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First Baptist church of Austin: Austin / January 22, 2006.

Article Excerpt
The true test of a Mexican restaurant is the quality of its enchilada plate. Similarly, the ultimate test of a religion is its ability to serve a satisfactory answer to the problem of suffering and evil. (I think it's a pretty good comparison.) For that reason, I felt fortunate that on the Sunday I attended First Baptist Church of Austin, its senior pastor, the Reverend Dr. Roger Paynter, would deliver the first in a month-long series of sermons and lectures on the Book of Job, culminating in a production of Archibald MacLeish's classic play, JB.

Like many congregations at downtown churches, First Baptist's is not as large as it once was, but the spacious sanctuary was well more than half-filled on that cold and rainy winter morning. Though older people outnumbered younger ones, the age range was broad, and the friendly way in which members greeted visitors and one another indicated a warm and welcoming community. The sanctuary itself imparts a peaceful feeling, with its high brick walls and two narrow stained-glass windows. The soaring pipe...

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