Two ways. One is a demand answer; one is a supply answer. The demand answer is simple. There are so many young, educated people who are struggling with ambition and isolation. They come out of a blue-collar background or a farm background and find themselves working in the jungle of Los Angeles or Cincinnati. They need something to offset that intensely competitive, high-pressure, high-stress environment. They need something that they may not be conscious of, but something that restores balance and sanity. They need community. On the supply side, more and more churches are what I call "pastoral churches." Their purpose is not to perpetuate a particular liturgy or maintain an existing institutional form. Instead, they're asking what my business friends would call the marketing question: "Who are the customers, and what's of value to them?" They're more interested in the pastoral question ("What do these people need that we can supply?") than in the theological nuances ("How can we preserve our distinctive doctrines?"). These churches are growing partly because the younger people need pastoring and not just preaching, and partly because, very bluntly, people are dreadfully bored with theology. They can't appreciate the subtleties. And I sympathize with them. I taught religion; I didn't teach theology. I've always felt that quite clearly the good Lord loves diversity.
Last week my son, who is six years old, responded to an invitation given at a vacation Bible school he attended at another church in our community. From what I understand, there were many who responded, and he left there expressing confidence that he was now saved because he had prayed a prayer. My boy is asking some very good questions concerning the gospel, and I believe that he is moving toward the point of having saving faith, but I don’t think he has an adequate understanding of his own personal guilt, the punishment it deserves, and Christ’s work in bearing that punishment in his place. By God’s grace, he will get there. He’s headed in the right direction.
But this episode has caused me to think about the practice of VBS invitations, and I believe there is much more caution needed than there is caution exercised in our churches when it comes to this issue. I’m aware of a church not far from where I serve where the pastor did something rather disturbing last year. When it came to the time for an invitation to trust Christ to be extended, all the younger children were dismissed, leaving only children in grades 4-6 in the room. This is commendable, and this step would make it seem that this pastor was understanding of the need to avoid emotionalism, and that he was trying to avoid false conversions. But what happened next was startling.
With only the older children now present, he outlined the ABC’s of becoming a Christian, and if you’re a Southern Baptist involved in VBS, you can sing these to at least four or five different tunes, courtesy of the freakishly talented Jeff Slaughter. After his presentation, he told everyone present to bow their heads, close their eyes, and repeat after him as he led them in a “sinner’s prayer*.” When he was done, he said that all who had prayed that prayer (which he had just instructed them to pray) should come to the front, publicly professing their new-found faith in Christ.
The following Sunday, this pastor stood before his church and announced that every single child in grades 4-6 who attended their VBS had been saved that week. Many of them were presented to the church that Sunday or following Sundays as candidates for baptism, and most were subsequently baptized. But not all.
I heard this story from the parent of one girl in that group, who responded as directed to the VBS invitation, but later recognized that nothing had changed in her heart, and she was only responding because that’s what everyone in the room was told to do. Her family is very involved in the church, and they’re there almost every Sunday. So, the pastor came looking for her. He took her out of Sunday School, without her parent’s knowledge, and asked her why she hadn’t presented herself for baptism. As far as I know, the child has not yet been baptized.
There are many forms of spiritual abuse. Men who use their positions of ecclesial authority in order to subjugate or gain favors from women are despicable. Those who would use their power in order to keep wrongdoing from being brought to light will face the harsh judgment of their all-seeing Creator. But in terms of eternal consequences, I’d be hard pressed to identify much that is worse than gaining, by coercion of peer pressure or other manipulative tactics, a false profession of faith in Christ from a child. For my son, and the girl in the story above, the damage is minor, and temporary. I believe in the promises of God, and have confidence that these children are being trained up in the way they should go, and they’ll have full opportunity to hear, understand, and respond to the gospel. But for so many of the children who populate our VBS rolls each summer, this is the only contact they have with our churches, or any church. To offer assurance of salvation to someone who may never hear the truth again simply because they correctly repeated several sentences with their eyes closed may have consequences far greater than any other kind of spiritual abuse I can imagine, because those consequences may be eternal.
I love VBS. I love the way the Bible lessons and Jeff Slaughter’s music imprint truth from God’s Word upon young hearts. But we must be cautious. In our zeal to see children come to faith in Christ, we must make sure that it is the work of the Holy Spirit, and not the result of our own manipulation, that has done the converting. Only one of these actually has the power to bring new life.
_____________________________________
*I’m all for sinners praying, but I will never tell someone who wants to become a Christian what the content of that prayer ought to be. I’ll explain what the Bible says about how one is saved, and leave the wording up to the individual and the Holy Spirit.
Even at that higher rate, discerning readers will recognize that this is still an absolute bargain, and I took full advantage. I began studies in the spring of 2008, and on May 14 of this year, I walked across the stage at the Tolsma Indoor Track Center to shake hands with Dr. Elmer Towns and to receive the degree of Bachelor of Science in Religion.*
I'm sure this won't be the end of my educational journey. I recognize that in order to be fully effective in the role to which God has called me, pastor of a local church, I need yet more training. I've done some investigating of various seminary options, and look forward to beginning work on my M. Div. just as soon as I figure out where to begin it. In the mean time, I plan to return to regular posting here. I will continue to focus on issues of interest to Southern Baptists, or at least to this Southern Baptist. I will continue to write in advocacy of a robust ecclesiology, and against forces and ideas that would weaken our distinctives as Baptists. And I'll look forward to opportunities for interaction with readers.
I had a couple of opportunities last week in Phoenix to reflect upon the beginning of my blogging in 2006. The issues we faced then are not the issues we face now, but in many ways they are similar. What I remember most fondly about those days is the relationships formed, some through heated exchanges in the comments sections of various blogs. Time and time again I was forced more deeply into the scriptures, and forced to be ever more careful in articulating what I learned there. I don't imagine this new phase of blogging will be anything like that, so different is the landscape today from what existed five years ago. But I look forward to making my contribution.
____________________________
*Dr. Towns didn't actually hand me my diploma, of course. It was a fundraising letter with a ribbon around it.
I was asked by my Director of Missions to write a letter to my fellow pastors in the Frisco Baptist Association Modalert (Brand) FOR SALE, about our church's involvement in the Christmas in August emphasis. Below is the text of my letter.
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This is a reposting of an essay I published at SBC Today.
Lasix FOR SALE, When I was in college at John Brown University in the early 1990’s, I loved playing foosball. I played every day, at all hours, købe Lasix online, αγοράζουν online Lasix. It’s possible that, 400mg, 450mg, had I not loved it so much, I might not now be working my way through Liberty University’s distance learning program, but I digress, Lasix 625mg,650mg.
I was never a great player, Lasix price, mainly because I was never able to generate enough power without spinning the handle, and spinning, in real competitive foosball, acheter en ligne Lasix, acheter Lasix bon marché, is strictly verboten. There was even a catchy saying in the foosball community at this private Christian college: “Hate the spin, Where can i find Lasix online, but love the spinner.†It is much easier to slam the ball into the back of the goal when you spin, but the truly talented players can fire unbelievably powerful shots just by the action of their wrists. They don’t need to spin in order to be effective, no prescription Lasix online.
On April 20, USA Today published an essay by Jonathan Merritt, Lasix FOR SALE. Merritt, Detroit, Michigan, San Jose, California, 26, is a recent graduate of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and according to the footnote of his essay, Lasix 500mg, he works as a faith and culture writer. Lasix from canada, The article is titled “An Evangelical’s Plea: ‘Love the Sinner’,†and it is a call for Christians to reach out in love to the gays and lesbians around us, and to do so in tangible ways, Lasix 150mg. This is a worthy point to make, Lasix pharmacy, and a call that all of us who name the name of Christ ought to heed. But in making the point, Merritt makes use of quite a lot of rhetorical “spin, Lasix 75mg,†enough to make me want to dust off that old catch phrase I learned around the foosball tables at JBU. Lasix FOR SALE, Some of this “spin†can be found in his opening paragraphs, where he provides examples of quotes that he has mined from the internet in an attempt to demonstrate that evangelicals prefer to display their hatred for sin. Baltimore, Maryland. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, To characterize the late Dr. D. James Kennedy as a “fundamentalist televangelist†can only serve to inflame and prejudice USA Today readers, El Paso, Texas. Washington, D.C. Seattle, Washington, who may be unfamiliar with his life and ministry, Lasix no prescription, against anything he might have said. Some of the statements he quotes are indefensible, but some, Lasix without a prescription, given their proper context, Japan, craiglist, ebay, hcl, might be entirely appropriate. His quote-mining “spin†can only serve to confuse the issue and it paints with too broad a brush, Lasix FOR SALE.
Another example of “spin†being employed by Mr. Merritt is in his use of statistics, australia, uk, us, usa. He cites a Barna Research Group study which found that 80% of non-Christians ages 16-29 describe Christians as “confusing†on this issue. Purchase Lasix FOR SALE, He then suggests that this is perhaps because “many recognize the difference between the life of Jesus Christ and the lives of those who claim to follow him.†This is quite a leap, and I can’t imagine what it is intended to suggest, if not that we ought to look to the opinions of the young non-Christians around us rather than to the scriptures when evaluating our degree of faithfulness to Christ, Lasix without prescription. Lasix FOR SALE, But perhaps most disturbing in Merritt’s essay is his seeming willingness to compromise biblical definitions of sin and salvation. In discussing the marriage debate, Where can i cheapest Lasix online, he rightly states, “our biblical convictions prohibit a redefinition of marriage.†But he then goes on to suggest “other areas†where we might be able to compromise, such as offering support for anti-discrimination measures in the workplace and in reducing legal impediments to inheritance and hospital visitation rights for same-sex couples, Boston, Massachusetts. Charlotte, Carolina.
Let me be clear: I do not believe that it is a sin to be tempted by homosexual desires. Köpa Lasix online, Osta Lasix online, Jotta Lasix verkossa, I am convinced, however, because the Bible is very clear, Fort Worth, Texas. Denver, Colorado, that homosexual behavior is sinful. Lasix 125mg, I will leave to others the debate over whether it is a chosen lifestyle or an inborn reality. That debate makes not one bit of difference to me, Lasix FOR SALE. What scripture condemns is homosexual behavior.
Having said that, order Lasix no prescription, I am curious as to whether there are any other sins Mr. Purchase Lasix online, Merritt would be in favor of legislating in order to make their commission more acceptable in our society. It sounds very compassionate to advocate for these rights; it might even make one feel as if they are “showing love†to gays and lesbians in a way that is “concrete and tangible.†But what it is, in fact, Lasix 200mg, is simply more terribly naïve “spin.â€
The person who is enslaved to the sin of homosexuality does not need Christians to express love to them by making their sin easier to commit. Lasix FOR SALE, Rather, they need Christians who will love them enough to come alongside them and show them their desperate need for a relationship with the One who can forgive them and restore them to a right relationship with their Creator. Lasix 800mg, 875mg, 900mg, I am convinced, however, that Mr, Chicago, Illinois. Houston, Texas. Merritt’s most egregious spin is contained in a paragraph in which he discusses marriage. It contains concepts that are, Online buying Lasix, I believe, harmful to the Gospel itself. Merritt states:
“God’s model is a lifelong, Jacksonville, Florida, Columbus, Ohio, monogamous, Order Lasix from mexican pharmacy, heterosexual union, but we must balance this message with the scriptural understanding that we are all sinners. Individuals who have decided to follow Christ have not ceased to be sinners; we are simply sinners who have taken advantage of God’s gracious gift of salvation.â€
Merritt’s presentation of “God’s gracious gift of salvation†in the paragraph quoted above makes it sound as though a sinner can hold to Christ while simultaneously holding to a habitual sin, Lasix FOR SALE. This is not only false, but it is dangerously misleading, and offers false hope to those who wish to believe that their anti-biblical lifestyle can somehow be compatible with saving faith. God’s Word is clear: It cannot.
Mr. Merritt has many good points to make. Lasix FOR SALE, And I have no doubt he possess the necessary intellect and skill with the language in order to be effective in making them. In this essay, however, it seems that he has relied more upon spin, a spin with potentially dangerous consequences.
Yes, I believe the phrase I learned during my misspent youth in Northwest Arkansas applies here. As Jonathan Merritt is my brother in Christ, I love the “spinner†who wrote this article. I’m just not terribly fond of his “spin.â€.
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