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Posts Tagged with Times News

Interviews

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I was interviewed for input on the matter of marriage by the Twin Falls Times-News recently (the article was published yesterday.) I thought the article represented my response fairly and I was pleased with the outcome of the work of Tetona Dunlap.

Read the article here: (Gay Marriage: Taking the Pastors’ Pulse)

Here is the full content and context of the questions I was asked.

Question: What is your stance on gay marriage and why?

My Answer: If the trend across the United States is an accurate indicator then I am in the minority on this matter. I am in agreement with historical and orthodox teachings of the Bible on the definition of marriage being between one man and one woman until death.

Question: How will gay marriage becoming legal affect churches and religion in Idaho?

My Answer: The true church will continue to preach that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Even before same-sex marriage became legal, the church existed in communities where immorality and sinful establishments existed. Churches have historically called all sinners to repentance. I don’t see that this law will change the churches duty to God. Citizens in the community commit adultery; the church has never been stopped from preaching that adultery is a sin. Our community has alcoholics and drug addicts throughout her history; the church has never been hindered from preaching repentance from drunkenness. There are rebellious children in our homes and churches have always taught children to honor their parents. Even though same-sex marriage is legal, the church has a responsibility to love everyone enough to warn of the consequences of sin.

Question: If a gay couple wanted to get married at your church, would you have the right/power to turn them away?

My Answer: Where we are happy for our building to be used by others in the community and we do allow our community to use our building for civic events, we are grateful to God to live in a land with a constitution that protects the people from a government regulating religious practice. If a same sex couple wanted to use our building for a wedding we would not allow it to take place in our building. By doing so, we aren’t forbidding them from pursuing what they want. There are other places and people recognized by the state to do these ceremonies. We would decline such a request with respect.

Question: Have you ever had a congregation member, friend or family member open up to you about being      gay? What did you say? If not, what would you say to anyone who came to you?

My Answer: I speak to all in my congregation, family and friends the same. Homosexuality is a sin. I don’t shy away from saying that anymore than if a member in our church committed adultery, fornication, drunkenness, robbery, murder, etc, the bible calls these “sins”. I’m candid about these things and take advantage to even speak to all about the kind of grace it takes to save a sinner like me. It’s the kind of grace that called me unto repentance. It’s the kind of grace that tells me of a sufficient Redeemer, able to cover my sin by taking the wrath I deserve upon Himself. Jesus, the Christ, is that Redeemer. It’s the kind of grace that keeps me from being silent.

Question: Are you ever afraid of voicing your opinions? Why or why not?

My Answer: I would say I want to be careful because I want to be caring to all. I don’t want to offend by expressing my belief in arrogance. I attempt to speak boldly, with caring consideration.

Question: What are the benefits and downfalls of gay marriage becoming legal?

Answer: The way I see these things are based from my belief of marriage being between one man and one woman.

Question: Do you think churches today are successful in reaching out to the gay community? Is this something they should they doing?

My Answer: Churches are successful in reaching all when we stay true to our duty before God. When a church preaches truth, she is a blessing to her community. When a church stops calling all people to repent then the church ceases being a true church. When the church begins looking other places than the Bible to determine her success, she ceases being a blessing to the community. When this pursuit of success is to make any segment of the community comfortable in their sin for the sake of being popular then the church has lost her way and become irrelevant while trying to be relevant.

Question: Please add anything else you think is important.

My Answer: Thank you for asking for my input on this matter.

“Your Comment Contains Profanity”

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GE

The childhood fear of having my mouth washed out with soap haunted me this evening as I was responding to some push back from my column this morning in the Times-News.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to write a regular column for the Times News. They are kind to publish my 500-700 word column in a rotation with 5 others in the Magic Valley. Today’s post generated a small amount of discussion via www.magicvalley.com (the online version of the Times-News).

In my attempt to dialog with some of those commenting, my original reply was rejected with this statement: “Your comment cannot be accepted due to the presence of profanity, please remove any objectionable content from your comment and try again”.

At first I thought, ‘wait! what?’ I looked at my comment again and again and could not figure it out. I thought the word “sin” or “sinner” was the problem so I substituted the phrase “offend” or “offend God”. It still got rejected. Then I began to fear that my mom might see this and the taste of soap in my mouth washed over me.

This is my original attempt, can you find the profanity?

[Reader], my column today was to the church at large. The reality of it all is that all have sinned and have fallen short of perfection. That reality leaves me humbled and thankful for a Redeemer. I’m happy to tell all who want to hear what it takes to redeem a sinner like me. You are not forced to listen or agree. I’ll hope you’ll look at that work of the cross again. See your sin? I saw mine. I owned it and its cost was death. Cry out to God for forgiveness. Rise up a new creature in Christ as you turn from your sin.

“O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.”
~ Fanny Crosby – circa 1872

Open Letter to Magic Valley Bible Church

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Dear Magic Valley Bible Church,

It was a pleasure to join you this past Sunday evening. Your generosity and kindness to welcome Eastside Baptist Church was what I’ve come to expect from those who claim to be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. I’m thankful to the Lord for our shared kinship and hope we have in the blood of Christ.

It is a pleasure to labor in the city and valley with your pastor. I look forward to your pastors monthly column in the Times News, I know I can encourage others to read it without reservation. I’ve discovered in our friendship that He loves the Lord and longs to faithfully exhort the treasury of God’s word. In all of my conversations with pastor “Bear”, he speaks of his love for you. It’s clear that He has a great interest in his family and longs to see the gospel banner advanced throughout the world. I count it a pleasure to know your pastor as friend.

May the Lord strengthen your gospel work in the city. May the residents of Twin Falls and the Magic Valley always find you a faithful refuge, heralding a trustworthy message. May you endure with joy in the Lord. May the favor of the Lord rest upon your fellowship.

I’m thankful to the Lord for your laboring ministry and I look forward to more times together. I count it a pleasure to know the Lord’s people of Magic Valley Bible Church and their pastor.

Paul Thompson
Eastside Baptist Church

 

theBridgeCast (tBC007)

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After taking a few weeks off because of technical difficulties (meaning; I couldn’t find the box with my podcasting equipment in it) I’m back on track with the podcast.

00:00 – Intro
02:39 – Jeremiah 6:16-17
0820 – Facts and Trends

29:39 – Scripture Memorization

39:35 – Next Time

42:10 – Closing

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Reaction

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On a monthly basis I get the privilege of writing a column in the Twin Falls Times News paper. The paper has  approx. twenty thousand daily readers (not including the online readers.) The privilege to write in the public square is a privilege I treat more like a responsibility. Not to the paper, not to the reader, not to myself but a responsibility to herald truth from the perspective of a minister of the Gospel.

This reality comes with a learning responsibility to guard my heart from reacting to reactions.

MagicValleyCase in point: Today, the Times News published my column entitled “Unromantic Duty“. This was essentially a blog post from about a month ago that I tweaked to a broader reader base, but still directed to believers. Usually I will receive an email or two from a column and a few social media “likes” and “tweets”, but rarely will a column generate a public comment. Today was a reminder to myself that I must discipline myself always.

The first comment came early this morning. As I read it I began to think I should probably respond. After all, he thinks I’m from the bronze age of mythology and a fascist for forcing my moral code on everyone. Then I wanted to take him to task for saying that he has “no problem with folks believing what they want.” No problem with folks believing what they want except for Christians. This began to show me that my reaction was going to be less about advancing the gospel and more about defending my feelings. So I prayed for him and others who won’t understand what I wrote about and consider it foolish to submit to the authority of God’s word. Good lesson to remember when in dialog in the public square. Speak as an ambassador of truth and resist defending self.

“The sooner we can move beyond allowing adherents of bronze age mythology form public policy based on tenants of said mythology, the better. I have no problem with folks believing what they want. However, forcing your moral code on EVERYONE because you’re positive that your god is the god we ALL have to listen to and obey is fascist.”

The other comment came later this afternoon.

With marriages not being a wholly religious event(meaning marriage ceremonies are not solely conducted by religious leaders or in churches), being conducted by government officials in government owned buildings, defining marriage as between a man and a woman based on the bible won’t work. With the separation of church and state in this country, how a civil authority decides to conduct civil unions/marriages is up to the civil authority, a.k.a. the voters. Now if a pastor decides that he/she doesn’t want to conduct same sex marriages as a private person in a private entity(a church) then that is completely up to him/her. But to say that “marriage” is an institution that only came from religion is historically incorrect. Marriages and unions were being performed by “civic leaders” long before Christianity, Judaism, or even Islam became widespread across the world.

Yes, both are examples of poor logic. They both miss the point of my column and make their comments about their own agenda. This is normal in a public forum dialog where readers are invited to comment. I like the interaction it provides but I also acknowledge that it affords itself to an ego feeding frenzy. It’s hard to make a point in a written forum that doesn’t quickly unravel into a total mess.

I do think that engaging in the public square by commenting on articles is an important place for a Christian to engage with truth. This engagement should be done carefully. This engagement should be done with purpose to show truth.

This engagement should be done with integrity, kindness, and gentleness. Followers of Christ must remember that we are strangers in this land and that we speak as ambassadors not residents.

The thing I’m learning about this interaction between author and reader is indeed a spectacular element columnist in the past would not have to contend with. Immediate interaction to a columnist provides a platform that quickly lessens the initial impact of the written word.

I’m thankful to write a monthly column in the public square. I’m thankful if my column helps the reader. I’m thankful if my column causes discomfort. I’m thankful if my column drives the reader to pursue truth in Christ.

The Times News has been generous to allow me and the others to continue writing. May the glory of the Lord be seen in the public square.

Good Idea?

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Today, the Times News Editorial Board published a strongly opinionated piece about the Idaho liquor laws. I’m not opposed to their having a strong opinion, it’s their paper, their freedom. But I take issue with the conclusion that the Idaho liquor law needs to be updated for the reasons cited.

Many in legislation argue that there are public and private complications related to the overall health and welfare of the general public that stem from the misuse of alcohol. Law enforcement report the ongoing problems with alcohol related incidents. Domestic abuse and general breakdown of family is many times traced back to the misuse of alcohol.

Yet the Times News Editorial Board  claims  “We’re very good at building water and septic lines needed for industry, but fall short in the area of people infrastructure.” I’m not even sure what that means.

I’m alright with public officials having a say in issues of public interest. But how exactly do “bars also bring vibrancy to any neighborhood where they cluster.”? How does “A strip of good bars add youthful exuberance to once rundown strips.”?

The Times News Editorial Board make an assumption that all workers are looking for some ‘youthful exuberance’ after 9 p.m. Maybe the kind of workers companies are looking for have a family to care for and tend to their needs when they get home from work. Maybe Idaho likes our attractive quiet living that Idaho has worked hard to make for herself.

Why does growth and ‘attractive’ interests have to mean ‘youthful exuberance’?

Here is the full article, it’s worth reading. I respect that the Times News Editorial Board would see things differently than I do. I just think that it is important that they here from a guy like me on this matter too. You can add your voice to the conversation here or follow the Facebook conversation below.

Post by Times-News.

On the Topic of Worship

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Once a month (or every five weeks) I have the opportunity to to submit a “Pastor’s Corner” column for the Twin Falls, Times News. For the next several months I will be writing on the topic of Worship. Visit the actual column here. Sharing it on various social outlets helps the editors at the Times News know that it is read. Thanks.

The column is published weekly on Saturdays. My column piece runs every 4th or 5th week. Her is yesterday’s…

—-

MagicValley

 

 
Perhaps no greater change has happened in the American church in the past 100 years than the weekly worship gathering of the Lord’s people. It has even been reduced to being referred to simply as ’church.’ On any given Saturday or Sunday all you have to do is drive around the Magic Valley and one could say that some people are at ‘church.’ The puritans were especially careful on what they called these weekly gatherings, but they never called it ‘church.’ They were also careful about what they labeled ‘worship.’

Most attenders today would not hesitate to go to church or participate in an act of worship. But what is really going on inside that meeting house? Has the church gathered or is it a community of people who all think and act alike? Is worship of Almighty God happening or is worship of self and humanity or music style happening?

These are not easy questions to answer, because we would most likely defend the elements of that gathering as pleasing to the Lord. The tragedy is that few are willing to let the Holy Bible be a sufficient source to govern how and/or what the church ought to do when we gather for a weekly meeting.

There is not room in this short column to flesh this entire subject out in a satisfying way, so I’ll attempt to take the next several months and devote my column to this matter of worship.

Let me start here; could one say that every meeting of the church is a worship service or are what we call worship services really only meetings?

If everyone who gathers in a church building or home this weekend were to submit themselves to the Lord and look to his sufficient word, the Holy Bible, then one might find that little if any worship of God is actually happening. Surely there are places of worship that do worship God, but if they are it is not because they have read a recent book on what people want in a worship service. It would be because they are being careful to examine the Holy Bible for direction.

Be careful what you label worship this weekend. You just may, by definition alone, find that you are worshiping yourself, your leisure, you lusts, your sins, or any other substitute you have for God. J.B. Phillips wrote a profound short book on the matter of worship entitled “Your God Is Too Small.” In it, he argued that the very way we approach a worship service shows that we think little of God and much about ourselves.

Evaluate the worship service you attend this weekend from the standard of the Holy Bible. At the end of the day, have you been to a meeting or a worship service? Don’t judge that gathering on how seamless the structure was, how pious the readings were, how loud the music was, how old the songs were, or how good you felt when you left because of what was said. Open up your Bible this weekend and seek out how God instructs us to worship Him.

Rules of Public Engagement

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Last year when I was asked if I would be willing to participate in a new venture with the Times News by submitting an occasional article in the weekly Pastor’s Corner I decided that I should establish some personal guidelines for public engagement should I ever get a response or reply to a column I submit. My personal rules of engagement are simple, but I thought I would share them with you today as my last column has generated some response.  Here is the reply to the column; the Nature of Man. Here is a letter to the editor that appeared in the Times News on March 29.

  1. Be-kind
  2. Be-bold
  3. be-careful
  4. Ask clarifying questions
  5. Quote Scripture often
  6. Don’t take everything personal

 

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