Anyway, I did hear some pretty good preaching, including one sermon by the president of the convention directed primarily toward the ministers. He said one thing he never likes to hear from his cohorts is: “I’m not that significant; I’m just a country preacher.”

“What do you mean by that?” he asked the congregation of ministers and laity (“messengers” in the Baptists vernacular).  “As a preacher, just who is it you think you’re representing? Are you saying God isn’t significant?”

As you might imagine, there was a good bit of squirming in the pews of the giant First Baptist Church of Jackson. Not everybody squirming was a preacher. Trust me.

That was an awfully good question for us all to ponder. As we proclaim the Good News — in our own individual styles — we need to remember who we’re representing, whose message it is we’re delivering, and that it is quite significant.

I’m fairly confident the Baptists don’t have to bear that burden alone.

— Danny