Reflections on the Moser Ministry Conference
Author: Bobby Valentine | Filed under: Bobby's World, Church, K. C. Moser, Ministry, Preaching, Restoration History
I just returned from Lubbock Christian University in Lubbock, Texas. Prior to this I had never been to Lubbock but I had learned it is a nice town.
I arrived in Lubbock on Saturday night. My good friend John Mark Hicks and I stayed up late reviewing significant developments in the life and theological thought of K. C. Moser. On Sunday we gathered with the family at the Monterey Church. Later that evening we decided to support the family at Southside Church of Christ which was hosting its annual lectureship. We picked up a few books to digest and then heard brothers Burt Jones and Keith Mosher speak on various facets of the work of Satan. I don’t think these brothers would come see us so we decided to see them.
The sessions at LCU were quite good. Brandon Fredenburg critiqued Moser’s interpretation of Romans from the standpoint of contemporary scholarship … especially the so-called “new” perspective on Paul. I think he did a good job. Rubel Shelly’s presentations were important. For the first time, that I am aware of, he shared from his own perspective how grace has changed his life and ministry … starting ironically from being fired from a church in Mississippi (I was not aware that Rubel and I had that shared blot!!) and John Mark’s presentations were lively and provocative too. These presentations can be ordered from the College of Biblical Studies at Lubbock Christian University. I think you can get all of them for 25 dollars.
I got to visit with Fran and Dub Winkles again. And Fran even brought me K. C.’s Bible. I was up late reading his notes in the margins, title pages and ends of books. John Mark ended up using some in his second presentation they we so good. Fran then, God is good, let me take that Bible to study in more detail. What a treasure. It was purchased in 1941 and rebound in 1962. Here I am, nearly literally, reading over the shoulder of Moser as he reads and writes in his own Bible. I am soaking it in … and John Mark and I visited Moser’s grave with his grand daughter.
It was enjoyable from my point of view. I enjoy meeting people (and I met a number of folks with Moser). On Tuesday a number of us had lunch at On the Border for some fine Mexican Food. Since John Mark, Rubel Shelly and I were all in the same hotel … and I was the only one with a car … I shuttled us around. I let them both know that I was not comfortable being confined in a single vehicle with two of the biggest heretics in the world … I was praying that no Jobian lightening storm would come take us out, 🙂
The drive from Tucson to Lubbock was interesting. I went through Roswell and was looking for the strange lights and aliens. There is a small “village” in the mountains with Apache murals all over the side of the road (beautiful too). Then it gets FLAT!
On my way home I stopped in Alamagordo for dinner at Wendy’s. I called info (not easy to do out in the middle of no where) and tried to contact Al Maxey who lives there. I had a good trip. But it is good to be back home. Here are a few photos marking the journey …
Aliens are alive and well in Roswell … as the Cover-Up Cafe can testify!!
Heading west on US 380 in New Mexico … nothing as far as the eye can see! I went a full 30 minutes and did not even see another car!!
Sunset coming into Alamagordo, NM …
The grave of K. C. and Ardis Moser, appropriately enough in the “Apostle’s Garden.”
Shalom,
Bobby Valentine
October 18th, 2007 at 12:32 am
Bobby,
I am glad to hear that my alma mater is heading the right direction and did a great lecture. I am glad you had a great time in Lubbock. We used to be members at Monterey Church. Lovely, graceous people.
Sounds like a wonderful thing to have held and read the notes in Moser’s Bible. Wow.
Bobby, on another note brother, please keep me in your prayers as my health is not doing well. I will be blogging when I feel better. God bless you brother and the work you are doing. Keep it up and ignore the critics.
In Him,
Kinney Mabry
AKA
Preacherman
October 18th, 2007 at 12:51 am
Kinney I will be honored to continue to lift your name up to our gracious Abba. Please let me know if there are any needs that I can meet.
Shalom,
Bobby Valentine
October 18th, 2007 at 1:49 am
I may have to order some of those tapes. Rubel was fired from a church in Mississippi? Without know his (or yours) details I’m sure that sad incident in his life put him on the path to the Rubel that we know today.
Thanks for sharing.
October 18th, 2007 at 4:25 am
Bobby, where is the cemetery where the Mosers are buried? is it the one on 19th St just across from LCU?
Glad you had a good trip!
cb
October 18th, 2007 at 3:37 pm
Carisse,
KCM is buried in the cemetery directly across the street from Greenlawn CoC and LCU. Find the kneeling Jesus and Moser is not far away.
Shalom,
Bobby Valentine
October 18th, 2007 at 5:27 pm
Glad you got home safely. I really enjoyed class last night.
October 19th, 2007 at 2:18 am
be like that kneeling Jesus, stand up for the children post about s-chip
October 19th, 2007 at 11:13 am
Sounds like a great journey. I think it was Moser that helped me appreciate that salvation is by grace alone. I think it was one of the many books you sent me while attempting to rescue me from legalism. Recently I wrote a blog about how I was kicked out of a church in middle Tn (series of lectures canceled) because I said too much about grace. The blog was motivated by a jaw dropping statment Greg Tidwell wrote in the Advocate’s Perspective article, September 2007? You can check it out, if interested, at http://benoverby.wordpress.com
Grace to you and the family,
Ben
October 19th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
I find it amazing that so many preachers have been fired at one time or another, and usually without a scriptural reason – just want a change. It certainly can define who a person is, and what he believes, if he allows it to do so. The more I learn of another who has been fired, I wonder how the church has managed to “hold onto” the good ministers we have. It has happened in my husband and my life. and it can be so degrading.
Glad you enjoyed the trip, the lectures and Lubbock. There are many churches in that town that are good, not just the “big” ones.
October 20th, 2007 at 1:20 am
For all the information available on the internet about the Churches of Christ, there seems to be no website that advertises all of the various lectureships, conferences, meetings, et… sponsored by congregations and institutions affiliated with the Churches of Christ and even the Restoration Movement.
I have neither the time nor expertese to create such site, but for any who does… feel free to hop, hop, hop.
October 20th, 2007 at 3:42 am
K, Rex Butts,
You can check out all the University ministries websites.
Universities add. lectures. they are going to have. Some churches do send mailers but those are sometime very conservative in nature and usually sent during the same time as the Universities lectures.
Bobby,
Did you get a chance to visit with Dr. Stacey Patty, and Dr. Long? Those guys I think were two of the best professors.
October 20th, 2007 at 3:28 pm
Kinney,
Rubel, John Mark, and myself had lunch with Wes Crawford, Jesse Long, Brandon Frandenburg and another prof whose name I am forgetting.
Shalom,
Bobby Valentine
October 20th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Cool.
I graduated with Wes, and loved Dr. Longs classes.
October 20th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
Bobby–that was Jeff Cary, a wonderful young scholar out of Baylor who studied theology there.
Resthaven is the name of the cemetery in Lubbock where the Mosers are buried.
It is on the tape, so it is no violation of privacy to say that Rubel was fired because of his appeal for calm, inclusion and evangelism among African-Americans in New Albany, MS in the 1968. His sermon was in the aftermath of Martin Luther King’s death in Memphis (about 90 miles away). He was fired the next evening at an elder’s meeting.
October 22nd, 2007 at 1:21 am
Jeff Carry is an excellent scholar as well as Wes Crawford and Dr. Jesse Long. John Mark Hicks thank you so much for letting me know who the third person was with ya’ll. Jeff Carry is a wonderful scholar and set a wonderful spiritual example for the for the students. God bless Jeff, Wes and all the staff at a LCU. It sound like it was a great conference.
October 22nd, 2007 at 1:49 am
John Mark Hicks,
Thanks for letting us know about why Rubel Shelly was fired in the 1960s. I have always appreciated his writings, and I have a whole new appreciation of him as a man now that I know why he was fired. Sometimes it is a noble thing to be the victim of a firing.
October 22nd, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Great road trip bro. Thanks for the pics and he details. I love how through the web some of us can live vicariously!
Your father-in-law, John, did an outstanding job with communion thoughts yesterday.
Peace.
October 22nd, 2007 at 8:32 pm
Bobby,
Just got your new book and am excited about reading it. God bless you bro.
October 24th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Somebody send me a copy… I don’t have anything to read at the moment…
BWAH-HAHAHAHAHA!!!!
I couldn’t even say that with a straight face.
Nick