Southern Baptist Convention.

I always enjoy this time of year. It’s when the annual Southern Baptist Convention takes place. It’s usually time for some of my best comedic material. And I know I shouldn’t need or seek validation . . . but it always reminds me that no matter how “weird” I feel sometimes, there are always people who are weirder than me. And that maybe I was right after all for leaving and doing what we did by leaving the Southern Baptist community and denomination. However, this year I would actually like to commend the president of the denomination who just wrapped up his opening sermon. For a little backdrop, the guy basically got elected last year over two of the “big shots” with names, cred, and the big churches. But he got elected despite having very few credentials and being from a really small church in South Carolina. Surprisingly enough, he got elected because he used the medium of the web and bloggers to help him over the polarizing “big shots”.

Anyway . . . here are some of the excerpts from his opening sermon. And although phrases like “Holy Ghost revival”, which he uses several times, make me queasy, I think I might actually feel encouraged by his comments. There is other terminology he uses that I am highly uncomfortable with, but considering the “puff each other up, pat each other on the back” leadership the Southern Baptist Convention has had over the past 30 years, it’s nice to see someone fresh and with nothing to lose tell the pompous ones honestly what’s up.

“The early church was met with persecution; we are met with a yawn.”

While he lauded what was accomplished by the SBC’s affirmation of scriptural sufficiency and biblical inerrancy, Page decried what he sees as a lack of balance in current discussions. “God wants balance. He wants us to speak the truth in love, and that applies to us -– whether you blog or don’t blog, whether you use the phone or don’t use the phone, whether you’re having a hallway conversation or whether you’re speaking in a hush tone somewhere else, or whether you’re just using two tin cans and a wax string.”

Satan also wishes to steal humility, Page said. “Yet we as Baptists, particularly Baptist preachers, seemed to have developed the unique ability to strut while they are still sitting down. This convention does not belong to you, and it sure does not belong to me.”

“God is not shut up to us alone in this world to win the world for Christ. We are not the only game in town. God has immensely blessed us for a reason … not that we might become spiritually obese. We have lost much and there is more to be lost.”

“Instead of transforming our culture … the culture has transformed us into its own image. We know we are in a battle … yet we maintain our battle lines in internecine conflicts which leave us weak.”

“Instead of dealing with the root of the problem, so often we become miserable, we become unfulfilled and bitter in our walk before God. We find faults in everyone else.”

“We have become strangely passionate about our own agendas.”

Here’s to you Mr. Southern Baptist Preacher Man. Here’s to you. Now if you could just do something about that alcohol resolution.

[tags]Frank Page, Southern Baptist Convention, SBC, Southern Baptists, Baptist+Denomination[/tags]