Baptist Press Stories for Jul. 30 2012 --------------------------------------- U.S. archer: God has used struggles to 'deepen my trust' http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38376 Miss. wedding refusal not indicative of SBC http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38383 Democratic platform to endorse gay marriage http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38381 Polish immigrants pull Baptist duo to London http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38380 Victory in the Lord's hands, U.S. archers say http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38375 Boudia wins bronze in synchronized diving http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38377 Scherer 7th in women's 10m air rifle http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38378 UPDATE: Dead Sea Scrolls & the Bible http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38379 GuideStone funds tally more high marks http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38382 BP Ledger, July 30 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38384 FIRST-PERSON: Spiritual claustrophobia http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38374 --------------------------------------- U.S. archer: God has used struggles to 'deepen my trust' By Tim Ellsworth Jul. 30 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38376 EDITOR'S NOTE: Tim Ellsworth, editor of BP Sports and director of news and media relations at Union University, is in London to cover the 2012 Olympics in tandem with Baptist Press' London bureau. Baptist Press will publish features about Christian athletes in the Olympics, recap results of their competition and cover Baptist initiatives to share the Gospel during the Summer Games and among Londoners' rich cultural milieu. LONDON (BP) -- Jennifer Nichols admits that the road to this year's Olympics has been one of the most trying times of her life. "My faith has been challenged more than ever before in the last few years," the U.S. archer said. "I really can see how the Lord has used the struggles and hardships I've had to deal with to deepen my relationship with Him and my trust in Him." The trials, however, have proven to strengthen Nichols' faith in the Lord and to help her rest on Him in the midst of uncertainty and confusion. "All I had was Him to run to," she said. "It has been hard and painful but so sweet at the same time. I can see how He has brought me back to really grounding myself in my identity in Christ, knowing that I am called to come and die and follow Christ to the cross for the sake of love. "This is a firm foundation that cannot be shaken." One of the challenges Nichols went through was the changing nature of the relationship with her sister, who got married in December. Nichols' sister was her traveling and training partner; the two had been practically inseparable for years. And while Nichols' knows that her sister's marriage was a good thing, it also meant that the one person who had been her closest companion now had someone else who was a higher priority. She also faced some other family struggles as well as setbacks in her performance (failing to make the 2011 Pan American team) that took a toll on her confidence. Through all of the difficulty, Nichols said she started questioning her faith. Was she really a Christian? Was she really walking in the favor and grace of God? She also realized that she had been living more legalistically, focusing on what she could do on her own to gain righteousness before God. But Nichols said God ultimately brought her to repentance and a fresh understanding of His grace in her life. "In all of it, the Lord just proved Himself so faithful," she said. "He showed me that I had placed so much of my identity and my priority in my family, rather than in Christ." The Lord blessed her in other ways as well -- namely in providing a husband. At age 28, she will marry Chris Hardy this fall and shift her focus away from archery to being a wife and eventually, she hopes, a mother. "Love requires sacrifice, and love for God requires obedience," Nichols said. "Because I love the Lord with my whole heart, I want to be able to lay down my life for this calling that He has for me going into marriage and being able to meet that calling as my husband's help-meet." But before that happens, Nichols has her third Olympics before her. Though the U.S. women's team failed to medal in the team competition in London July 29, Nichols will compete in the individual event later in the week. "Archery is not everything, and my value is not caught up in my performance," she said. "My treasure is in heaven and is in the love that I receive from my Lord. "My purpose is to glorify God, and that's what I want to do at the Olympic Games. Of course, I would love to medal. But ultimately I want to place wherever the Lord has me so that I can give Him the most glory." --30-- Tim Ellsworth, in London covering the Olympics for Baptist Press, is editor of BP Sports and director of news and media relations for Union University in Jackson, Tenn. 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 -- Miss. wedding refusal not indicative of SBC By Diana Chandler Jul. 30 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38383 CRYSTAL SPRINGS, Miss. (BP) -- The inability of an African American couple to wed at predominantly white First Baptist Church in Crystal Springs, Miss., is not indicative of Southern Baptists, denominational leaders said. The pastor's decision to change the wedding venue, after a few members' reaction because of the couple's race, is an unfortunate, isolated incident from which pastors can learn, Southern Baptist Convention President Fred Luter said. [IMG=33157@right@110]"We just have to be aware that the enemy will use anything he can to come against our churches and our ministries with something like this. And so we've always got to be aware that the enemy is out to kill, steal and destroy," said Luter, the first African American elected as SBC president. "It's unfortunate that it happened, but we've got to learn from it, and be able to go on and do what God has called us to do. "What we can learn from it is that we need to talk to our membership about issues. I think if the pastor would have talked to more members about this … when this situation occurred … it probably would not have happened the way it happened," Luter said. Jim Futral, executive director of the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board, said the state and nation have long worked toward racial healing. "Mississippi Baptists both reject racial discrimination and at the same time respect the autonomy of our local churches to deal with difficulties and disagreements under the lordship of Jesus," Futral said. "While there may be hurts, wrongs and mistakes that must be addressed, the context for this to happen is in a historical church with a genuine caring pastor and thoughtful leaders who are seeking to do right." Roger S. Oldham, vice president for convention communications and relations with the SBC Executive Committee, said the SBC affirms in Article 15 of its doctrinal Baptist Faith and Message that racism is against God's will. "The convention's position on race relations is clear: 'In the Spirit of Christ, Christians should oppose racism,'" Oldham said. "We are all saddened when any sin, including the sin of racism, rears its head in our midst. It is equally unfortunate when a group within a church seeks to determine church policy without giving the church an opportunity to discuss the matter and take formal action as a congregation." First Baptist Crystal Springs is in the headlines because a black couple, Charles and Te'Andrea Wilson, was forced to move their wedding to a second location just one day prior to the event. The church's pastor, Stan Weatherford, conducted the wedding July 21 at a nearby African American church, telling the Wilsons some members of the 150-year-old First Baptist objected to the wedding because it involved a black couple. "This [the wedding of a black couple] had not, had never been done here before, so it was setting a new precedent. And there were those who reacted to that because of that," Weatherford told WLBT-TV in Jackson. "I didn't want to have a controversy within the church and I certainly didn't want a controversy to affect the wedding of Charles and Te'Andrea. I wanted to make sure that their wedding day was a special day." According to news reports, "five or six" church members, who had not been identified as of press time, objected to the wedding. Weatherford's job was on the line, according to the Wilsons. They "had decided that no black couple had been married at their church and that if he went on to … marry us, then they would vote him out and he would be put out of the church," Charles Wilson told WLBT. The couple had been attending the church -- she one year and he one month -- but had not officially joined. Te'Andrea's father was a member of the church and her uncle was a custodial employee, according to news reports. Richard Land, president of the SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, said that while there may be valid reasons a couple may be denied a church wedding, "the race or ethnicity of that couple is never a valid reason." Numerous members of First Baptist Crystal Springs have expressed dismay that a few members could bar the wedding. At the July 29 service, a church deacon read a joint statement from the church's deacons. "Our many ministries here are open to everyone and have been for many years. We would never consider doing otherwise," the deacon said, according to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger newspaper. "In the coming days and weeks our congregation will gather as a body of believers to pray and seek God's blessing and direction as we move forward. We will ask for forgiveness where God reveals it is necessary and for His guidance as we look to the future of our congregation." Weatherford has stated he was looking for a "win-win" situation in moving the wedding to another venue. "I was prepared to just go ahead and do the wedding here, just like it was planned and just like we had agreed to," Weatherford told WLBT. "I was just looking for an opportunity, an option to be able to address a need within our congregation and at the same time minister to them." Luter sympathized with Weatherford's position. "I felt for the pastor because being a pastor myself, I know how awkward situations like that can be, whereby you have a handful of folks who have influence and will cause issues that the other folks are not aware of," Luter said. "From all the indications that I've seen and read, the majority of the members were in support of this marriage happening at the church and it's just so unfortunate that it came to this." Luter encouraged pastors to stand firm in serving the Lord. "So I just want to encourage those pastors out there to, I even want to encourage pastor Stan Weatherford who went through this, just … learn from this as we all need to learn from this, and go on," Luter said. "It's unfortunate that it happened, but we've got to learn from it, and be able to go on and do what God has called us to do." --30-- Diana Chandler is Baptist Press' staff writer. 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 -- Democratic platform to endorse gay marriage By Staff Jul. 30 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38381 WASHINGTON (BP) -- The Democratic Party's new platform is set to include a plank endorsing the legalization of gay marriage, marking the first time that either major party has taken such a position, several media outlets reported Monday (July 30). A 15-member platform draft committee approved the pro-gay marriage language over the weekend, according to Politico.com. One source told the news site it was "not controversial." The language won't become official until the full platform committee meets Aug. 10, Politico.com said. Rep. Barney Frank, D.-Mass., who is gay, told the Washington Blade newspaper that the party's position has been established by President Obama -- who endorsed gay marriage in May -- and by House leaders. A Democratic National Committee staffer also told the Washington Blade the proposed language rejects the Defense of Marriage Act, a federal law that defines marriage as between a man and a woman and gives states the option of not recognizing another state's gay marriages. The Democrats' 2008 platform did not endorse gay marriage explicitly, saying, "We support the full inclusion of all families, including same-sex couples, in the life of our nation." The Republicans' 2008 platform endorsed a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman. It said, "Because our children's future is best preserved within the traditional understanding of marriage, we call for a constitutional amendment that fully protects marriage as a union of a man and a woman, so that judges cannot make other arrangements equivalent to it. In the absence of a national amendment, we support the right of the people of the various states to affirm traditional marriage through state initiatives." --30-- Compiled by Michael Foust, associate editor of 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 -- Polish immigrants pull Baptist duo to London By Elaine Gaston Jul. 30 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38380 EDITOR'S NOTE: Baptist Press' London bureau, in tandem with Tim Ellsworth, editor of BP Sports and director of news and media relations at Union University, will be providing coverage of London Olympics. Baptist Press will publish features about Christian athletes in the Olympics, recap results of their competition and cover Baptist initiatives to share the Gospel during the Summer Games and among Londoners' rich cultural milieu. LONDON (BP) -- Doug Shaw points out the wave-shaped roof of the 2012 Olympic aquatics center as he looks across the tracks from Platform 4B at London's Stratford railway station. In the distance, the triangulated exterior of the main Olympic stadium is visible. The Olympic Park has been a rapidly developing scene for passengers who commute daily through this station to other parts of London and beyond. They've also watched renovations at the station that have boosted capacity to prepare for the tens of thousands of international visitors who will travel to the Olympic Park each day during the 2012 Games. The station will operate around the clock, with a capacity for 250,000 people daily, said Doug Shaw, an International Mission Board missionary who has become something of an expert on the logistics of how the Olympic Games operate. Doug Shaw, who has served in Poland and London with his wife Marcy, is the Olympics volunteer coordinator for Southern Baptists. The real reason the Shaws moved to London, however, was not the global sporting event, but the internationals themselves -- in particular, the Polish population now living in London. Just standing on this station platform or walking down a nearby road reveals the multicultural reality of London today, with immigrants from nearly every country imaginable making this city their home. On Stratford's High Street -- the British equivalent of an American Main Street -- Eastern European women push babies in strollers, and covered women draped with headscarves carry shopping bags home. Faces reflecting a variety of ethnicities and nationalities run to catch buses, read in the public library and work in the restaurants and shops in this east London community. Shaw knows the area well. He has frequented Stratford to observe various stages of the Olympic grounds development as he planned for the hundreds of volunteers who will come to be a part of the Southern Baptist volunteer force assisting during the Olympics. But that's just part of his job. Before relocating to London in 2008 to reach out to the city's large Polish community, the Shaws had served nine years in Rzeszów, Poland, as church planters, deep in the language and culture there. They were set to return to their former country of service after Shaw worked a stint in the stateside offices of the IMB and were praying about what city to return to in Poland. In the course of work he was doing for the IMB's Global Research Department, though, Shaw passed through London several times. "We were getting ready to come back to Poland," Marcy Shaw recounted. "We were praying over it. But every time Doug traveled through London he'd come back and say, 'You wouldn't believe all the Polish there. Everywhere I go, they're all speaking Polish. My waiters were Polish, the people on the bus were Polish, the people on the underground were Polish, the people in the stores were Polish.'" So the pair began praying that God would send someone to England to work with Poles. "And God said, 'Yeah, OK, I'll send you,'" Marcy Shaw said. The fact that the Shaws speak Polish smoothes the way for connecting with Poles in London. "We can meet people really easily," Marcy said. "It's unusual for the English or for Americans to speak their language. When we were studying in Poland, they would say, 'Wow, most Americans expect us to learn English and you're learning Polish.' So it really had an effect on them." One would think that the Shaws have their hands full with Polish work. So why are they also supporting the logistics for Southern Baptist volunteers for the Olympics? Shaw laughs about how he came to be in charge. "I asked my supervisor: 'Are we doing something for the Olympics?'" --30-- Elaine Gaston, who lived in London with her family in the mid-1990s, is a writer for Woman's Missionary Union. To download a copy of the WMU International Mission Study on London in which this article appears, visit http://www.newsfromeurasia.com/?p=629. -- End of story -- Victory in the Lord's hands, U.S. archers say By Tim Ellsworth Jul. 30 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38375 LONDON (BP) -- Brady Ellison, Jacob Wukie and Jake Kaminski became the first Americans to capture a medal in the London Olympics, winning silver in the men's archery team competition July 28. The U.S. trio scored a big win over South Korea in the semifinals before falling to Italy 219-218 in a gold medal match that came down to the last arrow. The Italians needed a perfect 10 on the last shot and got it. During the match, Ellison wore the Scripture reference Proverbs 21:31 on his right hand: "The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord." (For our previous feature on Wukie, visit [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38360]http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38360[/URL].) He described why the verse is meaningful to him in a press conference following the match, noting that it's important to work hard and to be as prepared as possible. "But when it comes down to it, victory is in the Lord's hands," Ellison said. "He gives out the medals at these Games, or at least, that's my opinion." Wukie, who narrowly made the U.S. team, echoed Ellison's sentiments. Throughout the trials process and the Olympic competition, Wukie said it was important for him to keep his focus on the Lord whether he made the team or not. "I work hard and do my best to the best of my ability, and I trust God with the results," Wukie said. "He said that all things work together for good for those who are in Christ Jesus, and so that's really my focus. "I can't necessarily always say how people are going to view me or view that, but I can trust the Lord that He'll allow the truth to be shown to other people." Ellison said he and his teammates "all decided that the team event is where we wanted to spend the most time, because it was going to be the most memorable. We could share it with each other, and that would mean so much more to us to go out there and win a medal together than individually. So we put a lot of work into practicing team rounds." Wukie joked that the silver medal may end up in his sock drawer. "It's a huge blessing to have been here and to have gotten a medal," he said, "and we couldn't be more excited about it. We all tend to be pretty humble about our accomplishments and don't like to brag about it too much." He added that he hopes the team's medal will have a positive impact on archery's popularity going forward. "To be able to take a medal, I think, is going to be really helpful in making people want to participate in it more and be involved with it," Wukie said. WOMEN'S ARCHERY In the archery women's team competition, the U.S. team of Jennifer Nichols, Khatuna Lorig and Miranda Leek lost to a lower-ranked Chinese team 218-213 in the quarterfinals July 30, leaving the Americans without a medal in the event. "We came out and had high hopes," Nichols said. "We felt really good. We were shooting really well all this week and especially in practice right before we came out. However, it just wasn't our day. "When our arrows didn't go in, China's did. It happens sometimes. China shot really well, and I'm really happy for them." From a personal standpoint, Nichols said she gave the results, her expectations and how she felt to the Lord. "I kept praying, even the whole time during that match, 'Lord, just guide our hands. Help us to shoot well, and you be glorified,'" Nichols said. "I'm still praying that He's glorified, even in our loss as much as in our wins." Nichols will begin competition in the individual event on Tuesday. --30-- Tim Ellsworth, in London covering the Olympics for Baptist Press, is editor of BP Sports and director of news and media relations for Union University in Jackson, Tenn. 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 -- Boudia wins bronze in synchronized diving By Tim Ellsworth Jul. 30 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38377 LONDON (BP) -- When U.S. diver David Boudia looks at the bronze medal he won July 30 with his teammate Nick McCrory in the men's synchronized 10-meter platform event, he sees change. Boudia and McCrory put together six solid dives for a score of 463.47 points to finish third behind the teams from China (gold) and Mexico (silver) and ahead of the hometown team from Great Britain. Boudia, making his second Olympics appearance, said at this year's Games he has a "totally different mind frame" from what he did four years ago. "Going into 2008, I was just excited to be on the team, and it was deer in the headlights," Boudia said. "I was chasing after things that are temporary." (Read BP's previous feature on Boudia at [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38360]http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38360[/URL]) But at Purdue University following the Olympics, Boudia's diving coach Adam Soldati told Boudia about the ultimate fulfillment that comes in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Boudia became a Christian. "Going into 2012, I knew the one main goal I had was to praise God and to love others while doing it," he said. Soldati said Boudia is a different diver this year than what he was in Beijing. "He was holding onto diving like it was going to satisfy him," Soldati said of Boudia. "Now as a Christian he realized that's not going to bring ultimate satisfaction, and that just gives you a peace. We're in a sport of movement where you need to be relaxed, so if you're at peace, you're probably going to perform better." Boudia said he has been greatly encouraged by the messages of support he's received from his home congregation, Faith Church in Lafayette, Ind. "I get so many messages, whether it's Facebook or Twitter or text messages, letting me know that they're praying for me," Boudia said. "The coolest ones are that they're not praying for the victories. They're praying that God's name would be revealed and lifted on high. Now I have a crazy opportunity. I'm going to be in front of thousands of media people and I get to speak the name of Jesus and praise Him for what He's done." --30-- Tim Ellsworth, in London covering the Olympics for Baptist Press, is editor of BP Sports and director of news and media relations for Union University in Jackson, Tenn. 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 -- Scherer 7th in women's 10m air rifle By Tim Ellsworth Jul. 30 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38378 LONDON (BP) -- U.S. shooter Sarah Scherer advanced to the finals of the women's 10-meter air rifle competition July 28 at the Royal Artillery Barracks in London before settling for a seventh-place finish overall. "I'm very happy with my performance," Scherer said after the competition. "It was one of those things where I had some struggles, but I gave it my all. I overcame them. I really put everything that I had out there." China's Yi Siling took gold in the event. Scherer's U.S. teammate Jamie Lynn Gray finished fifth. The competition started with 57 shooters, with the top eight advancing to the finals. Scherer's score of 397 in the qualifying round (out of a possible 400 points) was good enough for a fifth-place tie with four other shooters. The five who tied advanced to a shoot-off, with the top four moving on to the finals. Scherer, who was an alternate in the 2008 Olympics, vowed at that point that she would dedicate herself to training and making the 2012 team. (Read BP's previous feature on Scherer at [URL=http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=38361]http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=38361[/URL].) "Every single day you put in your full effort, and that's all you can do," she said. "The rest is up to the Lord. I'm here, and I've done well. I think I prepared well, and I'm happy to be here." Her road to London was unexpectedly complicated when her brother Stephen, who was a member of the U.S. men's shooting team in 2008, committed suicide in 2010. "The number one way I got through that," she said, "is because I have a very strong faith in the Lord…." "I know that my brother was here four years ago, and I'm following his footsteps and kind of carrying on with the work he accomplished," she continued. "What he accomplished encourages me every day." Scherer, a junior at Texas Christian University, attends Southcliff Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas. She said her church family has provided significant support for her throughout her Olympic preparation and experience. "The college ministry I'm a part of, they're all rooting for me and everything," Scherer said. "So many in the congregation are praying for me, and that's an amazing peace and comfort to have." --30-- Tim Ellsworth, in London covering the Olympics for Baptist Press, is editor of BP Sports and director of news and media relations for Union University in Jackson, Tenn. For the July 27 feature on U.S. shooter Sarah Scherer, go to http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?id=38361. 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 -- UPDATE: Dead Sea Scrolls & the Bible By Benjamin Hawkins Jul. 30 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38379 FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) -- In 2008, news outlets reported on an ancient stone, inscribed in Hebrew with a pre-Christian text, that reportedly spoke of a messiah who would suffer, die and rise again after three days. Currently on display at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s Dead Sea Scrolls & the Bible exhibit, the stone is known as the “Jeselsohn Stone” or “Gabriel Stone.” During the seminary’s Joan & Andy Horner Lecture Series, July 24, Matthias Henze discussed this unique piece in Southwestern’s exhibition. “In his early work, professor [Israel] Knohl made what turned out to be somewhat exaggerated claims about the content of the [stone’s] inscription,” said Henze, the Watt J. & Lilly G. Jackson Chair in Biblical Studies and professor of religious studies at Rice University. “Among these was his hypothesis that the Gabriel Revelation speaks of a messiah who dies a violent death and rises again on the third day. “Since this Hebrew text pre-dates Christianity, Knohl went on to argue that … the idea of a dying messiah who rose from the dead on the third day was not new to Christianity, but was an idea early Christians borrowed from Judaism.” According to Henze, the stone does not mention the death and resurrection of a messiah. Even Knohl now rejects this interpretation. However, the text does predict “the advent of the Davidic messiah.” “The most striking feature of our text,” Henze noted, “is how closely it is modeled after the texts of the Old Testament.” The stone alludes particularly to eschatological passages in Daniel, Haggai, Zechariah, Isaiah and Jeremiah. “This strongly suggests that the Gabriel Revelation too is a text that is concerned with the end of time.” To learn more about The Dead Sea Scrolls & the Bible exhibition at Southwestern’s campus in Fort Worth, Texas, visit seethescrolls.com. --30-- Benjamin Hawkins is senior newswriter for Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas (www.swbts.edu/campusnews). -- End of story -- GuideStone funds tally more high marks By Brock Anderson Jul. 30 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38382 DALLAS (BP) -- Noteworthy accomplishments continue to be recorded for GuideStone Funds in 2012. Morningstar, a leading provider of research for the financial industry, has recognized the MyDestination 2005 (Target Date 2000-2010), 2015 (Target Date 2011-2015) and 2025 (Target Date 2021-2025) funds with four stars for the quarter ending June 30, 2012. Meanwhile, Morningstar awarded the MyDestination 2035 (Target Date 2031-2035) and 2045 (Target Date 2041-2045) funds with three stars. Additionally, Morningstar awarded its top five-star rating for the three-year period ending June 30, 2012, to the MyDestination 2015, 2025, 2035 and 2045 funds. The MyDestination 2005 Fund received four stars for the three years ending June 30, 2012. The MyDestination Funds are GuideStone's most popular funds, with nearly 25 percent of every dollar contributed by participants going into one of these funds administered by the Southern Baptist entity. For many GuideStone participants, the MyDestination funds serve as vehicle to appropriately manage their retirement accounts over time. The MyDestination Funds are designed to be a diversified one-fund approach to investing. Participants interested in choosing a My Destination Fund are encouraged to choose the fund closest to their retirement date and to make consistent and appropriate retirement contributions. The investments within the chosen fund will automatically become more conservative allocations as the participant approaches and then moves through retirement. Morningstar's high rankings of GuideStone's MyDestination Funds follows the announcement by the Lipper ratings agency in March that GuideStone Funds ranked No. 1 out of 182 funds, receiving Lipper's 2012 Best Overall Small Fund Group award, one of the nation's premier financial industry honors presented to mutual fund families with up to $40 billion in assets. Rodric E. Cummins, senior vice president and chief investment officer for GuideStone Capital Management, said these recent accolades point to the mutual fund industry's recognition of GuideStone Funds' strong risk-adjusted performance resulting from the consistent implementation of its manager-of-managers investment philosophy. "Our investment process is designed to provide thoughtful, high-quality, strategic investment options to our participants and is executed by what we believe to be world-class investment management firms," Cummins said. "This process delivers proven value to our clients and provides GuideStone Funds with a competitive advantage relative to other mutual fund companies." John R. Jones, chief operating officer for GuideStone Financial Resources and president of GuideStone Funds, said, "These accomplishments continue to illustrate that a dedication to values doesn't have to be sacrificed to achieve investment performance." For more information on GuideStone Funds, including the prospectus and other funds' individual rankings, visit www.GuideStone Funds.org. Retirement plan participants who want to determine if any of the MyDestination Funds are an appropriate component of their portfolio can use GPS: Guided Planning Services by logging into their accounts at MyGuideStone. --30-- Brock Anderson is senior marketing communications editor in retirement marketing development at GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. -- End of story -- BP Ledger, July 30 By Staff Jul. 30 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38384 EDITOR'S NOTE: BP Ledger carries items for reader information each week from various Southern Baptist-related entities, and news releases of interest from other sources. The items are published as received. Today's BP Ledger contains an item from: Judson College New Orleans Seminary Prison Program Models Kingdom Living By Michael J. Brooks BUFORD, Ga. (Judson College) -- The director of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary's bachelor's degree program at Phillips State Prison in Buford, Ga., calls the program "incarnational." "Jesus came to the most depraved--all of us sinners--and modeled what kingdom living is all about," said Dr. Jeffrey Farmer. "In prison we work with inmates who will incarnate the life of Christ and minister to others inside these walls." Farmer is the fourth director of the Phillips program which is part of the seminary's Leavell College, and he currently oversees the second group of students in their degree program. The inaugural class graduated in 2009 and graduates are now disbursed throughout the Georgia prison system serving as assistants to prison chaplains or in other ministries. Many advocates of prison reform point to the alarming rate of recidivism. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, up to two-thirds of inmates are rearrested within three years of their release from prison. The Phillips program is one attempt to rehabilitate prisoners. "We don't just educate," Farmer said, "we rehabilitate. If we don't rehabilitate, then all we have is smarter criminals! We want our graduates to model Christian behavior and to be missionaries for Christian culture." Professors from the New Orleans extension "hub" in Atlanta are most often enlisted for teaching, including Farmer, and adjuncts are brought in as needed. "We're limited in class size to 28 or 29," Farmer explained. "That's all we have room for. Inmates from around the state apply for admission and must have endorsements from their chaplain and other prison staff. Our local screening committee selects men for the program and we have a long waiting list." Farmer explained the ideal seminary candidate has at least 10 years remaining in his sentence so that after graduation he can minister for four to five years in a prison. Upon release many of the graduates hope to serve in local churches or to start churches. For this reason, Farmer explained, no sex offenders are admitted to the program since they wouldn't be able to work in churches. "Some of the Phillips students have very long sentences," Farmer said," and may not be released. They are, nevertheless, committed to serving Christ in prison." One of the Phillips students admitted to "syllabus shock" when he was admitted to the program and saw how much work is required. "We tend to get mentally lazy in prison, but I'm working hard to make good grades," he said. "I have better writing skills and am learning to do better speaking." Another student said that he was raised in a Baptist church and was baptized at 11 or 12. He quit school as a teen-ager and fell into a life of crime. "I've been in prison for six years," he said, "and it's been a good thing for me. I earned my GED in prison and through the Kairos ministry, learned about the New Orleans classes. It's a challenging program, but it's helped me draw close to God." A third student explained that after a few days of violence in 1997 he received a 50 year prison sentence. At age 50 with 35 years remaining, he has little hope for release. But in prison he found Christ. "I prayed, 'Jesus, if you're real and want what's left of my sorry excuse for a life, you can have it.'" The inmate said the New Orleans program has been life-altering. "Prison tests a man through a multitude of adversities, disappointments and temptations," he said, "But I feel called of God to minister to the men here and to make a positive difference in the lives of those around me." This student now works as an aide in the mental health ward of the prison. New Orleans sponsors three other prison programs in the Southeast including those at the Louisiana State Prison (also known as Angola), the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women at St. Gabriel and the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman. Since no Cooperative Program funds are used in these programs, the seminary relies on benefactors with interest in the work. Farmer said Baylor University became interested in the Angola program and is now conducting statistical research. "When this study is completed, we'll have our first longitudinal research data about how we're doing in rehabilitation and how we can improve," Farmer said. "We're grateful that the Georgia Department of Corrections and the staff at Phillips are so supportive of our work as we try to impact the Kingdom of God." --30-- -- End of story -- FIRST-PERSON: Spiritual claustrophobia By Mark Heath Jul. 30 2012 http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38374 WAKE FOREST, N.C. (BP) -- I've always enjoyed the country. I grew up in a fairly small town in South Carolina that had three stoplights within the city limits. My grandparents owned 100 acres of farmland in Middle Tennessee with a few cattle. We used to visit there every summer. I loved riding the tractor, walking up and down the hills. Open spaces give my mind room to think and my soul room to breathe. I remember a time when I was very young, maybe 5 or 6 when I was playing in the front room of my childhood home. We had a couple of formal sitting chairs that were just high enough off the floor for a young boy to crawl under. Up until that age, I could fit under them easily, but this one time, I got stuck. I was wedged between the floor and the chair with my head and upper body directly beneath the chair and my legs sticking out. I remember feeling trapped, and I got very nervous. I began to panic and wriggled and squirmed until my head was finally free and I squeezed my way out. I never crawled under any furniture after that. Since then, I've been just slightly claustrophobic. In Iraq, where I worked more than a year with a Christian organization, I lived in the same building where I worked. I was confined to the area close to my house/office most days. If I wanted to leave, I had to schedule it with my local colleagues and they had to approve of the location. I lived in what some have called a "golden prison." It's golden because all of my meals were prepared for me. If I needed something from the market, I put it on a list and my Iraqi colleagues got it for me. Yet it was a prison because I didn't leave the house unless it was necessary or very safe for me to do so. These occasions were rare. I was totally stuck. Even if I had the chance to go out, I couldn't speak English while I was out. I stuck out like a sore thumb, and if the wrong people had seen me, I might never have come back. Some days I felt like I was under house arrest, especially spiritually. I love meeting new people and I got to do this quite a bit, but I also love deep conversation, and I didn't get enough of it. I like to engage people's minds and steer them toward truth. As a matter of fact, this is my life's calling. In Iraq, however, I didn't get to do this enough to sustain my spiritual need. I didn't have space to think. I was in constant tension because of all of the things going on in my city that I needed to be aware of. I had very little "room" of my own and some days it felt suffocating. I think there's a correlation between my physical claustrophobia and my spiritual well being. Most days, I felt like I was trapped in a spiritual prison, with nowhere to go. I didn't get the chance to do ministry like I did in the States. I didn't have the chance to go to my church and fellowship with others on a regular basis. If I was going to have an influence on people, I had to do it between 9 and 5 among the people who came to me. The Apostle Paul was in a situation not unlike mine, and I've noticed something spectacular about his life while under house arrest: He never stopped doing God's work. I know Paul may have had sleepless nights, because I had them. He may have cried out to God and asked him to deliver him from his situation, because I've done it. I am hardly the man that Paul was, and if I was struggling in my prison, Paul may have struggled in his. Yet, Paul remained faithful to his calling, and he continued the work he was called to. It's been 16 years since I committed to following Jesus wherever He called me, even if that means staying in one place and having to get creative as to how I carry out His work. This was the case for Paul. He knew he was going to be confined, and he may not have known how long it would last. Yet, his commitment to Christ didn't stop. He had to find new ways of fulfilling his calling and doing God's work. I've learned to accept the fact that, sometimes, this is exactly where God has me. I've had to learn it the hard way this past year, but I've learned it nonetheless. A few years ago while participating in the IMPACT 360 gap-year program for college-age students, God opened my eyes to the world He created. I never dreamt that He would put me under house arrest. If I can learn anything from the life of the Apostle Paul, it's to remember my commitment to Jesus and find ways of keeping it. --30-- Mark Heath is a former Christian worker in Iraq and current student at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C. IMPACT 360 is on the Web at www.impact360.net. 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