You can decide which is which for yourself.

I give Mike Leake high marks for his post calling the Sunday worship service a “weekly cataclysm,” a very nicely turned phrase. I confess that there was an occasional worship service I presided over that was a weekly calamity because of various things. Thank God that another Sunday arrives in seven days.

Ummm, is there a way to understand “Watch out for the guy who is an expert on what used to work” in a way other than a boastful slam against people who supposedly don’t have a clue about church life in the 21st century?

Here’s a mixture of quotes and reported quotes: “…discernment in diversity…hopeful waiting for the emergence of a more faithful path forward, and we stand before you today not in fear, but rather in the hopeful conviction that together we will see that still more excellent way when the Holy Spirit reveals it to us…that way will be a witness in and of itself, and a path to a new season of thriving for our Fellowship…embracing the approach of Integrative Thinking…to faithfully hear and feel the Spirit moving among the priesthood of all believers…” Huh? I think this means our CBF brothers have given themselves permission to embrace LGBTQ friendly churches, ministers, ordinations, and staff. This is ecclesiastic jabberwocky at its best.

A selection of quotes by and generated by Roy Moore, for whom every pundit, journalist, and political blogger is exceedingly thankful: “Not generally, no…If did, you know, I’m not going to dispute anything but I don’t remember anything like that.” referring to dating teens when he was in his 30s. If not “generally” then “occasionally”? Well, equivocation is the word for this. One Alabama Baptist pastor did not equivocate: He is a religious demagogue,” sayeth the brother who did not want to be named. “If he did it, we need to know that” one prominent Alabama Baptist boldly declares concerning the assertions of numerous women. Since a confession is not forthcoming, what exactly does the brother demand as proof? Video evidence? Not an abundance of profiles in courage here…but a few dozen Baptist pastors are against sex abuse in general. That’s good to know.

Russ Moore on Roy Moore: Christian, if you cannot say definitively, no matter what, that adults creeping on teenage girls is wrong, do not tell me how you stand against moral relativism.

An attempt to expand on the metaphor of pastor/shepherd and congregation/sheep explained that sheep are sensitive, stupid, foolish, and frustrating creatures. Is this really a good way to start a conversation about being a better pastor/shepherd, to call your congregation sensitive, stupid, foolish, and frustrating?

Baptist pastor Kevin Glenn said, Christians have tried for too long to effect change in culture through political power, and I think we see that backfiring. Ya think?

“Christ is the one who’s going to be lifted up,” Pomeroy said at a Nov. 6 news conference. “That’s what I’m telling everybody. You lean into what you don’t understand. You lean into the Lord … Whatever life brings to you, lean on the Lord rather than your own understanding. I don’t understand, but I know my God does. And that’s where I’ll leave that.” The pastor of the church in Texas where so many were killed, including his own daughter. God bless you, sir.

Chris King, Tennessee SBC pastor, supporting the motion to expel the TN church that called a woman as pastor: “Compromising the Gospel is destructive to our cause,” he said. The Gospel, pastor?

Buzz word gone wild: “The secret to godly synergy is loving one another instead of ourselves”. I’m OK with the theme of synergy which is a mid-19th Century term attractive to folks who know a little Greek but it just sounds so 1990s. Godly synergy…just sounds wierd.

“The Bible is the best-selling, most-translated book of all time and is arguably history’s most significant piece of literature…It has had an unquestionable influence on science, education, democracy, arts and society. This book has profoundly impacted lives across the ages, including my own.” Steve Green, Southern Baptist who is responsible for the new Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC. I’d like to visit. Truth without mixture of error…

“Survey the evangelical landscape, and you’ll find a lot to be depressed about.” Don’t you know it. This quote is not from an aging curmudgeon but from youngish, bearded pastor Dayton Hartman.

The uncomfortable question that was not addressed by the Task Force Report is clear: why should state Conventions be held to the original 50/50 percent distribution level if churches are doing more missions themselves and only forwarding, on average, 5 percent rather than the suggested 50 percent? This from an interesting article by Christian Index Managing Editor Joe Westbury. Why should…? is a good question and the article has some things I did not know.

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Perhaps it needs to be said: Any opinions in this article are my own and do not represent anyone else here,

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