Browsing Tag

baptists

Ash Wednesday, Lent

Ashy Baptists

Ash Wednesday is an occasion to mark the beginning of Lent and be marked by ashes. To receive ashes on our forehead and hear the words, ‘You are dust and to dust you shall return’ can be a powerful reminder of our life and hope in Jesus Christ.

Baptists have traditionally have a rejectionist approach to anything in church life that is not found in the Bible. Ashes on foreheads, responsive prayers, a liturgical calendar, and the like are things not prescribed in the Bible. Thus, Baptists often choose to make worship much more about a conversion event rather than expressions of lament, sadness, contemplation, reconciliation and forgiveness.

For those of us Baptists who do participate in the more liturgical practice of imposition of ashes, I shall deem us “Ashy Baptists”. Some Baptists may think ashes and Lent are more Catholic things, but they are not. However, the marking of ashes are Biblical, as a sign of mourning and repentance.  There is nothing magical about the ashes.  We are not more holy for participating in Ash Wednesday, but it is  another way to experience the presence of God in our lives in a symbolic way.

Christians from many denominations have rediscovered the value that Lent and Ash Wednesday can provide.  The liturgical worship movement is a movement of compassion, experiential and participatory worship, image based, and connective community.   Every church has a liturgy, no matter “high” or “low” the church is.  A liturgy is a set order or worship, whether printed or spoken.

For us “Ashy Baptists” we find company in the likes of Christians who want to make a public statement about their belief and comfort and Jesus Christ. But, ashes on our foreheads go beyond being public about our convictions. The symbolic nature of being marked by ashes serves as a tangible expression of one’s commitment and acceptance in the Kingdom of God.

In a world were many churches offer an over load of visually and auditory stimulation,  we need more physically experiential expressions of our faith.  Ashes on Ash Wednesday, for Baptist, can be a meaningful expression and opportunity.

 

Church Leadership, Pope

Why the Pope’s resignation matters to Protestants

Surprise and shock are an understatement when it comes to Pope Benedict XVI‘s resignation. Only a handful of Popes have called it quits. The Pope’s decision continues to spark speculation about who the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church will be. This decision will have far reaching impact for Catholics around the world… and certainly for Protestants.

As most readers know, I’m not Catholic. I’m an American Baptist clergyman. I come from a tradition that fought to continue the reforms of the Church of England. Baptists were one of the many English separatist groups that wanted to go further than breaking ties with Rome. Separatist movements during the Reformation were, in general, about freedom of religious expression, freedom to interpreted the Scriptures, and to free themselves from Rome’s hierarchy.

Some 400-500 years later, the Church in Rome and it’s Pope still matter to Protestants. Though we Protestants are free from persecution, this new Pope’s election will impact the way we Protestants interact with our Catholic brothers and sisters. As much as we protestants distance ourselves from the Catholic Church, we are connected common belief and ministry.

In recent years, ecumenical relationships formed between Protestants and Catholics have strengthened. Beyond sharing common basic doctrinal beliefs, (The Trinity, Salvation, etc..) Protestants and Catholics are getting better at how we treat one another. Mostly because of leadership within both traditions. Much of how this new Pope leads the Catholic Church will set a tone throughout Christianity. Protestants will wait to see if this new Pope will begin a period of transformation. Will we see more ecumenical acceptance of marriage, sacraments, membership, and ministry like the Catholic agreement with Reformed churches on Baptism?

If this next Pope leads Catholics to more common ground, we could see a new wave of Catholic and Protestant relationships. Think about it our challenges are the similar: shrinking memberships, public perception, changing church demographics, declining evangelism efforts, and diminishing financial giving. If more could be done together our common challenges, we could share common success. Measurable success could be made globally and nationally with ministry among the poor, basic health care access, developing nation building, fighting injustice, and access to education. The cause for the common good could something that we could work together on.

This is not without problems. There will always be groups within our own traditions that will fight against such “togetherness”. We Baptists are known for our exclusionary behavior when it comes to differences in theology with other Protestants. However, if leadership from our Protestant groups can commit to working with this new Pope and his leadership, our challenges can begin diminish.

This new Papal change is an opportunity for transformation for Catholic and Protestants. If both Catholic and Protestant leadership  plan to work together in our common struggles, a new chapter could be written for Christianity. A new Pope could lead his faithful to turn their attention to breaking down our separation instead of seeking to build more doctrinal walls.

social media, White House

Three ways social media impacted my White House meeting

Yep, that’s me there tweeting away. (Photo: EthicsDaily.com)

As many of your know, I’m finishing up on reflecting upon my meeting with the Executive Office of the President and White House staff (read part 1 and part 2). It was an honor to be among 60 other Baptists who met with several advisers to the President.  One of the unusual facets of this meeting was a media blackout.  None of the tradition media outlets were allowed in this meeting.

The media blackout arose from the administration’s frustrations that past clergy leader meetings were nothing more than a photo opportunity. This meeting was supposed to be different, and so it was. We attendees were allow to tweet during the meeting and used the hashtag #BaptistsatWH. This created a direct link to our friends, congregation members, followers, and community individuals back home. Our four-hour long meeting was unencumbered by reporters interrupting or distracting from the meeting’s goal.

My friend and fellow pastor Dr. William Shiell and I discussed how the administration had a message they wanted to communicate. The byproduct of a media blackout, but social media friendly meeting is threefold:

Continue Reading…

White House

Four things learned from my White House meeting (part 2)

Yesterday, I gave an overview of my visit with the Executive Office of the President and White House staff. I was a part of a delegation of “goodwill Baptists”, in which there were about 60 of us from around the country. For part 1 and background on the meeting, please click here.

Looking back on the meeting, there are several things that I want to share with you.  First, as I have blogged about before, faith and ethics inform this White House administration.  Several of the administration officials spoke of their own experience with their churches and how their Christianity guides their work. It is clear that the administration is fighting such social ills as human trafficking and economic problems such as the mortgage crisis. And, did you know that at 14 federal agencies there are faith-based offices?

At the meeting, two officials were presented with a Common English Bible translation, which was given as “a moral document”.  The translation renders the words “stranger” or “alien” as “immigrant”.  Paul Monteiro, associate director of the White House Office of Public Engagement and  Julie Rodriguez, associate director of the Office of Public Engagement received a Bible:

Continue Reading…

American Baptist Churches, biennial

Biennial Day Three Live Blog

Business Session

3:55 p.m. Session ended.

3:54 p.m. Statement #4 has a speaking for the Statement of Concern. Statement passed. I did see one or two people against this one on war.

3:49 p.m. Statement #3 passed.

3:47 p.m. Statement #2 passed.

3:43 p.m. Statement of Concern presenting.  Voting with no speakers for or against. Vote by raising ballot.  #1 Statement passed.

3:25 p.m. Roy Medley bringing the report for the Office of the General Secretary. Puerto Rico church is the #1 giving church to United Mission.

3:11 p.m. International Ministries report. 10 new missionaries. Signs of the Holy Spirit.

3:00 p.m. Report from American Baptist Home Mission Society and video.

2:49 p.m. Motion: approval of ABC USA officers Ruth Clark, Donald Ng, James Raliff. President, VP, and budget officer (respectively). Ballots collected.

2:47 p.m. Motion passed with show of ballots. No’s asked to stand. No one standing.

2:45 p.m. Motion to approve the slate of nominees for the Board of General Ministries.

2:40 p.m. New bylaws passed: 518 favored 44 against. Near 90% favored. Room cheered and applauded. Vice President Patty Stratton praying and asked us to lift our hands to God.

2:39 p.m. Business session starting. Room not as full as yesterday.

2:35 p.m. Still waiting to begin. Room slowly filling up.

2:20 p.m. Discernment Session focusing on Bylaw changes, Program Board reports, Statements of Concern Voting, and Election of Officers. Everything starts at 2:30 EST.

Morning

This morning I had the pleasure of attending the American Baptist Home Mission Societies breakfast which featured Rev. Dr. J. Alfred Smith Sr.  Dr. Smith is J. Alfred the pastor emeritus of Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland, California, and professor of Preaching and Church Ministries at American Baptist Seminary of the West.  He spoke on having hope in uncertain times and challenged us to embody Jesus’ mission as found in Luke 4.

Later in the morning everyone was invited to attend worship in local churches.

abc, American Baptist Churches, biennial

Biennial: Day One

6:45 p.m. Major internet outage. Here are my notes from the afternoon celebration:

Rev. Dr. Gary Nelson, a Baptist:

 

1950’s 75% of people thought it was a good idea to go to church.

Less than 10% of urban Canadians now attend

Now, Canadians not mad 80% believe in God but 83% believe in God.

The church needs to reintroduce its self to the community

Luke 19 – Zaccheus

  1.  Jesus is in the crowd, not synagogue (God is a seeking God)
  2. Jesus knows him by name (Walmart syndrome: greet people at the door, greet at the church)
  3.  Jesus identities with this man.

Are you willing to be in the crowd? We are not to judge what has been.

MODERATION Panel:

Differences between Canadian and US?  – Context Urban vs. Country – Still a sense to go to church in US, not so much in Canada.

“Borderline Church” – book

How do I challenge people to cross the cultural border?

Faith, unfaith, and other faith intersect – Borders

Don’t change a congregation that you don’t love.

“Missional church conversation occurs with 50 year old white guys.”

2:00 p.m. “What is the lifespan of a church? When should a church die?” – Good question

Question: Where are the young people in ministry? (My public comment: Young people are going into ministry but the future of the traditional M. Div program is changing and seminaries and churches need to know the new changes.)

1:45 p.m. People still flowing in.  About 75 in the room now. Glad I found a spot by a power outlet.”What are the current trends and needs in culture that need to be addressed?”

Comment: “Have faith” from the pulpit not working any more.

Comment: Communities are changing with diversity. How are we to change?

Comment: “My church is growing and have young and old.”

Comment: Emerging and missional churches are future. Moderator: How many are a part of an emergent church? A few people raise their hands.

1:30 p.m. Statement of Concern: Envisioning Our Church in the 21st Century. This gathering is an open conversation on declining attendance and income for church budgets, changing societal norms and needs, the struggle to be relevant to younger generations, waning denominational loyalty, and inability to recognize and respond to new opportunities for ministry.

Good mix of young, old, culture, and geography.

Awaiting moderation and comment.

10:30 a.m.  The San Juan convention center is new and beautiful.  You are greeted with local music. Very festive in here.  Great to see many American Baptists. There are few kinks to work out with registration and arrangements.  The expo room is open. Check back for more posts.  3:00 p.m. starts off the celebration time. This location is wonderful. Remember to use the hastag on twitter #celebrate11 for updates and interaction with others.

Looking forward to the “The New Normal” event which will feature Dr. Peggy Kendall, associate professor of Communication Studies at Bethel University, and author of Reboot: Refreshing Your Faith in a High Tech World.  Dr. Kendall also hosts a website on Technology and Faith (http://pkendall.squarespace.com). Friday morning’s session will feature Dr. Gary Nelson. An urban missiologist, Dr. Nelson is President of Canada’s Tyndale University College and Seminary, former General Secretary of Canadian Baptist Ministries and author of Borderland Churches: a Congregation’s Introduction to Missional Living.  Both sessions of “The New Normal” will encourage conversation among Dr. Kendall, Dr. Nelson and those in attendance.

abc, American Baptist Churches, biennial, celebrate2011

My Social Media in Puerto Rico

Check out the blog this week as I will be live blogging at the American Baptist Churches Biennial in San Juan, Puerto Rico. For you Baptist folks, or observers, I’ll give all the live coverage of events, business meetings, votes, and festivities.

In addition, I’m giving an interactive lecture on social media entitled, “Sink or Swim: Treading the Sea of Social Media” on Saturday at the Pavilion Experiences during the Biennial. Three 50 minute repeating sessions 9 – 9:50, 10 – 10:50, 11 – 11:50 (morning) on June 25th at the Puerto Rico Convention Center. The immediate application will be how to better connect and integrate social media for you, your church, non-profit, or even business.

Make sure you stay tuned into On The Bema and follow me on twitter: @alanrud  Here is a little sneak peak of a social media tip we’ll talk about:

http://flash.locamoda.com/wiffiti.com/cloud/cataclysm.swf?id=66244&title=1

Churches

Churches Stop Decline in UK

For years we have heard reports and studies tracking how churches are dying and God is slowly “disappearing” from Europe. Personal stories persist too. Despite what Fox News and other news outlets like to spin, there are counter reports that suggest otherwise. In 2007, the Wall Street Journal reported that churches are growing in the face of modernization:

Most scholars used to believe that modernization would extinguish religion in the long run. But that view always had trouble explaining why America, a nation in the vanguard of modernity, is so religious.

One study, by Christian Research, who published a widely-respected Religious Trends survey discovered:

…that Church of England attendance has held steady for the past decade (not including Fresh Expressions), the Catholic Church has held steady for the past five years, and Baptist Union attendance has actually been growing.

Secularism is often also thought to contribute to empty churches and forgotten stories of God’s people. However, it is not an issue concerning if people in the United Kingdom believe in God, it is their participation.  The following graph shows some surprising facts about Christian belief in the UK:

Continue Reading…

Baptists

Early Baptist Use of Sacraments

Much to the ignorance of many modern day Baptists, the word “sacrament” or sacraments was used by Baptist framers in their creeds and confessions.  Yes, I said it.  I used the words “Baptist” and “creed” in the same sentence.  Recent Baptist history upholds that Baptists are non-creedal, however it is clear that Baptists in the 17th and 18th centuries used creeds.  Later, Baptists called these creeds “confessions of faith” as did many other protestant groups.

Baptists affirm the theological statements in the creeds but do not use them to be  identified as a “Baptist.”  But, some Baptists used

confessions of faith as creeds.  This is the paradoxical nature of Baptists and their confessions of faith because their statements were directed at excluding other completing theologies. That is exactly what the creeds do, among with affirm what people believe. We receive the word “creed” from the Greek word credo meaning “to believe.”  Clearly, the Baptists were using creedal statements and formulas, but many Baptists did not want to call these doctrinal statements creeds in reaction to the creeds of the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church.

Alright, on to the use of the word “sacrament” in early Baptist thought and writings. William Joseph McGlothlin compiled a collection of early creeds and confessions of faith that our modern day Baptist life is modeled from.  McGlothin’s,  Baptist Confessions of Faith, was written in 1911 is a very helpful source book to understand how Baptists used “sacraments.”

The following are excerpts from, Baptist Confession of Faith, of the “English” living in Amsterdam in 1614, who desired to correct John Smyth‘s “errors” :

Continue Reading…

Haiti

Haiti Hits Home

The destruction in Haiti continues to sadden and compel people to give.  Over $50 million has been given from “text giving” and tens of millions of dollars continue to flow into relief agencies.  The Haiti earthquake had a personal connection for me and for the people of our church.  One of our members, Jude Pierre, was serving on a mission trip in Haiti when the earthquake struck.  The mission trip team was about 50 miles away from Port-au-Prince, but still felt the earthquake.  Jude and his team return safely a few days later and their return was reported on by NBC13 here in Albany:

Click for video

It was an incredible turn of events and this Sunday morning, Jude will recount his experiences during the 10:15 a.m. worship service at FBC Ballston Spa.   Jude will have pictures and information about his mission trip.  We hope you will join us.

In addition, FBC Ballston spa has given over $1500 to fund Haiti relief efforts through International Ministries of the American Baptist Churches U.S.A.  The American Baptist Women’s group aka “G-Unit” group at FBC also made medical kits with donated supplies that is being sent to Haiti.  Thanks be to God for the generous giving from the good people at FBC Ballston spa.  Also, our denomination has quickly responded to relief efforts.

Here is a summary of what the ABC has done:

Continue Reading…

On Facebook