Whirled Views with Dan Burrell

Has anyone else noticed that since the November election, many Christians seem to feel a little more “empowered” about expressing their faith? I sometimes call it “In Your Face Faith”. I’m not real sure how I feel about it. I’m certainly not a shrinking violet when it comes to be boldly and proudly a follower of Christ, but at the same time, there’s a sometimes-not-so-fine line between being an ambassador and being obnoxious.

I was getting a haircut this morning when my barber (who knows I’m a believer) told me of an exchange he’d had with a customer yesterday. He said that as he finished the haircut, he’d wished his client a “Happy Holidays”. The client rebuked him for being “politically correct” and told him that he should wish people a “Merry Christmas.” Apparently, my hapless barber had to endure quite the diatribe about leaving Christ out of Christmas, the fear in our culture of being perceived as “religious”, etc…

I just saw a report on the Foxnews website about an Alabama judge (no, it isn’t Roy Moore) who has had the 10 Commandments embroidered on the front of his judicial robes. Apparently some defense lawyers are not happy about it and are going to use it for grounds for appeal. The judge is sticking by his guns, Roy Moore is supporting him and this is sure to become yet another Alabama test of wills in the future. A symbolic gesture that makes a statement, but I wonder how effective it will be in persuading anyone.

One of my least favorite aspects of this season is the constant news reports about the ACLU and Americans United for Separation of Church and State suing and intimidating officials into neutering Christmas into a cultural event while ignoring its Spiritual foundation. One stupid Kansas official even issued a public apology for referring to their “Holiday Tree” as a “Christmas Tree”. HORRORS!!!!

Some have suggested that we show disrespect to Christ by making His birthday celebration a more inocuous celebration of the season as opposed to a religious holiday, but I would counter that we’ve already pretty much massacred the spiritual significance of the holiday decades ago with our grotesque practice of commercializing the entire observance. From the obscene amounts of money we spend buying gifts people don’t really need and giving them to people we really don’t want to give them to, to the annual office “Christmas parties” filled with booze and debauchery, to the messed up messages of Christ’s ministry, to the churches that make big bucks charging the public to come see camels march down their aisles at the annual Christmas pageant, we’ve really pretty well exhausted any argument that says we aren’t showing disrespect for the Christmas story by now.

I’m not sure how I feel about this sudden resurgence of “aggressive Christian identity” (not to be confused with legitimately being salt and light). Maybe you have some thoughts and will post them. Either way, it’s something worth pondering.

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Here’s the link to an article that shows another example of the conflict over Christmas. http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20041215175009990018

Several post-election pundits wondered if the region of Whoopi Goldberg values would receive the message that pro-family voters sent the Democratic Party on November 2nd. Based on the recent Golden Globe nominations which allegedly honor Hollywoods best and which are viewed by many as a precursory indicator to the subsequent Oscar nominations, the answer would be message not received. Hollywood is notorious for its annual ritual of mutual back-slapping which general elevates snobbishness to new levels. Those who nominate and ultimately select these self-congratulatory awards have consistently delighted in picking the provocative over the popular, the controversial over the inspiring and the edgy over the mainstream. Its the once-a-year opportunity to thumb their highly-elevated noses at the common trash who so faithfully line their pockets with their blue-collar dollars.

Lets examine some examples of their high-mindedness this year. Notably missing from the Golden Globe nominations is any mention of The Passion of the Christ. This mega-hit blockbuster doesnt have a chance in the Christophobic atmosphere of todays entertainment culture. They are furious at a depiction of Christ that was so graphically accurate, they are furious at Mel Gibson for having his way in yet another grand epic with his signature on it, they are furious with the evangelicals and religious communities who made it a financial success for Gibson and his fellow entrepreneurs who chose to work outside the traditional Hollywood publicity troughs. So, with one last flailing attempt to de-legitimize this powerful film, they boycott it with their nominations.

Instead, we find a movie that glamorizes Alfred Kinsey, the late architect of the sexual revolution in the West, being singled out as exemplary. They also honored Closer which has been described as a caustic sex tale. For TV shows, you had to either be a premium cable TV subscriber (which many red state voters are not) or enjoy bizarrely edgy shows on minor networks to recognize the nominees. Nip/Tuck the cable TV show featuring seamy plastic surgeons in a setting filled with profanity, nudity and promiscuity is a hit with the Hollywood crowd. The Sopranos is a perennial favorite as well for those who enjoy plenty of vile language and gore for entertainment. ABCs hot nighttime soap opera Desperate Housewives was a less-than-shocking selection and of course, Sex and the City and Will and Grace two tinsel-town favorites were also singled out for honors.

I will confess that Im no entertainment blue-blood or critic. I still think that Andy Griffith and Little House on the Prairie had good entertainment value. Im also semi-addicted to those blasted reality shows which I generally dont admit in public. But it doesnt take a rocket scientist to see the trend in Hollywood each year that gives us these prurient works that glorify sex, sin and sensationalism while ignoring, if not mocking, traditionalism, conservatives and family friendliness.

In much of red-state America those portions of the nation who supported George W. Bush for re-election, voted based on values and which tend to trend conservative, these shows are simply not where we look for entertainment. I get enough cynicism, violence and sex discussion from reading the newspaper, I dont need to pay extra to have it piped into my living room. These are not the values of my home, my friends, my community these are the values from which I try to protect my impressionable children and I dont need to see it depicted on big or small screens to know that they are destructive to families and relationships.

Hollywood doesnt understand red-state voters worse yet, they despise them. Their arrogance produces periodic tirades against people of faith and values from the likes of Barbra Streisand, Leonardo DiCaprio, Susan Sarandon and Whoopi Goldberg. These petty and shallow people who make ungodly amounts of money pretending to be people that have generally never existed live in a fantasy world from which they rarely escape. They preach tolerance in condescending tones while refusing to accepting one whit of responsibility for the sad and unhealthy consequences of the values they promote and exemplify.

Sadly, too many of us red-state voters keep them in business by subscribing to HBO and Showtime, going to their tasteless movies and paying for their lifestyles with our hard-earned dollars. Until we get smart enough to stop feeding the mouths of those who curse us, we can expect more of the same.

Thankfully, for now it appears those who care about the kind of values our children embrace are speaking in a unified enough manner at the voting booth that we maintain at least some political power. But one must wonder what the long-term impact of these darlings of the elite culture of Hollywood will have on our nation in the future. To deny the power of projected images is to ignore the power of advertising all together. It is inaccurate to imply that Hollywood merely reflects real life. It also impacts it and that should be cause for pause, if not alarm.

Copyrighted by Dan Burrell 2004 For permission to reprint, write dburrell@northsidbapt.org. For more commentaries by Dr. Burrell, visit www.danburrell.com.

There’s so much around Christmas that has been romanticized and polluted by legend, culture and hyper-sentimentality (bah, humbug) that I find myself unnecessarily irritated by a lot of the hype. One of the most enduring misconceptions is the story of the “Three Kings” from the “Orient.” I thought you might be interested in knowing what they really were all about.

The story of the magi is one of the most misunderstood and even abused parts of the Christmas story. Because of the mystique and sentimentalism that surround Christmas, many of the facts have become distorted or obliterated altogether. No Christmas carol does a more complete job of this than the old song, We Three Kings of Orient Are. There is not indication that there were three magi we only know they brought three different types of gifts gold, frankincense and myrrh. We have no Scriptural indication that they were Kings rather they were probably mystics (magicians) who practiced Zoroastrianism which is an ancient cultic religion referenced most clearly in the book Daniel during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. These were the magicians of his court who practiced a form of mysticism that include a mix of astronomy and astrology. They met David during the time the King needed his dreams interpreted. More than likely, they learned of the coming Messiah through him which is why they set out looking for him. We see the wise men often depicted as orientals with Manchu beards, oriental facial characteristics and oriental dress. Actually the Bible simply says they were from the East and based on what we know about the magi, it could be safely assumed they came from the region of Persians (Iran) where the Medes and the Persians ruled. The magi were considered scholarly in the scientific and religious disciplines. Their teachings became known as the law of the Medes and the Persians and were not subject to change, correction or dispute. They were inalterable. As a consequence, the magi were considered experts in the law and served as judges or magistrates.

If you aren’t from Charlotte, you probably won’t be interested in these items, but I’m going to vent a little bit….

First, I am outraged at the way Bill James was treated at this week’s County Commission Meeting. You can look at my previous post to get my thoughts on some of his less-than-eloquent comments regarding the plight of moral standards in the inner city black community of Charlotte, but some of those who attacked him and his family at this largely ceremonial event only served to reinforce the stereotypes of which they claim to be offended. Here’s Bill’s own words to me regarding what his family endured on Monday night…

“I believe that God expects us to at least try and fix the problems around us. During the swearing in last night it was a sorry sad show. The room was filled with NAACP folks. They clapped for the Democrats sort of twittered and mumbled about the Republicans.

God is in a battle and either we as Christians are on the front lines or we are not. I volunteered for the duty so I can’t complain but my family did not.”

Now some might say that Bill should expect some abuse for his occasionally inflammatory way of communicating, but reducing his wife and children to tears is just wrong. All of us in the public limelight experience this from time to time. I’ve gotten lambasted more than once by homosexual groups, liberals and even so-called Christian church members (sometimes the meanest of all) and any leader knows that it comes with the turf. It’s just sad to see this move beyond a clash of ideas and ideals and become so personal.

Interestingly, some of my black friends and fellow pastors have privately expressed to me that Bill was on the mark in terms of calling attention to the breakdown of African-American families and communities due to rampant immorality. (Though all of us wish that he’d find ways to bring the problems up with more tact.)

The STUPIDEST comments were made by the new chair of the Meck County Commission, Parks Helms who said the reason the problems were so significant in Charlotte’s black urban community was due to poverty, not morality. He insinuated that if they just had more money crime would go down and intact families would go up. Really, Parks? Can anyone say “Knee-Jerk Liberal?”

If its a money problem then please explain Kobe Bryant, Sprewell, O.J., Tyson and the Pistons to me. It’s not about race! As MLK said, “Its about the content of the character, not the color of the skin.” Any community, regardless of its racial or socio-economic demographics, that has huge illigitimacy rates, divorce rates and crime rates has a CHARACTER problem and to ignore that is to damn the members of that community to a hopeless subculture of failure and misery.

Speaking of stupid politicians, how desperate was the black congressional caucus that they had to elect Mel Watt (my congressman) to be the head of their group. Watt is one of the most extremist liberal politicians in Washington, not to mention inarticulate and ineffective. His horrifically gerrymandered district was carved out simply to make a black seat for the NC delegation and he’s the worst person I’ve seen in our district to hold that position. (This guy even voted against legislation that made it illegal to murder infants who are born alive.) There are multiple fine black leaders in the congress (and who live in our district) that would serve with far more distinction and credibility in both congress and the caucus than Mel Watt.

Now to move off politics…

If you haven’t taken the kids down to the ice skating rink near the convention center, you should. It’s a cool little rink and could be a lot of fun. I’m waiting for the cold fronts to come in before we go, but its on my agenda. It reminds me of the rinks in big cities and while it won’t rival the ones in New York or Chicago, it’s still a neat addition to our city.

BTW, if you like seafood, Harbor Inn Seafood just off W.T. Harris near Old Concord Road is the best seafood for the best price I’ve seen in this area. You’ll really like it.

If you live in NC and haven’t done the “cut-your-own-Christmas-tree” thing, you should give it a try. We went last week-end and it was a nice day. I always gripe about it and something weird always happens to us each year, but it was beautiful weather, nice trees, family time and a great day trip. The best tree farms are near Boone and you can find where to go by putting Christmas Tree Farms North Carolina in a google search.

Well, that’s all for this blog…thanks for reading and for the feedback!

Those of you who know me know that I’m an avid reader. Periodically, people pass on good books to me and I do the same to others. I thought I’d share a few good ones that I’ve either just finished or working on finishing in case you wanted to check them out.

“How Good is Good Enough” by Andy Stanley is one that is really being used. It is a GREAT evangelistic tool for those who think that “good works” will earn one a spot in heaven. Andy is a master communicator and is really effective in communicating the gospel to those who are unfamiliar with “church-dom”. In a precise, yet conversational way, he dismantles the whole “works” theory of gaining eternal life and shows what the Scripture says must be done. A friend of mine first put me on this book and now he and I and his father are urging the folks in our churches to buy these three at a time (roughly $4 per 3-pak softcover through Christian Book Distributers) and give them as gifts. At less than 2 bucks a pop, these are FAR more effective than tracts and will probably get passed around for years rather than quickly chucked into the garbage. (What kind of twisted person throws away books anyway?)

Josh Harris recently put out a new book called “Stop Dating the Church — Fall in Love with the Family of God.” Josh is another young and effective communicator. He’s best known as the author of “I kissed Dating Good-Bye” and “Not Even a Hint” which both deal with morality in young people. Josh’s parents were pioneer leaders in the homeschool movement and he is now the pastor of a church in the Washington, DC area. “Stop Dating the Church” should be a must read for church members, church shoppers and church hoppers. It’s really outstanding. I’d like to buy one for every person in my church if I knew they would read it.

I won’t give as long a review on these others, but you might want to check out:

7 Practices of Effective Ministry by Andy Stanley and others
When I Don’t Desire God by John Piper
Letters to Timothy by John Bisagno (great for pastors and church leaders)

Feel free to post any ideas for good reading as a comment on this entry. I’d love to know what is on your nightstand these days!

I’m frequently asked to issue press releases and public commentary on a variety of topics. Just this week I’ve been interviewed by or spoken to 4 media people — one of which was a reporter for the Washington Times. Today, I was asked to offer a comment on a local issue wherein a prominent local politician and evangelical Christian, often known to rather strident, made a statement in a publicly-circulated email that part of the problem with low-performing urban schools in Charlotte was related to the “moral sewer” in the black urban community. His comments have been roundly criticized by Republicans and Democrats alike and it now appears that the story is growing “legs” and who knows how big the firestorm will grow.

Because I am rarely fully-quoted when interviewed or I issue a press release, I have decided to issue the complete text of my comments to the Charlotte Observer on the matter. You will find them below:

American politics, for better and for worse, has long had figures who enjoy using a tactic of hurling the occasional verbal bombshell into the fray in order to provoke a debate. Newt Gingrich and Bill James often appear to be equally blessed with the proclivity, (some might argue penchant), for using less-than-graceful verbiage in order to garner attention toward an underlying reality. At the core of Bill James’ ineloquent declaration is a reality that must not be over-looked — Moral decay produces negative societal ramifications. Every community, regardless of race, locale or socio-economic status, needs to take an honest look at the statistics and consequences related to their behavior and accept the challenge to do better. I hope that such a discussion will not be ignored once the debate over Mr. James’ comments has died down. I would not have phrased my concern as Mr. James phrased it, but I believe a debate on the societal implications of immoral behavior and dysfunctional families is long over-due and it has nothing to do with race and everything to do with morality and behavior.

Dan Burrell, Ed.D.
Northside Baptist Church, Senior Pastor
Charlotte, NC

I just got back from speaking at Piedmont Baptist College in Winston-Salem, NC this morning. I always enjoy speaking to college kids. They are typically earnest, yet appropriately discombobulated. They are at the cusp of adulthood, curiously curious and often full of themselves. I miss those days in my own life having settled into the typical middle-aged morass of having more maturity than energy.

I spoke on the topic of “temptation.” I thought it would be an appropriate subject considering that in a mere couple of weeks, most of them will be back home, with their old friends, visiting their old haunts. I watched some kids pretty much come “undone” during Christmas break during my own college years and the sudden relief from daily college stress often came with a price of stupid decisions and unBiblical behavior.

The subject of temptation is an important one regardless of the age of life in which we find ourselves. Certainly, temptation varies according to the stage of life or even time of year. Things that tempted me when I was younger aren’t the draw as much today, but I find that other things have emerged to replace those youthful temptations. So I’ve penned some thoughts on the topic.

Temptation happens. If you never experience temptation, then youre dead either brain dead or physically dead. We can be tempted to cuss, quit, lie, cheat, steal, murder, trick, do violence, rage, sneak, mock, blaspheme, indulge, gossip, accuse, harm, cover and rebel. Chances are each of us have been tempted to do all of that considerable list and more, and more than once.

A frequent question on the heart of many believers is why doesnt God deliver me from these temptations? Ive spoken to people who struggle with their tempers, with feelings of worthlessness, with homosexual attractions, with materialism, with pride, with gluttony, with adultery and they often say, I dont WANT to be this way how can I get victory? Did God make me this way? Why doesnt He change what I want?

Certainly there are some times when testing comes into our lives and God is in control of the circumstances and situation. He wants to use what is occurring to teach us something, to test our mettle, to mature us, to add to our perspective, to prepare us. If we endure the test, we come out on the other side better and wiser and stronger.

But in the midst of the test, there is also the presence of temptation. This is Satans attempt to sidetrack us, to make our defeat his victory, to provide a way of escape that will weaken us and keep us from maturing spiritually.

There are many examples of this in the Scripture. The Children of Israel would be one of the best examples. God had delivered them from slavery and captivity. He had performed ten miraculous plagues to obtain their release. He had protected their firstborn. He had split the Red Sea. He had given them manna in the dew and fresh water from rocks. Yet, they became thirsty and found only undrinkable bitter water, they turned on God and blamed Him. When Moses was gone a little too long up on the mountain, they took their gold and made an idol. When they tired of Moses leadership, a band of them rose up in rebellion and sought to overthrow him. In the midst of a trial or a test, they gave in to temptation.

Make no mistake, whenever you are under stress and pressure and enduring a trial, Satan is going to do his best to add temptation to do wrong to your burden.

You commit to taking an evangelism or discipleship class and it gets long or hard or inconvenient. Satan will tell you that you arent smart enough, or the teacher isnt interesting enough, or the expectations are too difficult so that youll quit.

You have an illness or someone you love does and you are faced with difficult treatment or even death. Satan will tempt you to get mad at God, to curse God and die, to exact revenge on others, to give in to hopeless depression, to quit or ignore your faith.

You lose your job or get laid off or your car breaks down or an unexpected bill comes along this is a triala test to see if you are willing to trust God and keep your faith steady. Satan will come along and say, Quit tithing, what good is God doing you now that you are in this situation? Perhaps hell tempt you to steal or cheat on your taxes or default on a debt.

Satans goal is to turn your test into temptation.

God will help you endure lifes trials and valleys without making a bad situation worse by succumbing to temptation and complicating the situation with sin.

Scripture tells us twice in the book of Proverbs, There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Many believe that we can disregard Gods word, ignore His Spirits leading and are exceptions to Gods universal laws. But eventually they will discover that there is no immunity from the consequences that come from disobeying Gods word.

Temptation is going to enter your life and mine this week. Lets be ready to face it head on but remember that greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world.

My role as pastor provides 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” — something upon which I’ll probably elucidate further in a future entry. 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 spiritual 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? That’s the topic of my rant today.

I recently read an article by a local religion reporter who noted that the most heartfelt e-mails (he) receives come from folks searching for a faith home. I would note that he writes in a paper located in a city with some seven hundred houses of worship. Several quotes from that article and comments Ive heard or read over the years, triggered some thoughts for me on What do people want from a church?

As a pastor, 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?

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?

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 cant always be about them. Some churches are struggling and an infusion 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 the addition of someone with a talent in those areas could be a blessing to the church and the pastor. 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 its time we quit asking whats in it for us? and start asking, What can I do to serve? A church shouldnt be about attire, convenient service schedules, worship styles or personal preferences. 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.