March 3, 1999
Texas Baptist Forum
Fair music
___My husband and I have served as church musicians off and on for 30 years. We like all styles of gospel/sacred music, ranging from Southern gospel songs to contemporary Christian music.
___However, we have noticed more churches going toward just about all-contemporary Christian music services.
___At the last church we served, when we would have request time for favorite hymns, much to our surprise the young people would request traditional hymns, like "Victory in Jesus" and "Heavenly Sunlight," even though contemporary songs were in our hymnbook.
___The old adage "variety is the spice of life" could very well fit when picking our music for church services. Visualizing that Jesus is physically sitting in the congregation during church services and special programs also would be a good guideline to prevent any inappropriate music or activities slipping through.
___Remember the purpose of church music is to lift up Jesus and also that most churches have various ages of people.
___Every person at church should be able to hear at least one or two styles of music they prefer at each service. It's really the only fair way to treat a large family--and a large job for music directors these days.
___ Mary Jones
___ Houston
Main passage
___In your column, "How to become a Christian" (page 10), you left off the main verse: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
___This tells it all.
___ M.S. Caudle
___ Clyde
Next executive
___We all know what a critical time this is for Texas Baptists. I am thankful for the leadership Bill Pinson gives our convention. We must pray for the man who will succeed him.
___I sympathize with those who have formed a new state convention. But I am not yet ready to abandon the Baptist General Convention of Texas. I love our state convention and enthusiastically support the idea of reconciliation.
___The next executive director of the BGCT needs to be someone who can bring Texas Baptists together. We must not select someone who will only divide us further.
___I appeal to Texas Baptists to pray with me that God will work a miracle of unity in our convention ... and that he will provide for us a man who will lead the way.
___ Tommy Ham
___ Quitman
Responsibility
___Two writers in the Feb. 24 Standard advocated school vouchers. One said they would force the public school system into accountability. Well, in this wonderful democracy we live in, each of us has a vote for state board of education as well as the local school board. We should take the responsibility to work for better schools, not abandon them and pull out to start something else.
___The other writer decried the fact that the state of Texas has a monopoly on education. Texas has done well in the years since the free public school was begun. It has been 25 years since I had a child in school, but I'm still required to pay school taxes. And properly so, because one function of government is to educate the children. As a citizen, I do my part.
___Anyone wishing to send his child to a church school is free to do so, but he still has the responsibility to support the public school.
___On the other hand, I may be missing out on a good thing. A large part of the federal budget goes to the armed forces. If I could get a voucher for that portion of my income tax, I could buy myself more guns and might have money left over. Hmmm.
___ Carroll Johnson
___ Douglassville
Sin & sinners
___Bill Victor made some good points in his letter regarding a crusade by Christians against the sin of homosexuality (Feb. 17). Certainly, we should not consider any sin more serious than another.
___However, as I look over the Scripture Victor references (1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and Galatians 5:20-21) I notice that most do not have organized militant groups going to any length to promote their lifestyle as normal behavior. No organized group in our public schools promotes "thievery" as normal behavior. In the past, when such groups have surfaced, Christians expressed biblical views, as they should. This is what it means to be "salt and light" (Matthew 5:13-14).
___Most Christians are gentle people. They are not the hatemongers and homophobics that many groups paint them to be. Society says it is impossible to love the sinner and hate the sin. I don't believe that. Jesus spent most of his time loving and forgiving the sinner, for it was they who needed him most.
___He held disgust for the religious leaders.
___In our church, homosexuals are welcome to sit among the rest of us sinners.
___However, they cannot hold office any more than another struggling with "the acts of the sinful nature," but they can be saved and changed.
___Nor can I stop preaching that homosexuality or any other sin is just what the Bible says it is. We cannot stop warning, "Those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:21b).
___ Jim Thompson
___ Houston
Millennial moment
___The Baptist Standard should set the record straight whenever you print an article that may lead your readers to believe something that is factually incorrect, even though the reporting of events is accurate.
___I am referring specifically to "Houston preparing for YouthLink" (Feb. 10). Given that the article states preparations are being made for people to "celebrate and welcome the new millennium" on New Year's Eve of 1999, many people may be led to believe the new millennium will begin on Jan. 1, 2000.
___Although a group of people may in fact be making such preparations, their celebration will be a year too early. The new millennium actually will begin Jan. 1, 2001, regardless of how much celebrating takes place in the Astrodome on New Year's Eve 1999.
___In the recording of time, there was no year zero. Therefore, the third millennium, or thousand-year period, will begin with the year 2001.
___ Greg Kinley
___ Lewisville
Thank you
___I am writing to express my gratitude for what Texas Baptists have meant to me as I have recovered from a bad accident I had on Thanksgiving day.
___I fell in Dallas and required emergency treatment at Baylor Medical Center, and it was superb. It makes me proud of Texas Baptists when I realize we have a great hospital like Baylor. Boone Powell Jr. is to be commended for his great leadership.
___Many friends in the Baptist Building and Dallas churches rallied around me in prayer and support. Churches in many places added me to their prayer ministry concerns, and God has been answering those prayers.
___I received flowers, phone calls, visits and cards from many people and from friends at Baylor University and Southwestern Seminary.
___Thank God and so many Texas Baptists for caring for me. Continue to pray that I may be restored to health so that I can resume my ministry of mentoring and consulting with churches and ministers.
___ Bob Edd Shotwell
___ Austin
Luby's address
___Bill Sutton shared information concerning what Luby's Cafeterias is trying to do to introduce beer and wine in its restaurants (Jan. 27).
___Luby's corporate address is P.O. Box 33069, San Antonio 78265. Register opposition to this change.
___ James Gebhart
___ Penitas
Recommendation
___Thank you for the excellent insert on our Christian colleges and universities (Feb. 17). As a parent of a son in one of our Baptist schools (University of Mary Hardin-Baylor) and a daughter who will attend there next year, I can attest to both the quality of the academics and the excellent Christian environment available there. The president, the administration and the academic faculty are committed to the overall development of our children in addition to their academic success.
___I am proud of this Baptist school and would recommend it to anyone without reservation.
___ Bill Muske
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