Six weeks missing

My mother-in-law, Shirley Hunt, is still missing. She has now been missing for six weeks. Yesterday (the 30th) a Texas Ranger came out and visited with Bobby (Hunt) about possible investigative help from his organization.

The Texas EquuSearch team has agreed to come to Rusk County to conduct another search of the area where she was last seen. Wednesday July the 25th, Bobby called Tim Miller, founder of Texas EquuSearch, about the possibility of their coming to the area to search for Shirley. Tim contacted the Rusk County Sheriff's Dept. and they set up the date of Saturday, August 11th. Shirley's picture and information was placed on the EquuSearch website a few days after she went missing, but this will be the first time they've been involved in the search. The date for their search is bittersweet, the 11th being the anniversary of Bobby and Shirley Hunt.

We appreciate everyone who has shown your concern for our family.

EquuSearch will be in Longview Saturday the 4th searching for Brandi Wells.

Thy praise shall be my business

Common Meter (8,6,8,6)

God of my life, look gently down,
Behold the pains I feel;
But I am dumb before Thy throne,
Nor dare dispute Thy will.

Diseases are thy servants, Lord,
They come at thy command;
I'll not attempt a murm'ring word
Against thy chast'ning hand.

Yet I may plead with humble cries,
Remove thy sharp rebukes;
My strength consumes, my spirit dies,
Through thy repeated strokes.

Crushed as a moth beneath thy hand,
We moulder to the dust;
Our feeble powers can ne'er withstand,
And all our beauty's lost.

This mortal life decays apace,
How soon the bubble's broke!
Adam and all his num'rous race
Are vanity and smoke.

I’m but a sojourner below,
As all my fathers were;
May I be well prepared to go
When I the summons hear.

But if my life be spared awhile,
Before my last remove,
Thy praise shall be my bus’ness still
And I’ll declare Thy love.

-- Isaac Watts, 1719

Note: In the 1991 Denson edition of The Sacred Harp, 3 verses of this hymn is set to Timothy Swan's majestic piece entitled Poland (1785).

Brandi Wells - missing since August 2006

"Brandi Wells, age 24, was last seen at Graham Central Station night club on McCann Street in Longview, Texas on Thursday, August 3, 2006 around 12:30 a.m. and has not been seen or heard from since. Brandi was last seen wearing a dark tube top with large flowers, rust colored gaucho pants and high heeled sandals with flowers. Her black 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix was located on the westbound side of I-20 at the 591 mile marker the following day." -- From Texas Equusearch

Note: Texas EquuSearch has recently announced that they will be in Longview, Texas on August 4th to conduct a search for Brandi. They will need volunteers -- horses, ground searchers, and ATV’s.

The siege of Vicksburg

Today, Sacred Harp singers from north, south, east and west descended on the Mississippi River port of Vicksburg. Unlike the siege nearly 150 years ago, everybody came out a winner. Our hosts were great. The food was, too. A group of good singers assembled, and we sang in full voice and almost non-stop from the 1991 Denson and 2006 Cooper editions of The Sacred Harp, and the Christian Harmony (Alabama edition).* This provided an interesting combination of shape note singing in both four shape and seven shape. This singing was hosted by the Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation and the Mississippi Humanities Council in connection with the Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit, New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music. This exhibit will be at the Foundation from June 28 through August 9.

Many will return to the Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation auditorium to sing on Sunday, but for some of us our several engagements call us away.

* In addition, we also sang two songs by John Merritt -- one composition was his original words and music, and the other was a poem by John set to the old hymn tune Mear.

Gaylon Powell and I talked yesterday about the possibility of a Christian Harmony singing in Texas. Anyone out there interested? BTW, the Powells were able to stay through the Sunday session, and reported that the Vicksburg singing will be made an annual event!

Martha Beverly has placed pictures from the Vicksburg singing online here.

Mutually exclusive, not collectively exhaustive

"Calvinism and Arminianism may be mutually exclusive, but this does not mean that they are collectively exhaustive...The complexity comes when (we) move from being biblical theologians to becoming systematic theologians. Then, we attempt to redact these biblical statements into something that we can comprehend. To fit all of these things together in a manner comprehensible to we humans, we must make them complicated." -- comments by Bart Barber on his blog, Praisegod Barebones, 27 March 2007

How Wondrous are God's Ways

PSALM 103 PART 2 v.8-18 L. M.

God's gentle chastisement; or, His tender mercy to his people.

The Lord, how wondrous are his ways!
How firm his truth! how large his grace!
He takes his mercy for his throne,
And thence he makes his glories known.

Not half so high his power hath spread
The starry heav'ns above our head,
As his rich love exceeds our praise,
Exceeds the highest hopes we raise.
Not half so far hath nature placed
The rising morning from the west,
As his forgiving grace removes
The daily guilt of those he loves.

How slowly doth his wrath arise!
On swifter wings salvation flies;
And if he lets his anger burn,
How soon his frowns to pity turn
Amidst his wrath compassion shines;
His strokes are lighter than our sins
And while his rod corrects his saints,
His ear indulges their complaints.

So fathers their young sons chastise
With gentle hand and melting eyes;
The children weep beneath the smart,
And move the pity of their heart.
The mighty God, the wise and just,
Knows that our frame is feeble dust;
And will no heavy loads impose
Beyond the strength that he bestows.

He knows how soon our nature dies,
Blasted by every wind that flies;
Like grass we spring, and die as soon,
Or morning flowers that fade at noon.
But his eternal love is sure
To all the saints, and shall endure;
From age to age his truth shall reign,
Nor children's children hope in vain.

Isaac Watts (1674-1748) The Psalms of David, 1719.
Copied as posted on "Song to the Lamb"

Wilson Thompson: the man, the book

Wilson Thompson, The Autobiography of Elder Wilson Thompson, His life, travels, and ministerial labors (Greenfield, IN: D. H. Goble) 1867 [reprint, Old School Hymnal Co. Conley GA 1978]

A rural one-room unpainted clapboard meeting house. A state-of-the-art church plant sprawling over several city blocks. What do these have in common? Baptists. Baptists meet in them. But do the Baptists that meet in them have anything in common? The Autobiography of Elder Wilson Thompson relates a time when New School and Old School Baptists had much in common. In fact in the beginning of his ministry, most of them worshipped together under a common name -- Regular Baptists.

I highly recommend this book. In it you will:

• Learn about early 19th century Americans on the frontier
• Learn the struggles and glories of 19th century frontier preachers
• Learn about the "modern missions movement" from an Old School perspective
• Learn about revivals and "hyper-Calvinism" on the western frontier
• Learn about more than 2 divisions in the missions/anti-missions controversy
  
  And
• You may see things from a different perspective than you're used to.

Among my readers are Old School Baptists, Missionary Baptists and those who are not Baptists. Often Thompson is unknown outside the Old School/Primitive Baptist camp. You might be intrigued by Thompson's different perception of missionary Baptists Isaac McCoy and Jeremiah Vardeman. Those who have not read this book lack that much in their knowledge of Baptist history.

If anything about the book is disappointing, it is the fact that Thompson did not complete the book before his death. There are several years of his ministry that are not accounted for in the book. The last chapter was written by Wilson Thompson's youngest child (John Adams Thompson). I intended to write a book review, but my notes sat around til they got cold. So I decided on this brief recommendation.

Without pledging the reader to a belief in all the theological views of our deceased parent, we will be excused this humble eulogium on one whose memory is sacred to our hearts. “Few in any age of the church, since the days of the apostles, have labored more unselfishly to promote the cause of true and undefiled religion than has our father—Elder Wilson Thompson.”

"...Elder Wilson Thompson, was one of the greatest preachers of the age in which be lived and...his fame lives after him, for his name is known and honored wherever the Primitive Baptists are found."

"His first text, February, 1810, was John x:2, 3; and [he was] was ordained January, 1812, by Elders Stephen Stilley and John Tanner."..."Elder Thompson was the author of several books and pamphlets, among them “Simple Truth!,” “Triumphs of Truth,” “An Address to the Baptists of the United States,” in 1850, and his “Autobiography.” He was a strong writer, able debater and powerful pulpit orator."

A hard question

If you believe that Christ died to make possible the salvation of all men, what is your answer to the following?

If God equally loves all men, and Christ's atonement does as much for them that perish as for them that receive everlasting life -- then what is the difference that brings about the salvation of one and not the other?

Five weeks missing

For several weeks now I have posted a reminder that my mother-in-law, Shirley Hunt, is still missing. Each week I hope maybe I won't have to post this. But so far I have. This week brought a brief glimmer, with a possible sighting in nearby Kilgore, Texas. Further checking proved it was not her. Shirley has now been missing for five weeks.

Sacred Harp, high thoughts and best moments

"One of the last singings that I have attended was held at a typical rural church in northeast Mississippi...Later as I look from face to face of the singers and listen to their whole-hearted participation I realize that Sacred Harp singing is an expression of the highest and noblest thoughts and feelings of which these people are capable -- of what they believe and love and are in their best moments; in short, that perhaps more than anything else it is an expression of their total ideals and total sensibilities." -- From the papers of John Quincy Wolf.

O God of Bethel

O God of Bethel, by Whose hand
Thy people still are fed,
Who through this weary pilgrimage
Hast all our fathers led.

Through each perplexing path of life
Our wandering footsteps guide;
Give us each day our daily bread,
And raiment fit provide.

O spread Thy covering wings around
Till all our wanderings cease,
And at our Father's loved abode
Our souls arrive in peace.

-- original by Philip Doddridge, rearranged by John Logan, 1781

“In praise of psalmody”

According to Greg Dixon, some of the benefits of Psalm-singing are: 

“You never have to wonder if you’re singing false doctrine...Since the psalms cover the full range of human experience as well as the fullness of God’s attributes, the worshiper has an ample and extensive vocabulary for worship: praise, thanksgiving, supplication, complaint, sorrow, confession, penitence, imprecation, outrage, testimony and messianic prophecy...Joy comes from knowing you are being obedient to the New Testament exhortations to sing psalms...Psalm-singing enriches and enhances your private worship as well as the public worship of God.” 

Read the rest of In praise of psalmody. – The Gospel Outpost, May 29, 2007

Riding the camel again

In an earlier post, I introduced you all to something of which I recently heard -- the "Camel" method of evangelism. I found a link to the booklet/tract Camel Tracks...Discover the Camel's Secret in a comment made by Wes Kenney on Grace and Truth to You. I'm going to discuss some points from the "Camel Tracks" booklet. I've chosen it because it is available online for all to read. I know I have a varied readership, and this is somewhat Southern Baptist specific. I hope it won't be too irrelevant to most of you.

First, I want to address a few items I view as red herrings.
1. The use of the name "Allah" for God when speaking/writing in Arabic. Some people may object to this, but (as far as I can tell) for most people this is a non-issue related to a language in which "Allah" means "God" or "supreme being" generically.
2. Mentioning the words of a Greek poet or Cretian prophet, as did Paul. Again, possibly there are some people who object to even mentioning the Koran when talking to a Muslim. That is not my objection. Really, I don't think anybody objects to a statement like "even the Koran says such and such about Jesus." [BTW, has anyone taken the time to notice that Titus 1:12,13 is closer to an insult than a bridge to evangelization?]
3. Americanizing the gospel. I don't doubt that there are some people who wish to export Westernization and Americanization with the Christian gospel. T. P. Crawford warned about this exported western culturization back in the 1800s, and I think he was correct. To oppose the "Camel Method" of evangelism is not equivalent to desiring to export "Western Christianity" to all points of the world.

Now I will refer to specific things about and/or mentioned in Camel Tracks...Discover the Camel's Secret by Kevin Greeson.

1. This booklet is written as if by one who converted from Islam to Christianity. Is Greeson, "a church planter, coach and trainer with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention", a former Muslim? I don't know, but I doubt it.* Note, though, on p. 18 Greeson says this was "recreated from the experiences of numerous Pakka Muslims..."
2. Greeson expresses gratitude to King Fahd of Saudi Arabia and others for financing the translation of the Koran from Arabic into the languages or the world (p. 1). I personally can't get to a point of gratitude for someone increasing the readership of a false holy book. BUT, I do understand the point. Muslims who cannot read the Koran in their own language must rely on an interpeter rather than interpreting and understanding it themselves. The interpreter on many points could be far more radical than the book itself.
3. Greeson uses "Allah" for God throughout the tract/booklet. This tract is not in Arabic, where "Allah" is the word for God. It is in English. But the words of the tract are directed to Muslim readers, who would understand "Allah" as supreme being (but who would also understand "Allah" as the god of Mohammed and who gave the Koran). The BIG problem I have with this is not the use of the word "Allah", but rather that I cannot see that Kevin Greeson anywhere makes any distinction that God/Allah/Jehovah of the Christians and god/Allah of the Muslims is not the same God/god.** [Note: this should not be confused with red herring #1]
4. In my opinion, the booklet sends a mixed message about Islam, Allah, Muslims, and Mohammed. For example, on page 2, Greeson exhorts, "Do not miss out on Allah's message. Do not rely on someone else to tell you the message of Allah. Instead, find a Qur'an translated into your own language and together let's discover in it a treasure that will change your life." Now I think I can understand that Greeson really only wants the reader to understand the part of Allah's message that he discusses in the tract. But there is an implication that the Koran is Allah's message. Where does he make it clear that all of the Koran is not Allah's message?
5. Further, Greeson clearly abstains from calling Isa's (Jesus') converts Christians. Rather they are "Pakka Muslims" -- "true" Muslims or "complete" Muslims (p. 4). This implies that the faith of Mohammed and the Koran just needs to be clearly understood (rather than rejected). Muslim means one who surrenders/submits (to God), and Islam means surrender or submission. Certainly a convert to Jesus Christ ought to be one who submits to God. "Camel Tracks" says that "According to the Qur'an (Koran), the followers of Isa (Jesus) are Muslims!" (p. 13). Yes, we can justify this by saying that Jesus followers are 'those who surrender' (Muslims). But are we (and the Muslim reader of this tract) really to believe that is what the Koran means when it says that?? More likely it means that Muslims in the normal sense believe they are the true followers of Isa (as opposed to Christians being the true followers). Also notice on page 15 Greeson asks the reader to think "about the Muslim festival of korban." When he uses "Muslim" there, surely he means in the "normal" sense. This tract freely obscures the line between Christianity and Islam.
6. Strangely -- to me at least -- when Kevin Greeson refers to the Prophet Mohammed, he often writes, "the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him..." (e.g. pp. 4, 11) Now why would a preacher of the way of the Nazarene proclaim a benediction upon a false prophet? I can't think of a good reason. I'm sure someone is poised with a cultural explanation. But really?
7. "A cow with only one leg cannot stand, but when he stands on all four legs, he is strong. A 'Pakka Muslim' read all of the Kitabs." (p. 9) In context of discussing Islam's four holy Kitabs (books; Taurat/Torah, Zabur/Writings, Injil/Gospels, & the Koran), Kevin Greeson gives us this illustration. I understand he wants to steer the Muslim back to the writings that precede the Koran, but in the end this attempt actually says the Complete Muslim needs all four of the Kitabs -- which includes the Koran -- to be strong. Paul said the inspired Scriptures are sufficient.

The seven points listed above are drawn from "Camel Tracks" to illustrate why I believe that at worst it comprises a pattern of deception, and at best exhibits a fear to clarify the claims of Christ. While there may be some passages in the Koran that are compatible with Biblical teaching, it is also true that most of its material is not. Further, the religion of Islam holds that Judaism and Christianity (and their writings) distort the message of the God of Abraham and His prophets. Muslims do believe that Jesus was a prophet. They also believe that He was just a man and not the son of God.

Finally, that brings me to a couple of related points. First, despite the tracts' "Islamic bridges" to the world's Muslims, in the end the concluding paragraph sounds a lot like trite Western easy evangelism that downplays repentance and faith in favor of a suggested prayer.*** Second, the whole idea seems to place salvation in a method. Oh, yes, I realize not directly so (and perhaps not deliberately). But I think we have bought into "how-to-ism" and some kind of idea of "methodology conversion" -- we don't make converts because we don't use the right methodology; we will make converts if we use the right methodology (and this very generally so; not just in the case of the "Camel Method"). On Bart Barber's Of Muslims and Mohammed, Les Puryear cautions: "We need to confess and repent of our arrogance and pride and turning away from trusting fully in the God of the Bible and His ability to reach those whom He has sovereignly elected before time began. Methods and strategies will not save one lost soul."

* according to the book description at Amazon.com
** Of course, this is a little problematic, in that Jews, Christians and Muslims all claim "the God of Abraham". I have up to this point, though, understood that most Christians do not believe that the God who inspired the Old and New Testaments called Mohammed to be His prophet or gave the Koran as His words.
*** To be fair, there is no "repeat after me" prayer involved. But the tract suggests the prayer and its contents generally.
**** In The Heart of a Baptist, Malcolm Yarnell says the "Camel" method encourages new Christians "to hide their faith, continue attending mosque or temple, and otherwise act like Muslims or Hindus. Ralph Winter and his U. S. Center for World Mission apparently consider baptism a Western rather than a biblical activity." [p. 11 online]

East Texas Sacred Harp Convention - coming soon

If you are interested in shape note religious folk music (or if you would enjoy a day or two of almost non-stop singing), I would like to invite you to the 152nd anniversary of the EAST TEXAS SACRED HARP SINGING CONVENTION -- held at the Community Center @ South High & Fairpark in Henderson, Texas, Saturday August 11th, and Sunday August 12th -- 9:30 a.m. til 2:30 a.m. (d.v.). Continental breakfast and lunch are provided, plus there will be a Saturday night informal gathering which includes a light supper and opportunities for more singing, socializing, or recreation.

Come sing with us (or just listen). For more information, directions, etc. message me. For more info on Sacred Harp - The Sacred Harp Home Page and Sacred Harp Singing in Texas.

"Shaped notes -- helpful for those who know them, unobtrusive to those who don't."

The believer's safety -- Psalm 91

That man no guard or weapons needs,
Whose heart the blood of JESUS knows;
But safe may pass, if duty leads,
Through burning sands or mountain snows.

Released from guilt he feels no fear,
Redemption is his shield and tow'r;
He sees his Savior always near
To help, in every trying hour.

Though I am weak and Satan strong,
And often to assault me tries;
When Jesus is my shield and song,
Abashed the wolf before me flies.

His love possessing I am blest,
Secure whatever change may come;
Whether I go to East or West,
With him I still shall be at home.

If placed beneath the northern pole,
Though winter reigns with rigor there;
His gracious beams would cheer my soul,
And make a spring throughout the year.

Or if the deserts sun-burnt soil,
My lonely dwelling e'er should prove;
His presence would support my toil,
Whose smile is life, whose voice is love.

John Newton (1725-1807)
Olney Hymns, 1779.

Another covey of quotes

"When preaching the gospel became a livelihood, even a lush livelihood, then the gospel became good news for the rich and for the mighty. For how else was the preacher to acquire and secure rank and dignity unless Christianity secured the best for all? Christianity thus ceased to be glad tidings for those who suffer, a message of hope that transfigures suffering into joy, but a guarantee for the enjoyment of life intensified and secured by the hope of eternity." -- Soren Kierkegaard, Provocations: Spiritual Writings of Kierkegaard

"Words are the chariots that ferry the legions of men’s thoughts." -- Benjamin S. Cole, on Baptist Blogger 27 June 2007

"Election campaigns are for choosing presidents, not popes." -- Jeff Jacoby in "Anti-mormonism gets personal"

"Forsaking the distilled wisdom of the past makes every man’s hat his own church." -- Timothy George in “Southern Baptist Ghosts”

"There is no orthodoxy without orthopraxy. It doesn’t exist." -- Tony Jones, in "Whence Hermeneutic Authority?"

"May Elijah and Moses disappear and Jesus Christ the well-pleasing Son be all you see." -- Anonymous, on Grace and Truth to You 28 June 2007

"It is neither necessary nor wise for us to add man-made rules to the Christian faith, not even man-made rules that are consistent with God's word. The Bible is sufficient (II Tim. 3:17)." -- John Kohler III on New Covenant Christian Forum, 05 Jul 2007

"The crowning glory and display of God’s sovereignty to the church is the transformation of rebellious, wicked sinners into saintly vessels of mercy." -- Stanley C. Phillips, in "Choosing Acceptable Words" (e-mailed by Hoyt Sparks 15 July 2007)

"In awe of the cross I must confess
How wondrous Thy redeeming love
And how great is Thy faithfulness."
-- Jeremy Riddle, from his song "Sweetly Broken"

And (just to see whether you're reading)
"Liberals are driven by Satan and lie constantly." -- Ann Coulter in "That was no lady -- that was my husband"

Four weeks missing

Today my mother-in-law, Shirley Hunt, has been missing for four weeks. We still don't have any "news" at this time. The family and law enforcement are busy following any leads that come up. Even rumors must be followed up -- anything that might help. Family members and friends spend time on the roads, driving and looking, and time is spent in posting pictures, sending letters and such like. Efforts to get her picture on national television have failed thus far, as far as I can tell. Evidently this isn't too "newsworthy" if there isn't a scandal involved. Last Friday, dogs from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in Tennessee Colony were brought back to do some searching in the Good Springs area again.

Thanks to everyone for your prayers and for every kind deed, and especially to the Lord Who has led you to do these things. A picture of Shirley can be found here.

Vanity of the creature sanctified

Honey though the bee prepares,
An envenomed sting he wears;
Piercing thorns a guard compose
Round the fragrant blooming rose.
Where we think to find a sweet,
Oft a painful sting we meet:
When the rose invites our eye,
We forget the thorn is nigh.

Now with every good we find
Vanity and grief entwined;
What we feel, or what we fear,
All our joys embitter here.
Yet, through the Redeemer's love,
These afflictions blessings prove;
He the wounding stings and thorns,
Into healing med'cines turns.

From the earth our hearts they wean,
Teach us on his arm to lean;
Urge us to a throne of grace,
Make us seek a resting place.
In the mansions of our King
Sweets abound without a sting;
Thornless there the roses blow,
And the joys unmingled flow.

John Newton (1725-1807) Olney Hymns, 1779.

Twelve Baptist Tribes and other books

This morning Albert Wardin let me know that his new book, The Twelve Baptist Tribes in the USA, is now available. In "Twelve Tribes", Wardin describes 53 different Baptist groups in the United States, including information on some lesser known groups. It includes sixteen very nice colored maps at the back of the book. To order The Twelve Baptist Tribes, contact Baptist History and Heritage Society, 3001 Mercer University Dr., Atlanta, GA 30342-4255; or contact Charles Deweese at 770-457-5538 or charlesdeweese--at--baptisthistory--dot--org. The book sells for $24.95 [with shipping should be $28.00, but check to be sure]. Dr. Wardin is author of several good books, including Baptists in Oregon, Baptists Around the World: A Comprehensive Handbook, Baptist Atlas, Gottfried F. Alf: Pioneer of the Baptist Movement in Poland, and Tennessee Baptists: A Comprehensive History 1779-1999. I will hope to get up a review of it on my blog at some future date (d.v.).

Also, to a list I'm on, Phil Hodson of BiblicalBooks.com writes, "I'm liquidating all of our used biblical and theological books with a big sale to help simplify my life. All USED books (including the Antiques) are HALF OFF the marked price. In other words, deduct 50% from the price you see. New books are at the prices marked, which are marked down as well."

Cole Jackson

Evidently, thousands of people go missing every day in the United States. Many are found and some never are. Our experience has made me aware that there are a number of missing persons right here in our area. Highlighting a "local" missing person will become a feature of "Seeking the Old Paths" blog (d.v.).

Chireno man last seen a year ago