Southern Baptist Convention Identity Issue- What’s in a name?

Leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention, the country’s largest Protestant denomination, on Tuesday opted against changing a name that has proved problematic for some churches because of its connection to the South and slavery.

Approximately 80 members of the convention’s executive committee instead favored a task force’s recommendation to adopt the name “Great Commission Baptists” as an informal, alternative moniker that could be used by Southern Baptists who prefer something less region-specific.

The decision ended speculation about whether the 167-year-old organization with 45,000 affiliated churches would ditch its well-known name in light of declining membership.

In the past three years, membership has dropped by about 100,000 people to a total of 16.2 million current members, said Roger “Sing” Oldham, spokesman for the executive committee.

The proposal to give churches the option of calling themselves Great Commission Baptists will next be considered at the convention’s annual meeting in New Orleans in June.

Full Reuters Article

Posted in Spiritual | 1 Comment

Pastor Ed Young’s Latest Project: PastorFashion.com

From the Runway to the Pulpit

Pastors aren’t typically known for their fashion. Most people don’t think of the runway leading up to the pulpit. But why not?! Why can’t the men and women of God set the standard for the rest of the world in fashion as well as faith? That’s why we’re launching PastorFashion.com. We want to set the trends.

Check back with us regularly, as we’ll be posting things like what not to wear, fashion tips, the latest trends and so much more!

We’re not trying to be like the world…we just want to be fashionable while we try to change it! Have fashion tips, things you’ve seen done (whether right or wrong)? This is the place we’ll keep the conversation going and the trends growing!

http://pastorfashion.com/

It turns out he’s a fan of Spanx . . .

Posted in Spiritual | 7 Comments

Taking Some Time Off

With SonGeeding being just a few days old and DaughterGeeding running a high fever, I’m not sure how much time I can dedicate to blogging this week.  All that to say, don’t expect much out of me this week, but who knows, maybe I’ll slip in a post or two.

Thanks goes out to my mother-in-law for all her help last week and making that awesome looking football outfit.

Grace.

Posted in Personal | 8 Comments

“Freedom has a scent like the top of a newborn baby’s head”

  • BoyGeeding actually arrived on his due date at 4:16 PM weighing  8.29 lbs. and 20.5 inches in length.
  • We arrived at the hospital around noon, in case you were wondering.  Actually I was half way through eating my lunch until we had to leave.  WifeGeeding wouldn’t allow me to finish it.  Oh, and she was at a six when we arrived.
  • I had a goal that I wanted lose a certain amount of weight before the delivery, and last week I hit a plateau so I thought I wasn’t going to make it.  However, yesterday morning I reached that goal by half a pound.  It was like my son was waiting for me.
  • I said “my son.”  I have a son. 🙂  That feels so surreal typing, and I only wish you could see the smile on my face as I typed that.  Heck, I was grinning ear-to-ear when I drove home last night.
  • I’m so looking forward to the day when I can throw the football with him.  The last thing I want to be is a pushy sports parent, but I just want to spend time with him playing catch.  I’ve been this way every since I lost my dad and watched this scene after his death.
  • With both kids, I recreated this scene from the movie Roots.
  • The first words spoken to both my kids were “Grace be with you ____.”  I love the word “grace”.
  • I’ll say it because I’m the father and feel like I can be honest, but this boy wasn’t as cute as when his sister was born, but he is just as lovable.  He also isn’t as dark or hairy, but I think his eyes are more Asian than his sister’s, but then again, I think her eyes started to round out the older she got.  They both are the best quarter-Asian children I know.
  • I was amazed that even though we were at the same hospital that delivered GirlGeeding, how much different the procedures were.  I guess each birth and each crew is different.
  • Going into this delivery WifeGeeding wasn’t going to get an epidural.  She changed her mind rather quickly once we got into the hospital.
  • WifeGeeding basically only pushed twice.  She gave a “practice push” as directed by the nurses, and the baby popped so far out they basically pushed him back in until the doctor arrived, which seemed like forever.  I’m thinking the doctor actually had to be there for some kind of liability issue.
  • Once again WifeGeeding’s OB was out of town.
  • The doctor didn’t even offer me the chance to cut the umbilical cord.  I didn’t get the chance to cut GirlGeeding’s because they needed to whisk her away and perform some tests, so I thought I’d get a chance this go around.  I’m just happy all parties were healthy after the event.
  • Some folks were surprised that I was rather upbeat and calm.  I guess I just take into account that humans have been doing this for a while and we are in a sterile modern facility, something I don’t think my family in Vietnam has.
  • I was having fun tweeting during this delivery, and one reply really stuck out when I learned this follower has been a BoN reader for six years.  Man, I had no idea I’ve been blogging for so long.
  • As with GirlGeeding, I had a list of U2 songs playing randomly.  BoyGeeding arrived to the Slane Castle performance of Staring at the Son.  The best line in that song is “Stuck together with God’s glue.”
  • One part of child birth I’ve always looked forward to was when and where WifeGeeding’s water would break.  Each time, at the hospital.
  • We’re thankful that WifeGeeding’s mother is visiting and helping watch over our daughter.  It’s nice watching WifeGeeding’s face seeing her mother play with this newborn.  I’ll be lying if I didn’t say I was a bit jealous.
  • Technology is great, I got to Skype with my sister right after the birth.
  • WifeGeeding actually got a steak for her hospital dinner.
  • It was a real special moment watching GirlGeeding see her brother for the first time.  She tried to give him a kiss, and then tried to give him her favorite stuffed toy.  I think I have those pictures below.
  • With WifeGeeding’s permission, she allowed me to record a time-lapse of the birth from an appropriate point of view.  Everything was going splendid until the doctor rushed in and knocked over the camera, so we missed the actual birth part, but right after the birth, I was able to straighten the camera.
  • OK, I’m dog tired and this may not be the best recap of yesterday’s events, but I wanted to give you something.  I’m looking forward to having everyone at home this Saturday, and who knows what you’ll get in terms of blogging next week.

 

Posted in Personal | 20 Comments