Easter morning gang fight - Page 5 • Famous last words: Passion Week devotions - center
Volume 108, No. 6
IB Insider
APRIL 14, 2014
Pierced, crushed, chastised
Embracing the offense of the cross
Seminary to relocate Page 2
By Jonathan Davis
Churches leading Illinois’ baptism increase Page 8
Our culture loves blood. The latest vampire novel, graphic movies, every CSI crime drama, the nightly news – they’re all pictures painted in blood. Even the walking dead are promoting a bloody afterlife every Sunday night on cable. But our culture’s bloodthirst is biting into the wrong vein. As God’s people, we also are to be marked as lovers of blood. Not because of an obsession with gore, but because of the Savior who shed his life’s blood on our behalf. Yet, for some reason, we often shy away from the bloody language of the cross. Our culture, so fascinated with blood stories, turns away from the most important blood lines of all. Talk of the cross is offensive to many, and to bring up the blood as central to faith will bring many conversations to a halt. And rather than offend, some Christians will stick to the more polite apologetic: Jesus loves you, and has a great plan for your life. But that’s a bloodless Christianity. And a bloodless Christianity is no Christianity at all. Flesh and blood isn’t just Easter language; it is gospel language to be used at all times and in all places. We are to embrace the bloodiness of Scripture, for to do opposite is quite dangerous.
Missionary’s lament: Oh, Canada Page 9 Turning bridezillas into believers Page 11
O, how I love Jesus movies Page 7
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But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5, KJV)
Sculpture by Harrisburg artist Libby Morecraft
Women take the lead in missions
Meeting May 1-3
Marion | The theme of this year’s Illinois Women’s Missions Celebration is somewhat daring for traditionally non-dancing Southern Baptists: “Can God have this dance?” The concept, said IBSA’s Carmen Halsey, is based on Mark 8:34, where Jesus calls on his disciples to deny themselves to follow Him. “Will we surrender to God's purpose for our lives and trust Him with the choreography?” asked Halsey, director of missions awareness and Illinois WMU. “Will we follow His lead?” The meeting is May 1-3 at First Baptist Church in Marion. During the sessions, women will have the opportunity to hear from International Mission Board missionaries Brock and Polly Vandever who will share
stories of God’s grace in their highsecurity mission field. Scott Venable, a North American Mission Board church planter, will share about his experiences planting Mosaic Church in Chicago. Continued on page 2
Baptist to helm Chicago school
Deerfield | David Dockery, a leading Southern Baptist thinker and college president for 18 years, will serve as the next president of Trinity International University. “We are overwhelmingly grateful to God for the invitation from the Trinity Board to serve the students, staff, faculty and various institutional constituencies in the days ahead,” Dockery said after his unanimous election. He has served as president of Union University in Jackson, Tenn., since 1995. Union is affiliated with the Tennessee Baptist Convention. As president of Trinity, whose primary campus is 30 miles north of downtown Chicago, Dockery will lead the institution’s four schools: a liberal arts college, graduate school, law school, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, known as TEDS. Trinity has Continued on page 2