Whirled Views with Dan Burrell

After a bit of a break from my annual tradition, I’ve decided to resurrect my sometimes cited, frequently debated and occasionally requested list of Top Religion stories from my neck of the Christian world.  As always, I offer my disclaimers first.  This list is 100% subjective.  This is just how I see things.  I limit myself to ten primary stories (though I will list some honorable mentions as well), and I don’t put them in a particular order of significance as in greatest to lesser.  I want you to add your own in the comment section – feel free to disagree, expand, add or challenge.  That’s 99% of the fun.  So without further fanfare…here’s the list for 2011.

1.      1. Arab Spring

Even if you aren’t a Van Impe/Camping/Left-Behind groupie, you’ve got to believe that something significant is going on in the Middle East with the collapse of multiple governments which were at least in an uneasy truce with the West (US/Europe) and generally with Israel.  Egypt, Libya, Syria and other places are still in the midst of huge changes and where it will all fall out is anybody’s guess.  But it doesn’t require ownership of a crystal ball to see that most of these countries are going to be dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood and other anti-Israel/anti-American/anti-Christian political forces which is going to change the status quo we have known for a generation.  Of lesser eschatological concern, but greater immediate attention, is the impact on the tiny “Christian” minorities in countries like Egypt which are already seeing a marked rise in persecution and violence.  In addition, we have no idea how far this regional revolution will grow.  Should Saudi Arabia come under anti-American governance, one can only imagine the amount of mischief that could come from a hostile government using the billions of dollars of American armaments they now possess and the ability to strangle us with their oil output.  And I didn’t even begin to deal with Pakistan and Turkey and the tenuous condition of our alliances with them.  Anyway you cut it…this is BIG in historical, spiritual and eschatological perspectives.

2.      2. Tim Tebow and “Tebowing”

Rarely has there been such a polarizing public figure who has caught the attention and dominated the national dialogue as Tim Tebow.  The discussions surrounding him make the debates over Ron Paul, Justin Bieber and Charlie Sheen seem downright civil.  And while football is the “excuse”, make no mistake – this is a cultural/faith wars battle posing as a debate over an athlete’s skill set.  Every year in every sport there is conversation over whether the hot new player has what it takes to be in the Big Leagues, but this is a whole different level of fandom and venom spewing.  There are very few fence sitters.  On one side, people who thought the NFL stood for “Nearly Finished Looking” are now sporting Broncos Jerseys with “Jesus” written on the back.  Others have now found a convenient way to cloak their unbridled hatred for all things Christian by framing their vitriol with Tebow’s awkward throwing style and oh, yeah…he’s a religious kook too.  The cool thing is that Tim has, thus far, been able to live above the fray, showing amazing grace and maturity for a kid his age and in such glare and unless you are totally blinded by anti-Christian bias he is the kind of guy you’d want your daughter to bring home for Thanksgiving dinner.  His prayer posture has now become a national version of “planking” and “owling” only with a deeper message.  Whether you love or loathe the Broncos, Christians should pray for this young man’s character and spiritual strength.  He’s going to need it.

3.      3. Fundamentalist Schools and Accreditation

Several years ago, I printed a series of articles (no longer available) on my blog which pointed out problems in the Christian colleges located in the most conservative neck of the “evangelical” world (largely Fundamentalist schools).  It was quite controversial at the time and the number of “hits” I got on my blog for weeks originating in places like Greenville, SC and Pensacola, FL and other home ports for these schools was both surprising and revealing.  While I’m not taking any level of credit and I don’t claim to be a prophet or the son of a prophet, it is worth noting that many of the things I predicted and challenged have started coming to pass.  One of the most significant is the decision to start seeking some form of accreditation by these schools.  Bob Jones University shocked their constituency and those who knew of their philosophy of anti-accreditation several years ago by applying for accreditation with the Christian accreditation association, Transnational Association of Colleges and Schools (TRACS).  This was not the equivalent of regional accreditation, but was a significant position change nonetheless.  Interestingly, not long ago, another great bastion of accreditation resistance, Pensacola Christian College announced that they too were seeking TRACS Accreditation.  Now, within the last few months, in what can only be described as a shift of seismic proportions, BJU has announced that they will see full accreditation with SACS – a secular regional accrediting body and one of the most influential ones in the country.  This has the potential to change the entire “non-accreditation” game among colleges of their sort.  On a side note, because I work as a consultant to colleges and schools on occasion and have relationships with multiple accrediting agencies, I have “inside” knowledge that there are multiple other, less visible, but significant colleges who are also now considering accreditation for the first time.  Whether or not this was done because of a more astute prospective student or declining enrollment or simply a rethinking of their opposition rationale, it will certainly remove an excuse that many have used for not applying for enrollment at these schools and will move the institutional credibility (once attained) in a positive direction.

4.      4. Scandals Come Home to Roost

Virtually every branch of Christianity has had major sexual scandals over the last quarter century – from Catholics to extreme Fundamentalist.  This year, however, many past sexual scandals in fundamentalist circles came home to roost in a major way and virtually no branch of fundamentalism went unscathed.  The most significant one was the Trinity Baptist/Chuck Phelps/Tina Anderson Case from Concord, New Hampshire and which ended up impacting Bob Jones University, Northland International University, Maranatha Baptist Bible College and multiple churches and prominent pastors and college officials in the process.  You had to have been living under a rock not to come across info on this on the internet this year (not to mention 20/20 and CNN) and if you haven’t heard about it, just google “Tina Anderson” and grab a cup of coffee – you’re going to be there for a while.  But that case was just the tip of the iceberg.  There’s the case of a preferred mission agency of the GARB, the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism (ABWE) which was hit by a decades old sexual abuse cover-up involving a missionary doctor and multiple young girls which is still being debated and investigated.  The Hephzibah Home for Girls in Indiana has been charged with abuse of their charges by the media and former residents.  Fairhaven Baptist Church and Fairhaven Baptist College in Indiana were the subject of a CNN investigation regarding gross abusive and harsh behavior toward young people (though there are no substantive sexual charges at this time).  Berean Baptist Church/College in Jacksonville, Florida made the headlines when leadership was accused of a cover-up involving the pastor’s son who videotaped young college women changing their clothes and they are also in the middle of a financial scandal that involves the loss of their ministry campus and charges of an excessive lifestyle by the pastor and his family.  Two Independent Baptist Pastors committed suicide in the Southwest upon being confronted about sexual abuse including a rape.  A graduate of Hyles-Anderson College was just the latest in a string of pastor’s from that school to have faced scandal and charges and was sentenced to prison for molesting several young men in his church and school.  Another, non-sexual scandal, involved the President of Tennessee Temple University and the Pastor of the sponsoring church resigning due to charges of plagiarism in a book written years before.  Bottom line – this year a lot of corruption came to light and it can be dismissed by saying “it happens everywhere” with a shrug of the shoulders or it can be examined and addressed with integrity.  Whether or not it will be addressed or ignored has yet to be determined and due to the nature and value of “independence” in this arm of Christianity and which has lead to a significant lack of accountability, it is hard to envision how a legitimate examination and corrective action could even be taken.

5.      5. The Rise of Internet Driven Activism

This is related to Number 4, but is separate as this has the potential to indefinitely and in various forms become a significant “game changer” in how grievances are addressed and scandals are dealt with for the foreseeable future.  Several years ago, anonymous bloggers in churches like the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville and Belleview Baptist Church of Memphis, TN rocked their congregations with accusations, charges and commentary.  Today, anonymity is no longer necessarily the modus operandi of these activists.  The lead character in this new “Fundamentalist Spring” of activism and scandal revelation is Jocelyn Zichterman who has combined personal wounds and frustration (and some would say, bitterness) with the “system” within her former branch of fundamentalism and the power of social networking and the internet to create a whole new force that has lead to earth-shaking revelations, scandals, media scrutiny and even policy changes in institutions touched by her formidable will.  The daughter of a somewhat prominent Independent Baptist family from the BJU/NU neck of the woods, she has made it her mission to expose and investigate what she perceives to be fundamentalist corruption and cultic behavior largely using alleged sexual abuse in her own home as her impetus and the response of many fundamentalists to her exposure of it.  Her fundamentalist resume is quite impressive and it has now become the platform on which she is waging a war against perceived flaws, failures and scandals of epic proportions utilizing Facebook, blogs and a media-savy willingness to generate headlines, interviews and investigations to speak up for some who were ignored or otherwise silenced.  She was largely responsible for putting the Tina Anderson/Chuck Phelps case on the national radar and now the rapist in question is in prison.  Most recently, she brought about the end of Bob Jones University’s ill-conceived reappointment of Chuck Phelps to one of their prominent Boards through amazingly successful on-line protests, petitions and other tactics serving as the catalyst with other dissatisfied or wounded individuals or groups.  While the University will deny that it had an impact on them, very few are going to believe that claim.  The ABWE scandal mentioned above largely gained traction as the result of a blog where many shared their stories of abuse and cover-up.  In 2011, a blog by disgruntled Sovereign Grace senior leader and pastor, Brent Detwiler was largely responsible for the Sovereign Grace head, C. J. Mahaney, taking a leave of absence/sabbatical to deal with spiritual issues in light of some of the charges and which continues to unfold with other resignations within SGM and disciplinary actions taken against Detwiler.  Bottom line – this story is significant because the Internet connects anyone on the planet who has a story to tell or a charge to make with others who had similar experiences or who might be inclined to take up their cause.  Many of these scandals are legitimate and poorly handled.  On occasion, some appear to be exploiting the anonymity of the web and the ability to cast an experience from their singular perspective in order to garner sympathy or to attack others.  Few would say that this is the best way to handle such matters.  Others would claim that is the option of last result and their final venue for seeing things made right.  However you feel about the tactic…no one can deny that it is a new and powerful force and those who have skeletons in their closets should be shaking in their boots.

6.      6. No “Religious Right” Candidate for President

This year’s Presidential Sweepstakes is all but destined to offer a choice between two major candidates who will not receive the endorsement or enthusiasm of most in the religious right.  Many of whom will endorse the candidate (and let’s be honest…it’s going to be the Republican nominee) will do so out of a sense of political expediency, not a sense that this is “their guy”.  Those who had a chance to earn the support of this formidable block of voters – Pawlenty, Palin, Perry, Bachman, Santorum, Huckabee – either didn’t even enter or never caught fire.  Thus, Republican values voters are largely dispersed among candidates for whom many will admit to “holding their nose” when voting for them.  Mitt the Moderate Mormon, Gingrich – the serial adulterer and Ron Paul – a guy whose followers make North Korean political party leaders look disloyal in comparison are all a far cry from the savior that Christian conservatives would like to see run against the man they perceive to be the greatest enemy to the national values our country has ever known (which might be an overstatement, but their perception nonetheless), Barak Obama.  It will be interesting to see if any of the last election’s evangelical “rock star” young leaders come out supporting Obama again much as they did in 2008 when the Dems captured 40% of the evangelical vote.  Sadly, there are few on the entire political scene down the road that might give any more hope to them except for one exception – FL Senator Marco Rubio – who has a Reaganesque vision, verbiage and values, but who just isn’t seasoned enough quite yet for the Oval Office.  (At least he, unlike our current occupier in chief, is aware of that.)  If I were a betting man, I’d say that Obama will win re-election by a hair this fall.  More tragic than another four years of his leadership is the reality that he will then change the face of the Supreme Court and Federal Courts for the next generation – a consequence from which we will likely ever recover.

7.      7. Bell’s Hell

Not a lot needs to be written on this topic, but Emergent Church hipster, Rob Bell, shook up Christianity with his re-warmed version of a form of possible annihilationism and set off a storm of controversy and counter-tomes and sermon series and so on – the likes which haven’t been seen since Y2K. Bottom line – Rob Bell is a heretic and his church is better off now that he has resigned to pursue other “opportunities”.  But there is no denying that he was a big story this year. (Note: since writing this originally, I have been told that the new pastor may be more theologically liberal than Bell — and that’s saying something.)

8.      8. Harold Camping Strikes Again (and Again)

Like a cat dropped off your deck will always land on his feet, radio evangelist Harold Camping has shown a decades-long knack for setting dates for the return of Christ only to have them pass without nary a whistle, let alone a trumpet blast, and still have followers willing to listen for and heed his next prediction.  But his setting of the date of May 21^st had a new level of support among his adherents as people quit their jobs, sold their homes, bought RV’s and painted them with doomsday messages and took to the Interstates warning of the coming Apocalypse months in advance.  When the date passed and nothing happened – he offered an “ooops” moment and reset it AGAIN.  It too, was false.  In OT days, false prophets were executed.  Harold should be glad he’s in the 21^st Century.  Of course, the media made a big deal with smarmy smirkiness throughout, subjecting  even more citizens to his nonsensical predictions and by proxy suggesting that most Christians who believe in a rapture were Camping Crazy themselves.

9.      9. Mainstreaming Mormonism

Mitt Romney’s candidacy and likely future win of the Republican nomination has brought some interesting scrutiny to the cult of Mormonism (and using the term “cult” is apparently a VERY politically-incorrect thing to type – according to some evangelicals, many of whom teach at Fuller Seminary).  With their “Holy Underwear”, Native American Jews, abstinence from coffee, coke and tea (caffeinated at least), secret baptisms of the dead, history of polygamy, mandatory tithing, golden discs, BYU’s good Basketball team and all – who wouldn’t want a little closer look at the faith system of a potential “most powerful man on earth”?  What is interesting is that few orthodox Christians seem willing to hold the line that Mormonism is not a legitimate Christian sect with much dogmatism, and those who do – like the President of the Southern Baptist Convention – well, they should apparently be considered the crazy ones – not those who believe they are eventually going to get their own planet to run.  Go figure.  The sad fact is that Mormons, with all of their nicely-funded commercials, slick advertising and POWERFUL politicians and celebrities (Romney, Harry Reed, Orin Hatch, the Osmonds – for a few examples), are now gradually being accepted as mainstream and not even as extreme as say….those nasty “Baptists” or “Bible-Thumpers”.  Compromise is the Life-Blood of Politics, but it is the Death-Knell of Sound Theology.

10   10. Homosexual Activism Gains the Upper Hand

Let’s face it – the GLBT forces had a good year and their radical agenda shows no signs of abatement.  With even moderate conservatives rushing to prove their tolerance, they intimidate politicians and businesses into embracing pro-gay-lifestyle positions time after time after time.  Now serving openly in the military and looking for ways to recall the Defense of Marriage Act passed by a previous congress, gaining the right to adopt children, punishing private (and public) enterprises who don’t just discriminate against them…but who don’t PREFER them in many cases, using judges to over-turn citizen initiatives approved by a majority to give them the right to marry, demanding and receiving preferred funding, constantly portrayed in a positive light by both the media and the entertainment industry — this tiny minority of Americans (probably less than 5% of the population) have unprecedented political clout in the history of the nation.  (Don’t believe that?  Ask this question.  “Who is more likely to win confirmation to the Supreme Court if nominated – a conservative, pro-life evangelical or a liberal homosexual.”  I believe I’ve made my point.)  Why is this a major story for 2011 – the repeal of DADT was the high water mark in a very successful year for homosexuals and they are just a few court decisions away and a few hate-crime laws removed from being able to sue pastors, authors, bloggers, churches, private employers, etc… for ever giving voice to the consideration that their lifestyle is sinful and that they are not a legitimate “minority’.  Religious freedom and 1^st Amendment not withstanding – their agenda will take precedence and Christians need to think through those future scenarios as fines are considered, tax exemptions are lost and censorship is imposed.  I do not believe such a scenario is a wild-eyed prophecy – it’s a coming reality.

Honorable Mentions: Considered, but not chosen.

• The Southern Baptists Consider a Name Change Removing “Southern” at Least
• Small Christian Colleges in Peril as Tough Economic Times and Declining Enrollments take their Tolls
• Disgraced LBTS Dean Ergun Caner takes Provost Position at Arlington Baptist College
• C. J. Mahaney and Sovereign Grace Ministries Rocked by Accusations
• 400^th Anniversary of the King James Version
• Churches No Longer Allowed to Meet in Public Schools in New York

 So, those are my thoughts — what are yours?  Feel free to disagree, debate or offer your own list below!  Happy New Year everyone!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Burrell’s

Josh (14), Katie (15), Justin and Megan (Burrell) Mook, Julie, Dan and Nathan
Photo taken on July 23rd, 2011 at Lake Lure, North Carolina

This entry was written by my friend, Dr. Wesley Scott, who is a colleague on the Liberty University faculty and the Educational Services Director for the Florida Association of Christian Colleges and Schools.  He is a critical thinker and when I read these on his Facebook wall, I asked his permission to share them with my Whirled Views Audience.

Seven Christmas Misconceptions

Common Christmas Misconception #1 - Jesus was not born on December 25, 1 AD. After years of study on this topic in reference to the appearance of an astronomical anomaly and the Roman rulers at the time of His birth, it is more likely that He was born somewhere between 3-5 BC and likely in the spring. December 25th is a traditional date first indicated by a Roman historian and orator in the 3rd century. While he and the Roman Catholic Church may have been incorrect in their date and year (Gregorian calendar) and since we cannot really pin down a specific date, we can still celebrate the incarnation of Christ on this date without any hesitation.

Common Christmas Misconception #2 - Joseph and Mary were not married when Jesus was born - well not quite. Joseph and Mary were “betrothed” or engaged to be married when he was told by the angel of Mary’s pregnancy. They had likely signed the “ketubbah” which was a Jewish contract of engagement - much more legally binding that our modern engagement. As instructed by the angel, he took Mary as his wife but did not consummate the marriage until after Jesus was born. So, in the public eye they were married, but technically since they had not consummated the marriage, they were not officially married - yet. Jesus was born into a questionable and some might say dysfunctional situation. Thus, He can relate to any type of difficult situation in which we find ourselves today - His life started out that way!

Common Christmas Misconception #3 - The manger was not a stable in which the birth of Jesus took place. When Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem, since there was no room at any guest chamber (inn), they went to the place where the livestock were kept to lodge - which in that day was generally a small grotto or cave. The “manger” is actually the livestock feeding trough into which Jesus was laid after being wrapped in strips of cloth. (These were the two specific signs to the shepherds as to who the Messiah child was.) Whether your manger scene is a stable or cave really doesn’t matter. The point is that the King of Kings was born to a poor, Nazarene couple in a cave among the animals. Social pariahs, the poor, homeless, needy, lower class, tired, sick, and even animals would all play key roles in the life and ministry of Jesus.

Common Christmas Misconception #4 - The angels who appeared to the shepherds at Jesus’ birth did not sing. As wonderful and glorious as an angelic choir might sound, the Bible tells us the angel appeared with a heavenly host of other angels to the shepherds and they were “saying, Glory to God in the highest. And on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” In fact there is no place in Scripture where it is clear that the angels “sing” at all (although there are a few questionable references). Regardless, I think it is key that the first declaration of Jesus’ birth was made to shepherds - among the lowest class of citizens in that day. Not to mention that Jesus would identify with both the shepherds and the sheep as our Good Shepherd and the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. So go ahead - sing out “Gloria, in excelsis Deo” - I’m sure God won’t mind at all.

Common Christmas Misconception #5 - The shepherds did not follow the star to the place where Jesus was born. They were instructed by the angel to look for the Christ child “in the city of David” - which is Bethlehem. Two other signs to His location were that He would be 1) wrapped in swaddling clothes and 2) lying in a manger. We’ve already dealt with the manger (see Sunday), but what are swaddling clothes? Well, they are strips of cloth that were used to clean up the afterbirth. Clean strips were used to wrap the baby Jesus after His birth - sort of like a mummy. Was that odd? Yep - that’s why it was a sign to the shepherds. Thirty-three years later this child would be wrapped in strips of cloth again - for His burial. The swaddling clothes were a picture of the whole purpose of this child’s life - He was born to die for the sin of all mankind. God’s Christmas gift to you was His Son - will you receive Him?

Common Christmas Misconception #6 - “Three Kings” did not visit Jesus to worship Him. The men who visited Jesus were not kings. Our English Bibles call them “wise men” or “Magi” - however literally translated from the Greek “magoi,” the word means sorcerers or magicians. The Magi were likely from Persia where they had been elevated to a priestly status. They were likely students of many histories and religions, including the Old Testament prophesies regarding the Messiah, and as a result of their astronomical knowledge, they came to worship the King of the Jews as they saw His star. We really don’t know exactly how many came, but this was primarily a political gesture and they brought three types of gifts (this is where the idea of “three kings” comes from) for the new King. Did they really know who they were visiting? We don’t know. Many people know “of” Jesus and some may even worship Him as a religious figure or respect Him as a great humanitarian, but the real question is, do you “know” Him, personally, as your Lord and Savior?

Common Christmas Misconception #7 - The Magi were not present at the manger scene. When they arrived in Jerusalem, they apparently told Herod the star had appeared around 2 years prior. Herod tells them to go find the “young child” - with secret intentions that he might kill this threat to his throne and they were directed to Bethlehem (about 6 miles away). Interestingly the star they had seen earlier reappeared and stood over the “house” where the “young child” was. Joseph and Mary apparently took up residence in Bethlehem after His birth and it is clear in the Greek that He was no longer a baby but a small child. From the reaction of Herod in killing all male children in Bethlehem less than 2 years of age and the Magi time recollection; He was likely around 2 years old when they worshipped Him. Don’t toss out your manger scene! Whether you place the Magi at, near, or far away from the manger doesn’t really matter. Celebrate that God used these men to show us that Jesus was sent to save all men from all nations. His final words on earth would echo this same sentiment 33 years later. Jesus - God’s gift to the whole world!

It seems that every once in a while, I feel compelled to write a blog article that ticks off many of my “own kind”.  (By “own kind” I mean generally conservative, Bible-believing Christ followers.)  This is one of those posts.  So here I go….

I’m really quite weary of the annual hullaballoo about how the evil atheists/secularists/liberals/Democrats/communist pinkos are trying to remove “Christ from Christmas”.  Quite frankly, it has been going on all my life as far as I can tell.  (As exhibit one, I would use the long-debated use of “X-Mas” in place of “Christmas” which actually has quite a logical and historical explanation which one can find HERE, but which, I’m regularly told means nothing because today’s “X-Mas” users really are still trying to take “Christ” out of “CHRISTmas”.  But I digress…)  The skirmish became a “war” when FOX News talking, er, shouting head, John Gibson wrote a book entitled “The War on Christmas“ which became a seasonal best seller.  In it, he used alleged and real incidents of attempts by whackjobs, nut cases and actual enemies of the Gospel who are trying to remove the religious significance from the “holyday”.

But sometimes, in my always humble opinion, we just make ourselves look like fools.  At least I hope it is that and not something more ethically distasteful like trying to exploit a non-controversy for the purpose of fundraising.  Speaking of that, here’s the one that lit my fuse today.

Citizenlink.com sent out the hot story of how the U.S. Government is forbidding our elected officials from saying “Merry Christmas“.  You can find the link to the story HERE.  If you haven’t been seeing it on the conservative news networks and right-wing blogosphere, basically their contention is that a memo written and distributed this month which reminds members of the U.S. House of Representatives that the law prohibits the use of their free mail (at least free to them, it’s actually paid for by our tax dollars) privileges, also known as “franking“ to wish people “Merry Christmas” (or Happy Hannukah or Happy New Year or Blessed Kwanza or whatever).  This is sold as yet another overt attempt to prove that Christianity is under attack from the dark forces of the radical left and we must stand and defend our holiday or Christianity is doomed.

OK, OK…just so you know that I’ve not turned pagan and am secretly part of a conspiracy to turn Christmas back to a Winter Solstice event, let me say it here and now:  “Jesus is the Reason for the Season!“  (Yep, I said it.  Burrell Cliche’-Fest is alive and well. Now may I never say that tired, old phrase again.  Seriously.)

But FRANKLY (pun intended), the fact that the U.S. House of Representatives has a policy against wishing constituents “Merry Christmas” is NOT an attack on Baby Jesus.  You have to read the whole policy.  In a nutshell, it is to prevent (additional) frivilous use of this “perk” enjoyed by the many millionaires who stroll our halls of Congress from sending out even MORE junk mail everytime there is a holiday of any kind — be it Christmas or birthdays or weddings or retirement or Eid or deaths or divorces or any other cause for celebration.  All such franked mail is included — not just Christmas.  Can you imagine how many millions of dollars and millions of tons of junk mail could be sent out every stinking holiday if they had this privilege?  While we amass debt at breath-taking rates every single second, this is just one small area in which the government has shown a bit of restraint.  If our beloved congress people want to congratulate their constituents and wish them “Happy Everything“, they are not forbidden to do so.  Just don’t do it on the taxpayers dime!  Use that big ol’ fat campaign chest you’re sitting on (and which they can keep personally when they retire.)  I could not care less if Sue Myrick (R-NC) and Patrick McHenry (R-NC) wish me a Merry Christmas.  It’s not like they personally sign them and include their family newsletter or anything.

What really irritates me about this (and actually, there are SEVERAL things that irritate me), is that it is cynical ploy to get Believers all worked up and fuming and making declarations about the godless Democrats and so on and anyone who has a room temperature IQ and will take 10-minutes of reading time will see that this is completely bogus.  It makes us look like fools to those who DO take the time to find out what is really going on.  We can’t scream about wanting a more fiscally-responsible government and they pitch a fit when they spend tons of cash on sending us meaningless greeting cards.  It’s absurd.  The 1st Amendment is alive and well and this is not some evil conspiracy to silence people of faith.  Far too few people actually read beyond the headline and thus draw (the desired) opinion that this is a religious liberty issue.  It’s simply dishonest to make this policy about the 1st Amendment.

Here’s the real deal… we’ve already destroyed much, if not most, of the religious signficance of Christmas.  Seriously, celebrating the birth of the Christ child is a side-bar at best in a month filled with gross materialism and consumerism, gluttony,indebtedness, insane busyness and for many too much booze.  Sure, the 3x per year church attenders get their fix of religiousity at the annual Christmas Eve Communion Service in which millions of people participate in a sacred church ordinance unworthily.  Sure, many of us set a nativity set on top of the TV or the bar.  Yep, we drop a buck in the red kettle or send a shoebox to an Ethiopian child.  But when it comes right down to it, I don’t think Jesus feels honored by the way we celebrate the alleged (and probably inaccurate) date of His birth.  He probably feels sad.

Whether or not there is a “War on Christmas” we know that there is a spiritual warfare that happens every day of the year.  It began in heaven, took root in Eden and will not be settled until the end of this age.  Everyday the genuine believer should face spiritual opposition if they are seeking to live Biblically and authentically.  Scripture tells us that the Gospel will be a constant offense to the non-believer.  It has the stench of damnation for those who the condemned.  It is a Sword and not a dove to those who reject the Bible, repentance, Jesus and grace.  That’s the real “war” we face.

We don’t need additional evidence that this country is headed to hell in a handbasket.  It is evident all around us.  So let’s quit making a big deal out of non-issues and make the Christmas season a celebration of the Gospel by sharing it with someone, not shouting at them.

I am honored to be a friend of Gwen Smith, one of the founders of “Girlfriends in God” — a ladies ministry of encouragement that has been a blessing to my own wife and many across the country.  She is joined in this ministry with Mary Southerland (wife of Pastor Dan Southerland who wrote the book “Transitioning” and was the founding pastor of Flamingo Road Church in South Florida) and Sharon Jaynes.  Gwen’s husband, Brad, is one of the elders at our church, Life Fellowship, in the Lake Norman area of metropolitan Charlotte, NC.

“Girlfriends in God” has just released their newest book, “Trusting God“.  As they decribe it, “Just trust me” are the words we often hear in movies just before something bad happens. And yet, we are told to trust God. In a culture where we tend to take control of our own lives, trusting God has become a religious platitude rather than a life-changing attitude. We say it, but do we really mean it? And what does trusting God really look like?  Each of these ladies has gone through life experiences when they simply had to hang on and trust God as life took wild turns and nerve-wracking bends.  The books has 12 Bible-study lessons and a place to journal as well.

Of the three “Girlfriends”, I know Gwen best because we attend the same church and Brad and I work together in leadership at our church.  Gwen is one of those effervescent personalities that makes one want to charge hades with a water pistol when you hear about her passion for the Gospel and growing in grace.  At the same time, she’s known her share of tough times and personal challenges.  She’s a wife, mother of some super-great kids, worship leader for many conferences and helps with our teams at the church and still takes the time to nurture her own walk with the Lord and helps other ladies do the same.  That’s why I’m recommending her book.  She’s the real deal and I know enough about her partners in ministry to know that they are as well.  Gwen is also the author of “Broken into Beautiful.”

It’s Christmas time and this book would make a great present for your wife, mom, daughter, sister, friend or colleague.  You can pick up a paperback copy or a Kindle edition HERE.

Congratulations to our Free Give-Away Winners: Jason Pyles and Terry Pettigrew.  Your books are in the mail!

As we are in the midst of this season of shopping, I have recently been pondering over the tendency of so many in today’s culture of “What’s in it for me?” to engage in near constant church shifting, changing, transferring and yes, I’ll say it… “Church Shopping.”

Others can’t seem to stay in the same church more than a year or two.  Something happens, someone new comes along, some slight lands their direction — and bam, it’s “On the Road Again”.  We call these folks “Church Hoppers”.  Don’t count on them…they’ll be gone the first time the road gets a little rough or something “cooler” comes along.

Oh, I’ve heard just about every excuse there is for leaving a church during my years of ministry.  “We’re not being fed” (So at what point should a Christian grow up sufficiently that they can ’self-feed’ — not every sermon is supposed to be for every person, for the record.)  “No one called us when we were absent/in the hospital/on a trip” — (yes, and when one only attends sporadically, it’s actually quite difficult when someone’s actually absent or just out on their latest week-end junket.  Plus, we’re not telepathic just because we’re in the ministry.  If you are sick, in the hospital, laid up or whatever, how giving us a head’s up with an email or a phone call?)  “We no longer feel the Spirit” (Really, well you might want to keep in mind that the Holy Spirit lives IN you, not in the building.  This could be something you might want to check out personally.)  “God is leading us away” (Why is it we so often blame doing what we really want to do on God so often?  I had a girlfriend that dumped me that way as in ‘God has lead me to break up with you’….interestingly, He also lead her to immediately begin dating one of my friends.  It’s just so much easier to blame God and make it sound all spiritual instead of owning our own choices.)

That’s not to say that we should never leave a church.  If you move, you gotta’ leave.  If the pastor quits teaching the Bible, head for the door.  If sin is being covered, heresy is being tolerated, Biblical principles are being violated, then you may need to leave.  But some of us approach our church family like Kim Kardashian approached her marriage to Kris Humphries — “OK, I’m bored, I’m leaving. Buh-bye!”  Seriously?  Are we to approach our church membership like a Hollywood wedding?

My role as pastor has provided me with a unique perspective on a variety of human traits. Among the most frustrating things in my life is the constant parade of people I observe who are quite content to live superficially, unBiblically or both even though they profess to have a real, substantive relationship with Jesus Christ. I’m reminded of Paul’s concern regarding our tendency to be “hearers” rather than “doers” of the Word of God.

Pastors minister via “ideals”, but we constantly live in “reality”.  Sure I want folks to come to church for “good” reasons, spiritual reasons, etc… I want them to make decisions based on Bible principle, sound philosophy and good reasoning, not experience, or convenience or trendiness. But the reality of real-world living is that the vast majority of folks prefer and use the latter criteria more than the former. At the same time, God has called me to minister to “All”, not just the spiritually mature or discerning. So how does a pastor reach the immature and superficial so that they can minister to them with a desire to see them become mature and substantive?

Some time ago I read an article by a religion reporter who noted that the most heartfelt e-mails (he) received came from folks searching for a faith home. I would note that he wrote in a paper located in a city with over seven hundred houses of worship. Several quotes from that article and comments I’ve heard or read over the years, triggered some thoughts for me on the matter of what do people want from a church?

As one who has served many years in pastoral miknistry, I am intrigued by the kinds of questions people ask of me when considering joining our church. Let me give you a sample:

What programs do you have for children?
Are you part of a denominational association?
What style of music do you use in your services?
How long is your typical sermon?
What sort of fellowship groups do you provide?

The article had some interesting comments as well:

One lady said, (quote)”We do not want a church that is about `absolutes’ and being `saved,’ nor are we looking for a charismatic or fundamentalist church. We would like a Christian church that offers contemporary services, social gatherings and family programming.”

One e-mailer cited in the article suggested that (quote) someone put out a church guide listing everything anyone would ever want to know about a congregation, from music to ministries to dress code. If she had had such a Charlotte guide, the e-mailer said, “I wouldn’t have sat in a church parking lot noting that the congregation wasn’t carrying in their Bibles — a wasted Sunday for me and a waste of time for them contacting me …”

Many pastors experience additional feedback that relates to the temperature of the auditorium, the convenience of parking, the volume of the music and the rapidity with which hospital visits are made. But all of it seems to miss the key points what is MOST important?

Not one of these individuals asked what I would consider to be a vital question. What do they use for their standard of truth? What is the basis for their faith? Does the pastor preach from Scripture or his own opinions? Will I be spiritually fed at this church? Does this church have an area in which I could be a blessing or encouragement?

I pose this question, Do we really go to church for activities and events, convenience and comfort, to have our egos stroked and our desires met? Do we never consider that the church might need us? What part should each of us play in the health, growth and ministry of the church?  Is church shopping and church swapping simply a matter of wanting a place that provides us with a since of being ’spiritual’ but does not require that we think, respond, receive correction, get provoked with Truth and actually make investments in something that does not give us direct and immediate benefit?  Have we developed a mentality that says, “If this doesn’t work for me, I’ll just split and give it a shot somewhere else?”  Has a church home become “all about me?”

What if people found a church and joined it with an attitude that says, not every sermon must be for me, not every song must be my style, not every activity has to be one that I would join. Instead, Where can I serve?, Whom can I assist?, Where could my spiritual gifts be best put to use?

What if they approached it like a marriage and determined to work through dry periods, refuse to walk out when things don’t lean our direction, to give others the benefit of the doubt, to forgive, to be patient, to demonstrate loyalty and perseverance?

Churches ought to be more like families than amusement parks. Everyone should join in for the good of the family and each member realizes that it can’t always be about them. Some churches are struggling and an infusion or a core of committed, positive people who are more interested in giving than taking could spark them to a renaissance. Some churches have a dearth of teachers or musicians and the addition of someone with a talent in those areas could be a blessing to the church and the pastor.  When we leave a church and walk away from our ministry, what do we communicate to those who served?  Isn’t it like abandoning people that have been depending on us?

So not everyone is carrying their Bible to church? How about setting the example? How about using your influence to encourage the pastor to deliver messages that challenge the people to not only bring, but USE their Bibles.

The world has enough self-centered critics. No church is perfect, just like no family is perfect. Maybe it’s time we quit asking what’s in it for us and start asking, “What can I do to serve?”  A church shouldn’t be about attire, convenient service schedules, worship styles or personal preferences.  A pastor can’t always be a motivator, a professor, a financial expert, a counseling guru, a leadership expert, a bedside comforter, an organizer and a musician.  We need to have reasonable expectations of our church and its leadership.

It should be about being a called-out community of believers who are committed to using their God-given gifts for His glory and our good. When we find a church that is built on a Truth and a pastor that is committed to teaching, preaching and modeling it — then more times than not, we need to stay put and find a place for service.  As I often say, “Those that are rowing the boat are usually a lot less likely to be found rocking the boat.”

People need breaks during the “off-season” as well as during the summer months and the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in Western North Carolina is a perfect place to get some R and R, chillax, make some family memories or just take a second honeymoon.  We have recently returned our vacation/retirement home to the rental market and invite you to consider spending a few days or longer at this beautiful, full-equipped house in Lake Lure, North Carolina. 

The house is not a cabin and it’s not rustic.  This is a nicely-appointed house with all the amenities from satellite TV to wireless internet to laundry facilities to a king-sized bed in a master suite with a jacuzzi garden tub.  Sleeps 8 easily (and 10 if you have smaller children) and is on the side of a mountain that overlooks Mirror Lake.  It is within the Rumbling Bald Resort which means that year-around golfing on two breath-taking championship courses, spa, health club, basketball, marina, mini-golf, pool and lazy river, volleyball, horseshoes, beach, hiking, fishing, tennis, indoor pool, movie rental, restaurants and more just minutes away.  Also in the area is beautiful Chimney Rock Park, the Biltmore, horseback riding, skiing, shopping, Flat Rock Theater, hiking, restaurants, apple orchards, white water rafting, zip lines, lovely mountain drives and more.  If photography is your hobby, make sure you bring your camera as this is a photographer’s paradise with covered bridges, wildlife, mountain foliage, spectacular sunsets and much more ready to capture.

The house is family-friendly with books, videos, games, a foosball table, ping-pong table and fishing equipment readily available.  Save money by bringing in your own groceries and utilize the fully-equipped kitchen complete with microwave and dishwasher.  There is also a barbecue grill, deck and lovely porch.  There are tons of deer, wild turkey, squirrels, chipmunks and even the occasional little black bear running around.

Lake Lure is located 45 minutes from Asheville and Hendersonville, NC, one hour from Greenville, SC and 100 minutes from Charlotte.  Perfect location for going on day trips all around the area.

If you are in ministry (missionary, pastor, etc…), this is a great place to go to re-charge your batteries, write or read, doing planning or just reconnect to the Lord.  In addition, if you will write me, I’ll arrange a special “ministry rate” to make it affordable for just about every budget. 

Drop me a line at DLBurrell@Liberty.edu for more information or you can get more information from our broker by clicking on THIS LINK.  “Burrell’s Peaceful Cove” may be a place you want to visit year after year.  Now’s the time to get super-low nightly and weekly rates.

I’m always hesitant to write much about missions as I have SO many dear friends who are missionaries and it’s almost impossible for me to write anything substantive about missions anymore without it appearing that I’m taking a swipe at the idea of missions, missionaries in general or missions agencies.  Some day when I’m temporarily insane, exceptional bored or just feeling like laying it all out there, I’ll share my thoughts perhaps.  Until then, I just happened on this blogger’s article and I’d recommend you read it.  Feel free to discuss below.

Wow…I’ve really been blessed by those who have responded to my request for help with a Christmas project to give a Kindle loaded with Christian and theology books for my pastor friends who are planting churches in central Cuba!  They have started arriving at my office and I can’t wait to start loading them up with books for the Cuban pastors.  (I still need about 12 more if you are thinking about helping out.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about, click HERE.)

Now is the time for me to start getting the books to load them.  I’ve made a “wish list” on my Amazon.com page that has links to various books I’ve located that I’d like to put on the Kindles and I’m in the process of contacting my Spanish-speaking friends in order to get more recommendations.  Some of the books are as cheap as $.99 and most are around $9.99 with a couple that are $14.99.  Still cheaper than individual books and I can load them onto multiple Kindles as well.  I hope to put as many as 100 books on each Kindle to start their Libraries.  I hope within a few years they will be permitted access to the Internet and they can continue with their Libraries — though a $14.99 book represents at least 2 weeks pay for them.

If you would like to purchase a book for the pastors, you can go to THIS LINK.  It will allow you to purchase the book and it will be sent to me.  I don’t read Spanish, but that won’t matter — they do!

Thanks again for your participation and feel free to send THIS LINK and THIS LINK to others to see if they’ll get involved or you can post it on your Facebook wall or Tweet it as well.

Well, it’s not really for me.  I have a Kindle.  Better yet, I have an Ipad.  That’s why I don’t use my Kindle anymore.  But I know someone who can — my pastor friend in Cuba.  They can’t download books there with Amazon’s “whispernet”, but I can load a TON of theology books in both English and Spanish (he’s bilingual), take it to him, and he can literally have an entire library of hundreds of books on one single E-Reader.  Can you imagine what an amazing tool this could mean for him?

So, I’ve got thirty other Cuban national pastors that we support and work with who barely own a Bible and virtually no theology books.  I started thinking — with Kindles now available for as low as $100, what if I could get 30 friends to send me their old one or buy a new one for a Christmas gift and I could load them with good books and take an entire library for each pastor with me on my next trip in February?  Wouldn’t that be awesome?

Maybe you are like me and had a Kindle, but like the IPad reader better, so you aren’t using it any more.  I’ll be brash — I’d like for you to give me your old one.

Maybe you enjoy doing something nice for someone at Christmas — How about doing something for a guy who makes less than $1 per day and lives in a house with no air or heat or hot water or toilet seat and who has never driven a car and doesn’t have a library and sometimes doesn’t have electricity or running water?  Think that might be something pretty special for them?  I know so!  So order a Kindle (your choice) on Cyber-Monday and send it my way.  I promise you that every single one of them will get to a pastor in Cuba.

Perhaps you can’t afford a Kindle, but you will send an Amazon gift card via email or snail mail.  That would be awesome, because right now, I’m buying all these books on my own.  That would be a big help in any amount.

I promise that 100% of what you give will go directly to Cuba.  Nothing stays here and nothing sticks to me.  It all goes.  Some of you have been tremendous blessings over the years to the Cuban church planters who are part of our ministry.  I have to be very careful about how I report about them or identify them for their own safety, but it would make you cry to hear their stories — at least it always does me.

So think about it — I know it’s brash to ask straight up like this, but it’s not for me and I know how bad they need these kinds of tools there.  I’ve probably got 10,000 books in my two houses and two offices.  They may have 3.  They are better men than I could ever hope to be in ministry — they know suffering every day.  I don’t.  They have cute little kids and sweet wives.  They are real people who weep and worry and hurt.  I want to help them.  Will you join me.

So….send me your Kindle.  It will be a huge blessing to a  wonderful pastor in Cuba.

To contact me: email me @ dburrell@lifecharlotte.com or you can send your Kindle to:

Dan Burrell
c/o Life Fellowship
16507 Northcross Drive, Suite B
Huntersville, NC 28078