Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Where We Need Reform

Today I journeyed to hear Dr. Russ Moore speak about contemporary issues in the SBC. He spoke passionately for nearly three hours. Other than in direct responses to direct questions, he said almost nothing about national issues in the SBC. And yet everything he said was directly connected to every national issue in the SBC. It was a masterful presentation. Dr. Moore realizes, as I myself believe, that the most pressing issues facing us today have to do with the local church. The institutional local congregation was founded by Jesus Christ, and it must adhere to the New Testament pattern to realize the divine genius in its nature. In the process of restoring my older posts, I actually paused to read most of my older posts. In doing so, I realized how much I have allowed other people's agendas to shape my blogging in more recent days. I hope to be more intentional and less reactionary in the coming year. Dr. Moore's lecture reminded me of my sentiments expressed in this post from the early dawning of my blogging enterprise. My agenda is expressed in the Fifth Century Initiative, which I will be posting at the beginning of August. As a postscript, please allow me the personal privilege of expressing how much I dislike Dr. Moore:
  1. I don't mind when people are a little bit smarter than I am, but it really bothers me to encounter people who are a whole order of magnitude smarter than I am.
  2. On top of all that, Dr. Moore is younger than I am. For a man who is only thirty-five years old to have read so much, written so much, spoken so much, and learned so much is obscene. To think that, at his age, he holds such high position at the second-greatest seminary in the SBC is astounding.
  3. Finally, and worst of all, for an Arkansan to be forced to concede such things about a Mississippian is quite nearly a violation of my Eighth-Amendment rights.
At least I can take some consolation in being so much better looking than he is.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bart,

One correction: second highest post at the third best seminary. I will leave it to you and Dean Moore to duke it out for second dibs.

I would also add one more thing to the reasons to hate Russ Moore list: he knows more about pop culture than even people who are obsessed with pop culture. Everyone needs the experience of hearing a theology lecture that includes scripture, historical quotations, references to Paris Hilton, Johnny Cash, and Madonna, topped off with the words to "Ice, Ice, Baby."

NAF

Tim Rogers said...

Brother Bart,

I believe Brother Nathan, er Dr. Finn now, was way too gracious. You are correct, Dr. Moore is in the second highest post at the second best seminary. Everyone knows that SEBTS receives the best that SBTS turns out. Therefore, SEBTS is now the first in the "besting" club.

Also, you need to post that 6/3/06 article again. Your statement "Half are enamored with Presbyterianism. Half are caught up in neo-pentecostalism. Half (I don't have any degrees in mathematics) have merely drunk deeply at the well of doctrine-shunning pragmatism that describes modern evangelicalism." has described where we are today. The only cure for what ailes the SBC is a revival of ecclessiology.

One other thing. How can we hold a denomination responsible for lack of increased baptisms when it is the local church that is the ones baptizing?

Blessings,
Tim

Tim G said...

Bart,

Better looking????

A true matter of opinion and one that is subject to the authors private interpretation don't you think? :)

TG

Perry McCall said...

Bart,
You should try being close to his age and graduating from the same schools shortly following him. Talk about depressing!!

Bart Barber said...

Nathan,

Why...I never anticipated that anyone would take issue with that comment! :-)

Bart Barber said...

Tim,

Ditto.

Bart Barber said...

Tim Guthrie,

I am the author of the post; therefore, my opinion must be correct.

Bart Barber said...

Perry,

I have several good friends who matriculated at Mississippi State University. They have led me to believe that only criminals attend Southern (University of Southern Mississippi, that is). Can you confirm or deny this?

Bart Barber said...

Perry,

By the way, welcome to Praisegod Barebones. What a pleasure to have you over here conversing! I should have offered some formal pleasantries before trying to lure KWS (a MSU grad who posts here occasionally) into a contest with you. :-)

Perry McCall said...

Well, I'm not a criminal but I can't say too much more than that. The good thing about coming out of USM is that I have all of the State fans to join in with me to attack the Ole Miss fans:)

Anonymous said...

I didn't know Russ Moore was a Mississippi State grad. If he's 35 and I'm 32, then he would have been a senior when I was a freshman. I did not know of him, but I didn't know much my freshman year. I wonder if he was active in the BSU? By the time that most were seniors, they had stopped coming, so I would not be surprised if he wasn't.

Wow. Miss. St. is well represented in these discussions, with Boyd Luter, Russ Moore, myself, etc. But, two of them are brilliant with Ph.D's and I only know how to type. Oh well.

Bart Barber said...

Sorry, Alan. Russ Moore went to Southern (USM).

Anonymous said...

Okay. I read that wrong. Sorry.

Hmmm. I guess that the rumors are wrong: They are teaching them how to read at Southern after all.

:)

Anonymous said...

Bart,

Where did Bro. Moore speak at?