Baptist Press Stories for Jul. 12 2012 --------------------------------------- Accounts of forced abortions in China only 'tip of the iceberg' http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38255 Laura Story sees 'Blessings' beyond awards http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38246 1992 Casey ruling opened pro-life doors http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38250 100 Christians killed in Nigeria massacre http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38251 Kan. senate chaplain Holloman retires http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38247 BIBLE STUDY: Sunday, July 15, 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38252 FIRST-PERSON: Why poor tipping compromises the Gospel http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38249 FIRST-PERSON: How to make your marriage soar http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38253 --------------------------------------- Accounts of forced abortions in China only 'tip of the iceberg' By Staff Jul. 12 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38255 WASHINGTON (BP) -- Recent reports of women undergoing late-term abortions against their will are "only the tip of the iceberg" of the forced procedures that occur daily in China, a Christian advocate for human rights has told a congressional panel. [IMGONLY=33048@left@180]The new accounts of forced abortions have brought China's coercive, "one-child," population control policy to the world's attention in a way that is possibly unprecedented since it was instituted in 1979. The story and photo of Feng Jianmei and her forcibly aborted daughter gained global attention online in June. Family planning officials kidnapped Feng, who was seven months pregnant but had no birth permit, June 2 in Shaanxi province and aborted her child when her family did not pay a fine. Authorities placed the body of her dead daughter next to her in bed. A Chinese dissident posted an account, plus a photo of the devastated mother and her dead daughter, online, and it went viral when the news broke June 12 in the West, according to testimony at a July 9 hearing before a House of Representatives subcommittee. In written testimony for the panel, Bob Fu of the ChinaAid Association said Feng's "tragedy is repeated hundreds and thousands of times each day in China." China's population control program generally limits couples in urban areas to one child and those in rural areas to two, if the first is a girl. Parents in cities may have second babies if the husband and wife are both only children. The policy has resulted in many reports of authorities carrying out forced abortions and sterilizations, as well as accounts of infanticide. It has helped produce a dramatic gender imbalance because of the Chinese preference for sons. The Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights received accounts by Fu and Reggie Littlejohn, president of Women's Rights Without Frontiers, regarding other recently reported coerced abortions: -- Hu Jia's baby was forcibly aborted at nearly eight months June 19 in Hubei province, according to a major Chinese newspaper, the Southern Metropolis Daily. -- Zhan Wen Fang, also of Hubei province, came forward to report her baby was forcibly aborted at nine months in 2008. -- Cao Ruyi of Hunan province was taken June 6 by family planning officials in an attempt to abort her five-month-old unborn child. International pressure helped bring about a reduction in the fine officials were seeking for her unpermitted pregnancy, enabling her to leave the hospital where her baby was to be aborted. Yet, the threat to her unborn child continues. Another mother, Pan Chunyan of Fujian province, underwent a forced abortion April 6 when she was eight months pregnant, according to a report by BBC News based on an account in the South China Morning Post. A victim of the coercive policy provided testimony to the subcommittee by phone from Thailand, according to The Washington Times. Speaking through an interpreter, Guo Yanling described the forced abortion she underwent eight months into her pregnancy in 1995 while living in Guangxi province. Her voice faded into sobs, and she was unable to complete her testimony, The Times reported. The result of China's population control policy is "a nightmarish 'brave new world' with no precedent in human history, where women are psychologically wounded, girls fall victim to sex-selective abortion (in some provinces 140 boys are born for every 100 girls), and most children grow up without brothers or sisters, aunts or uncles or cousins," said subcommittee Chairman Chris Smith of New Jersey in written remarks for the hearing. Critics inside and outside China have addressed the "one-child" policy in the days since the forced-abortion cases were reported, Littlejohn said in her testimony: -- Researchers with China's government-affiliated Development Research Center and 15 high-profile Chinese scholars called for reform of the population control policy in statements published July 3 and 5, respectively. -- The European Parliament approved a resolution July 5 condemning Feng's forced procedure, as well as coercive abortion and sterilization globally. It also called for assurances its funds do not support such programs. -- The U.S. State Department asked Beijing about the reports, a spokeswoman said in mid-June and reaffirmed the United States strongly opposes "all aspects of China's coercive birth limitation policies." -- Abortion-rights leader Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, criticized China's forced abortion program as a violation of human rights in a July 4 letter to The New York Times. Among Littlejohn and Fu's policy recommendations to the subcommittee were: (1) Congressional approval of a resolution condemning forced abortion and sterilization in China and calling on the regime to end its coercive population control program; (2) enactment of a law authorizing the president to deny entry into this country to those who have participated in enforcement of the "one-child" program or other human rights abuses in China, and (3) cut funds for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Planned Parenthood Federation if they are found to be collaborating with China's coercive program. President Obama reinstituted support for the UNFPA in 2009 after President Bush withheld funding during the final seven years of his presidency because of his administration's finding that the agency aided China's program. Xinhua, China's government-operated news service, reported July 11 the township in which Feng lives reached an out-of-court settlement with her husband and her in the amount of about $11,000 in American money. --30— Compiled by Tom Strode, Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- Laura Story sees 'Blessings' beyond awards By Whitney Jones Jul. 12 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38246 ATLANTA (BP) -- "Blessings" is more than just a song that has garnered several key awards for Christian singer-songwriter Laura Story, it is her own tale of finding healing and peace with hardship.
Story's song came from her own personal struggle understanding God's plan after learning that her husband had a brain tumor early in their marriage. "Blessings," which she wrote about two years ago, was her way of working through the difficulties in her life and learning that God does not always immediately come to the rescue. "It really was just my own process of coming to terms with the fact that sometimes God allows things in this life that we don't understand," Story told Baptist Press. "They may look like roadblocks in our lives but when we step back, trying to find the perspective, [we] see them as possible means for us growing in our faith, possible means for God showing us something about Himself or something about ourselves that we wouldn't see any other way." The honors Story received in recent months for her song Blessings and her album of the same name include: -- Top Christian song at the Billboard Music Awards -- A Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Song --Song of the Year, Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year, Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year and Songwriter of the Year at the Dove Awards In addition to her current album, Story wrote the popular song "Indescribable" sung by Chris Tomlin. Although Story said she -- like most other Christian artists -- does not do her work for awards, she noted that she is glad her story of struggle was shared with others through several notable venues. "As far as the awards of this world, it has been helpful as far as getting the message out about God's work in my life," she said. "So we celebrate that more than we do any metallic object I might be handed on a stage. It's certainly so much more about wanting God to take the platform and His message being known in our lives." The song's message is not just a positive spin on life's hardships, however. Story said Blessings delves into the idea that sometimes health, wealth or prosperity is not what God wants for His followers. She poses this question: "What if there are character things that He wants to do in our hearts that are more valuable than any of the riches that this life can offer us?" In addition to being a singer-songwriter, Story is a worship leader at Perimeter Church in Atlanta. Most Sundays, Story leads worship there, but she said she is thankful Perimeter also allows her to minister at other churches and get a sense of the atmosphere of the larger church. "I definitely think the local church is still God's plan A," she said. "Anything I can do to encourage my local church and pour in here but also encourage other people in their local churches, that's what I really feel called to do." Story is doing just that, investing in her local church while also going on the road with her husband and band once or twice a week to encourage other believers across the nation. Story published a 30-day devotional -- also titled "Blessings" -- based on the award-winning song. She also is planning to record a new CD this fall and join a tour in December called 12 Gifts. But those are not the biggest of her upcoming plans. Story and her husband are expecting their first child later this year. "We're excited and just grateful that God gives us so many opportunities just to minister and grateful He's blessing us with a baby to add to our dream, add to our story," she said. --30— Whitney Jones is a writer for Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- 1992 Casey ruling opened pro-life doors By Staff Jul. 12 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38250 WASHINGTON (BP) -- The 20th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court's Planned Parenthood v. Casey ruling and the two decades since that disheartening decision for pro-lifers actually have produced significant progress for their movement, senior counsel Clarke Forsythe of Americans United for Life wrote in a post at National Review Online. In 1992, pro-life advocates hoped the high court would overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 opinion that legalized abortion nationwide. The justices, however, reaffirmed Roe while concurrently giving states permission to provide some regulation of the lethal procedure. "While Casey failed to overturn abortion, it did open a crack in the door to state regulation, which began immediately," Forsythe wrote. "One clear gain from Casey was that the Court indicated – for the first time – that it would permit the states to require that women be given detailed information about the nature, risks, and alternatives before an abortion." After Casey, states started adopting health and safety regulation, though it took until the 2007 Gonzales v. Carhart ruling, which upheld the federal ban on partial-birth abortion, for federal courts to defer to the states, Forsythe said. Among the results, he said: -- Fifteen states approved informed consent laws after Casey, and another 14 significantly enhanced such laws. -- Nine states passed abortion clinic regulations post-Casey, and 14 strengthened such laws. -- Eighteen states adopted parental involvement laws after Casey, and eight others approved important enhancements to their laws. -- Twenty-one states have enacted ultrasound laws just in the last decade. Among other pro-life gains cited by Forsythe: -- Pregnancy help centers have expanded dramatically, with Care Net's affiliates growing from about 550 in 1999 to 1,130 in 2010. Meanwhile, abortion clinics have shrunk from about 2,200 in 1991 to 689 in 2011. -- Most of the 38 state wrongful death laws and 37 fetal homicide laws have been enacted since Casey. -- The number of abortions fell by 25 percent from 1992 to 2006. "Progress over the past 20 years has come through a combination of pursuing long-term goals of comprehensive legal protection for the unborn child, and complimentary policies that reduce abortion year by year, and direct services to women that encourage positive alternatives to abortion," Forsythe wrote on June 29, the 20-year mark of the 1992 ruling. "That includes containing abortion as much as possible, highlighting the negative impact on women, and encouraging political leadership in Congress and in the states. Step by step, the pro-life movement has been working toward reversing Roe – an opportunity that Casey missed. "Some progress has been the result of doors cracked open by Casey, but much more is attributable to perseverance, ingenuity and prudence, as well as taking advantage of new opportunities over the past 20 years since Casey." --30-- Reported by Tom Strode, Washington bureau chief for Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- 100 Christians killed in Nigeria massacre By Staff/Open Doors News Jul. 12 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38251 JOS, Nigeria (BP) -- Tensions in central Nigeria have run high all week between two Nigerian people groups after a massacre killing of some 100 members of the Church of Christ in Nigeria July 7. [IMGONLY=33047@left@200]The groups, located in the Plateau state of Nigeria, include ethnic Fulani, who are mainly Muslim, and ethnic Birom, who are mainly Christian. This incident was only the latest outbreak of anger in a decade-long cycle of aggression and reprisals. But this time, anxiety ran high enough that about 50 members of the Church of Christ in Nigeria around the village of Maseh had fled their homes, taking refuge in the home of their pastor. The gunmen came Saturday, entering the home and opening fire. Then they burned the house. "Fifty of our church members were killed in the church building where they had fled to take refuge. They were killed alongside the wife of the pastor and children," said the Rev. Dachollom Datiri, vice president of the Church of Christ in Nigeria, in a July 11 interview with Open Doors News at the church's headquarters in Jos. Church officials said that in all, about 100 Church of Christ members were killed in the weekend attacks in 12 villages: Maseh, Ninchah, Kakkuruk, Kuzen, Negon, Pwabiduk, Kai, Ngyo, Kura Falls, Dogo, Kufang, and Ruk. "In these twelve villages, all the church buildings of our church were burnt by the Muslim attackers," Datiri said. Fulani spokesmen denied involvement. On Tuesday, the radical Islamic group Boko Haram said it was responsible for the attacks, and insisted all Christians abandon Christ and accept Islam or they "would never know peace again." The Church of Christ in Nigeria, more than a century old and claiming 3.5 million members in Nigeria and beyond, has suffered before. Some 40 church pastors have been killed in the past 10 years, Datiri said. Even against such a violent backdrop, the killings on July 7 and 8 were especially traumatizing. The Nigerian government imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on the region. Still, survivors of the violence are fleeing their villages in search of safe places to stay, said the Rev. Obed Dashan, general secretary of the Church of Christ in Nigeria. "They are psychologically traumatized, and their productive economic activities are impeded," Dashan told Open Doors News. "Most of them are peasant farmers and the attacks have not allowed them to go to their farms. Even those that have planted crops have had their crops destroyed by the Muslim attackers." The displaced farmers, Dashan said, "cannot go to their farms because they have to flee in order to save their lives. So, it is a war to starve Christians, and this is impacting on the church negatively as we have to feed or cater for our church members who are now displaced." As families have fled, they have taken their children with them. "Children cannot go to school as they have to flee, thereby creating a generation of illiterates," Dashan said. The history of conflict between Nigerian Christians and Muslims has roots in land disputes, political opportunism, quarrels over national power sharing and other causes, but the Church of Christ leaders said the current situation is evidence of an institutionalized persecution of Christians. "We've heard that the (Nigerian military) is here to provide protection to the weaker side in the conflict between Christians and Muslims," Dashan said. "They have openly said they are here to protect Muslims. However, it is this same Muslims who are being protected that are attacking Christians and destroying our villages and church buildings. There is no single mosque that has been destroyed by Christians and we have never been on the offensive. So, why (are they) aiding Muslims to attack us?" "It is outrageous," Datiri said, "for the military to abandon peasant Christians who have no weapons to defend themselves and then claim that Muslims, who are the aggressors, are the weaker party and need to be protected." At the same time, Fulani representatives have told news agencies that Christians have attacked Muslim communities. Christian church leaders across Nigeria have urged believers to refrain from retaliation, though not all have paid heed. "The whole thing is coming to a head," Datiri said. "It's been a long-term thing planned by the Boko Haram. This is a jihadist movement with the agenda to Islamize the country. It is a jihad, a religious war against Christians for refusing to embrace Islam. So, they are using terrorism as a weapon. That is the reason you see that the target of their attacks are Christians and our churches." --30— Reported by Open Doors News ([URL=http://www.compassdirect.org]www.compassdirect.org[/URL]), a news service based in Santa Ana, Calif., focusing on Christians worldwide who are persecuted for their faith. Used by permission. -- End of story -- Kan. senate chaplain Holloman retires By Tobin Perry Jul. 12 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38247 TOPEKA, Kan. (BP) -- Humor, poetry, God and state legislatures don't seem like a match made in heaven, unless you've been anywhere near the Kansas State Senate for the past three decades. [IMG=33045@left@200]That's thanks to Fred Hollomon, the Georgia native who served for 31 years as chaplain of Kansas' upper house. After kicking off state senate sessions for most of the past three decades with his poetic and humorous prayers, Holloman retired at the end of the last legislative session. Hollomon, 88, started his now famous tradition of mixing humor and rhyme with his prayers soon after getting flack for his first prayer. Two people complained it was too long. "I've found that people will read or follow you when you're rhyming because they want to see how it ends," said Hollomon, who was a North American Mission Board endorsed chaplain. Born in Georgia and raised in Alabama during the Great Depression, Hollomon's call to ministry didn't come until after he had begun a career in banking. Unfulfilled in that role, he talked to his pastor, who pointed him toward ministry. After graduating from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and serving as a pastor in Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas, he was asked to serve as an aide in the Kansas State House and later in the state senate. In 1979, as the small church he pastored in Kansas grew large enough to ask him to serve full-time, the state senate president asked him to be the institution's chaplain. Except for a three-year absence in the early 1980s when he stepped aside to pastor a church near Kansas City, he served faithfully as the senate's chaplain ever since. Officially, Hollomon's chaplain duties included only the opening prayer of the senate each day it was in session. While he could leave after that prayer, he saw what he did as a ministry and many days spent time with legislators and senate staff getting to know them and counseling them when needed. In past years Holloman held weekly prayer meetings at the senate and performed weddings and funerals for senators. Yet his ministry touched far more than just the senators. For three decades he ministered to senate secretaries, doormen, lobbyists and security personnel, among others. Various state senates around the nation do chaplaincy differently. Some have a different chaplain come in each session to deliver the opening prayer. "I don't like that near as well," Hollomon said. "You don't get acquainted that way. I think it's a mistake to have different guys pop in all the time. I think if you get someone who enjoys it and does a fairly good job of it, you should keep him or her." Yet it's the creative prayers Hollomon became known for around the state. Newspapers began quoting him and interviewing him about the prayers soon after he began using them during the 1979 legislative session. "Reporters started interviewing me soon after I started doing it," Hollomon said. "They did it for two reasons. First, I was doing it differently than anyone else they'd ever heard pray, and second, I prayed rhymes. I reminded them that David prayed in rhyme, too." Since his prayers were printed in the senate journal, he wrote them out every day -- a practice he had not done before becoming a chaplain. In 2005, he published a collection of the prayers in a book titled "Uncommon Prayers." One of the most famous of the prayers got national radio exposure during his first month in the senate. A reporter heard the prayer and asked if he could get a copy of it. Hollomon thought little of the prayer until a neighbor heard it on the radio. The prayer was read on the Paul Harvey Show. Hollomon's humor was part of all aspects of his ministry. A few years ago, the Nebraska state legislature made news because some were questioning the constitutionality of paying chaplains. He said, "Before I prayed one day, I said, 'I understand our sister state to the north is having trouble paying a chaplain. Southern Baptists have done a good job of raising funds all their lives.' I just held up an offering plate. Of course, I got a pretty good response." Despite the objections of many throughout the years, Hollomon remained committed to ending his prayers by invoking the name of Jesus. A quick Internet search of Hollomon's name turns up a variety of mentions of this practice by groups urging a more strict separation of church and state. "I never quit doing that even though I got a lot of criticism about it," Hollomon said. "I did it as a witness." The North American Mission Board endorses about 3,650 chaplains in a variety of roles throughout the world, including in military, corporate, hospital, correction facilities, public safety and professional organization roles. --30-- Tobin Perry writes for the North American Mission Board. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- BIBLE STUDY: Sunday, July 15, 2012 By Staff/LifeWay Christian Resources Jul. 12 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38252 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP) -- This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, LifeWay publishes Sunday School curriculum and additional resources for all age groups. This week's Bible study is adapted from the YOU! Bible Passage: Psalm 34:15-22 Discussion Question: If they don't run to God, where do believers tend to seek refuge? Food for Thought: While most Christians turn to God in times of need and stress, some don't. Some may turn to friends or family for comfort and guidance. Still others turn to more dangerous helps. This is the story of one woman whose choices weren't great, but ultimately, she found comfort in Christ alone. After enduring her parents' divorce, her father's attempt to kill her and her younger sister, verbal abuse from a stepfather, a rape that ended in an abortion and other tragedies in her young life, Isabelle* gave her life to Christ. She married and began teaching Sunday School. Finally, she believed she was on a road that led her to spiritual, emotional and physical health and happiness. Unfortunately, her road was rocky and led her down a path of self-destruction. When Isabelle discovered that her husband who didn't attend church with her had been having an affair with one of her close friends, she was devastated. Instead of running to God where she'd placed her love and faith, she became depressed and turned to drugs to numb the pain. She stopped teaching Sunday School and going to church because she believed she found all she needed in meth. She began using it recreationally on the weekends but ramped up her addiction to hourly doses of the drug. At her lowest point, she filled a syringe with meth in an attempt to end her life, but just as He had many times throughout her childhood, God spared her life. She then realized that God's plans for her life were for prosperity, so she rededicated her life to Him. She now talks with others on a similar path and tries to lead them to God and away from the pull of drugs and alcohol. In her words, "God waits for them, just like He waited for me. He gave us free will, and I used mine in the wrong way. He has turned my mistakes into good, just as the Bible promises. I now hold on to these promises like I once held on to meth." *Name has been changed at her request. The YOU! Curriculum, which is intentionally focused on urban and multicultural believers, provides biblically-based, culturally relevant lessons to help people connect, grow, serve and ultimately be engaged in impacting the world for God. This flexible quarterly resource offers weekly Bible study for leaders and learners, devotionals and teaching plans as well as articles on hot topics and missions. For more information, visit LifeWay.com/YOU. Other ongoing Bible study options for all ages offered by LifeWay can be found at [URL=http://www.LifeWay.com/SundaySchool]www.LifeWay.com/SundaySchool[/URL]. --30-- Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp). -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: Why poor tipping compromises the Gospel By Raymond Johnson Jul. 12 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38249 LOUISVILLE, Ky. (BP) -- "So that was a friendly Christian person?" After making that statement, one of my restaurant coworkers -- a divorced, agnostic man working two jobs to pay child support -- tossed a receipt with a circle around the subpar tip he had received from a Christian individual sitting at his table. In fact, the tip was less than subpar -- barely 10 percent on a $90 bill. I thought about ignoring him, but I have been attempting to share the Gospel with this coworker for a while. "Not all Christian people treat others that way," I said softly. I have been serving tables at a restaurant for several years in order to support my wife and children and to pay my way through graduate school. Repeatedly, I have observed Christian people -- or people who identify themselves as Christians by wearing Christian T-shirts/apparel or their Christian conference name tag, etc. -- come into the restaurant at which I work, pray for their food after acting rudely toward their server, leave a 10 percent tip (give or take a few percent) and a Gospel tract, and then leave. Whether Christians are aware of it or not, a subpar tip is a stumbling block in communicating the Gospel. It causes unbelieving servers to think that we, as Christians, value money over everything and everyone else (1 Timothy 6:10). So, my coworker, like many other servers, interprets such actions (poor tips from alleged Christian people) as stingy. Tragically, the result -- though it may be unfair -- is that many servers have identified the majority of Christians as a contingent of people who care little for others. They hear Christians promise them that God is just and fair and that He is a generous King who is lavish with His mercy and kind toward others. Christians promise them that the Gospel they preach is for all people right before they metaphorically clinch their money in their fist and tip poorly; refusing money to laborers who are worthy of their wages (1 Timothy 5:18; Matthew 10:10). Now, to be sure, both believers and unbelievers can leave poor tips and fair tips. But, the Scripture teaches that Christians, more than all people, should be characterized by generosity and love, not simply by "fairness," because they were first loved even though they were most undeserving (1 John 4:19). It seems that the deeper issue is not a knowledge of what is culturally fair or economically acceptable when it comes to tipping servers. Rather, the issue is a lack of recognition by Christians that we have received out of God's fullness (John 1:16); that we have received because God generously provided His Son for us and for our salvation (Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:9). What Christians may not realize is that, by tipping servers poorly, they are in danger of living inconsistently with the Gospel they preach. Indeed, poor tips are an example of what Moses teaches in Deuteronomy 25 -- muzzling an ox when it is treading out grain (Deuteronomy 25:4). It relinquishes responsibility to the Great Commission, because the Gospel is about grace. Of all the people in the world, Christians should understand that they are unworthy to be recipients of the great mercy, grace and generosity shown them in Christ. Even an unbelieving person can tip fairly, but Christians should be more than "fair" tippers, they should be generous because God has generously provided redemption for them through His Son, Jesus Christ (Luke 7:47). For the Christian, tipping shouldn't be contingent upon the dining experience. When a Christian determines the tip percentage of the bill based on quality of service or uniqueness of the dining experience, he or she contradicts grace and flirts dangerously with greed. It is flirting with greed because it forgets, at least momentarily, that underserved grace is shown to us every day. Recently, I have dialogued with many Christian people whose argument for tipping poorly -- or less than generously fair -- goes something like this: "Servers understand that their job is to sell themselves to me so that I tip them well. So, if they fail to meet my dining expectations then I am not obligated to reciprocate with a fair tip after paying for the meal." Though this may seem reasonable, it is precisely this desire to prefer the self (in this case, by preferring the dining experience) that must be crucified when it comes to tipping generously. When the patron, especially the Christian patron, prefers himself by preferring the dining experience, he fails to communicate that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is a Gospel of grace, that because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ there are things that are far more significant than a pleasurable dining experience. The real heart issue when it comes to poor tipping is a lack of awareness of how great and vast the debt was that God generously and graciously forgave because he loves us. Now, the reader should understand that I am not saying that patrons do not have the right to communicate that their dining experience was poor. I am saying, however, that leaving a subpar tip does not communicate that the dining experience was poor (unfortunately, it often happens, as in the account mentioned above, when service was superb and when the patron had no complaint). Rather, the Christian patron should tip generously and then notify a manager or supervisor of the lack of service. Regardless of the dining experience, all persons created in the likeness of God deserve a fair wage (Gen 1:27). For the server, tips are wages, not donations. Sadly, a large portion of the people that I work with have received less than generous tips from many customers who have identified themselves with the Gospel. As a result, a significant portion of non-Christians working as servers have distanced themselves from the Gospel preached to them by Christians. It seems the only way to rectify this is for Christians to recognize our position in Christ -- we are the recipients of unmerited grace by a generous God -- and give generously so that others may know that their treasure is indeed found in Someone else, Jesus Christ (Matthew 6:19-21). --30-- Raymond Johnson and his wife, Meghan, live in Louisville with their two daughters, Abigail and Charlotte. He is a PhD student in New Testament at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, is on the ministerial staff at Ninth & O Baptist Church, and is a server at Mitchell's Fish Market. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: How to make your marriage soar By David Jeremiah Jul. 12 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38253 EL CAJON, Calif. (BP) -- Shooting bald eagles -- with cameras -- is now a popular sport in America. Spotting their high-flying, sharp-sighted majesty is a national pastime. They soar and glide 10,000 feet above earth by catching updrafts. At 50-plus mph, they snatch leaping salmon. "The eagle ... spies her prey, from a very great distance" (Job 39:26-29). Eagles teach us about God. "I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself" (Exodus 19:4). "Like an eagle teaching its young to fly ... the LORD kept Israel from falling" (Deuteronomy 32:11). "Those who wait on the Lord ... shall mount up with wings like eagles" (Isaiah 40:31). Eagles are God's object lessons. Within the nature of eagles, He placed certain homing instincts that can teach us profound lessons about our marriages. LIFE-MATES Male and female eaglets are committed. They pair up for life by age five and raise eaglets each season for 20-30 years. Only after one dies will the other seek a new mate. Such fidelity is rare in "human" marriages today. Emphasis on permanence is lacking. Repeat, review, and remind yourself of your vows. We're warned: "Pay what you have vowed -- better not to vow than to vow and not pay" (Ecclesiastes 5:4-5). Take wedding vows seriously -- God does. Loving vows are happily kept. Cultivate friendship. Spend time together. Talk, listen, date, develop joint habits/hobbies. Stick together in sickness and health. Temper and temptation arise, but the sanctity of our vows safeguards with a failsafe boundary. God expects us to keep our promises. Have eyes only for each other. Reassure your spouse and cherish the vows you made at the altar. MONOGAMY Watching for infiltrators, eagles guard the exclusiveness of their relationship. Moral failure may begin with personal conversations with the opposite sex. When unfulfilled needs are met, you might drift unwittingly into hazardous waters. Beware of talking about personal things you aren't discussing with your spouse. A 2003 USA Today article quoted psychologist and marital researcher Shirley Glass as saying there was a "crisis of infidelity" breeding in the workplace. "The new infidelity is between people who unwittingly form deep, passionate connections before realizing that they've crossed the line from platonic friendship into romantic love," Glass said. Keep an eagle eye on your home. Be territorial, jealously guarding your exclusive marriage relationship. Men, avoid traveling or dining alone with another woman (and vice versa). Keep relationships with co-workers professional. Never flirt, even in jest. The strongest marriages are in danger without the proper hedges. Practice vigilance. Seemingly small indiscretions can become major traps. WORK ON THINGS TOGETHER Mr. and Mrs. Eagle work hard building their nest and raising their family. The first years are the hardest. One nest that was found was 34 years old. Another 22 foot-deep nest weighed more than two tons. Nests provide soft beds for eggs. Egg-sitting and "child"-rearing involves both parents. Marriage/home-building requires work from both partners. A divorce court judge once said, "In 25 years of presiding over thousands of divorces ... I can say that all of them had one thing in common -- one or both partners forgot to work on the marriage." Work at communicating, loving, making time for each other, maintaining a cheerful attitude. Share chores. Keeping a marriage humming and a home running takes two. "Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do [marriage and parenting], as though you were working for the Lord" (Colossians 3:22). BUILD YOUR NEST HIGH Eagles build their nests high and well, providing a spectacular view and protection from predators. How can couples build homes on high ground? Commit to walk with Jesus Christ every day. Go to church and worship together as a couple. Read your Bible together regularly and pray together. It isn't always easy, but it makes all the difference. Turn a "sore" marriage into one that soars. Learn the lesson of the eagles -- be committed for life, practice fidelity, work together and build high. Catch the updrafts of God's love, and your nest will be secure. --30-- David Jeremiah is the founder and host of Turning Point for God and senior pastor of Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, Calif. For more information on Turning Point, visit [URL=http://www.DavidJeremiah.org]www.DavidJeremiah.org[/URL]. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter ([URL=http://www.Twitter.com/BaptistPress]@BaptistPress[/URL]), Facebook ([URL=http://Facebook.com/BaptistPress]Facebook.com/BaptistPress [/URL]) and in your email ([URL=http://baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp] baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp[/URL]). -- End of story -- Copyright (c) 2013 Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press 901 Commerce Street Nashville, TN 37203 Tel: 615.244.2355 Fax: 615.782.8736 email: bpress@sbc.net