Photo Albums

by Bob Setzer, Jr.
On my study shelves, there are six church directories from Macon’s First Baptist Church. The earliest hails from the mid-80s and features pictures of secretaries with typewriters at their elbows (and not a computer monitor in sight), shots of elegantly dressed ladies stepping out of boat-sized sedans, and photos of ministers sporting bushy mustaches and “preacher hair” even more pronounced than my own!

But aside from the humor in looking back and seeing how times and styles have changed, those church directories are a precious archive of dear saints, many of whom are now gone, who have journeyed with Jesus in the company of God’s people at the top of Poplar. These are the faces, the memories, and the snapshots of grace that tell us something of who we are by telling us something of who we were.

READ MORE

Room for Elephants

by Bob Setzer, Jr.
Last Sunday night, we began our Spring Ethics Series, “The Church and Homosexuality.” The Great Room was packed with a polite, attentive audience. Craig McMahon, a member of our church and University Minister at Mercer, led us through an exploration of the seven biblical texts that speak specifically to homosexual practice. Having served as a pastor for 25 years, Craig knows how tense an issue this is for most local churches. He also knows the struggle many families face in embracing their gay sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, and other loved ones, while feeling conflicted about the moral and religious implications of that acceptance.

Craig didn’t solve all the issues surrounding our theme for the evening, “The Bible and Homosexuality,” nor was that our goal. But he did treat the biblical text with respect and understanding, probing for the real meaning of what the Bible meant in its original context, the  first critical step in understanding what the Bible means for us today. Essentially, Craig argued that much of what is under consideration when the Bible speaks of homosexuality relates to such deplorable practices as gang rang (Sodom and Gomorrah) or the Greco-Roman practice of turning boys into sex toys (1 Corinthians 6:9), and not what we think of as homosexuality today. In his thoughtful sharing, my friend, Craig, showed me anew how much the Bible has to offer on most any subject, when interpreted aright.

READ MORE

Japan's Catastrophe

by Bob Setzer, Jr.
Like most Americans, I am deeply saddened by the horrific destruction unleashed in Japan. Truly, the dimensions of this catastrophe--including the continuing threat of a nuclear meltdown--are apocalyptic in scope. It is heartbreaking to watch the shell-shocked survivors, sifting their way through a wasteland.

We have eight students from Japan in our English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) ministry. They all report their families back home in Japan survived the catastrophe, as does our own Yumiko Jones. In addition, I understand the families of the Japanese nationals working at the local YKK factory are, for the most part, safe as well.

READ MORE

The Real Jesus

by Bob Setzer
As a boy, growing up in the Bible belt, the death of Jesus seemed simple enough: he died for my sins. To me, Jesus' childhood, youth, and adulthood were mostly just warm-up acts for the epic, world-changing moment when he died upon the cross and won the salvation of the world.

It's not that my childhood version of the story was altogether wrong. The New Testament does makes stunning claims about the cosmic meaning of the death of Jesus (Mark 10:45; John 1:29; Romans 5:8; Hebrews 9:26; 1 Peter 1:20 for starters). And I still believe Jesus' death on the cross—answered emphatically by his resurrection—is the "big bang" at the dawn of God's new creation, the crux (from "cross") of everything that ultimately matters.

READ MORE

I Can't Forget Haiti

by Bob Setzer
Our first night at the mission compound in Haiti, a smiling Haitian pastor told us, "You will leave Haiti, but Haiti will never leave you!" So far, his prophecy has proved true.

I can't forget the beautiful, neatly-dressed children singing and chanting their way through the school day. They live in a gray, barren world of dirt and crumbling concrete yet they are joyous and cheerful in a way most more affluent Americans are not.

READ MORE