the spirethe spireVolume 78 / Number 2Volume 78 / Number 2 February 2015February 2015

L iberat ing the Heart , Engaging the Mind, Embrac ing the Wor ldL iberat ing the Heart , Engaging the Mind, Embrac ing the Wor ld

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A Martin Luther King Jr. Kind of Baptistby Pastor Tim Phillips

Note: These are edited comments from the January 19, 2015 Evergreen Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Celebration at New Beginnings Christian Fellowship. It is printed here in celebration of African-American History Month.

When we were fi rst talking about this gathering, it occurred to us that perhaps we should say a few words about why it is important for us, specifi cally, to be together on this day. And I thought immediately about being on an airplane. And the person in the seat next to me asks that dreaded question: “So, what do you do for a living?”

Sisters and brothers, I confess that I am often tempted to lie because once someone fi nds out I am a pastor things get complicated.

But that’s not the worst of it because the next dreaded question is: “What kind?” I’m always tempted to say, “Well, I hope a good one.” But that’s not what they are asking. What they want to know is what kind as in the kind of denomination I serve. And when I say I am a Baptist, that’s when things get really complicated. Sorry to say, I’ve discovered that saying I’m an American Baptist doesn’t seem to help anything.

So this is what I have started to say when people ask me. I say I am a Martin Luther King kind of Baptist. And it’s amazing! Something clicks and the lights go on and they seem to get it.

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I realize that saying I am a Martin Luther King kind of Baptist is shorthand. But it is also true. Dr. King’s home church, Ebenezer in Atlanta, is an American Baptist Church. But it’s more than that.

Our spiritual ancestors – John Smyth in England and Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams in America – fought for freedom as a spiritual value. And our ancestors in what became the Northern Baptist Convention believed that if freedom was a spiritual value it, should be a social value too. So they said they would not approve as a missionary anyone who owned slaves. Many of them were already working in the abolition movement. That’s when many of the southern churches left and formed their own convention.

But for us, the pattern was already set. And along came Helen Barrett Montgomery, one of the fi rst women ever elected to lead a national denomination – our denomination. She believed that freedom was a spiritual and a social value so she worked for economic justice and the education of women.

And along came Walter Rauschenbusch, pastor and professor at one of our great theological institutions who came to be known as the ‘father of the social gospel’ because he saw the social dimensions of the liberating good news of Jesus. Dr. King himself wrote that Walter Rauschenbusch had a big impact on his theological understanding.

So I’m a Martin Luther King kind of Baptist.

And I’m a Martin Luther King kind of Baptist because he was a preacher at our 1964 convention where he also received one of the fi rst of our denomination’s highest honors for peace – The Edwin T. Dahlberg Peace Award. And our publication department printed copies of Dr. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” with a study guide and distributed to all the churches, encouraging them to talk about racial justice.

So I say I am a Martin Luther King kind of Baptist.

I’m a Martin Luther King kind of Baptist because the great Jitsuo Morikowa – a Japanese-American who knew something about the social value of freedom having spent time in an internment camp during WWII. Dr. Morikowa helped to continue the legacy of Dr. King among us as a pastor and teacher and national leader of our denomination.

So I’m a Martin Luther King kind of Baptist.

I’m a Martin Luther King kind of Baptist because Dr. King knew that, in the work for love and justice and peace, you need to be free to make partnerships with all kinds of people – other Protestants and Catholics and Jews and Muslims and Hindus – because this work is too big for any one of us alone.

So, if you ask me, I’ll say that I am a Martin Luther King kind of Baptist.

It’s true. It is shorthand. But it’s shorthand for a long history. It’s shorthand but it’s shorthand for a tall order -- to live into that dream of a Beloved Community; which sounds lovely but we, of all people, know how hard that work is.

So, the next time someone asks you what kind of believer – and what kind of Baptist – you are, you might consider joining me in saying truthfully and proudly: “Well, I’m a Martin Luther King kind of Baptist” and then see what happens to them … and to you!

Three Epiphanies from Vietnam and Cambodiaby Vicky Thomas

International travel is the surest way to get me to open my eyes and think about things. I am so grateful for the gift of these last few weeks of travel in Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar. Though I will be back among you by the time this is printed, here are three thumbnail sketches of my journey with little epiphanies for the season.

Motorbikes and Stepping out in Faith

To a foreigner in Hanoi, crossing the street is an adventure sport. Motorbikes, bicycles, pedi-cabs and an increasing number of cars jam both tiny alleys and multi-lane avenues. There seems to be no break in the traffi c when it is safe to cross. The few traffi c lights are mere suggestions and motorbikes regularly drive against the normal fl ow of traffi c.

Contrary to logic, the only way to cross a sea of motorbikes is to just step off the curb, take baby steps and continue forward ever so slowly. You must let the traffi c fl ow around you. You are not really in control of your safety; it is an act of faith that the motorbikes will go around you…and they do. Unlike crossing an American street where “I have the right of way”, in Vietnam no such right is recognized. The social contract between walker and motorbike necessitates that both parties move in a slow dance.

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Epiphany: In my faith life, I need to step off the curb and just move forward slowly. I may not see exactly how I will make it to the other side, but I will get there.

Welcoming the Stranger

The Catholic Church in Pleiku (Vietnam) is packed for Saturday night mass. I grab a 6 “ plastic stool available to late comers, move to the front of the church, and sit with many others viewing the service through an open doorway.

The transept and fi rst 20 pews are fi lled with about 200 children and youth, all wearing different colored scarves which distinguish their Sunday school class. Parents and others are at the back or outside. I am uncertain whether I have stumbled on a special service or perhaps this is a regular thing, but this concentration of young voices belting out the liturgy is thrilling. Every one seems to be singing and even the 4 year-olds need only an occasional nod from the nuns to focus.

Though I can’t understand a word, the fl ow of the mass is familiar and it is enough to be a part of such an enthusiastic community of faith. The ethnomusicologist in me rejoices that the scales and harmonies (mostly octaves with occasional fourths) are of Vietnamese origin rather than Latin. I try to hum along.

And then I notice the screen up front. The words to the liturgy are projected on a big screen. Suddenly my experience changes; I understand no more than I did moments earlier, but now I can try to mumble along. I feel a part of this wonderful body of Christ. I feel welcomed.

Epiphany: This is not an advertisement for the use of screens in worship. None of the children I saw singing were looking at the screen. Rather, it reminded me that the moment we think everyone knows what to do in worship is the moment we need to be most aware of the things we can do to bring everyone into fuller participation and communion.

It’s Only Bricks and Mortar

One of the reasons I wanted to come back to Southeast Asia was that when I travelled here for three years in the 1980s, Cambodia was still suffering the devastation of the killing fi elds and it wasn’t wise to visit.

I have always found that great spiritual sites move me deeply…the great cathedrals of Europe, Machu Picchu in Peru, Uluru in Australia, Borobudur in Java, the Mayan temples of Guatemala. So, Angkor Wat in Cambodia has exerted a siren’s call over the last thirty years.

After dumping our bags at the hotel, we headed immediately to Angkor Wat, the granddaddy of all the temples in the area. The crowds fade before the majesty of the design. The layout of the complex is both awe-inspiring and intimate. One feels simultaneously dwarfed and comforted. What a testament to greatness of human achievement!

Epiphany: Yet, amidst the hawking of tour books and the constant camera fl ashes, worshippers still offer thanks before statues of Buddha set in niches throughout the temple. Nuns quietly set out offerings and light incense. This is the faith that got the temples built; the rest is just bricks and mortar.

145th Annual Meetingby Bob Sittig

On January 25, 2015, Seattle First Baptist Church held the 145th Annual Meeting of the congregation. Leroy Johnson, outgoing president of the congregation, called the meeting to order. Annual reports were handed out. An electronic copy of the annual report is available on our website Organization page. Treasurer Metta Williams reviewed the 2014 fi nancial statements. Leroy Johnson presented Volunteer Recognition Awards to Diana James, Nancy Roberts-Brown and Metta Williams. Incoming President Sue Ross introduced the 2015 slate of Offi cers and church leaders. Margaret Norton-Arnold presented to proposed utilization of funds from the Dr. Rodney Romney Legacy Fund for 2015 which was adopted. Rod Shutt presented the 2015 budget which was also adopted. Jim Segaar gave an update on media ministries, including our web presence. Sue Ross thanked Leroy Johnson on behalf of the congregation and adjourned the gathering.

A visit with the Tegenfeldts in Myanmar

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President Leroy Johnson addressing the congregation during the 145th Annual Meeting. Incomming President Sue Ross thanks Leroy for his service.

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From your Theologian-in-Residenceby Bill Malcomson

2014 has been my fi rst full year as your T-in-R. It has been a full and interesting one. I have taught courses on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings in world religions, Bible and theology. We did some Theology Tables at Wednesday dinners. I met individually with some folks to share faith concerns. I preached a couple of times. I was privileged to meet on a regular basis with TIm, mainly regarding his Doctor of Ministry work in worship in a post-modern world. I participated in a couple of workshops. I have also been a liaison with the School of Theology and Ministry, of which I was one of the founders. And I have enjoyed serving on the Adult Education committee of the church. Some of you who are newer to SFBC may not be aware that I have been a member of this church since 1987, that I was the Minister of Administration here from 1988 to 1992, and that I was married to my fi rst wife in the sanctuary of this church in 1955. And that Barbara, my wonderful life partner, was baptized in this church. SFBC and I must be joined at the hip. I love this church and feel deeply honored at this stage in my life to be given the opportunity to make a contribution to its ministry.

Web Presence Annual Reportby Jim Segaar, Director of Media Ministries

In the fall of 2013 church leadership asked me and Jim Ginn to analyze and recommend what it would take to “fi x the church website.” Our fi rst recommendation was that we think beyond the website and include Facebook and other forms of social media in our analysis. With that, the Web Presence program at Seattle First Baptist was born.

Early in 2014 we completed our analysis and presented two major recommendations:

• That the church refresh the technology used for the website.• That the church focus efforts on enriching its content, more effectively sharing our

message and connecting with our community.• Our recommendations were accepted for a two-year trial period, and I agreed to

take on the new position of Director of Media Ministries in February, 2014.

It has been an exciting fi rst year for the Web Presence program. Highlights of 2014 include:

• We defi ned our primary mission as serving our existing congregation. We want someone who uses the website regularly to see how much is going on at Seattle First Baptist and experience how dynamic our community is. Providing an up-to-date calendar of events and a variety of content from our worship services and other activities are crucial.

• We decided to use “off-the-shelf” products wherever practical in order to gain speed and minimize the cost of technology used for the web presence. To do this we had to be willing to give up some of the fl exibility we had in the past.

• We moved our website to a hosted solution that does not require coding in order to maintain it. The website has been running successfully on Weebly since April.

• Vimeo is now used to host videos. We have increased the number and variety of videos that we post.• We enriched our Facebook posts, using photos and videos whenever possible to enliven our presence there.• Church bulk emailing is now done using Constant Contact, a popular tool that allows us to maintain this vital

service at a reasonable cost.• Several training opportunities have been offered to help members of the congregation who are not familiar

with using the internet.

Results have been gratifying:

• Website traffi c has grown rapidly and continually. During November and December we had nearly 5,500 sessions and more than 13,000 page views.

• Our Facebook traffi c and engagement have increased substantially. The number of people who “Like” our page has grown 30% to 523. The number of people who read and interact with our posts in a given week has nearly doubled.

• Our regular bulk emails, including This Week and The Spire, go out on schedule and our ability to maintain the mailing lists has improved.

• Comments about the web presence from members of the congregation have been overwhelmingly positive.

Bill Malcomson

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As we wrap up the fi rst year of our two-year trial period, we look forward to continuing to improve our web presence and working with leadership to determine staffi ng and funding for the program over the long term. It has been an honor serving Seattle First Baptist this year, and I look forward to more exciting times ahead.

Interfaith Advocacy Day in Olympiaby Roxanne Fowler

Please join Jean Mattson and Roxanne Fowler for a day in Olympia to meet your legislators & other government agency representatives, on Thursday, February 19th, 2015. Check-in begins at 8:00 a.m., with program beginning at 9:00 a.m.

This will be Jean and Roxanne’s 3rd (or 4th?) year to attend and we strongly encourage you to come also to voice your faith concerns on legislative issues. Carpooling is a good idea and if you need a ride, please call Roxanne at 206.725.4029.

This day is sponsored by Faith Action Network. You should obtain specifi c information and register at fan@fanwa.org.

Thrift Shop Informationby Rod Shutt, Thrift Shop Board President

In case you didn’t know, Seattle First Baptist works with Trinity Episcopal Parish to manage the Trinity Thrift Shop. The shop is located at the corner of 8th Avenue and Cherry Street, in the old Trinity Rectory, and is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Donations are accepted at the shop on Tuesdays between 10 a.m. and noon. Donations may also be left at Seattle First Baptist, in the Donation Room, across the hall from the Church Offi ce door in the Church Administration Building.

Currently, there is a need for clean, gently used, men’s clothing: Jackets, shirts, pants and shoes are desperately needed.For more information on the Thrift Shop, visit http://www.seattlefi rstbaptist.org/partner-organizations.html.

February Adult Learning Opportunitiesby Tim Phillips

THE GOSPEL OF MARK with Dr. Leticia Guardiola-Saenz continues in Fridell, February 1, 8, 15, and 22nd. Join the conversation about the gospel of Mark with Dr. Leticia Guardiola-Saenz, Assistant Professor of Christian Scriptures at Seattle University’s School of Theology and Ministry. A native of Mexico, her work on the dynamics of border-crossing and the gospel give a particularly powerful insight into the New Testament. She is a contributor to The People’s Bible, The Women’s Bible Commentary, and with Dr. Miguel de la Torre, the Handbook of Latina/o Theologies. Dr. Guardiola-Saenz is a member of Seattle First Baptist Church and a popular teacher of the Bible.

ISSUES IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM in the Parlor, February 1 and 8th.Led by Ruthie Fossett and Sandra Jones, Social Justice Ministries, these fi rst two weeks of February, our programs will focus on criminal justice system issues. Our attention is brought once again to people leaving the criminal system and to the tension that builds on the streets, as it has in recent months, between the accused and their accusers.

The Social Implications of Having a Criminal Record – February 1st.When does punishment stop? When the case is resolved? When the sentence is served? No. A criminal history and prison conditioning follow a person as he or she tries to rehabilitate and reenter mainstream society preventing this person from employment, housing, and some government benefi ts. One unfortunate result is the person is more likely to reoffend in order to meet basic needs. KC Young, Director of the Freedom Project, will educate us regarding the barriers faced by “returnees” trying to reintegrate. She will be assisted by a client of Freedom Project, a returnee who will share her personal experience of the struggle back to the mainstream. Come and dialog with KC Young on February 1st at 9:30 a.m. in the Parlor.

Social Justice and Police Militarization – February 8thStreet violence. Police killing and being killed. Police in riot gear meeting protest demonstrations as buildings burn. These headlines are all too frequent. Violence breeds counter-violence and some law enforcement agencies are considering militarization of police. Imagine Offi cer Friendly with an AK-47 mentality. Michael W. McCann is Professor of Political Science at the University of Washington and Director of its Law, Societies, and Justice Program. He is deeply involved in social justice issues and will speak on the seeming build up to police militarization and its ramifi cations. Come and dialogue with Professor McCann at the Adult Education class in the Parlor on February 8 at 9:30.a.m. in the Parlor.

LENTEN “WILDERNESS SURVIVAL” SERIES begins February 22nd.Led by Cherry Johnson, this series will continue during the Sundays of Lent as an opportunity to refl ect on the experiences of wilderness in our lives.

Dr. Leticia Guardiola-Saenz

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Let My People Go!by Imogene Williams

Friendship Circle is planning a special meeting to commemorate the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr, and to observe Black History Month. It will be Tuesday February 10 at 5:30 in Fridell Lounge, commencing with Devotions by Shirley Wilkinson, and dinner. Our speaker will be the Rev. Dr. Linda Smith. Rev. Smith grew up in Arkansas but was ordained here, with Rev. Tim Phillips and the Evergreen Association participating. She will speak on racism and her work at Mary’s Place (the Church of Mary Magdalene). Bandage rolling will precede the meeting. At the January meeting, 17 bandages were rolled.

In January Sandra Jones, representing Social Justice Ministries, showed the fi lm “A Place at The Table.” We learned that there are many ‘food deserts’, such as pop, chip and candy, that kids buy where health groceries are unavailable. Many families experience food insecurity and higher rates of obesity. We were sad to learn that children are permanently damaged by poor nutrition, and that the U.S. has high levels of food insecurity as compared with other developed countries. In our state, organizations like Got Green have fought to save the Farmer Market Nutrition Program and to provide funds so all families can buy high quality fruit and vegetables at farmer markets.

Molly Marshall at Seattle First Baptist Churchby Pastor Tim Phillips

It is our honor to have the Rev. Dr. Molly Marshall with us on Sunday, February 15th, both for Adult Learning at 9:30 a.m. and to preach in worship that day. Dr. Marshall is friend and colleague of Harriet Platts and Bill Malcomson and is the president of the seminary where David Kile was a student. For over thirty years Molly T. Marshall has been in theological education, her life’s work. She served as Visiting Professor of Theology, Spiritual Formation, and Worship for two years and was elected as the Professor of Theology and Spiritual Formation with tenure at Central Baptist Theological Seminary in 1997. Beginning in 2004 she served as Central’s Acting Academic Dean until her appointment to President. Previously, Dr. Marshall was Associate Professor of Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky. Her experience in ministry is varied. She has served as youth minister, campus minister, and pastor in churches across Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Kentucky.

A graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University, she received her M.Div. and Ph.D. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Further graduate work has been completed at Tantur Ecumenical Institute, Jerusalem, Israel; Cambridge University, Cambridge, England; and Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey, where she was a Visiting Scholar (1990-91), and resident scholar at the Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research (2000). In 2012-2013 she was a Christian Leadership Initiative Fellow, sponsored by American Jewish Committee and Shalom Hartman Institute, Jerusalem, Israel. Her writings include three monographs, No Salvation Outside the Church?, What it Means to Be Human, and Joining the Dance: a Theology of the Spirit, as well as numerous chapters in books, dictionary and journal articles, and Bible study curricula. She has also published four volumes of Trinitarian Soundings, a collection of refl ections on the lectionary.

Wednesday Dinner Programs in African-American History Monthby Pastor Tim Phillips

This February, we are being invited into a conversation titled, “Our Moments in African-American History.” The conversation with several members and friends of the congregation will refl ect on the intersections between African-American history and our own.

February 4: The conversation begins led by Tim Phillips.

February 11: Dick Miller will speak about his great-great grandfather, Perry Miller, who served with the Union army from 1861 through 1864. Dick will tell the story of his life, which ended tragically in a steamboat explosion in 1868 after he had survived many major battles during the Civil War, and refl ect on why the Civil War and his service in the Union army hold such meaning for him.

February 18 is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, and following dinner there will be a service in the Sanctuary at 7 p.m. that will include music by the choir and the imposition of ashes.

February 25: Dr. Bill Malcomson continues “Our Moments in African-American History” by refl ecting on his participation in the March on Washington and its lasting impact on his life and ministry. Painting by Phillip Woods

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February Event CalendarAfrican-American History Month

SUN FEB 1 Communion Sunday 9:30 Adult Learning: • Social Justice Ministries presents Criminal Justice issues in the Parlor: “The Social Implications of Having a Criminal Record.” • Dr. Leticia Guardiola-Saenz on the Gospel of Mark in Fridell 10:15 Family Fellowship Hour in Youth Room – 3rd fl oor 11:00 Worship: Luke 24; Bill Malcomson preaching on the double-meaning of Communion 7:30 p.m. Seattle Jazz Vespers Presents: Gail Pettis and her Trio (Note time change)

WED FEB 4 6 p.m. Dinner / 7 p.m. program: “Our Moments in African-American History” – a conversation led by Tim Phillips about the intersections between African-American history and our own.

FRI FEB 6 7:30 p.m. Bet Alef Shabbat in Sanctuary / Oneg in the Parlor

SAT FEB 7 2:00 p.m. Hanum memorial in the Sanctuary; 2 p.m. memorial for Betty Nicholson at Lake City Presbyterian Church.

SUN FEB 8 Worship 9:30 Adult Learning: • Social Justice Ministries presents Criminal Justice issues in the Parlor: “Social Justice and Police Militarization.” • Dr. Leticia Guardiola-Saenz on the Gospel of Mark in Fridell 10:15 Family Fellowship Hour in Youth Room – 3rd fl oor 11:00 Worship: “The Wisdom of Deserted Places,” Tim Phillips preaching on Mark 1.21-35; special musical guests, the Faithfulaires from New Beginnings Christian Fellowship. 4-6 p.m. Labyrinth in Fellowship Hall

WED FEB 11 6 p.m. Dinner / 7 p.m. program: “Our Moments in African-American History” – Dick Miller refl ects on the story of his great-great-grandfather serving in the Union Army during the Civil War.

SUN 15 Worship – Transfi guration Sunday 9:30 Adult Learning: • Dr. Molly Marshall: “Spiritual Formation” in the Baptist tradition in the Parlor. • Dr. Leticia Guardiola-Saenz on the Gospel of Mark in Fridell. 10:15 Family Fellowship Hour in Youth Room – 3rd fl oor 11:00 Worship: the Rev. Dr. Molly Marshall preaching, President of Central Seminary

The Season of Lent Begins: Lost and Found in the Wilderness

WED FEB 18 Ash Wednesday 6 p.m. Dinner / 7 p.m. service in the Sanctuary

FRI FEB 20 7:30 p.m. Bet Alef Shabbat in Sanctuary / Oneg in the Parlor

SUN FEB 22 Lent I 9:30 Adult Learning: • Lenten series: “Wilderness Survival” led by Cherry Johnson – “Thrust into the Wilderness” in the Parlor • Dr. Leticia Guardiola-Saenz on the Gospel of Mark in Fridell 10:15 Family Fellowship Hour in Youth Room – 3rd fl oor 11:00 Worship: Catherine Fransson introduces the Lenten theme from Mark 1.9-15.

WED FEB 25 6 p.m. Dinner / 7 p.m. program: “Our Moments in African-American History” with Dr. Bill Malcomson refl ecting on his participation in the March on Washington and its lasting impact.

EditorsTim Phillips

Bob Sittig

Publisher and Graphic Artist

Kellie Whitlock

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