Baptist & Reflector

Telling the Story of Tennessee Baptists Since 1835

WORSHIP IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT — PART 2

By Johnnie Godwin
Contributing Columnist, B&R

Johnnie Godwin

Johnnie Godwin

My home church was the First Baptist Church of Midland, Texas. We had a piano, electric organ, a choir, and a minister of music. It was a rare thing when we had any other musical instruments, and we never had an orchestra. I’m not against the majestic orchestras that lead us in music worship along with fine choirs and excellent sound systems. But let me give you an example of response in worship.

Getting singing out of the congregation. B. B. McKinney led one of our protracted meetings known as revivals. My dad wasn’t in the choir, but he loved to sing; and he whistled all the time. After McKinney led music the first Sunday of the revival, Dad had an opinion — which we Godwins tend to always have. Dad said, “You know, that ole man got more music out of the congregation than I’ve ever heard anybody get out of them before.” That congregation was already a singing congregation, but they got better during revival. [Read more…]

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BULLYING: NCAA TAKES ITS BALL AND LEAVES

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

160921ballMy 3-year-old grandson, Eli Beasley, is playing soccer this fall. Personally, I think he is too young to play in a league, but Pappy deferred to his parents.

Well, Eli is proving Pappy probably was right. He takes a notion to play and practice when he wants to, causing his mother a great deal of frustration. But when he decides to play, Eli tries to do what he is instructed.

In soccer, you are not supposed to use your hands (unless you’re the goalie). In Eli’s game last week, he didn’t particularly want to play but when the coach told him he could play with his soccer ball that piqued his interest so he went onto the field.

After a few minutes, Eli realized the players on the opposing team were trying to take his ball away from him. Obeying his coaches and not touching the ball with his hands, Eli decided the best course of action to take was to sit on his ball. My daughter took a classic photo of Eli sitting on his ball while two 3-year-old opponents looked at him with the most puzzled expressions, “What do we do now?” [Read more…]

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IMMIGRATION: A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE

By Rondell Treviño
Evangelical Immigration Table

silhouette-man-behind-fenceAs Christians, we know the Bible is the breathed out Word of God (II Timothy 3:16), and our blueprint on how to morally live vertically in relationship to God and horizontally in relationship to others in the world. We know God Himself has graciously given us the Bible, comprised of 66 books filled with more than 750,000 inspired and relevant words so we might be informed on a plethora of topics, one being immigration.

Therefore, when it comes to the hot topic of immigration in the United States, which has dominated a huge portion of this election season, one of the healthiest things we can do as Christians is simply open up the Bible and see what God has to say about it. Now, although we have the right to have different perspectives on immigration politically and economically, we must seek to have a biblical perspective, first.  [Read more…]

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DO YOU NEED TO HEAR A GOOD STORY?

By Chris Turner
Director of Communications, TBC

Chris Turner

Chris Turner

At one time, I was a correspondent for the International Mission Board traveling throughout Latin America writing stories for The Commission magazine. I was in Honduras working with a missionary who was at the end of a very long year of helping the people rebuild their country following the devastation caused by Hurricane Mitch. He was spiritually, physically and emotionally exhausted, and with a sound of desperation asked, “Is God at work anywhere in the world?”

By His grace, God had given me a front row seat to reporting His activity in Central and South America. He was moving with incredible speed to redeem people all across the southern hemisphere. I’d seen churches planted in some of the most unlikely places, formed with people who had been saved from the most unbelievable of circumstances. Like Luke writing to Theophilus in Luke 1:1-4, I gladly shared with my beleaguered colleague one story after another of how God was alive and active, and bringing people into His Kingdom by the scores. It was obvious by his response that the stories energized him to keep pressing his hand faithfully to the plow. The harvest belongs to the Lord. [Read more…]

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THE SUMMIT: WILL YOU BE THERE IN NOVEMBER?

By Roc Collins
President, TBC

Roc Collins

Roc Collins

What a blessing it is to be a Tennessee Baptist. God has so richly blessed our state and convention, and we are seeing people saved, baptized, and set on the road of discipleship. The generosity of our churches is seen in both our local communities and across our state as a whole. With all that we see God doing in our state, I can hardly wait to join you at the Summit.

This year the gathering of Tennessee Baptists, “The Summit,” will take place in Sevierville on Nov. 13-17. These will be some exciting days in the life of Tennessee Baptists.  This year we are beginning on Sunday evening with a time of worship that we are calling the “Tennessee Reunion.” We will be led in worship by the Tennessee Mens Choral and hear a great message from our very own Steve Gaines, president of the Southern Baptist Convention.

On Monday we will have a powerful Pastors Conference with Todd Stinnett, conference president.  Dr. Stinnett has enlisted a strong group of preachers to encourage, excite, and inspire us. [Read more…]

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IF WE’RE SO BAD, WHY DO THEY KEEP COMING?

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Lonnie Wilkey

Lonnie Wilkey

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick made national headlines recently when he refused to stand for the National Anthem prior to a 49ers preseason National Football League game.

While I’m not disputing his right to stand or not stand (and I do disagree with his decision to not stand), I do dispute his rationale.

Kaepernick, who is biracial, told NFL media reporter Steve Wyche: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag or country that oppresses black people and people of color.”

I would daresay that the majority of his teammates on the 49ers are “people of color” as he puts it. The minimum salary for an NFL football player in his first season is $450,000. The total jumps to $525,000 for the second season, followed by $600,000 in the third season, and $675,000 for year four. That is the minimum. That does not include the numerous players who earn millions of dollars per year. If that’s oppression, I wouldn’t mind being “oppressed.” [Read more…]

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I NOW KNOW HOW YOU FEEL

By Randy C. Davis
TBC Executive Director

Randy C. Davis

Randy C. Davis

Sometimes people make well-meaning statements when they are trying to comfort others about things which they have no personal experience. Fortunately, and somehow, as a young pastor I knew not to say, “I know how you feel” unless I had been through what the other person was going through. It’s Pastoring 101.

I now know how you feel if you’re someone who has lost their momma.

My mom, Melba Ruth Graham, went home to be with the Lord on Aug. 21 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease and related illnesses. Even though our family knew her home going was inevitable, it knocked my world off its axis when it actually happened. I’m still adjusting. I’m sure I’ll be adjusting for some time to come. [Read more…]

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A SLIPPERY SLOPE GETS SLIPPERIER

By Lonnie Wilkey
Editor, Baptist and Reflector

Lonnie Wilkey

Lonnie Wilkey

When the United States Supreme Court redefined the biblical definition of marriage slightly more than a year ago to allow for homosexual marriage, some Christians thought it couldn’t get any worse.

They were wrong. The slippery slope continues to get more slippery with each passing day. [Read more…]

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RETURN ON INVESTMENT

Van Richmond
Former Pastor of New Life Church, Nashville

grandfather-clock-vintageAnd he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15 ESV).

Proclaiming the gospel. Some find the prospect frightening.  Others find it exhilarating. For Charles Hand, talking about Jesus was as natural as breathing. Cancer gave him just another reason to talk — not about death, but about eternal life.

The physicians at the Veterans Administration hospital in Oklahoma City rotate regularly. They typically spend about two weeks before moving on to other patients, and Charles’ oncologist was nearing the end of his tour of duty with this particular group. As he walked into the hospital room, Charles greeted him quickly and immediately began sharing the gospel with him. The physician listened briefly before replying, “Oh yeah. I was saved as a 6-year-old boy.” Charles inquired, “Really? Tell me about that.” [Read more…]

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WORSHIP IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT — PART 1

Editor’s Note: This is the first of a two-part series.

By Johnnie Godwin
Contributing Columnist, B&R

Johnnie Godwin

Johnnie Godwin

“You missed your chance!” That’s what our pastor said to our church just after he made the climactic statement of his whole message. In the world of sports, we would say he had just hit a grand slam home run. He had delivered the knockout blow! It was a hole-in-one. Response? None! The pastor exclaimed, “Amen! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!” Then he sat down on the front pew and faced the pulpit. Church was over.

I’ve lived a long time, and I’ve never seen or heard of such a thing in all my church-going life. What had the pastor expected that led him to do such a thing? I’ve been a pastor and served on both sides of the pulpit, so I’ve got an idea of what led to such a stunning conclusion of that service.

Worship is not a spectator sport — but praise to God!  Pastors spend their lives preparing to preach. They pray, they plan, and they craft their Spirit-guided message the best they can. Then they come to the pulpit to plan to win for God. [Read more…]

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