We are not diplomats, but prophets, and our message is not a compromise, but an ultimatum. — Tozer

To all you moms!  Have a great day.

I mentioned the other day this report from Associated Baptist Press and I’ve been pondering it ever since. When it notes

[Frank] Page, [President of the SBC] said the problem “resided in the churches” that refuse to change to stop their inevitable demise. He said the SBC downturn is not the denomination’s fault – because of poor programming or lack of emphasis on the denominational level. “The reality is it’s our fault,” Page told the Pastor’s Disciple-Making Network, an initiative of the North Carolina convention. “People rarely rise above the level of their pastor’s spiritual life, and it is critical that pastors maintain a vibrant walk with Christ.”

I find myself having to disagree. It’s high time that people take responsibility for their own spirituality. While Page may be right that some Church members only rise to the level of their Pastor’s spirituality, many, many more either do not rise to any sort of spirituality at all and others rise well above their Pastor’s. Further, if Page’s suggestion is taken seriously then

1- Lot is to be blamed for the destruction of Sodom because he wasn’t spiritual enough.
2- Jeremiah is to be blamed for the fall of the Southern Kingdom because he didn’t preach well enough or convincingly enough.
3- Hosea and Amos are to be blamed for the same thing regarding the Northern Kingdom.
4- John the Baptist is to be blamed for his failure to persuade Herod to repent.
5- Jesus is to be blamed for his disciples abandoning him at the Cross- if he had only been spiritual enough, they would have followed his example and been willing to suffer arrest and execution instead of running off like scared children and hiding.
6- Paul is to be blamed that the Roman empire as a whole didn’t come to Christianity during his lifetime.
7- John is to be blamed that the world hasn’t opened the door to the knocking Jesus. If he only had been more spiritual they would have done so.

In short, blaming the failure of modern Baptists on pastoral leadership (or lack thereof) is the same thing as blaming Jesus for the failure of his followers down through the ages.

Each Christian stands before God alone- and responsible for their own spirituality. As long as Page and others attempt to lay blame for the decline of Christianity at the feet of those striving and living and dying for the Gospel, one and all will ignore their own part in the play.

A world with as many centers as there are human beings — that is the cause of all the chaos and disintegration in the world of men.  The message of the Bible, therefore, is this: God, not man, is the center…  The Gospel … is an attack on [the] man who is his own center.  — Emil Brunner

Lindsey’s baby is home from the hospital! Here are some photos- and note that the mural on the wall in the baby’s room is hand painted by Ruby C.

That’s the happy granny and the visiting Vicar…

According to the Times Online

Church attendance in Britain is declining so fast that the number of regular churchgoers will be fewer than those attending mosques within a generation, research published today suggests.The fall - from the four million people who attend church at least once a month today - means that the Church of England, Catholicism and other denominations will become financially unviable. A lack of funds from the collection plate to support the Christian infrastructure, including church upkeep and ministers’ pay and pensions, will force church closures as ageing congregations die.

As goes Europe, so goes America. Sooner or later. And further

According to Religious Trends, a comprehensive statistical analysis of religious practice in Britain, published by Christian Research, even Hindus will come close to outnumbering churchgoers within a generation. The forecast to 2050 shows churchgoing in Britain declining to 899,000 while the active Hindu population, now at nearly 400,000, will have more than doubled to 855,000. By 2050 there will be 2,660,000 active Muslims in Britain - nearly three times the number of Sunday churchgoers.

And there you have it- a bit of a look at things to come.

According to the President of the SBC, Frank Page.

The Southern Baptist Convention is rapidly dying, and resistance to change could kill over half of the denomination’s churches by 2030, the outgoing SBC president said May 1. Unless something is done to reverse the downward trend, Southern Baptist churches could number only 20,000 — down from the current total of more than 44,000 — in fewer than 22 years, South Carolina pastor Frank Page said. His comments came in a conference call with pastors, hosted by the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. Page said the problem “resided in the churches” that refuse to change to stop their inevitable demise. He said the SBC downturn is not the denomination’s fault – because of poor programming or lack of emphasis on the denominational level. “The reality is it’s our fault,” Page told the Pastor’s Disciple-Making Network, an initiative of the North Carolina convention. “People rarely rise above the level of their pastor’s spiritual life, and it is critical that pastors maintain a vibrant walk with Christ.”

Lucas came into the world this afternoon- so we congratulate mom and dad, and Ed and Donna, very happy grandparents!

The Church of Jesus Christ lives by the power of the Holy Spirit; that is the secret of its might.  It is the power that binds believers together and the secret of their communion.  Where the Holy Spirit is absent, there is neither Church nor community.

The Association is partnering with an Association in Iowa and their representatives will be here on May 13th. If you would like to find out about the details of the Partnership, meet with them at the Harriman Cracker Barrel that day at 1 PM.

HOMECOMING is May 25^th! Plan to attend, invite your friends, and enjoy what’s always a wonderful day of singing, worship, and fellowship. Don Long is our Preacher and the Singing service begins at 10:15.

And don’t forget, tonight is ‘Dinner and a Movie’ at 6:30.  Bring some soup or some sandwiches and join us!