South Carolina Baptists ask me what word I would use to describe my service as president of the South Carolina Baptist Convention. So, OK, my list of superlatives is growing exponentially. I even consulted Mr. Roget for some help. Forsooth, verily, the word that keeps coming to mind, however, is “stretched.” God has expanded my comprehension of mission more than I thought possible. It rivals my knob year at The Citadel, our first year of marriage, adjusting to parenthood, the first year of seminary, the first pastorate, our first grandchild, and all the other firsts of life under the sun. Each was challenging, sometimes surprising. Each tested our fiber. Each stretched our personal horizons. Today, with just two months remaining in the year, he continues to stretch me. It is the new normal.
HolmesThe death of our son on July 18, 2011, eclipsed every other moment in the past year. At first we thought it would just break us, you know, a shattering loss that would crush our spirit and diminish our witness. But it hasn’t broken us. No, it stretched us. In this crucible, we have discovered a depth of grace to which we’d never before been immersed. He also taught us that the Baptist family is larger and more caring than we ever thought. It has been an affirmation of who we are in Christ that encourages us greatly every single day. It is a stretching for which we are deeply grateful.
I must confess a relatively limited comprehension of Baptist life. As a South Carolina Baptist for 51 of my 61 years, I’ve served on a few committees, the boards of several of our institutions, in varied associational roles, and as a member of the SCBC staff. My perspectives, however, have been shaped mostly through pastoring three SCBC churches. Each has been a great experience, and I thank God for the privilege of serving them. But I’ve usually thought most churches were like the ones I served. This year, God has stretched me in this regard, too. He is teaching me that we’re incredibly diverse. What is more, God is using this diversity to change many lives. We have blanketed our state with a spiritual heritage and Baptist influence that glorifies our Father and brings honor to Christ. It is another blessed expansion of my previously limited perspective.
God is stretching us now, too. Velocity defines these times and God is always leading us forward at His pace, to the preferred future He has prepared for His people. This stretching can be uncomfortable, even threatening. But, stretch we must if we are to be kingdom people. Some of us will opt for the status quo, life as it is, or has been. Yet, when God stretches us, He shows us more of Himself and the “Immeasurably More” dimensions of His person and provision. In fact, taken in a broader context, this stretching is really an essential piece of our personal growth, and our commission to make disciples of all nations. Every single moment He is stretching us, conforming us to the image of His Son Jesus, our Savior and Lord.
Now, we can go shallow, or He can stretch us. We can fear the unknown, or enter it confidently. We can define our way, or He can show us His. We can retreat, or He can thrust us boldly forward. We can nibble on our own resources, or feast on His. I’m praying we’ll all remember these as days he stretched us.
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).