31 March 2025

Comments of the Week Mar 24-31

Comments of the Week Mar 24-31

“This is really gonna backfire when someone releases an AI video of Wintley Phipps singing something ‘naughty.’ Lol.” –Luke Sherwin on Wintley Phipps’ new AI Model generating sermons and theological aid.

Comments on Aunt Sevvy; How to Prepare for the 2025 GC Session; Wintley Phipps’ new AI Model; Church Boards, Can We Do Church Better? Is It Necessary to Be Nice; and Satire

Aunty, How many of the 28 Fundamental Beliefs can you disagree with and still call yourself an Adventist?

“(From the Wikipedia article on J.N. Loughborough:)

One well-known quote by Loughborough appeared in an October 8, 1861, Review and Herald article (now the Adventist Review) in which he was quoted speaking against the formation of creeds:

‘The first step of apostasy is to get up a creed, telling us what we shall believe. The second is, to make that creed a test of fellowship. The third is to try members by that creed. The fourth to denounce as heretics those who do not believe that creed. And fifth, to commence persecution against such.'”

–Aldona Jones

How to Prepare for the 2025 General Conference Session

“This part, ‘I just hope there’s a track for people who have to rely upon God’s grace to be saved, or I’m out of luck.’

“I’m reading this article and wishing that all my Adventist friends would see it as satire.

It would be hilarious if it weren’t so sad.“

–Cherri-Ann Farquharson

Wintley Phipps Introduces AI Model to Generate Sermons and Theological Aid

“This is really gonna backfire when someone releases an AI video of Wintley Phipps singing something ‘naughty.’ Lol.”

–Luke Sherwin

To Church Boards Everywhere: Is there a better way to be a church?

“And though this is written as advice for church plants (and SO many storefronts are available across America, at least!), how about we take what we have in hand right now and busy-up those empty buildings we only occupy a few hours each week. Those fellowship halls could already be bustling. Loved the idea of AA meetings. And Al-Anon especially requires a safe space because its members typically live with active alcoholics who don’t approve. It’s much harder for them to do a Zoom meeting at home.

I’d add one thing— all too often, we only do these things as gimmicks to lure people into church. What if we drop our baptismal goals (since we are often just poaching people who are already Christians from other denominations, anyway) and use our work, classes, programs, etc., as a ministry just to bless the church? Just purely to alleviate suffering or loneliness? That would be showing Jesus’s love in much the same way he did. I appreciate Linda’s fresh approach.”

–Shelley Curtis Weaver

SATIRE: General Conference Clarifies: It’s “AD-ven-tist” not “Ad-VEN-tist”

“Since you can no longer tell whether someone is Seventh-day Adventist by checking their earlobes…you have to go by how they pronounce Adventist. Works for me.“

–Margi Dalgleish Roth

Is It Always Necessary to Be Nice?

“This notion, that women should be ‘nice’ and ‘sweet’ and men can be mean and aggressive, is something that I am becoming increasingly aware of. It is a powerful observation.”

–Loren Seibold