Wrath of God visits Contemporary Church
Multimedia and Baptism via immersion just don't mix.
WACO, Texas (BP)--Kyle Lake, pastor of the University Baptist Church in Waco, Texas, and a leader in the “emerging church” movement, was electrocuted as he stepped into baptismal waters and reached out to adjust a microphone during the Sunday morning service Oct. 30. He was 33. MORE
I know that it may seem that I'm having a go at the Baptists a little too much lately, but this was just over the top. But in the interest of ecumicism I'll try to make this educational....so what can we learn from this.
The rant that follows is semi-serious. I feel very sorry for those affected by this tragedy (the man's wife and children for one), but there's nothing I can do to change it, so I'd might as well try to get some humor out of it and maybe even make a point.
1. God is pissed at the Baptists. I'm not really sure what they did to excite the Lord's anger, although I think I may know. Especially if she* (GOD) is a large, black, lesbian who lives in a shack with no power somewhere in Montana. Kind of like a minority version of Ted Kaczynski. Something tells me that she's not fan of contemporary "Praise and Worship"
2. Water and Electricity don't play well together. Kind of like Vinegar and Baking Soda; The English and the French; Myself and the TV show Felicity.
3. Given the fact that the Electrocution took place at a Baptist church, I'd think that someone might say, "Jeez, why don't we try a Catholic hospital instead...just in case" However, the vicitm was rushed to Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center. I'm not saying that this made things any worse, but I think I would've at least broached the subject.
4. “At first, there was definitely confusion just because everyone was trying to figure out what was going on,” Ben Dudley, community pastor at University Baptist, told the Tribune-Herald. “Everyone just immediately started praying.”
Ok....I believe in prayer. I pray, in my own very quiet way, nearly every day. But no amount of prayer is going to shut off the light switch that's zapping Preacher man. Our God is patient. She'll (see * below!) give you a second to shut off the power, then you can pray.
5. "University Baptist Church, which is not affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention..."
This seems to me to be a point that the SBC- operated Baptist press wanted to stress. If recent events amongst the Southern Baptist Churches in the US indicate anything it is that there is only one thing which they hold in more disdain than liberal mainstream protestants, and that thing is groups of Southern Baptists who have said "Enough! You're crazy" and have decided to not be affiliated with the SBC**.
*I don't necessarily believe that 'the Deity' is a male or female, but female just seemed to be the right card to play in this context.
** Remember, I chose to leave the Baptist church for a lot of reasons, not the least of which was their obliteration of all meaningful liturgy. Every congregation has a liturgy, it's really just an issue of if its something intentionally meaningful. Think I'm wrong? I dare you to go to a non-liturgical church and try to take up the offering at the wrong time.
posted by Jaques Cartier at 9:46 PM
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