From where we come...

In Sunday School today we began a series about Baptist freedoms, or foundations. Walter Shurden lays out four freedoms that are pivotal to understanding what Baptists are all about. Today we explored what Bible Freedom means for us and what it meant for the first Baptists.

Originally, what we know as Baptists, were not interested in beginning a whole new denomination. They simply wanted to be free to be "faithful and obedient to Christ." So, they decided that people should be free to read and study the Bible under the authority of the Lordship of Christ. They said He was the ultimate authority and that the Bible had to be interpreted using Him as the norm. Everything in Scripture points to Jesus Christ, the Old and New Testaments.

In addition, the Bible is the final written authority for Baptists. This does not mean creeds and other statements of faith cannot exist or have no value. It simply means they are not greater than or equal to the Bible. No confession can adequately express all that person believes. It can show the main, core elements of faith, but not the whole. And so, the Bible stands far above them as authoritative.

Baptists have been known for many years as "people of the Book." This refers mostly to the idea that Baptists read and study and formulate ideas about faith and doctrine for themselves without a higher "office" dictating or suggesting interpretations and doctrine. While there are some groups today in some strands of Baptist life who seemingly would like to do just that, Baptists hold that the individuals are free to explore and express their faith themselves.

Of course, this begs the question about heretical doctrine and teaching related to personal interpretation of Scripture. Well, it must be remembered that Baptists hold to the idea of personal study under the Lordship of Christ, which means Christ and the Spirit are leading in the discovery of truth. In addition, it is important to recognize the years and years of Church history and tradition that feeds into our modern understanding. While we would say that we do not hold tightly to such Church doctrine tradition, we cannot say it has no influence in our thinking. Ultimately, if Christ is guiding, the truth found should be theologically sound.

One final note Shurden makes in this section is that this idea of Bible freedom is hard work because it means we must study, seek, read, think, work and dig to understand the Scripture to the best of our abilities with the best of the resources available to us. We should never take lightly the task of being able to discover Truth for ourselves.


More to come as we learn what it means to claim to be of the Baptist way.

Lory

Transition is.....

tough. We deal with it all the time and today I was reminded again how difficult change can be for groups, churches and individuals. It can bring out the best in people. It can bring out the worst in people. Ultimately, it means we are different today than we were yesterday. Different tomorrow than today.

We said goodbye to Coy and Tiff officially today at church. We watched some videos of the students saying how much they love them and a video of random pictures from the past four years they have served Trinity Baptist Church faithfully as Ministers to Students. We had a cake and prayed for them. We wrote notes and sang our favorite closing song for one last time with this particular group.

And while this is a sad day, it is mostly a day of celebration. Celebrating what God has done, how God has moved, how God has led. It has been a day of memories, both funny and serious. It has been a day of laughs and hugs. Celebrating is good. It is fun. It is necessary. And, it is proper. Even God celebrated on the seventh day (well, rested...but things were done, which often involves celebration for us) by setting it apart and resting and marveling at His work.

And now, Coy and Tiffany move on to study full-time and pursue the call God has placed on their lives. Yet, we know that they have left a big chunk of their hearts with us--not just in their memories and actions, but in the ways they have impacted and changed us. And, we know that a big chunk of TBC's heart is with them--not just the t-shirts and pictures (and 10 lbs. we gained from eating two meals at church today!), but in the love and support and encouragement I hope we have given them on this part of the journey.

So, transition is tough. However, it is often necessary if we are to follow God and call we each have. These times of change will be different for all of us, but they will come. The question is: what will we leave behind and what will we take with us in those moments?

I pray that what the Jennings take is half as wonderful as what they left behind.

Lory