Playing Tag

I remember playing tag when I was a kid. It was a highly aerobic activity that involved a good part of the playground–which was covered in gravel–and all of the climbing equipment. And we had plenty of that. I have heard that it is illegal to play tag in some states because a child might get hurt or worse might get their feelings hurt. I always have to shake my head at that last one because if a child can’t deal with the harsh realities of playing tag how will they in any way be equipped for the harsh realities of life in general? Seriously people, childhood is–it has to be, these days–a training ground for adulthood. If there is something I don’t train my kids to do or if there is some problem they have that I don’t address when they’re kids, who will? The Police? The State Correctional System?

OK, I’m stepping off the soap box now for a little tag of my own.

I got “tagged” to do this by Pete over at Doxoblogy In case you haven’t noticed I’ve never done one of these things before…

Here are the Book meme rules:
1. Grab the book closest to you.
2. Open to page 123; go down to the fourth sentence.
3. Post the text of the following three sentences.
4. Name the author and book title.
5. Tag three people to do the same.

Here it is:

In this way, that adversary of God, the Pope, canonizes as saints men of his own choice, whom he never knew, so setting himself in God’s place [cf. 2 Thes. 2:4]. All that I say of those saints of yours—ours, rather—is this: that, since they differ among themselves, those should rather have been followed who spoke best (that is, for grace against “free-will), leaving aside those who through weakness of the flesh testified of the flesh rather than of the places where they speak from the Spirit should have been picked out and held fast, and those where they savour of the flesh let go. This is the right course for the Christian reader, as being the clean beast that parts the hoof and chews the cud! (cf. Lev. 11:3; Deut. 14:6)

Which fulfills the meme but the FOURTH sentence is the keeper:

But as it is we abandon our judgment and swallow everthing indiscriminately; or else (what is more wretched still) we reject the better and acclaim the worse in one and the same author, and proceed to affix to those same worse parts the title and authority of his sanctity—which he gained, not by reason of ‘free-will’ or the flesh, but by reason of that which is best of all, even of the Spirit only!
–Bondage of the Will, Martin Luther Review of Erasmus’ Introduction: (ii) That the true church, which is hidden from man’s view, does not err

I think its funny that I was, just a day or two ago, making fun of the Popes hat and now I am posting a quote from Martin Luther. I think I can live with that. What I can’t live with is that this fourth sentence, written like 500 years ago, accurately describes the way we as Southern Baptists handle just about anything that Cometh Forth From Nashville. We are in dire need of a little discernment with regard to the things we buy and read from Lifeway.

Tag three people…

Bowden McElroy who needs some new boots.

Kevin Rhyne, one of the other three people I know who’s actually read the Baptist Faith and Message…

Wait, I don’t actually know three people…