by Chris Doyle | Jun 28, 2019
Greetings!
This week’s DHD features six articles written by Joe Carter
who serves as communications specialist for the Southern Baptists’ Ethics and
Religious Liberty Commission. I enjoy
Joe’s writing style. He has an objective approach to whatever his topic may be,
and many of his topics are controversial.
Objectivity is a key element for me when it comes to writing
style. It’s important to be able to answer respectfully those who may oppose
you, but also present different aspects reasonably. There’s no “If you don’t
agree, you’re a jerk” manner in how Joe writes, and he is very thorough in
presenting his arguments.
Not all six of these Carter articles present debates. Some
are “How to,” and one is even a humble admittance by Joe, which is the first
one I mention.
1. “Confessions of a
(Recovering) Social Media Fool”
I thought I’d start off making Joe likeable. You should read
“Confessions
of a (Recovering) Social Media Fool” because it is so relatable, and you
can appreciate Joe’s willingness to admit he started 2019 committing to “make
an effort to tame my tongue (James 3:7-8)—especially on social media.”
His commentary on Matt. 7:1 “Judge not that you be not judged” is great, especially since he
quotes one of my favorite bloggers, Kevin DeYoung.
2. “How Should a
Christian Negotiate a Deal?”
This
article is a response to an inquiry. It’s good sound advice for a Christian
businessperson. I really appreciate his comments under “3. We have obligations
to unseen neighbors,” especially the following quote:
“If vendors fail to deliver
because of incompetence or lack of ethics, they should be allowed a good-faith
effort to rectify the situation. If they fail to do so, though, we have a moral
obligation to prevent them from cheating others.”
3. “How to Work With People Who Are Smarter Than You”
I enjoy reading unique biblical topics, and this
one qualifies. I’ve never thought about ranking the Apostles’ intelligence,
but Joe’s take is interesting. I like how he compares Peter to Paul.
But along with IQ analogies, Joe gives advice to people like
me who find themselves in a work setting being inferior in the smarts
department. It’s a great practical read.
4. “David Platt
Models How to Pray for a President”
Joe’s commentary on David
Platt praying over President Trump is one of his best. It is written in Joe’s
classic fashion—easy to read with subheads, sharing about a recent major topic
among Evangelicals.
Platt reminded us that we
pray for authorities not to protect them from criticism but so that we as
Christians “may live peaceful and quiet
lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Tim. 2:2). In doing so, he provided us with a model for how we should
all pray for our president.
5. “In Defense of Pro-Life Incrementalism”
Now we are really into the
controversial stuff. Joe doesn’t hold back, but he also explains a rather
confusing topic in a way that is easy to understand, regarding a division among
Evangelicals when it comes to the Sanctity of Life.
Please read Joe’s article on Pro-Life
Incrementalism, especially if you are confused or on the fence regarding
the abortion abolitionist view. Joe separates the two views as “Incrementalism”
and “Immediatism.”
This was a hot topic in
Oklahoma a few months ago.
6. The FAQs: What Christians Should Know About
Vaccines
I’m not sure which topic is hotter—abolitionism or anti-vaccines.
Both issues involve some passionate viewpoints.
Once again, Joe lays it all out in great fashion in his
article about how
Christians should view vaccinations.
Joe also quotes a DHD favorite, Al Mohler:
“I am very pro-vaccine,”
Mohler said. “But I’m also pro-parental rights, and I want to be an ardent
defender of religious liberty. In this kind of situation, it is so complicated
that Christians of goodwill, and we need to note this, can come to different
conclusions about vaccines, specific vaccines, and in specific cases even
regarding specific children.”
Mohler is sympathetic to different sides in his viewpoint.
Joe follows up with four factors that Christians need to consider regarding vaccination.
by Chris Doyle | Jun 21, 2019
Greetings!
It’s the day after the NBA Draft, and many here in the land
of Thunder have mixed feelings, if not outright disappointed.
For this week’s DHD, I’ll discuss the Thunder’s limited involvement
in this year’s draft, as well as share overall thoughts and observations of the
NBA Draft.
1. Draftees and dads
The biggest encouragement I got from watching the NBA Draft
last night was the representation of fathers being involved in the lives of the
players who were drafted. What I saw was a message to men to be involved with
their families.
Maybe these fathers’ motives could be questioned, or one
could wonder if they pushed their sons too hard through the process of becoming
an NBA draft pick. That is a legitimate but separate argument.
I worked full-time in college athletics for 13 years. I’ve done volunteer ministry and mission work throughout my life. My wife has been a mentor with the Police Athletic League for most of our 12 years of marriage. I have seen and been familiar with a lot of children, young people and student-athletes who were raised by single moms or grandmothers. And I’m sure many who read this could surpass me in the count of the number of families known that had to deal with deadbeat dads who run off and don’t support their families.
To see lottery picks like Ja Morant, R.J. Barrett and
Jarrett Culver being interviewed on ESPN with their dads was refreshing, to say
the least. The emotion that was demonstrated by both son and dad should resonate
to viewers on how important fathers are to their children.
There were also those who were drafted who commemorated
their fathers who died. It was a special message on how fatherhood is valued.
2. Zion and mom
Zion Williamson is the biggest news of the NBA Draft, as the
former Duke standout was the No. 1 pick. From reports that I have read,
Williamson was coached by his stepfather as well as his mother.
I was impressed with how special the relationship Williamson
has with his mom, and you can tell in his ESPN interview how emotional he got
talking about his mom who was also interviewed.
Fathers are important, but there are many “warrior” moms who
endure and overcome, doing whatever it takes to support their children.
If you are not as familiar with the name Zion Williamson, you will soon be hearing a lot about him in the years to come.
3. Draft confusion
Tim Reynolds wrote how the “hat
game” during the NBA Draft made the process confusing for onlookers.
Draft picks that were used in recent trade agreements cannot be confirmed until the new salary cap year begins, which starts July 6. Players who were selected last night with the traded picks had to represent the team that originally owned the draft pick by wearing that team’s hat, though it had been unofficially announced they are going to the team receiving the pick via trade.
Confused? You’re not alone.
From a P.R. standpoint, it looked bad. They need to figure out how to make it possible for all drafted players to represent the teams that actually selected them.
4. ESPN’s Draft
coverage
Rece Davis was the host of ESPN’s broadcast of the NBA
Draft. That was a little odd for me because I usually associate him with ESPN’s
GameDay for college football. Yes, I know he also does college basketball “GameDay,”
but that’s overshadowed by football.
But the trio of Davis, Chauncey Billups and Jay Bilas was
pretty ho-hum. The one who stood out from the broadcast was Maria Taylor who
interviewed the players after their selections were announced. It’s been said
one of the greatest achievements for a reporter is to get the interviewee to
cry. Taylor had many great achievements last night.
5. Thunder’s draft
night
Now, here’s what you really want to read—my take on the
Oklahoma City Thunder’s involvement in the NBA Draft.
Well… in one word—anticlimactic.
In some ways, though, this would be par for the course. Two
years ago, I expected very little action to come from the Thunder in the
offseason, but then they pulled off a monster trade to get Paul George. This
year, I expected something nearly earth shattering to happen from the Thunder
camp, which could have included their first round draft selection, but all that
happened last night was they moved down two spots and got a 2024 second round
pick in a trade with Memphis (yawn).
I know hardly anything about the player the Thunder drafted. In fact, I just had to use Google to remember his name—Darius Bazley. Basically, he’s a project with a unique story, and he did not play organized ball last year. In a few years, he could become a major contributor, but I doubt he sees much action next season.
I would be thrilled if I’m wrong and would love to see this
Bazley kid shock the world next season. However, I’m not holding my breath.
But I’m not all grouchy and gloomy either, like I’ve seen
other Thunder fans react. I was not expecting the Thunder to get a world beater
late in the first round. I actually thought the pick would be used as part of a
trade.
And who knows what will happen in the days ahead?
6. Thunder in the
offseason
Which brings me to my final DHD point.
It seems more likely that the Thunder will make more of a
clamor, involving the free agent market, a trade or the waiver wire. I don’t
expect them to get a huge name added to the roster, but it could be possible
the Thunder get a veteran shooter and add frontcourt depth.
They do have salary cap concerns, and it’s possible a player
like Dennis Schroder won’t be on the Thunder roster next month, in order to
relieve the team’s payroll. I don’t know exactly what will happen, but it’s
likely the roster will have some changes.
But here’s the good news. There’s a lot of unknowns across the NBA next season. Though it’s unfortunate the Golden State Warriors suffered two critical injuries with Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, causing a major shakeup in the projections for title contenders, it means the Thunder has about as good of a chance as any team to make a legitimate run.
by Chris Doyle | Jun 14, 2019
Greetings!
The Southern Baptist Convention had its annual meeting this week, and there was a lot of content and issues that were covered in the two days of sessions, as well as what was addressed beyond the actual sessions.
I did not go to Birmingham, so I can’t give an in-person
description, but I did watch most of the sessions on livestream and discussed
with those who did attend.
This week’s DHD offers my six takeaways from the SBC
meeting.
1. Action against
Sexual Abuse and Racism
Probably the biggest news of the whole meeting is the action that the SBC agreed to take, regarding issues of sexual abuse and racism that involve some churches in the SBC. Baptist Press reported the stances the SBC took against sexual abuse and racism among churches, which involve amending the SBC Constitution to consider churches reportedly involved in sexual abuse or discrimination based on ethnicity be “not in friendly cooperation” with the convention.
Also, Southern Baptist messengers approved to repurpose the
Credentials Committee to make inquiries and recommendations of actions
regarding instances of sexual abuse, racism and other issues that would call a church’s
relationship with the SBC into question.
Since the SBC functions with the respect to the autonomy of
the local church, these two actions demonstrate the limit the SBC is willing to
go in handling these severely critical social issues of sexual abuse and
racism.
Also, there is follow-up to confronting the sexual abuse
crisis in the way of offering resources titled “Caring Well,” which were
prepared by the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and are offered
to Southern Baptist churches to utilize in the coming days. The Caring Well
resources will help churches be prepared in preventing abuse and protecting the
vulnerable. ERLC also will host a conference in October, which will meet in
Dallas, that will address sexual abuse.
2. President Greear’s
leadership
SBC President J.D. Greear did an excellent job overseeing the sessions. And he was consistently visible on the stage during much of the action. His presidential address was on point, emphasizing the importance of the Gospel above all other issues.
Greear’s demeanor throughout the meeting was perfect, as he
handled all situations well and even provided appropriate light-hearted
comments when needed.
Many were previously critical of Greear’s ability to lead, prior to the SBC meeting. For me, he squelched all the criticisms this week.
3. IMB Sending
Celebration
One of the great moments of the Annual Meeting is the
commissioning of International Mission Board missionaries. This would be a
regret for personally not being in Birmingham because I am certain I could not
fully experience what was happening in the convention center. This is one of
those aspects where you could say it’s better to be in the stands instead of
watching the game on TV.
However, having experienced previous Annual Meetings, I know
the Sending Celebrations offer an aura of appreciation of the missionaries and
their commitment to share the Gospel throughout the world.
You can read a great
report on this year’s Sending Celebration that was written by my friend
Julie McGowan.
4. Constructive panel
talks
Something that is always present at any kind of a conference
meeting is the array of panel talks. Some panel sessions are good; some can be
overkill.
However, the panel talks I watched during the sessions were
quite good with Greear moderating the panels. They discussed racial issues,
secondary issues compared to the Gospel and women in ministry. All of them
offered great instruction and perspective of these important topics of the SBC.
I recommend going to sbcannualmeeting.net, clicking on the “WATCH
VIDEO” link and finding the videos that feature the panel talks. You will be
impressed and educated.
5. Rummage’s sermon
My pastor Stephen Rummage delivered the annual sermon at the SBC meeting this year. In fact, I added the video of his sermon below. If you want to read about it, you can do so here.
I tried to embed the video of Pastor Rummage, but I did not know how to do that, so below is the direct link:
https://digitalpass.lifeway.com/2019/06/12/sbc19-convention-sermon/
6. Resolutions run amok
Another element that happens every year is the report from
the Resolutions Committee, which offers formal statements in response to many
different issues and actions.
I do find these reports interesting, and I’m usually
captivated by the dialogue involving questions, support, amendments between
messengers and committee members. This year’s resolutions report went well over
an hour and was one of the longest segments in the entire two-day meeting.
You can read BP’s report on this year’s SBC resolutions and notice one resolution in particular was controversial—resolution 9 which involved critical race theory and intersectionality. It was unfortunate that time was not allowed to entertain a motion to amend this resolution that would offer clear description of both critical race theory and intersectionality.
Albert Mohler even commented on the resolution in today’s edition
of The Briefing:
“I did not want the resolution to say less than it said,” Mohler declared. “I wanted it to say more than it said. I wanted it to acknowledge more clearly the origins of critical race theory and intersectionality. I wanted it to state more clearly that embedded in both of those analytical tools is a praxis, that is a political extension. That’s abundantly clear in the origin of both intersectionality and critical race theory. It is also abundantly clear in how they function in higher education and public debate. It is true that both can be deployed as analytical tools. The problem is, as Christians understand, that analytical tools very rarely remain merely analytical tools.”
From my observation, it was interesting that this resolution was listed later in the report. One could conclude that maybe the Resolutions Committee ranked it near the end with the possibility that time would not permit further discussion on the floor, as many of the previous resolutions appear benign and more agreeable.
Another observation I have is I wonder if resolutions are even necessary. They have no binding aspect. They have no mandatory action behind their words. Most of the time, the resolutions report features people haggling over certain words in the resolutions.
Don’t get me wrong. As I already said, I find them
fascinating to watch. But as it has proven in the past, sometimes these
resolutions have a way to get the SBC in hot water, such as the one in the late
‘90s opposing Disney, which they eventually dismissed.
I’m just contemplating on whether or not it is worth it for
the SBC to publicly declare resolutions.
I welcome feedback.
by Chris Doyle | Jun 7, 2019
Greetings!
Another short intro. Thanks for reading!
1. Platt and Trump
People are making too big of a deal about David Platt,
former president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission
Board now pastor of McClain Bible Church in northern Va., praying publicly over
President Trump when the president made a surprise visit to Platt’s church last
Sunday.
This issue is starting to die down, but those who criticize
Platt for praying for our nation’s leader or criticize his explanation
afterward where he appears to be sympathetic to church members who had problems
with the Trump prayer (Platt did not apologize for praying as some incorrectly concluded)
are being foolish and look bad.
The best write-up I’ve read was offered by Owen Strachan,
titled “Pray
for Presidents: On David Platt and Donald Trump.”
“President Trump,
however one sees him, is no different than any of us. He needs Christ. He needs
the Lord. He needs something more than this world can give. If we view praying
for God to work in his life as wrong, and view a pastor leading a church to pray
such a prayer as wrong, then we are in danger not only of disobeying a direct
apostolic command, but of losing the very essence of the mercy-drenched gospel
of Jesus Christ.”
2. Great ending, OU Softball
The University of Oklahoma
Softball team ended its season this week, falling to UCLA in the championship
round of the Women’s College World Series.
Yes, it’s disappointing the Sooners lost, but I appreciate
how they battled back after the Bruins cleaned their clocks in Game One, with
Game Two being decided by a walk-off single in the 8th inning.
The best part, though, is hearing how the team leaders praised God during the postgame press conference. Take a listen here:
http://www.soonersports.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?clip=5913929&cid=1&db_oem_id=31000
3. OU softball
article revived on Messenger website
By the way, the Baptist
Messenger featured an article last year offered by the Fellowship of
Christian Athletes about OU softball head coach Patty Gasso’s Christian faith.
Check out “OU’s Patty Gasso focuses on winning souls more than games.”
The article made a resurgence this year, as I was told it
received around 13,000 hits on BaptistMessenger.com this week.
4. Way to go, Wendy’s!
I read a great story on the Decision Magazine website about fast-food chain Wendy’s making the
decision to emphasize adoption instead of abortion.
Check out the article here
4. CR and pro-life
development
The Southern Baptist Convention will be having its annual
meeting next week in Birmingham, Ala. I’ve been reading a lot of great article
that were written in preparation of the SBC meeting, but one of my favorites is
a historical piece about the Conservative Resurgence of the SBC and how this
movement invigorated Southern Baptists to be radically for the sanctity of
life.
Check out “Conservative
Resurgence foster pro-life stance in SBC” on the Missouri Pathway website.
5. Mohler on adoption
language
As you can tell, I’m being brief on my summaries this week.
But I hope you will still check out the content I’m sharing.
This includes Albert Mohler’s “The Briefing” from his Monday edition.
He takes on a heavy topic when he offers commentary on an article from the New
York Times regarding a women who is grieving without faith.
“It’s hard to read this article as a Christian,” Mohler
said. “Imagine how hard—hard is not even the word—how hard reading this article
would be for someone who isn’t a theist, who doesn’t believe in God, and
certainly one who doesn’t have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. How then would
one read this article? How could one stand it?”
6. More Mohler
Once again Mohler gave excellent dialogue this week. I tried
to choose which Briefing was best, but all week, he gave challenging,
encouraging, educational commentary.
Three of his best were:
1. Abortion language – Wed., June 5.
2. 30th anniversary of Tiananmen Square Massacre—Tues., June 4
3. Remembering D-Day—Thurs. June 6
by Chris Doyle | May 31, 2019
Greetings!
Beautiful weather, at least for the moment. Enjoy it while
you can!
Here’s another edition of my thoughts on six timely topics.
1. Cultural cartoons
A Facebook friend shared an article that was released two years ago, but since I never read it previously, it was new to me.
Annie Holmquist wrote “How
Classic Cartoons Created a Culturally Literate Generation,” and I couldn’t
agree more with her conclusions.
She shared an experience with her father, how she picked up a classic novel and asked him if he ever read it. He had not, but when she started sharing the premise of the story, he already knew many of the plot elements. Though he never read the book, by watching the short film cartoons of his youth, he had an understanding and even an appreciation.
Think about those classic Bugs Bunny and Tom & Jerry
cartoons that had plots based upon classical music, opera and even classic
literature. Holmquist elaborates more in her article, and then she ends with
this commentary:
“…neither schools, nor Saturday morning cartoons seem to be
passing on the torch of cultural knowledge and literacy. Could such a scenario
be one reason why we see an increased apathy and lack of substance in the
current generation?”
Holmquist has a point, and Ryan Smith offers another
perspective involving current television programming for children in his
blog that was featured this week on WordSlingersOK.com.
2. More educational
thoughts
Another Facebook friend shared an article offering educational tips for children. The article is titled “Let’s Stop Stealing Time From Children,” and it offers some thought-provoking suggestions that encourage children to learn and develop on their own, instead of through controlled, regimented days that involve extensive class time, homework and extracurricular activities during the primary and elementary years.
I welcome feedback.
3. Mohler on SBC
Future
Just today, Albert Mohler posted an article titled “The
Future of the Southern Baptist Convention: The Numbers Don’t Add Up.”
The SBC will meet in a couple of weeks in Birmingham. Ala. for the convention’s annual meeting. Many of the conclusions Mohler offered in his article will surely be among the major talking points in Birmingham.
One of his conclusions involves how families and especially children and students are no longer as active in church activities. He references a researcher who found out that one of the distinguishing marks of a young person continuing to be involved in church as an adult is having a trusting relationship or a mentoring experience with at least one adult in church, outside the parents.
“How many young people in middle school, high school or
college have that experience today?” Mohler wrote, regarding children having
church mentors and being involved in church activities. “For many children
growing up with Christian parents, the priority of the family is told
otherwise. Many Christian parents have bought into the larger culture’s
portrait of the good childhood, complete with incessant sports activities,
violin and ballet lessons, and activities perceived to boost a child’s eventual
college admissions application. When it comes to church activities with
children and teenagers, the scariest words might well be ‘traveling team.’
Priorities become clear, both on the part of the church and of parents. Parents
can hardly claim shock when their kids grow up and leave what they have never
really known. At that point, the opportunity is lost.”
4. More from Mohler
Dr. Mohler had great commentaries this week on his daily podcast The Briefing. He was a great help for me in understanding what happened in Israel involving the recent elections. I feel sad that Benjamin Netanyahu is no longer in office. He has been one of the world’s greatest political leaders in my lifetime.
Mohler also gave great analysis on the movie companies and
their response to Georgia’s potential abortion ban law. He discussed it on
Thursday and Friday, and it is a great perspective.
Do yourself a favor and at least read the transcripts from
the last few days of The Briefing.
5. Oklahoma Disaster
Relief
This week had its full of weather warnings. In fact, it was an overload of watching weather analysts and stormchasers almost every night.
Oklahoma was affected quite a bit this week with tornadic
activity and flooding. But what this also means is it’s a time for Oklahoma
Baptist Disaster Relief to serve. Many trained and equipped volunteers were
sent out to help those affected by the storms. Read more here.
If you or someone you know has property that has been
affected by the weather, visit www.okdisasterhelp.org
and click on the “Request Assistance” link to receive service from Disaster
Relief.
6. Chris Rice
appearance
Finally, I share an article of a Christian music artist who
has disappeared in the last decade or so.
Chris Rice is not that well known, but you may be familiar
with his song titled “Untitled Hymn” but known as “Come to Jesus.” He also has
some unique songs like “The Cartoon Song” and “Smell the Color 9.”
If you are familiar with Rice and his music, you might enjoy
reading this Billboard
article about Rice coming back on the scene (sort of).