Texas Baptists Committed - A Rancher's Rumblings, February 19, 2007

I am excited about this week, though I long ago stopped enjoying travel very much. I hate how the mail piles up while I’m gone, but I am grateful for email, because it gives me a chance to stay on top of things.

This week, though, I am excited about the events that my traveling will allow me to enjoy.

On Monday and Tuesday, I’ll be in Austin for the annual BGCT Christian Life Commission Conference: Ethics Without Borders. Besides our annual TBC and Mainstream events, this is my favorite meeting in Baptist life. I “plug into” Baptist life through the CLC. Ethical issues are, for me, where my faith and practice intersect.

I have preached few, if any, sermons on the Second Coming. I prefer instead to preach on Baptist principles and ethical issues, because the Gospel comes most alive for me when I am struggling to apply it to the everyday issues of life.

The annual CLC Conference is a great time of fellowship with others who share my interests, and the speakers are always outstanding. It is one of the highlights of my year, and I wish that more Texas Baptists would make it a priority to attend. It is always very thought‑provoking.

Then, on Friday and Saturday, we will meet for our annual Mainstream Baptist Convocation in Irving, Texas. We have planned a wonderful program, focused on the theme of “Why I Am Still a Baptist.” I am disappointed that our newsletter will reach people only a few days before this event, but I hope that some of you reading this will make a last minute decision to attend. You can view the schedule of our excellent program on our Web site’s home page at www.txbc.org. It’s never too late to make a reservation. Please call Carol Scott in our office, at 325-659-4102, or email her at carolscott@txbc.org immediately to make a reservation.

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Again, I’m disappointed that our newsletter will reach you only a few days before the Convocation. Let’s just say that, ever since Emily Row left as our Program Coordinator last spring, I have had trouble making up for the loss of the many contributions that she made, especially in the area of getting things scheduled. In reality, I have not been responsible for getting the newsletter published in at least 10 years; first, Charlie McLaughlin took care of it, then Vicky Trusdle, and, finally, Emily. I forgot how much work it really is and how much lead time one needs to get it out on time. Please don’t let the late notice keep you from making plans to be in Irving this Friday and Saturday. You’ll be inspired and challenged.

Finally, next week I’ll attend the BGCT Executive Board meeting in Dallas. I expect this to be a very positive meeting, as I believe that the Executive Board will clarify the horrible decision made at the convention regarding the role of the messengers. I expect that we will hear a strong report of positive steps that have been taken to deal with the church-starting mistakes and will put to rest the suspicion that there is any sort of cover-up going on. I also hope to see strong evidence that our new structure is working properly.

I will miss being home during the next week, no doubt, but I hope that it is a positive time of travel that will refresh my soul.