…and our greatest (potential) strength.

When I look at the local church I’m both aghast and amazed. Reading about the church through the last 2000 years I’m aghast at some of the things she’s done and amazed that she’s survived lo these many years. Shoot, reading the New Testament I’m aghast at the things she’s done and amazed that she’s survived. Even our heroes, like the belching, flatulating curmudgeon Martin Luther, will make one scratch one’s head. It truly is a wonder that the church has made it this far. But made it she has.

She’s made it not because of her resiliency. Not because of her determination. Not because of her moral purity. Not because of her shining example. She’s made it because of whose she is. God is simply doggedly determined to have a people, however imperfect we may continue to be. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

However, as Scripture and history demonstrates time and time again God often leaves his people (or at least some/most of them) to their own devices when they choose to go their own way. Read more…

Cynthia Crane was busy with her daily routine when God altered the forces of nature to send her a very clear, if not so subtle message. Normally this mother of six has her plate full doing laundry and washing dishes. However, on this sultry September day she had gotten ahead. With an unusual bit of free time she determined to find some mid-morning inspiration from television. Bypassing the usual suspects: Days of Our Lives, Oprah, Montel Williams, she paused on her local cable affiliate to watch Pat Robertson’s  700 Club. It was at that moment that her life changed forever.

It wasn’t the story of a 9/11 survivor who birthed a ministry out of tragedy.  It wasn’t the incredible story of weight loss inspired by faith. It was a bolt of lightning that came crashing down on her, entering her head and exiting through her tailbone.  Fortunately for Cynthia her son was home. Reaching into her back pocket he pulled out her cell phone and dialed 911. Soon emergency medics arrived and, by the grace of God she is alive to tell the story today.

Her pastor, Rev. Larry Stallworth, has a different spin on this compelling story. Cynthia had better be more careful about what she watches on TV. That’s right. This not-so-little act of God was a warning that she’d better stay away from Pat Robertson. “The evangelical church has gotten downright nutty over the last couple of decades. Guys like Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland and Pat Robertson? These guys are very close to abandoning evangelical faith altogether in favor of some covetous, mystical belief that, at times, borders on utter nonsense,” said Stallworth. Crane is not entirely convinced. “Guys with such great hair can’t be entirely beyond the pale,” she quipped. “But my pastor has a lot of wisdom, so I’m considering his words.”

“If God judged the sins of New Orleans by sending a hurricane then I have no doubt that he would send a bolt of correction to one of his children for the sin of watching TBN,” Stallworth said.

If you were wondering how the whole notion of a GCR Task Force came about you can wonder no more. Here is a picture of brother Johnny Hunt listening to a podcast of Danny Akin’s chapel sermon on the Axioms of a Great Commission Resurgence. That ain’t no jive.

Hungry Baptist men, that is.

Recently our MissioScapes field reporter caught up with a group of men who will be participating in what is hoped to be a Guinness World Record.  Who knew Guinness kept track of the largest breakfast ever?  Not only do they, but they will have representatives on hand at The Bigger Breakfast to judge whether or not record numbers turn out to stuff themselves with eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, ham, grits, biscuits and gravy all in support of World Hunger Day.

We interviewed several participants including “Mountain” Mills Darden who told us that it would be a “hefty breakfast on a large scale.”  Darden said, “When it comes to feeding the hungry there’s no skimping.  We’re gonna go all out, brother!”

The event, which began among British Baptists, has expanded to include Southern Baptist men from the US and Canada along with Baptist men from Nigeria in hopes of reaching the record.  Hopeful participant “Big” Bob Hughes said, “We were gonna invite the French, but they wanted to eat fruit crepes and we told ‘em that sort of food’s for pansies.  Besides, a crepe wouldn’t satisfy the hunger of my little five year old daughter Rosalie.  I mean, this is the eve of World Hunger Day.  We can’t be letting people leave our breakfast hungry.  What kind of example would we be setting?”

World Hunger funds go towards helping malnourished people in places like Mali, West Africa, one of the poorest nations in the world.  The UN reports that nearly one third of all Malian children are malnourished.  In a recent visit to Mali we encountered a man named Bambara and asked what he had eaten that day.  He pulled a green leaf from a nearby tree.  “It tastes very bad,” he admits, “but it keeps you alive.”

When we told that story to Hughes he responded saying, “That just breaks my heart.  If you’ll give me his e-mail address I’d like to send him a copy of the Four Spiritual Laws and some pictures from The Bigger Breakfast so he can see the joy we have in good Christian fellowship.  They want us to share the gospel with our friends at this event.  Who knows.  Maybe Mr. Bambara will be encouraged by my e-mail and find the Lord himself.”

This year’s event will be held October 10th.  Organizers say that if they don’t break the record this year they’ll try again next year, “even if it means we have to invite a few Methodists and Lutherans.  We’ll enlarge this thing one way or another.”

In honor of Alan’s introductory post we wanted to begin by poking a little fun at ourselves.

Pictured from left to right: Paul “Green Lantern” Littleton, Art “Billy Mays” “Flash” Rogers, Marty “Ted Kaczynski” “Superman” Duren, Todd “Batman” Littleton, Alan “Steve Buscemi” “Aqua Man” Cross and David “Martian Manhunter” Phillips

*Yes, that is the photo Marty submitted himself and yes, that’s what happens when Alan doesn’t send in a pic at all.  At least he isn’t Alan “Martha Stewart” Cross.

Thanks to their superhuman powers of flight (and in Art’s case running really fast) we were all able to get together for this group photo.