I could go to church there.

I met some old acquaintances, made a few new friends, and had some wonderfully inspiring and informative conversations with seminary professors, Baptist leaders, other pastors, and a few strangers. I specifically recall meeting a layman who was standing near entrance to the Convention floor. He looked like a lost puppy. As my friend Rick and I stood there, he came up and introduced himself. He was very friendly. He mentioned that he was encouraged to get out and meet people. He did.

There are all kinds of people and perspectives in the Southern Baptist Convention. I am grateful to have a small part in its work to share Jesus with the world. Sure, it has problems, and maybe even faults. But I'd rather do missions, evangelism, and ministry with my SBC brothers and sisters than on my own.

Ah, this blog post is finished. Where's my sweet tea?

Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot

I've been attending the SBC Pastor's Conference in Louisville, KY. Basically, it is an all day preach-a-thon designed for pastors. They do allow church members to attend, however! It traditionally precedes the Southern Baptist Convention, which begins tomorrow.

Between sessions, and at mealtimes, I had a chance see old preacher friends as they passed by, stopped to chat, or as I collared them myself.

I chatted with a pastor who once served with me in the same town. He's done well for himself since we last spoke. I talked to a couple of seminary professors. I saw a couple of others as well. Some of them I have listened to from their podcasts and conference audio recordings. Have you ever noticed how the face you imagined for a voice just doesn't seem to match?

One of the professors was kind enough to give me complimentary copies of his Theological Journal. As we left the Convention Center, I happened to take a seat beside him. He was a perfect stranger before this afternoon.

I gently asked a few questions about theological issues that I had been pondering. He was gracious enough to share some of his perspectives. I asked him about my book idea. After a pause, he said that he thought it needed to be written and that he would like to know more about Dr. Truett as well. I left encouraged to restart my writing and research. I thanked him for letting me pick his brain. Sometimes I miss those seminary days.

I enjoyed hearing Mike Huckabee speak this afternoon. He is a very good speaker with a genuinely pleasing personality. He had people on their feet and applauding. Then the former governor took up the bass and jammed with the band on "Victory in Jesus." One photo of this event appears at the top of this post. That's Mike behind the guitar player on the left. When was the last time you saw a presidential candidate play gospel music?

Later, I watched as my friend, Rick, who is rooming with me this week, went up to speak to him at his book signing. Mike acknowledged Rick, and smiled and waved. He was very gracious to all who came to shake hands, make their pictures with him, or have their books signed. I wondered if he remembered me when we served churches in the same Association.

Then it was good to see some pastors here from Southwest Louisiana. I sat through part of tonight's session with Shawn Thomas from Moss Bluff, said hello to Steve James from Trinity in Lake Charles, and even flew on the same plane with Dr. Aguillard, the president of Louisiana College. Small world, eh?

It is fun to visit with old friends, acquaintances and to make new friends. Someone once said that the pastor can be loneliest person in the church. I believe that can be true. We do tend to get busy, isolate ourselves from fellow ministers, or put ourselves in some self imposed exile. It is good to get out of the box and do some "preachertalk."

Old Acquaintances. May they never be forgotten.

Questions From Reading Obituaries

As part of my regular morning ritual, I retrieve the morning paper from my driveway. Sometimes I retrieve it from the yard, street, or wherever it happens to land.

As I walk up the driveway toward the house, I open the front section, scan the headlines above the fold, and then turn the page to the obituaries. I’m not looking to find my name, but the names of those whom I might know. I have also discovered on at least one occasion, I was scheduled to perform a funeral for a person I did not know. I also did not know I was to officiate at the funeral.

I immediately called the funeral director who apologized and said, “Well, I had to put something in the paper.” Lesson to funeral directors and families: Always check with the pastor or officiant before you put something in print.

As it turned out, I had just moved from the area and could not then return. I suppose someone else was secured to preach that funeral. I never heard.

Anyway, this week I followed my usual routine one morning. I read that day, as I have often, of people who lived and died. Some are old, some are young. Some are my age! What I find interesting is what is said about the departed. “He loved his family.” “He enjoyed fishing, visiting with family and friends," and any number of pastimes. Other notices say, “She was a caring person,” and so on. You get the idea.

Is that the most that can be said of a life? I often struggle when preparing to preach a funeral message to capture a life in a few carefully chosen words or paragraphs. How do you summarize a life in a few moments?

This particular morning an obituary gave me pause.

The obituary of this individual was rather lengthy. It listed a number of achievements, jobs held, and accolades given. It was more a biography than an obituary.

As it concluded, one omission was glaring.

No mention of church affiliation or any type of religious service to be held. There would be a “celebration of life.” Good. We should celebrate lives well lived.

But in this case, nothing was said of eternal things. No mention of faith. No mention of church activities. No preacher to conduct a funeral service.

People can live a active, noteworthy life. But when that life is over, what remains besides memories, trophies, and items for heirs to inherit?

In short, in all of life’s achievements, what had this person done that would last?

A favorite two line poem says it like this:

Only one life, it will soon be past;
Only what's done for Christ will last.

Isn’t that what really matters?

The Long Arm Of The Law

I saw a man get arrested today.

Right on our church’s parking lot.

This drama played out just as a group of us exited the church building after a meeting with our contractor, his staff, our architect, and various subcontractors. The elation of the moment- we are finally beginning our building project- was stifled somewhat by the scene that greeted us after the meeting.

A man was standing beside his vehicle. Two sheriff’s deputies were shaking him down. Shortly thereafter, the handcuffs came out. The man was shuffled to a waiting vehicle and the door slammed shut behind him. The officers took advantage of the time by standing and talking.

I thought of the man. What did he do? Why was he stopped? Is he a family man? Does he have anyone who cares for him? Will he be put away for the proverbial “long time with the key thrown away?”

All of those thoughts occurred to me as I walked from the church building to the office.

He left behind his truck. Would someone come and get it? Would it stay there, with an ice chest and various items stowed in the bed, the windows down and everything inside exposed? (Note: I returned from lunch to find the truck had disappeared. Who took it?)

It was a disturbing scene.

I know that the officers were doing their job. All in a days work for them, it was. They do this kind of stuff everyday.

But I don’t.

People do bad things. They break the law. They get caught and have to pay a price.

Innocent citizens have to pay a price as well.

I just wish the timing hadn’t been quite what it was. That arrest scene, though calm and routine, haunts me a bit.

Years ago, I told a childhood friend who had become a police officer after I had become a pastor, “If I don’t get to them first, you will.”

This time the law overtook grace.

The good news is that grace will one day completely trump the law. Then such scenes will disappear.

Lord, haste The Day!

For My Preacher Friends

I have been reading a lot of books on preaching lately. A preacher friend of mine happens to be moving to a new church and he graciously allowed me to raid his book collection. I found several works on preaching by authors I've never heard of before. Here is a delicious quote by Leslie J. Tizard in his book, Preaching: The Art Of Communication. Perhaps it will inspire some of my preacher friends who will take up their glorious task tomorrow.

He writes:

Dr. Jowett tells us that when he was in Northfield, he went early one morning to attend a camp meeting away in the woods. The camp dwellers were two or three hundred men from the Water Street Mission in New York. At the beginning of the service prayer was offered for him, and the prayer opened with the inspired supplication: “O Lord we thank Thee for our brother. Now blot him out!!” And it continued, “Reveal Thy glory in such blazing splendor that he shall be forgotten.“

A great English preacher, Dr. John Watson... summed up the matter thus: ”As it now appears to me, the chief effect of every sermon should be to unveil Christ, and the chief art of the preacher is to conceal himself.“