The prospects for 2014 are good

I come from the background of Bible quoting Evangelical Baptists. I cherish my roots and look to Baptist American Evangelicals to lead the world to a bright new day of opportunity for my grandchildren and great grandchildren. This is a tip of my hat to Baptist American Evangelicalism as we approach 2013.

In my childhood and youth, we did a lot of Bible memorizing and quoting. We recognized no earthly authority other than the Bible. We had no creeds, no binding confessions of faith, no pope, no bishop, and we were even free to question the person in the pulpit. We had our Bibles and were free to read them for ourselves. An important verse that we memorized was Psalm 119:11. “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” That in practice meant memorizing Bible verses. We memorized the books of the Bible and could quickly find any referenced passage from The Book. We were people of the book

One of the verses that I memorized was I Corinthians 15:58. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that In the Lord your labor is never in vain.” My personal relationship to God in Jesus Christ was bound up in John 3:16, but my walking orders for life came from I Corinthians 15:58. I knew that when I was doing good in the name of Jesus, I could be unmovable in my certainty that I was right. It was that verse hidden in my heart that led me to be a “doing Christian,” and not simply a confessing/believing Christian. As long as I was doing good, I knew that my life could never be useless.

The power of the Baptist version of Evangelical Christianity is that an individual is free to pursue his/her own Godly calling without getting anyone’s permission. Walter Rauchenbusch, the father of the social gospel, was an Evangelical Baptist. Billy Graham was an Evangelical Baptist. Martin Luther King Jr. was an Evangelical Baptist. Jimmy Carter is an Baptist Evangelical. Rick Warren is an Evangelical Baptist. I could go on with a long list of highly respected, significant American ministers who were Baptist Evangelicals. None of these asked the permission or the blessing of a bishop or a church authority. With Bible in hand they walked with God.

Baptist Evangelicals include a broad range of perspectives. This is what we should expect when we insist that every individual is free to read, study and interpret the Bible on his/her own. Many Baptists end up as Bible literalists and are properly called Fundamentalists. Baptist Evangelicals also produce liberal social activists. Some are peace activists. Others are highly informed and active environmentalists. They produce Bible scholars and highly competent pastors. They are especially good at producing both good and bad preachers. I think of Baptist Evangelicals as the chaos out of which the highest good can emerge.

In my own case, the Bible message of the power of the doing of good has been dominant. For me the doing of good is at the heart of the Christian message, central to pleasing God and the key to a satisfying life. I practiced full inclusion of women in the life of the church. I fostered the building of housing for people with special needs. I worked for the full acceptance and inclusion of gay persons in our churches. I advocated for women’s right to choose. I made friends with people in jail and advocated for rights and restoration. I organized services for people who struggled with long-term mental illnesses. Justice (fulfilled needs) for every person is a constant demand that comes to me from a loving God. I have been called, even dismissed, as a liberal who has forsaken his Baptist Evangelical tradition. I strongly disagree. I am a Baptist Evangelical pursing the will of God.

Here at the beginning of a new year, I am thankful for my Baptist Evangelical roots. In many respects it is a harrowing nightmare with little guidance through the chaos. However, I have my own perspective. I choose to believe that there are an untold number of young people who are reading their Bibles, memorizing meaningful verses and asking how they can be of service in the doing of the will of God in this world. They are a different bunch because they have so many resources at hand. Who knows what they might do.

I cannot just now remember the source, but some wise person said that things are impossible only until someone does them. I would add that it will probably be a Baptist Evangelical who has memorized Bible verses who will do them.

The Rev. Howard Bess is a retired American Baptist minister, who lives in Palmer. His email address is hdbs@mtaonline.net.

Opinions expressed on the Faith page are the author’s and are not necessarily those of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, its staff or its parent company, Wick Communications Co. To submit a column or other news for the Faith page, send email to news@frontiersman.com, or call 352-2250.