Baptists!

There is literally no-telling what comes to your mind when you see that word. For my brothers, it might be the annual "teen week" when we were youth and their sincere curiosity about how many invitations I would respond to. For my wife, it might be her time traveling the country with the NOBC youth choir growing up. (It never ceases to amaze me when she tells me about the various places they traveled. It seems they were in high demand in some of the most amazing cities in the nation....every year.) If you have any sense of cultural awareness at all, you must be aware of my people...the Baptists. My catholic friend Charley recently attended a Baptist service and was so perplexed by the invitation system that he almost walked forward himself just to get the full experience. Anyway, I digress.

Baptist life in America truly is a cultural phenomenon in many ways. From baseball leagues at megachurches with full-service restaurants to small churches in rural towns, have you ever wondered how Baptists are so diverse theologically and organizationally? I have certainly been fascinated by this issue and recently read an excellent essay on the history of Baptist polity and practice in this country. Surely, our brethren who have gone before us have much to teach us. We have weakened theologically and become lax in our polity. Set aside 20 minutes and read this essay.