This afternoon, I find myself with a handful of other pastors as we survey Jenny Lake in the Grand Tetons National Park. I must confess, I feel modestly guilty about this.
As you can imagine, the setting and scenery that I am enjoying is spectacular. And I am most grateful for the opportunity to be here. Let me tell you a little bit about how I ended up in Wyoming this week.
Earlier this summer, I was invited to be a part of a discussion by the leaders at Nurturing Faith—a Baptist publishing house that provides much of our Sunday School curriculum---with other pastors to discuss the prospect of a ‘Jesus Worldview’ initiative. Many of you will remember that the editor of Nurturing Faith, Dr. John Pierce, was a guest in our pulpit a couple of years ago. This is how he frames Nurturing Faith’s latest efforts:
“More than a project, the emerging Jesus Worldview Initiative is a mission to cultivate a Jesus-centered worldview by developing and delivering a variety of timely resources, quality leadership training and inspirational/educational events that offer a positive, unifying view of the Christian faith and foster congregational health.
This collaborative and integrated effort is being envisioned and guided by Nurturing Faith — the publishing brand of 35-year-old non-profit Baptists Today, Inc. — with ecumenical engagement.
The Jesus Worldview Initiative (JWVI) need grew out of positive responses to writings by executive editor John D. Pierce and contributing writer Bruce Gourley in the autonomous, national Nurturing Faith Journal — that called for emphasizing a “Jesus worldview” to counter the growing misuse of “worldview” terminology to advance divisive and politicized definitions of Christian faithfulness.
“[Nurturing Faith] invited a few pastors and other Christian leaders to see if we could come up with something they we are calling a ‘Jesus worldview,’ rather than a ‘biblical worldview,’” Pastor Jim Somerville told the congregation of First Baptist Church of Richmond, Va. “It didn’t take long … to realize that Jesus had not only dropped out of the so-called biblical worldview, but out of the daily practice of many of us who call ourselves Christians … I renewed my commitment to Jesus as Lord.”
As you can imagine, I’m honored to be included in these conversations and I am thankful for the chance to contribute during this early phase of development.
Of course, it doesn’t hurt that our conversation is taking place in a most-remarkable place.
But it is not home. And at this time of the year, I pine for our mountains and for the company of our church family and friends. I will be home soon, and I will see you Sunday.