In no particular order of relevance or importance . . .
(1). In the concierge room on the 26th floor, an 83 year old friend, pulled up his chair to the table with a huge piece of cheesecake, properly placed his napkin and took a big bite of -- brie cheese. :) It seems he took the entire wedge (one of only two on the hor d'ouevres table) thinking it was cheesecake. When we laughed at his expression upon attempting to swallow the hunk of cheese he told us "I thought it was sweets!"
(2). A messenger from Oklahoma and fellow blogger, addressed the convention hall about the tendency of 'rumors' to circulate among Southern Baptists and asked Dr. Patterson to address the 'rumor' that there was actually going to be a degree in 'homemaking' offered at Southwestern Theological Seminary. It was obvious to everyone listening to the question being asked that the messenger was attempting to allow Dr. Patterson to dispel this 'rumor.' By the intonation of voice and the wording used by the friendly questioner the phrase 'ridiculous rumor' comes to my mind. We about fell out of our chairs in laughter when Dr. Patterson responded to his opportunity to dispel the rumor by replying that in fact, there WAS going to be a degree in homemaking offered. :) Priceless. I can't wait to watch it again on the archived video.
(3). When a certain seminary President spent his entire report time talking about everything under the sun except those things which pertain to his seminary (enrollment, finances, faculty, degrees, etc . . .). When he spoke for his allotted time about planting of BAPTIST churches, being vigilent against dangerous liberalism, sharing the gospel in the Negev desert, and forbidding anybody speaking in tongues to be employed at his agency, I thought I was listening to the IMB report rather than the seminary report. However, the funny thing occurred when the presenter gave an illustration about a boat tied to a dock, becoming untied and drifting downstream. We were told the boat could drift toward the left into liberalism, or the center into neo-orthodoxy, or the right into conservative cooperation and ecumenicalism . . . all three bad things -- we must work hard to row the boat upstream! At the dramatic point of the illustration a messenger behind me leaned up and whispered in my ear, "Or we could just sink the ship right where she sits." :)
(4). The funniest of all stories though is affiliated with Jerry Corbaley's admission on his blog that he had spoken in a language that was not 'human,' and now believed that God could gift a person to speak this way. His recantation was picked up by the Associated Baptist Press reporter who wrote an article that Jerry was renouncing his former belief that 'tongues' could not be anything but a known human language. Earlier today, when Jerry admitted on his blog that he had lied and deceived his readers intentionally about his change of beliefs, the ABP story was removed. I will be devoting an entire post in the future on the events that made me laugh till I hurt in the Press Room.
Not now -- its time to go debate the BFM 2000.
:)
In His Grace,
Wade
10 comments:
Brother Corbaley, right or wrong, made a point. It would seem that any who highly tout that 'we have no right to judge others with whom we disagree about secondary and tertiary doctrines' would also be careful in judging him for his attempt to make a point, even though they disagree.
Wade,
My take on Patterson is substantially different from yours. I think Patterson did a fine job of representing his school. I think much of what you found humorous was his being adept enough to address the elephant in the room and cut the legs out from under any potential comments by Ben before he made them.
I also think he has earned the right to speak to larger issues in the SBC as a former president and a key figure in the CR.
Great story about the Brie though.
Wade, the BP blog said that it looked like the vote on the motion by the pastor in Ohio (Gartner?) affirming the Executive Committee's position on the BF&M2000 passed by a "55 to 60% majority. . .Praise the Lord!
In His Grace and Peace,
T. D. Webb
I thank Paige Patterson for giving creedance to what we have written about for over a year. :) Thanks Paige.
I must say I agree with Brad on this one. Most of the agency reports did not address what was recorded in their written report. I thought Patterson's direct address on the issues he has been attacked on was a needed and classic approach. Had he went on and addressed the BF&M issue, I believed it would have failed.
Wade, I still think you wrote pieces of Morris Chapman's address. Come on, just a few lines right? They could have been cut and pasted from this blog based on my limited time here over the previous months. I think his words echo yours and demonstrate there is a centrality to our convention from which you do not radically deviate.
I thought it was interesting that as Paterson was speaking every mic was being taken. What we witnessed was the greatest set of "set-up" questions....
Thanks for some humor. Keep looking for the funny stuff. It's so much better to open the mouth for a good laugh rather than to open our mouth for so many other reasons.
I was also present for said seminary president's report and Q&A...made for some interesting chuckles on my side of the room as well! Sorry I missed meeting you this year...not for a lack of trying! Maybe next year?
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