Timmy Brister has posted 10 Thoughts about the SBC. Because I strongly identify with his #10 I thought I would share it:
10. I believe the best Southern Baptists are those who don’t spend their time and energy talking about the SBC but focus their life on Jesus Christ. The SBC is not the hope of the world. Jesus is. The SBC may not be around 100 years from now, but the kingdom of God is eternal. Those who spend their lives in the politics, debates, and other peripheral issues may gain attention in the blogosphere and domain of bureaucratic conference rooms, but the future of the SBC does not belong to those wearing pajamas our suits. Rather, it belongs to those with a towel and basin, following Jesus on mission–serving, loving, and giving their lives away. I want to be found in that number because I love Jesus, because I believe in the local church, and because I am grateful to be called a Southern Baptist.
Amen!
“…but the future of the SBC does not belong to those wearing pajamas our suits. Rather, it belongs to those with a towel and basin, following Jesus on mission–serving, loving, and giving their lives away.”
It is interesting that
1.) Not too many SBs go around with a towel and basin
2.) In the scriptures (John 13 only), Jesus instructs his disciples only that they should do as he did and finally
3.) No where else in scripture is this type of instruction found
So, I find it interesting that anyone would pin the future of the SBC or the kingdom of God on those that wash feet.
I don’t think Brister’s point has anything to do with foot-washing per se but with humility and “giving their lives away”.
Humility over bureaucracy…THAT is his point.
Thanks for the comment!
Based on this limited quote you posted, it seems to me that he is equating Christianity with a specific image.
That is, he is placing a judgment value on what he perceives as “true” christianity/faith living versus “false” christianity/faith living.
The future of the SBC I would argue (and any denomination) lies in love and if you show that love through foot washing and servitude then have at it.
There are plenty of foot washing martyrs out there who are no more than “noisy gongs or clanging cymbals”.
Again I think you are reading way too much into Brister’s metaphor. He is not arguing for literal foot washing or that being the “image of the SBC”. He is arguing for much the same thing as you are, love manifesting itself through humility throughout the SBC.
Perhaps you are right. However, how often do you use a metaphor that doesn’t fit what you imagine?
Meaning, if I use a metaphor to illustrate the point I’m trying to make, then I would argue that the metaphor I choose is the one that most reflects the image in my mind – I choose the metaphor that most closely resembles the “perfect” representative of whatever it is I’m wishing to represent.
I would almost guarantee that if you forced Brister to nail down his own thoughts he would come to realize that indeed, the image of foot washing is actuly the closest representation of what he perceives “true Christianity” to look like in practice.
Help me out here. Are you arguing against the “practice” of foot washing or the necessity of being servants?
I think my issue is that he should have stopped before he wrote this part:
“…
Rather, it belongs to those with a towel and basin, following Jesus on mission–serving, loving, and giving their lives away. I want to be found in that number because I love Jesus, because I believe in the local church, and because I am grateful to be called a Southern Baptist.”