Greetings!
Thanks for checking in and reading my thoughts on six timely topics.
Let’s get to it!
- Who’s saying Y-E-S to VBS?
I begin with a sneak preview to next week’s Baptist Messenger.
On Monday, I found out about a unique version of Vacation Bible School happening at Portland Avenue Baptist Church in Oklahoma City. What makes it unique is who was attending. It was designed entirely for senior adults!
It was awesome to check out. I went by the church on Tuesday and found 17 senior adults singing and doing the motions to the latest VBS songs. It was awesome!
I think this could be something LifeWay should consider for the future. Be looking for my story in the July 19 printed edition of the Baptist Messenger.
- Sons speaks at Falls Creek
I will be heading back to one of my favorite places next week. Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center is in its final weeks of youth summer camp, and I will be down there Monday and Tuesday to hear the Week 7 speaker David Sons from South Carolina.
This is Sons’ first time to speak at Falls Creek, but it has been said he is quite the popular camp speaker back in S.C. It is reported that Sons is a speaker in demand at SummerSalt – South Carolina Baptists’ version of Falls Creek.
I’m doing a feature story on Sons for the July 26 Messenger, but you can check out Sons or any Falls Creek speaker online at Falls Creek Livestream.
- Critiquing Kavanaugh
President Trump announced his nomination for the Supreme Court this week. Brett Kavanaugh, 53, is the one whom liberal dissenters can ridicule. They have an actual name to go with their outcries.
Joe Carter has an excellent fact sheet on Kavanaugh. Through reading Carter’s article, I found out Kavanaugh is Catholic and participates in the Scripture reading during services. He also is involved in Catholic Charities, regularly serving free meals.
Also, check out Nebraska U.S. Senator Ben Sasse giving his thoughts not only on Kavanaugh but also on the importance of the judiciary branch. My favorite comment from his speech is “We need less WWE Thunderdome and a lot more Schoolhouse Rock.”
- Pro-life language
Aaron Wilson thinks pro-life advocates should stop using “parent-to-be” labels. He explains in his article “The pro-choice language pro-lifers need to drop.”
His article made me think of a blog I wrote long ago (I can’t find it!) regarding how much I hate the term “reproductive rights.” I have an extreme loathing for that phrasing and the foolish arrogance that I perceive when someone uses it.
“Reproductive rights” gives me the impression that whoever uses the phrase believes the whole procreation process is solely based on humanity and yields no acknowledgement to the Creator of Life. Instead of looking at having a child as a right, consider it a gift from God.
I welcome feedback on this.
- Awe-Strzok
Yesterday’s litigation involving members of the U.S. Congress and FBI Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok was fascinating drama. It rekindled my appreciation for South Carolina U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy and his interrogation methods. I actually was wondering if Mr. Gowdy was still in office, only because I knew he announced he was not going to seek re-election.
To put it bluntly, I have never observed a more arrogant appearance from a witness than Peter Strzok. Either he demonstrates major corruption in the FBI, or he should be fired from his position.
Of course, if such an act occurs, I expect him to be offered his own cable news show.
- A biblical case study for modern marriage
I truly enjoyed reading Vivian Hyatt’s article “Whom Should I Marry? Ask Ruth and Boaz.” This is a fantastic read, and I love how she applied the elements of this well-known Old Testament story to the current Christian culture, especially in regards to seeking a marriage partner.
“Ruth’s story has wise application for Christians today,” Hyatt wrote, “a day of later marriages and online dating, a day of choosing or rejecting a mate on the basis of ‘chemistry.’
“We don’t know if Boaz was handsome or whether Ruth was gorgeous, whether they were serious or ‘fun,’ or what they liked to do in their free time. We know their character and their God. Maybe that’s enough.”
Let me know what you think of Hyatt’s piece.