On Saturday, June 24, our oldest daughter, Melissa, became Mrs. Steven Dalton and moved to Virginia. It was a beautiful wedding.When the wedding was over, I felt kind of like these two fellows.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
There Goes the Bride
On Saturday, June 24, our oldest daughter, Melissa, became Mrs. Steven Dalton and moved to Virginia. It was a beautiful wedding.When the wedding was over, I felt kind of like these two fellows.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Choking on Communion
Years ago, my whole church got choked up during communion.
It was a little country church in southwest Mississippi, located so far out in the woods that the closest member lived a mile from the church building. This church had communion once a month, more frequently that most Baptist churches.
One of those Sundays, I finished my sermon and prepared the people for the Lord’s Supper. After reading scripture about the body and blood of Christ shed for our sins, I raised the cover from the tray with the little juice glasses. The odor almost knocked out the people on the front row. But we just held our breath and started serving it. (What else could I do? Stop the service and say the communion juice stinks?) A lady choked and gagged. Others downed it quickly with a grimace on their faces. We managed to finish, although for a moment I was afraid we were going to have to whistle the benediction instead of singing it, because our lips were so sour.
After the service was over, a lady made a bee-line to “Bennie” (not his real name), the member who had prepared the juice. “Why was the juice so sour?” she wanted to know. He explained to her that he had reused the leftover juice from the previous month. “And where did you get the juice?” she demanded. “From Paw,” was his simple answer.
“Paw,” who shall remain unidentified, was rumored to make homemade wine.
The day we got choked up in worship was funny. What is not funny is when something chokes off worship. Then the church has a problem. If you sing out with joy and somebody tells you that you sing too loud, that can choke your worship. If you shout “Amen” or feel led to raise your hands, and somebody glares at you for it, that can choke your worship. If you are judged by your appearance or clothing and not made to feel welcome, it can choke your worship.
Don’t be the one to choke off another person’s worship. Ephesians 4:30 warns us not to grieve the Holy Spirit of God. I think I’d rather gag on communion juice than do that.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Time magazine features Baptist bloggers
Time magazine reports that the surprise election of Dr. Frank Page as president of the Southern Baptist Convention last week is the result of Baptist bloggers. While I think they give the bloggers too much credit, because there were other factors involved in Page's election, it is true that bloggers had a big influence.
I have been reading Baptist bloggers who discuss Southern Baptist issues, and have found several of them quite interesting. They are conservative, are receptive to the "emerging church" movement to reach out to the postmodern culture, and they tend to be Calvinistic. Although I am not a hyper-Calvinist, and I don't always agree with them on other issues, I learn a lot about what young Baptist leaders are thinking by reading these blogs.
Here are some Baptist bloggers I read:
SBC Outpost by Marty Duren: www.sbcoutpost.com
Arkansas Razorbaptists: www.arkansasrazorbaptist.blogspot.com
Missional Baptist by Steve McCoy: http://www.stevekmccoy.com/sbc/
Founders Ministry by Tom Ascol: http://www.founders.org/blog/
Baptist Blogger by Ben Cole: http://www.baptistblogger.blogspot.com/
Wade Burleson, controversial IMB trustee: http://kerussocharis.blogspot.com/
And for some deep thinking on important issues, I read Dr. Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary: www.albertmohler.com
Friday, June 16, 2006
Dad's Hard Time
This week my parents discovered a poem I had written in 1976. They got a laugh out of reading it again, 30 years later. I'm publishing it on this blog today, not because it has any literary value, but in honor of Father's Day.
For all the Dads out there who work hard for their families, Happy Father's Day!
"DAD'S HARD TIME" by Bob Rogers
My father had it really rough one time.
He felt like he had committed a crime.
He was reading a book on making fun.
When Mom told him what he had left undone.
Some shingles had gotten in bad repair.
The grass had gotten long as my long hair.
He was repairing shingles when he fell.
He had to lie down for he was not well.
"I thought you said you'd cut the grass," mom cried.
Dad answered with a grimaced look, "I lied."
For all the Dads out there who work hard for their families, Happy Father's Day!
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Children see faith differently
Children see religion differently from adults. They take things literally, but they also see things that we miss.
For instance, many years ago I tried to explain the Trinity in a children's sermon. I held up an egg and asked, "How many eggs do I have?" The kids exclaimed, "One!" Then I cracked the egg and emptied the contents into a bowl. I pointed out that the egg had a shell, yolk and white. Then I explained that in a similar way, there is one God, but He is three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I felt I had enlightened the kids to a great theological truth until I heard what one child said when he returned to his pew. He was heard to chuckle and tell his parents, "Heh, heh, Brother Bob made a mess!"
Maybe that's why I just let them go to children's church now.
But I still get to tell stories to children at our church. First Baptist Church of Rincon has a Weekday Ministry child care center. Each Tuesday morning during the school year, I tell a Bible story to about 50 four-year-olds from the K-4 program.
Once I told the story of how Pharaoh wanted to kill the Hebrew children, so Moses' family hid him in a basket in the Nile River. The lesson was about families caring for one another. But one child went home and started beating up her baby dolls. When her mother asked why, she replied, "Brother Bob told me to. He said that Pharaoh killed the Hebrew children."
Once I was talking about how God made people of different races and nationalities. I had them notice that some of them had white skin, some had brown skin, and some of the children had black skin. Then I had them notice that some had blond hair, some had brown hair, and some had black or red hair. I pointed to my head and asked, "What color is my hair?" Instantly they shouted "silver!" and I realized that I had my finger on my graying temples. One of the teachers bowled over in laughter at the shocked look on my face, so I pointed to her and asked, "What color is her hair?" They shouted, "Orange!"
Another time we sang a song about how God made the leaves that fall down, and we all pretended to have a leaf in our hands. The teachers asked each child what color his or her leaf was. The Methodist preacher, who was a big NASCAR fan, had a son at our day care, and this preacher's kid immediately answered, "Jeff Gordon's color!"
Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder, them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Mark 10:14-15, NIV). Maybe children don't see things differently after all-- maybe they just see what we ignore. Do your children see your true colors?
For instance, many years ago I tried to explain the Trinity in a children's sermon. I held up an egg and asked, "How many eggs do I have?" The kids exclaimed, "One!" Then I cracked the egg and emptied the contents into a bowl. I pointed out that the egg had a shell, yolk and white. Then I explained that in a similar way, there is one God, but He is three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I felt I had enlightened the kids to a great theological truth until I heard what one child said when he returned to his pew. He was heard to chuckle and tell his parents, "Heh, heh, Brother Bob made a mess!"
Maybe that's why I just let them go to children's church now.
But I still get to tell stories to children at our church. First Baptist Church of Rincon has a Weekday Ministry child care center. Each Tuesday morning during the school year, I tell a Bible story to about 50 four-year-olds from the K-4 program.
Once I told the story of how Pharaoh wanted to kill the Hebrew children, so Moses' family hid him in a basket in the Nile River. The lesson was about families caring for one another. But one child went home and started beating up her baby dolls. When her mother asked why, she replied, "Brother Bob told me to. He said that Pharaoh killed the Hebrew children."
Once I was talking about how God made people of different races and nationalities. I had them notice that some of them had white skin, some had brown skin, and some of the children had black skin. Then I had them notice that some had blond hair, some had brown hair, and some had black or red hair. I pointed to my head and asked, "What color is my hair?" Instantly they shouted "silver!" and I realized that I had my finger on my graying temples. One of the teachers bowled over in laughter at the shocked look on my face, so I pointed to her and asked, "What color is her hair?" They shouted, "Orange!"
Another time we sang a song about how God made the leaves that fall down, and we all pretended to have a leaf in our hands. The teachers asked each child what color his or her leaf was. The Methodist preacher, who was a big NASCAR fan, had a son at our day care, and this preacher's kid immediately answered, "Jeff Gordon's color!"
Jesus said, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder, them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Mark 10:14-15, NIV). Maybe children don't see things differently after all-- maybe they just see what we ignore. Do your children see your true colors?
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
From King James Version to Cotton Patch Version
I collect Bible translations and versions. There are more of them than you can imagine.
Everybody has heard of the King James Version. But did you know there is a New King James Version? You may think that the King James is considered the standard, and for many people it is, but there's also the American Standard Version, the New American Standard Bible, the Revised Standard Version, the New Revised Standard Version and the Holman Christian Standard Bible. Kind of confusing as to which is the standard, isn't it? There are Bibles from cities, like The Geneva Bible, and The Jerusalem Bible. There are Bibles that tell you their state of being, like The Living Bible. Apparently that last one died and was reborn, because we now have the New Living Translation. There is even a translation of the Gospel of Luke written in Gullah, Sea Island Creole.
I'm not making this up.
Some of these Bibles are paraphrases, not translations. The paraphrases can get quite creative. For example, The Message uses such contemporary expresssions that the psalmist in Psalm 73 asks "Is God out to lunch?" and in the gospels Jesus calls the Pharisees "blockheads."
One of the most unusual paraphrases is the Cotton Patch Version. Clarence Jordan, a Greek scholar who lived on a farm in Americus, Georgia, wondered what the Bible would sound like if it were written in the South. He has Jesus born in Gainesville and crucified in Atlanta. In the Cotton Patch Version, Annas and Caiaphas are co-presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention, and the Good Samaritan is a black man.
This plethora of Bible translations and paraphrases reflect a hunger that people have to get a message from God in a form they can understand. While some Bible versions go to strange extremes, they are all trying to tell the "De Good Nyews Bout Jedus Christ," as the Bible in Gullah calls it. So check with your pastor or a knowledgeable Bible student to find a Bible that is dependable and readable, and dig in. There are great treasures to be unearthed.
Everybody has heard of the King James Version. But did you know there is a New King James Version? You may think that the King James is considered the standard, and for many people it is, but there's also the American Standard Version, the New American Standard Bible, the Revised Standard Version, the New Revised Standard Version and the Holman Christian Standard Bible. Kind of confusing as to which is the standard, isn't it? There are Bibles from cities, like The Geneva Bible, and The Jerusalem Bible. There are Bibles that tell you their state of being, like The Living Bible. Apparently that last one died and was reborn, because we now have the New Living Translation. There is even a translation of the Gospel of Luke written in Gullah, Sea Island Creole.
I'm not making this up.
Some of these Bibles are paraphrases, not translations. The paraphrases can get quite creative. For example, The Message uses such contemporary expresssions that the psalmist in Psalm 73 asks "Is God out to lunch?" and in the gospels Jesus calls the Pharisees "blockheads."
One of the most unusual paraphrases is the Cotton Patch Version. Clarence Jordan, a Greek scholar who lived on a farm in Americus, Georgia, wondered what the Bible would sound like if it were written in the South. He has Jesus born in Gainesville and crucified in Atlanta. In the Cotton Patch Version, Annas and Caiaphas are co-presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention, and the Good Samaritan is a black man.
This plethora of Bible translations and paraphrases reflect a hunger that people have to get a message from God in a form they can understand. While some Bible versions go to strange extremes, they are all trying to tell the "De Good Nyews Bout Jedus Christ," as the Bible in Gullah calls it. So check with your pastor or a knowledgeable Bible student to find a Bible that is dependable and readable, and dig in. There are great treasures to be unearthed.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Today is 6-6-06!
Today's date is often written as "6-6-06." Brings to mind the antichrist, since Revelation 13:18 says: "Here is wisdom: The one who has understanding must calculate the number of the beast, because it is the number of a man. His number is 666."
In the town of Hell, Michigan, they're having a 666 party.
I talked to a church member who had a baby yesterday, and we laughed because she was glad her baby was not born on 6-6-06. Some people actually fear that the antichrist will be born today. Is that the meaning of 666?
I think the meaning of 666 is quite simple. In the Bible, the number 7 represents perfection, and the number 6 represents evil, because it falls short of perfection. The number 3 is a number for God (because of the Trinity). Thus 7 written three times is: 777, a symbol for God, and 666 is a symbol for total evil that opposes God and/or makes itself out to be God, thus the antichrist.
So I'm not worried about whether the antichrist is born today. In fact, tonight I had the privilege of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with a young couple in their home, and they both prayed and asked Jesus Christ into their hearts. So I have no idea when the antichrist will be born, but I do know two people who were "born again" on 6-6-06!
In the town of Hell, Michigan, they're having a 666 party.
I talked to a church member who had a baby yesterday, and we laughed because she was glad her baby was not born on 6-6-06. Some people actually fear that the antichrist will be born today. Is that the meaning of 666?
I think the meaning of 666 is quite simple. In the Bible, the number 7 represents perfection, and the number 6 represents evil, because it falls short of perfection. The number 3 is a number for God (because of the Trinity). Thus 7 written three times is: 777, a symbol for God, and 666 is a symbol for total evil that opposes God and/or makes itself out to be God, thus the antichrist.
So I'm not worried about whether the antichrist is born today. In fact, tonight I had the privilege of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with a young couple in their home, and they both prayed and asked Jesus Christ into their hearts. So I have no idea when the antichrist will be born, but I do know two people who were "born again" on 6-6-06!
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