The Southern Baptist Convention is in Phoenix, AZ this June and it will be different for me. I am the 1st Vice President of the Convention this year. That plus .79 cents (plus even more for taxes) gets me a soft drink at Circle K. There isn’t much power to the position but I did have a chance to learn more about the SBC. I will even lead a brief part of the convention on Tuesday afternoon. (A good time for controversialists to make their move if ever there was one!)
Here is what I’m looking forward to at the convention in Phoenix.
- Air conditioning. (Just wanted to get that one out there first.) Phoenix in June? Maybe we should have moved the convention to January for this one.
- Seeing the entire convention. I’m something of a schmoozer and really love spending time with friends old and new. I’ve never sat through every moment of every business session. With my position, I am there for it all this year. If President Gaines gets a frog in his throat I’m there to help. (Mainly by praying that the frog gets out. I can do the Heimlich maneuver in a pinch. For the record, I am not doing mouth to mouth resuscitation under any circumstances.) It will be interesting to see it all from start to finish, stem to stern. Is that one guy coming who makes all the motions?
- Seeing people. I love meeting new people and seeing old acquaintances. This is the only place I see some friends and I love making new ones. It may be harder for me to connect as my schmoozing is limited for this one. But I do hope to get to meet a lot of people as that is really fun for me. I’ll be sitting in the front near the stage entrance a lot of the time if you conventioneers have time to say hello.
- Hearing preaching. I love to hear preaching and there is plenty of it at the SBC. I do have the weird quirk of often doing some sermon work of my own at the same time. I guess I find the preaching of others makes me want to preach! And Greg Laurie joins all the rest in preaching at the Crossover event.
- Praying. I have prayed with one of my friends every year at the SBC for 28 years in a row. We started as a group and some of the group still makes it. But Preston Nix (professor at NOBTS) and I have not missed praying together for all of those years. That is pretty special. And, I will spend time praying with the other officers and leaders as well. Love that!
- Food. I’m going to many of the luncheons and such. Free food is too enticing and I’ll go to my seminary luncheon, etc. I hope to get some opportunities to eat the Phoenix cuisine as well. Are there special desert foods? Cactus soup?
- Spending time with my beloved. I love my wife and sometimes just need some “Vickie time”. We love that we can get away together. Spending time with her is worth it all.
If you are coming to the convention, perhaps I will see you there. If not, might you pray with me that it will honor the Lord? (And that the cactus soup doesn’t make me sick?)
Doug Munton 