Whirled Views with Dan Burrell

Well, it’s been a crazy-busy week and I haven’t had much time to blog. I usually come up with my “blog-thoughts” in the wee hours of the a.m. or late at night, but I’ve been so busy during the days this week, that my brain is mostly fried by the time I head for bed (not that I have any better success getting to sleep early).

Next week, I’m on the road, so I don’t know if or when I’ll have any time for updating the blog. I leave Sunday for the Southwide Baptist Fellowship meeting in Chattanooga, TN. I generally don’t attend a lot of “preacher’s meetings” for a variety of reasons, but I am interested in my Independent Baptist heritage and FINALLY there’s a group of guys who seem to want to leave behind some of our more ridiculous baggage we’ve accumulated over the last 25 years or so and start focusing on doing the Lord’s Work as opposed to meddling with secondary and terciary issues. Many of the leaders in the SBF are trying to reclaim the historical and sound positions on fundamental doctrines without fussing and splitting over less consequential issues which are best left to the discretion of individual and autonomous churches. I am one of the featured speakers and I’ll be preaching in one of the general sessions on Tuesday morning at the Highland Park Baptist Church.

On Wednesday, I head for Orlando, FL where I will be teaching three workshops and giving the final keynote address (on Friday) at the annual Florida Association of Christian Colleges and Schools Educator’s Convention. I’ve been attending and speaking at these conferences 20 of the last 22 years and served as the second President of the association during the mid-to-late 90’s. FACCS is the largest “State” association of Christian schools in the country and their conference is one of the best, so I’m honored to be invited back to attend, do workshops and a keynote. I’m looking forward to seeing my old Florida friends and compatriots.

Many of you know that I wrote and recorded a series of six small group studies entitled “Living Beyond Your Reality” which are loosely based on Reality TV shows. These six studies are being offered in over thirty locations across the Charlotte/Mecklenburg region and I am introducing each study with a sermon at Northside Baptist Church on Sunday mornings at 8:00 and 10:30. (This week is “Nanny 911 — Raising Your Kids without Killing Them First.”) We had over 220 people attend the home studies the first week and I’m very encouraged at the response thus far. This study is specifically for those who do not attend a church anywhere currently, so for many of these folks — this is their first experience with a Bible study, the plan of salvation or the like. If you’d like to see the sermons or the Bible studies week-to-week, you can find them at the Northside Baptist Church website.

Here’s a few miscellaneous thoughts as I close…

…I’ve mentioned Phil Johnson’s excellent blog “Pyromaniac” on here before. His son, has a blog entitled “I Drank What?” which is simply the funniest blog I’ve read. You have to read his rant on “Fancy Boys“. You’ll be howling by the time you are halfway through it.

…Well, John Roberts is now the Chief Justice of the USSC. I am cautiously optimistic — based largely on the perceptions of a good friend of mine who is a reasonably well-connected acquaintance of the new Chief’s and who assures me he is at least a true conservative, if not a firebrand. Of greater concern at this point is Bush’s next selection. I remained amused and irritated at the gall of people like Chuck Schumer who actually think that they should have the privilege of picking the next candidate for the President. Someone needs to tell him that the people made their decision last November on whom we wanted making the choice and his name isn’t “Chuck”. I predict a BLOODY confirmation fight and a filibuster. I also wouldn’t be a bit surprised if the first nominee becomes a sacrificial lamb and that Bush will end up going back to the drawing board on this one.

…Isn’t Cindy Sheehan’s 15 minutes about up?

…Speaking of whacko’s — the only elected official to speak at last week-end’s “Peace” rally was Georgia Rep. Cynthia Jackson (D). THAT just about says all that needs to be said about Sheehan’s peace brigade.

…I’m proud to say that Mecklenburg county’s newest mall has now been open for 2 full weeks and I have yet to enter it even though it’s only 15 minutes from my house. Even more surprising is the fact that my wife hasn’t been either. (But I suspect she’ll sneak over there while I’m out of town.)

…Has anyone gotten a look at the mold taking over the city of New Orleans? NASTY! I can’t understand why we are going to spend $200 Billion dollars to rebuild that place. In a city located in a state that is known above all other American areas for its graft and corruption, how smart is it to be sending down that kind of money to them?

…If anyone wants a cat, call me. I have the most fertile felines on the planet. She just showed up with 5 new kittens. (And don’t bother lecturing me about spaying — I’m not paying 180 bucks to spay a cat whose sole purpose in my life is to keep the snakes away from my house.) Speaking of which, Josh (my eight-year-old) went nuclear all over a 3-foot bright green grass snake this week and then proceeded to torture me with it’s carcass all afternoon. The last straw was when I went to get in the SUV and he had it draped across the running board. What a twisted little man, he is, making his father scream like a six-year-old girl. Apparently the cat was too busy having kittens to take care of the snakes! So if you want a full-grown cat, I’ve got one of those for you too.

Now I’ve probably told you more about my week and what I’m thinking than you wanted to know. So until next time….

Does anyone else get tired of the propaganda Hollywood continues to pour our direction through their in-your-face and extreme leftist menu of television programming? As an unabashed political bug, I had high hopes that “The West Wing” would be watchable when it debutted several years ago. It only took a few episodes for me to realize that what they really should have named the show was “The Left Wing.” Martin Sheen’s smug, obnoxious, over-bearingingly arrogant portrayal of Democratic President Josiah Bartlett was simply insufferable and I never got into the show.

This year, ABC is offering us “Commander-in-Chief” featuring Geena Davis of “Thelma and Louise” fame. Once again, her Amazon genes kick in as an in-your-face feminist liberal as she portrays an “Independent” (yeah, right) President who happens to be unexpectedly elevated to become the first female President by virtue of the death (of a bleeding anueryism) of the elected President. Her arch-nemisis is a conservative Speaker-of-the-House, impossible-to-like, character played by Donald Sutherland. As an actress, Davis isn’t half bad, nor is Sutherland. But once again, the agenda of the leftist writers and producers is not even subtle. I watched part of the first episode, but can’t imagine that I’ll become a regular. Too many good books to read or I could play “High-Ho Cherrio” with one of the kids and not end up nearly as irritated.

I guess one question begs to be asked, Where is the balance? When was the last time you saw Christians portrayed as positively on a Hollywood show or movie as the homosexuals are? When was the last time you saw a show portray a pro-life message or even QUESTIONNED the morality of abortion? Can you remember a likeable Republican in any movie or sitcom?

Why do we continue to support these shows which are so flagrantly out-of-touch with the mainstream American culture? Do we honestly believe that these shows play no part in influencing public perceptions of Christian and family values? Is there one scintilla of evidence that would suggest that this is an accurate portrayal of prevailing attitudes or mores?

In all honesty, more of us need to quit being lazy and just shut the TV off. It is healthier to watch the dying blue dot in the center of the screen than to be subjected to the liberal diatribes which pollute our homes and confuse our thinking that prevails from the Hollywood culture. Its too bad that most Christians arent as passionate about the things we believe as the typical liberal entertain is. If we were, there wouldnt be enough viewers left to keep most of todays programming viable in an industry that worships money more than anything.

Phil Johnson’s Pyromaniac Blog is one of the best on the web in my opinion. I don’t always agree 100%, but he’s guaranteed to make you think. Today, his entry is a copy of an email exchange that he had with a “Christian Evangelist” who rationalizes his tattoos and piercings as an “evangelism tool.” You really should read Phil’s reply as it contains a lot of truth. You can read it HERE.

From time to time I get totally random thoughts and I need to express them somewhere. More to follow.

(I happened to catch “Anti-War Activist” Cindy Sheehan on Chris Matthew’s Crossfire on MSNBC this afternoon while driving back from West Virginia — Thus, the inspiration for this random thought.)

I have heard Cindy Sheehan referred to as a traitor, trouble-maker, turncoat, attention-starved-Peacenik, grieving mother, sincere citizen and activist. I disagree with all of those terms. I do, however, think she’s a space cadet.

Thanks for listening.

I love to go to old hardware stores. Several times a year, I go to one of my favorites in downtown China Grove, North Carolina. In the spring, they have their baby chicks out. I usually buy some seed for my garden (whether I need it or not). I can never resist it when I go into a hardware store and they have greenhouse plants out. They just call me. The reason I like this China Grove hardware store is because every spring they offer several different kinds of exotic lettuce like I buy from the organic section from Food Lion. Im sure the rabbits will get more of it than I do, but you cant blame a man for trying.

Over the years, Ive learned that greenhouses are important and very sophisticated places. Ive known several folks who ran wholesale farms and the greenhouses were just incredible. Automatic windows and fans. Climate-controlled temperature and humidity. Auto-sprinklers. I even went to one place where you had to walk through some kind of disinfectant so that you didnt bring some foreign bacteria into the house on your shoes.

From time to time, I have someone make an argument against Christian schools or sending kids to church or protecting them from certain influences which I call the Hot House or Green House argument. It goes something like this. Youre raising your children in an artificial environment like a greenhouse. But theyve got to go into the real world sometimes, so youd better not isolate them. Put them in public schools, dont force them to go to church, let them stay out late with their friends, dont be so strict with the curfew things, let them rent R-rated movies and the list goes on and on.

I usually just smile at them and continue on my way. Sometimes Ill engage them in a little banter by responding like this. Yes, you have a point. I think Ill go rent a porno movie this evening and watch it with the kids thats out in the real world too. Or maybe Ill take the younguns down to the hospital this afternoon and let the TB patients cough on them for a while I mean, hey, you cant protect them forever, can you? Their going to get exposed to germs eventually at least Ill be there! (I think by now, youre getting my point, right?)

Im afraid weve allowed unbiblical philosophy to sway us away from protecting our kids. Sometimes, I believe, we have over-delegated responsibilities to others that are best performed by parents. As a pastor and an educators, I often urge parents with whom I work to build a greenhouse in their own home.

Proverbs 22:6 tells us to Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it. This is a wonderful Proverb given to us in Wisdom. Keep in mind that Proverbs are principles and not promises. They are guidelines and counsel. You and I both know of some people who were reared in a good Christian home, but as they matured and had the opportunity to accept or reject the truth in which they were schooled, they chose to reject it. But as a principle or guide, Children who grow up in the loving, nurturing environment of a home that is committed to Biblical values, are more likely to continue in the way they should go as adults than those who dont get such support and training. But when an adult child chooses to reject Truth, it is less of a reflection on the parent than on the adult child who apparently has not submitted his will to the Lord.

The word train here comes from the Hebrew word hanak, meaning to dedicate”. It conveys an idea of hedging in or narrowing and would often be used in the sense of starting something. Horses are hedged in at the beginning of a race so their start will be fair and so they will be headed in the right direction. Garden plants are started in small, confining containers, under the protected environment of a greenhouse so they will get a good beginning. Climbing vines and roses are placed on a trellis to that they can be guided upward in a beautiful fashion. Godly parenting demands that godly parents get their youngsters off to a good start.

You have to admit, greenhouses are interesting places. They are sophisticated in their design and simple in their goal. By shielding their young charges from cold, disease, heat, draught, pests and other dangers, greenhouses prepare immature plants for life outside the greenhouse. When they are ready, they are transplanted to the real world not too soon just when they can handle its pressures, difficulties and irregularities.

Isnt that what we as parents should be doing as well? The notion that we should expose our children to the worst that the world has to offer as some sort of preparation for the real world is ludicrous. Yet, many parents push their kids into premature dating, expose their kids to the worst kinds of violence and conduct, sexualize their kids by letting them act and talk sexy and in general abdicate their responsibility to be keepers of the environment which allows our kids to mature before exposing them to the harsh realities of a pretty wicked world.

Lets examine some of the responsibilities of a greenhouse and draw comparisons with our responsibilities with the adult world.

First, greenhouses are to provide protection during early states of development. Most tender plants are given a nice head start in peat cups and potting soil. This allows them to sprout in safety away from the dangers that will destroy them before they even get started. Such is the approach by the wise parent. Keeping them close to mom and dad, snarling at things that would rob them of their innocence, hiding their impressionable psyches from the cruelness of a fallen creation, we allow them to get a head start on life before having to deal with those things for which they are not ready.

Greenhouses provide shelter from harsh exposures. Do our pre-pubescent kids really need to know the horrors of violence, the draw of sexuality, the raw potential for hatred that exists in the world? Certainly, they will be exposed to it soon enough and sometimes sooner than wed like. But why rush our kids into confrontation with that which scars, desensitizes and devastates?

Timely and measured nutrition are a priority in the greenhouse and should be in the home as well. Measured doses of nutrients, sunlight, moisture and fertilizers are given by conscientious farmers. The wise parent makes sure that their child is given the correct doses of intellectual stimulation, physical exercise and nutrition, emotional support and spiritual instruction. Wed be fools to only see that they get enough to eat, but no love or exercise or academic stimulation. Why is it that many parents, then, neglect completely the need each child has to know there is a God and that He matters? Its nothing short of child-neglect.

Every greenhouse is a monument to the controlled environment. Constant readings and evaluation give guidance. We also should be checking the temperature in our home. How are the attitudes? Is there balance? Have negative influences like too much TV, unhealthy media messages, and over-extension of time crept into our life? Sometimes we need to regulate what is going on in our personal greenhouse.

Much care is given to make sure the plants have developed their roots. Roots give stability, help with sustenance, and are essential for reproduction. Making sure our kids know lifes whys and not simply the whats is essential in giving them roots. It is what guides discernment, encourages stability, promotes continued growth. Good rooting is dependent upon a Worldview that is permeated with the absolute values of Scripture.

Finally, the big day arrives and they are ready for transplanting. Not too soon. Not too late. Gradually, they have been exposed to a greater extreme in exposure to sunlight, temperature and watering. They are now ready to transplant into the yard or garden. The day finally comes when our kids are ready to date, get their first job, go off to school, and invade the world one step at a time. Yet, even during that time, we monitor, guide, check and pray. Thats what good parents are all about.

So, if you’ve bought into the whole “Anti-Greenhouse” philosophy of parenting, I’d challenge you to rethink it. Indeed, a family garden and greenhouse may be what’s best for YOUR kids.

Apparently, when he or she is a Democrat. In an announcement that surprised no one yesterday, Massachussetts Senator Big Teddy Kennedy announced that he would not be supporting the nomination of John Roberts to become Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. I actually have more philosophical respect for Kennedy than I do many conservatives (Lindsey Graham are you listening) in that at least he’s a principled liberal who is consistent. I disagree with his principles, but that’s the stuff of which politics is made. But you know up front from whence he is coming and for what he is striving. He’s a true-blue, unabashed, partisan, Big-L Liberal.

But I’d like to point out the hypocrisy of many of his colleagues — particularly that of Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. Reid also announced yesterday that he would not be voting for Robert’s confirmation. But in his announcement, he gave a pathetically clear orientation to the intellectual dishonesty of Democratic Party leadership. He almost endorsed Roberts at the same time he was announcing he would not vote for him.

Look at these quotes liften from his speech…

“No one doubts that John Roberts is an excellent lawyer and an affable person.”

“I like Judge Roberts. I respect much of the work he has done in his career, such as his advocacy for environmentalists in the Lake Tahoe takings case several years ago. In the fullness of time, he may well prove to be a fine Supreme Court Justice.”

Granted, Reid’s full speech, has plenty of convuluted reasons for his vote against confirmation, but they are the reasons of idealogues and partisonship, not principal and conviction.

Even Reid admits that Roberts will be confirmed, but just not with HIS vote.

The Democrats have pontificated since O’Conner’s resignation on how dangerous it would be for Bush to nominate anyone who is not at least a “moderate”. They particularly warned against “conservative idealogues” like Scalia and Thomas. They conveniently chose to ignore that reality that there are at least 4 “liberal idealogues” on the bench already in the persons of Ginsberg, Breyer, Stevens and Souter.

So Bush nominates a man who has mastered the art of vague responses and an almost invisible paper trail which has been his only hope of getting a seat on the Supreme Court and they partison Democrats STILL won’t vote for him. That’s why he should look for a clone of Robert Bork and nominate him or her for the now-ready-to-nominated-seat of O’Conner. It won’t matter WHO Bush nominates, unless he or she is a liberal, pro-abortionist, anti-original intent, ACLU member, they aren’t going to vote in favor of seating them. So quit trying to appease them.

Sadly, most Republicans are either too polite, too principled or too much of a panty-waist to stand up for their principles like Kennedy. Look at how the nomination of Clinton Appointee Ginsburg sailed through both the committee and the full Senate vote a decade ago. Ginsburg may be the most unabashedly liberal (and she was a HUGE activist liberal before her nomination) justice in a generation on the court — yet the Republicans signed off on her without a hiccup. Interestingly, Reid found it possible to vote for her, however, in spite of her writings in favor of prostitution, bigamy, and co-ed prisons and her opposition to the Boy and Girl Scouts and Mother’s and Father’s Day - views that are well out of the mainstream — unless you are a Partisan Democratic Idealogue, of course.

The liberals, Democrats and mainstream media have turned the confirmation hearings into nothing more than a high-tech game of duck-and-dodge. No conservative, ever hoping to have a seat on the court, can ever express his or her views and they had better be very careful in every written opinion they issue from the day they leave law school until the day they move into one of the offices at the Court. Otherwise, they’ll be “Borked” right out of the hearing rooms. In effect, the confirmation hearings have been successfully neutered into a waste of time and energy.

The Democrats don’t want a pro-life litmus test, but Barbara Boxer sure isn’t ashamed of her pro-abort litmus test. The Democrats don’t want a “partisan idealogue“, but they sure aren’t ashamed of being partison idealogues as they refuse to vote to confirm a likeable, affable, vanilla-flavored nominee like John Roberts.

Sometimes, I wish Republicans and Conservatives believed what they say they believe as ardently as most Democrats I know do.

I wanted everyone to see a bunch of sharp young men — upper classmen at Northside Christian Academy — who did a project on our campus over the week-end. These guys are all part of Mr. Clayton Cromwell’s “Christian Leadership” class in which he works with young men on learning basic mechanical, carpentry, etc… skills while learning Christian principles of leadership and character. Their first project involved re-roofing the football stadium concession stand and in the process, they decided to “personalize” it with our mascot name. They did a great job and I’m proud of them!

Well, it’s Monday morning and I’m in my weekly process of cycling out of a busy week-end filled with ministry, stress, blessings and a systematic “emptying” of my heart and head in three sermons. Preachers often joke that many of us resign on Monday’s only to “re-sign” on Tuesday’s. A lot of pastors I know take Monday’s off to recuperate. I’m not wired that way in that Monday’s are very valuable for me to review the week-end, plan for the week, get caught up on nagging correspondence or projects and set myself up for the week to come.

This week-end was a bit unusual for me on a personal level. I went to my personal/family retreat for a day of study on Friday and Saturday as I’m speaking at several colleges, the Florida Association of Christian Colleges and School annual educators convention, the Southwide Baptist Fellowship Conference and the regular and irregular services, chapels and training sessions at our own church. Then, Friday night, our youngest daughter, Katie, fell from the monkey bars at our home football game and broke two bones in her left arm which made for a miserable week-end for her and anyone in her general vicinity. (She’ll be OK…they’ll know if a couple more days if a cast will be sufficient or if surgery is going to be needed.) Yesterday (Sunday) was a particularly busy day as we had our first Sunday in a 6-week series of lessons entitled “Living Beyond Your Reality” that involves a weekly sermon series and over 30 weekly fellowship discussion groups being held in homes, clubhouses, etc… (BTW, I’ll be offering for purchase copies of the teacher’s manuals, program guide, DVD’s and leader and participant booklets in a few weeks if you’re interested in them. You’ll also be able to stay in touch with the sermons and the lessons via the webstreaming we do on our church website @ www.northsidebaptistchurch.net.)

I did take some time to read some Blog comments and comments from other sources where I publish on my commentary, “Thanks Again, President Clinton“ in which I made a line of connection between the rise in teen sexual activity of the oral kind and Mr. Clinton’s public affair of the oral kind with Monica Lewinsky. Many (if not most) agreed, though several felt like I was taking cheap shots at a President I didn’t care for politically. So, I thought I’d offer a few additional thoughts for clarification on the matter.

I realize that the world of politics and pop culture is a rough and tumble place of finger-pointing, grave dancing and ugliness, but I’ve got to admit that I was stunned a couple of years ago at the voluminous venom and open glee which was unleashed upon Rush Limbaugh’s announcement that he was addicted to prescription pain killers. Limbaugh’s confession was just the latest in a string of high-profile tragedies that gave liberals and pundits fodder for lectures on hypocrisy, raised questions about credibility and which have weakened the arguments of those who give at least lip-service to many conservative values.

Another example was the dirty-deal, gotchya politics demonstrated by the Los Angeles Times when it published several last-minute allegations of groping and sexual intimidation by the candidate-for-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. It raised a legitimate question (albeit with questionable motivation) and it also unleashed non-stop commentary about whether or not it was appropriate for a politician to be elected to office who had a history of immoral and boorish behavior toward women. Truly laughable at the time was the total absence of any comparisons on most of their parts to the conduct of one William Jefferson Clinton or even Teddy “Chappaquidick” Kennedy.

Just a few months prior to the Limbaugh story it was revealed that education and morality guru, William Bennett had a major gambling habit which had cost him millions of dollars while setting a stunningly poor example to those who had previously admired his public stands on family positive values.

However, let’s be honest. Don’t many of us conservatives and yes, conservative Christians smirk more than a little when it is a movie star or pop icon or professional athlete or a liberal democrat who is exposed for his or her sin? From Kobe Bryant to Whitney Houston to a dozen other movie stars and entertainers and politicians, we smugly shake our heads knowingly when the news of their addiction, crimes and sins make their ways to the front pages of tabloids and cable news shows. With connotations of superiority, we shake our heads in disgust and decry the moral condition of this country. And then it visits the house of conservatives and Republicans as well.

I’m confident that liberals delight in the failures of conservatives as much as conservatives delight in the flaws of liberals, but in the end, isn’t it just a shame that any public figure of any political stripe falls into the tragedy of immorality, dishonesty, duplicity or any other sin? Preachers and politicians, actors and accountants, entertainers and reports — we all have feet of clay and sin is always just ugly, painful and disappointing.

Let’s face itdoesn’t doesn’t prefer one political party over the other. Conservatives delight when a liberal is caught in sin because it justifies our concerns and arguments. Liberals delight when a conservative is exposed because it smells of hypocrisy and Elmer Gantryism. But at the bottom line are broken individuals who are desperately wicked and have no hope for redemption short of that which only Christ can provide through His grace.

Sure, it grinds me to no end to see the same commentators accuse Arnold that excused Bill. Me thinks that there is way too much delight on the part of atheists and agnostics within and without the media over the likes of Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart and scores of pedophile priests. Rush set himself up for this vitriol by extolling virtues and leveling criticisms while indulging his own private addictions.

In the end, maybe what all of us need is a good dose of human compassion and Christian grace. That doesn’t excuse any of the behavior in question. It was wrong. All of it. Some of it is criminal and should be addressed as such. I don’t believe for a second that a groping creep or an abusive predator has any business holding elected office at any level. Pastors who are immoral and violate their vows or Biblical standards of conduct should be defrocked and removed from their holy offices.

But after the dust has settled, there are some very human men and women standing in the debris of sin’s consequences and who will tell them and show them of God’s unconditional love and the opportunity for restoration if we are too busy mocking their frailties and feeling superior in the fact that we have not fallen so far, so fast or so publicly?

Let’s make a commitment that we’ll pray for those who have fallen and not simply gossip about them. Regardless of your or their political persuasion, they need our prayers. Let’s not let a political agenda blind us to the horrific tragedy of sin and the opportunity we each have to be ambassadors of God’s grace to those who are hurting.

From time to time I get totally random thoughts and I need to express them somewhere. More to follow.

If you haven’t tried one of those Chicken Quesidillas from Taco Bell you don’t know what you are missing!

Thanks for listening.

From time to time I get totally random thoughts and I need to express them somewhere. More to follow.

For the last couple of years I have absolutely refused to watch the self-congratulatory showcases of total human vacuousness known as the Hollywood Award Shows. Tonight, while working on something at my desk, I flipped on the Emmy Awards.

Never has such a clueless collection of self-important and irrelevant people gathered in a room as what gathers each year in Hollywood for the Emmy, Oscar and Tony Awards. But there is something amusing about the fact that they don’t KNOW how clueless and irrelevant they are.

Thanks for listening.