Archive for June, 2017
This Week at Cross Church | Pray for Student Camp
Pray for Student Camp
Over 800 of our students will depart for Student Camp on Sunday evening. We need to pray for their travel safety, salvation for those who need Jesus, and growth in the Lord for those who know him personally. This is a powerful week, and one that can result in changed lives. Through what many of these students experience with the Lord in salvation or growth, the trajectory of their lives will change.
Looking Toward Sunday Morning, July 2: America, Come Together
With the sad and tragic events of the recent shooting in Washington, DC that targeted those who serve our nation, the theme we considered our #1 need in America is right on: America, Come Together! Each campus will have a fantastic time of celebration on Sunday morning, July 2, and our preaching pastors will be faithful to deliver a special word just for this morning. The entire morning will call out, America, Come Together! We must do this! Please bring friends and family members to Sunday morning, July 2 for this patriotic and powerful service that will be built upon a strong word from the Lord.
Plan Now to Experience Fireworks at the Crosses on Sunday Evening, July 2
After experiencing a dynamic Sunday morning on July 2, we will look toward the late afternoon and evening for our annual Fireworks at the Crosses. Music will begin at 5:00 p.m. and the crowd will begin to gather. Usually the first couple of hours are a time of fellowship with friends, looking toward the rest of the evening. At approximately 7:45 p.m., I will baptize at the crosses in our outdoor baptistry. Being baptized under the crosses is a great memory for anyone who follows the Lord in baptism on this day. If you are awaiting baptism and want me to baptize you on July 2 at the crosses, you can sign up here. I look forward to this time of baptism every year, and enjoy all of our Cross Church campuses celebrating baptism together. Do not miss it. Then, just before dusk, all shifts to a strong patriotic moment. We will honor of our veterans, say the Pledge of Allegiance, sing the Star Spangled Banner, and within just minutes as dark comes, the fireworks begin. Bring friends, family members, a picnic, or purchase food on site. Usually, we have no less than 10,000 people for this fabulous gathering.
Please Join Us for Sunday Morning, June 25, and Our “Did God Really Say” Series
Right now, plan to be part of our continuing series from the book of Genesis entitled Did God Really Say. Our message this week is entitled, Did God Really Say That Human Diversity is a Part of His Pivotal Plan?, and you will not want to miss it. This will be our 6th message in this series. On July 2, we will step out of our Did God Really Say series for our patriotic celebration, and on July 9, continue with this series on Genesis until its completion in August. I am looking forward to it.
I Love You, Cross Church
Cross Church, I wish I had the privilege to sit down across from each of you and tell you, “I love you.” You are a special people of God. His hand is upon you. Great things are happening. I cannot wait to share some of them with you.
See you Sunday,
Ronnie W. Floyd
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.
America, Don’t Forget Words Have Power
The attempted assassination of Congress members in the middle of a ball park should serve as a stark indicator of the state of a country. In fact, the shooting on Wednesday, June 14,—which left House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, congressional aids and Capitol law enforcement officers wounded—might offer us more clues than we dare admit about what can happen when violence against elected officials is relativized, satirized and even celebrated.
Just think about the kind of message public figures, comedians and entertainers have sent since Donald Trump won the presidency.
In March, Snoop Dog released a music video in which he shoots a clown dressed as Donald Trump. Shortly after, comedian Kathy Griffin posed in her now infamous photoshoot where she holds a bloodied mask of the president’s face. And, most recently, an inflammatory New York modern production of Shakespeare in the Park depicts Trump as Caesar, stabbed to death on stage. This isn’t even counting the derogatory remarks hurled at the first family.
Just a few days ago, a behavioral economist from a leading university in the Northeast mocked Trump’s youngest son, Barron, for simply wearing a t-shirt. “Barron Trump is wearing a shirt that reads ‘The Expert’ and I just threw up in my mouth a little,” she wrote.
In my life, I have never seen a more volatile political environment. Hyperbolized speech, wild accusations and blatant character assassinations have taken stage front and center. We’ve become more interested in making statements—no matter how scandalous or provocative—and getting likes and retweets than in actually finding a path that brings us together and takes us forward.
Though the exact motives behind this week’s shooting aren’t fully known, it’s undeniably clear the gunman, James Hodgkinson, was targeting GOP Congress members. According to Rep. Ron DeSantis, Hodgkinson approached him to inquire whether the morning’s baseball practice was Republican or Democratic.
Moreover, Hodgkinson had recently signed an online petition to impeach President Trump and his administration “for Misprision of Treason.”
“Trump is a Traitor. Trump Has Destroyed Our Democracy. It’s Time to Destroy Trump & Co.,” wrote Hodgkinson on his Facebook page in March when sharing the petition.
We obviously cannot blame a summer play or even a comedian’s stunt for the actions of a lone gunman. But as a society we must be able to recognize that celebrating an ideology that says violence, especially against our elected officials, affects the way we think. Words have power. As the ancient biblical proverb says, “The tongue has the power of life and death.”
As Rep. Scalise and those wounded in this grim attack recover, I pray America might also experience a deeper spiritual healing that reconciles hearts back to each other. May Christ’s forgiveness and love rise above the noise, cut through the anger and hate and unite us in purpose for a better and stronger America.
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the Senior Pastor of Cross Church and the Immediate Past President of the Southern Baptist Convention. Follow him on Twitter @ronniefloyd. Subscribe to Ronnie Floyd on Life and Leadership Today here.
This post was originally published by ChristianPost.com on June 19, 2017
Dr. Ronnie Floyd is the President & CEO of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee.