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Random Thoughts…
Posted by Dave Samples in Bible & Theology, News & Culture
I tried those new “boneless wings” at Wendy’s. They appear to be a lot like chicken nuggets with BBQ sauce on them. I was very disappointed.
I attended my first-ever trustee meeting with the North American Mission Board. Those who weren’t there seem to know more about what went on than I do.
I spent ten days with my wife on Anna Maria Island, Florida. There is a very nice condominium for pastors and ministers to use free of charge. There is a small deposit and cleaning fee. See it here: http://www.beside-stillwaters.org/
My mother-in-law is in the hospital in Austin, Texas. I would appreciate prayer for her recovery.
I decided to disengage from Facebook for an undetermined period of time.
I participated in an ordination council on Sunday afternoon. It seems that not very many pastors in my association participate in these much anymore.
I’ve actually learned how to tune out the sound of my fourteen-year-old playing his drums in the basement.
I’m thinking about getting rid of my telephone at home and just using cell service. I’ve found that I don’t really want to talk with most of the people who call my house anyway.
The Cowboys looked good in their second preseason game. The Broncos did not.
I have begun a four-part series from Acts 20 entitled, “Having a Life worth Living”. My preferred method of preaching is what I call, “Topical Exposition”.
My seventeen-year-old son spent six weeks in Honduras this summer traveling with Carpenter’s Tools International playing guitar in a worship band.
I’m addicted to chapstick.
“Need to Breathe” has become my favorite band. I especially like “Washed by the Water”.
I totally crushed my two sons in a serious game of Risk on Saturday night.
I’m thinking that someone should design a reality show around pastors and their ministries.
I really like this verse: “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10).
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Dave,
I have long said that following the life, the pressure and the ever changing tasks of the pastor would make for a mega hit reality series. One minute you are fund raising, the next in the ER, the next listening to a member tell you they are having an affair, the next someone in your office says they want to be baptized, the next a wife of a prominent member confides in you she is beng abused at home, the next a member is mad because you did not stand in the back and shake hands as they were leaving the sanctuary. There would be a never ending supply of material.
Lets put together a pilot.
Zach
Dave,
Thanks for sharing. I’ve thought about a TV show. Our family would be somewhere between Seventh Heaven and the Osbournes. My German wife is married to a rebellious ex-cocaine dealing, Harley riding, cigarette smoking Jew. I married her because she hit back. My oldest daughter is a fashion queen married to an oil man. My youngest daughter is a beautiful handful of scorpions with attitude, like her mom. And my son is a left handed maniac who throws the ball in the mid 90′s and loves fighting. He’s in love with one of our Deacon’s daughter. I’d tell you more but I’ve said too much already. Have a great day in the Lord.
I love “Random thoughts” like this. Several comments.
1) I read several of the secret accounts of the NAMB meeting and wondered why they varied from yours so much! That was a strange thing.
2) If you learned to tune out the drums, you have achieved a skill that, if you could teach it, would earn you a lot of money.
3) I’d like to get rid of my home phone too. The only thing stopping me is those middle of the night emergency phone calls I might get.
4) when I have to use a lot of chapstick, its usually because I am slightly dehydrated.
5) I am willing to challenge you to a game of Risk sometime. I style myself a master!
Your mention that you are stepping back from Facebook. Although I do get hung up on blogs some I try to avoid becoming a addict to “connectivity”.
I have a cell phone but only use it when I go on trips where I am gone for more than a 24 hour period. So I might turn it on once every three or four months and then make a dozen calls. This whole situation with Facebook and Twitter is just too much.
Regarding the NAMB BoT meeting. Do you think that after a “statute of limitations” expires, say five years then you could actually tell us what happened?
My take on the NAMB is that it might be necessary to change leaders. However, changing leaders has not helped much in the past. Also, it might be necessary to have some new sweeping strategy or agency re-alignment. However, that has not necessarily helped much in the past. I don’t think the alignment that merged the TV & Radio Commission, the Brotherhood Commission, and the Home Mission Board really helped. It might have been a necessary but not sufficient step.
Missing in this whole equation is day to day, week to week and month to month management to make sure what is going is tracking to objectives and meeting targets according to agreed upon deliverables to stakeholders.
Roger
…So would our reality show be better on “The God Channel” or maybe “The Gospel Music Channel”? We could start with maybe fifteen or so different types and denominations of ministers and finally decide once and for all who God loves the most.
Dave M: (1) I am open to the very real possiblity that things were happening outside of the formal trustee meeting that I was completely unaware of. I have also seen bits of truth greatly exaggerated and taken out of the context in which it occurred. One can read everything that I have ever written and discover that I am anything but a “good ‘ol boy” in on some devious conspiracy. I’m a cautious of denominational structure. I am against power brokers. I am for the little guy. I am more known for shaking things up than I am for maintaining the status quo. I don’t wear cuff-links. I have played a role in reorganizing aspects of my church, my association, and my state convention in order to streamline and promote more effective ministry. I fight injustice and I cry over people.
(2) I cannot yet tune out the drums when paired with the electric guitar. Even the dog wants outside…
(3) You seem to be maing my point…lol. Everyone already has my cell phone.
(4) My boys are addicted too. Am I a bad parent?
(5) If we both make it to Orlando–then it’s “Game on!” Our new church budget completely eliminated my convention and conference money. I’m thinking of scheduling a series of bake sales.
Seventh Heaven was a terrible show that frequently denied gospel truth in favor of a humanist, non-exclusive approach to humanity and our problems. Sin is bad because of the damage it does to society. The concept of sin being an offense to God was foreign to that show. We don’t need any more shows like that. Besides, aren’t Jack and Rexella entertaining enough?
Dave,
Ah, the joys of being a pastor.
Don’t you realize that we all know more about the NAMB trustee meetings that you trustees do?
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I too have attended meetings and conferences, then later read a report of the meeting, and wondered if we had been to the same meeting.
David R. Brumbelow
Andrew,
I don’t believe that Scott was endorsing 7th Heaven or the Osbournes. That being said, you might be a good pick for the pilot of our new reality show.
Roger,
From what I’ve seen the statute of limitations occurs when one either rotates off or resigns from the board. Not unlike churches, I think that boards sometimes solve one problem by creating a different kind of problem.
Or, Dave, the other possibility, as hard it might be to accept, is that some bloggers published “secret” accounts not based on facts. Hard to believe, right?
You know, I love blogging. We have access to much more information that way, and the connectivity is great. But there is also a lot more information of questionable origin that is published.
here are some random thoughts from another Dave.
1) Never give much credibility to an anonymous source. it may or may not be right, but until it is attributed, it is not credible.
2) everyone is entitled to opinions. We do not get to make up our own facts!
And, as to the chapstick, there is one important question. Are you eating it, or applying it to your lips?
Dave M.,
I referenced the related documentation at http://www.chapstick.com and I believe that I am properly using the product in moderation as intended.
“Directions:
Apply liberally before sun exposure and as needed.
Children under 6 months of age: ask a doctor.”
I guess I should add this as well:
“Warnings
For external use only
When using this product keep out of eyes. Rinse with water to remove.
Stop use and ask a doctor if
rash or irritation develops and lasts
condition worsens or does not improve within 7 days
Keep out of reach of children. If swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away.”
Can you imagine this: Hello. Poison control? I just ate a spearmint chapstick. No sir…not the plastic…just the chapstick.
Here’s a question, just to beat this thing deeply into the ground. If you can apply it to your lips, why would you have to contact Poison Control if you swallowed it?
A product designed for the area of my mouth should not require a Poison control memo.
My Seventh Heaven rant comes from someone who had a big sister who was four years older and had more control over the remote than he did. She frequently watched said show and it drove brother crazy because of the constant misrepresentation of the gospel. The family issues didn’t bother me that much (okay, so his kids are getting in fights and getting pregnant and drunk, he may want to consider stepping down), but that mixed with a basic denial of the gospel drove me nuts.
Also, I couldn’t be in the pilot episode because I’m 21 and not a pastor. I don’t have the proper frame of mind
We may need some propofol on this one.
Dave,
Your comment that those that were not there seem to know more about what went on than you do is obviously directed at the speculation and anonymous reports. Any time things are done in secret that effect a great number of people it is going to cause speculation and rumors. The obvious solution is to be as open and transparent as possible. I do not think the NAMB has done that.
I remember a comment by you that it would be inaccurate to state that Hammond was forced to resign. If that is so, the implication is that if he did not resign he would have remained as president. Do you believe that? If he did not resign, would he still be president today? Was his choice resign or be fired?
If you cannot comment on happenings at the meetings, surely you or others can tell what in those statements are inaccurate. For example if it is not true that he was not allowed to be in the meeting or to make a statement to the trustees that why not say that is false. Is it true that the keys to his car were taken away from him as he left the office that day? There is no reason that you or others could not verify or deny that fact. If it happened doesn’t that seem petty or small? There is no reason that Southern Baptists who elect our trustees and pay for this meetings should not know these things.
Ron,
Thanks for commenting. Fortunately and unfortunately, personnel matters cannot be open and transparent. I believe that this rule in place to protect the employee. If that means that the trustees appear to be unfair…well I guess that is just the cost of serving.
It is impossible for me to know if Dr. Hammond would have been affirmed or fired. No vote was taken and I’m not smart enough to gauge the opinion of 56 people. He resigned before the trustee deliberation was concluded.
As you know Ron, to affirm or to deny specifics is often the same thing as saying what occurred. I will not do that since I am bound by confidentiality. I don’t like confidentiality any more than you do. I would love to share everything and remove once and for all the thought that the trustees are either bumbling idiots or that they are participating in some kind of Johnny Hunt conspiracy.
I am seeking to get answers to some of the questions that are being asked. I have no personal knowledge about the car keys being taken. I can only hope that it is not the case. I am asking and will continue to ask about this and other rumors. If things are done wrong or in an ungodly manner, then I will be speak to it.
I am an officer in our state convention and our executive sessions are confidential. When personnel issues are discussed, they are always confidential as well. The same thing happens in our associationl administrative team. Personnel issues are always kept in confidence. And consistently, when our deacons deal with issues in our church concerning persons (staff or otherwise), those discussions are also kept confidential.
Dave,
I appreciate your openness and willingness to share what you can. Some like Ted Traylor and others have praised the meeting and the spirit of those attending. Another person who was there was Ellie Ficken. Here are her comments.
‘It was a very trying meeting and after much heart searching, I have submitted my letter of resignation from the board… The first sin that our Holy Father judged in the church was hypocrisy, and He did not judge it lightly. What I observed would make it impossible for me to serve effectively as a trustee. ‘what I did witness was enough to know that I did not need to be a part of that board any longer. It is my opinion that God will decide when to reveal truth’,
Dave, I am with the IMB. I have 30 years of experience watching and observing trustee meetings. I have learned they are seldom the way they are reported, especially in BP. Usually more goes on outside the actually meeting than inside. The best solution is to err on the side of openness and not secrecy.