Whirled Views with Dan Burrell

Last year, I put together a little article which I entitled, “The Top Ten News Stories Impacting Evangelicals and Fundamentalists in 2005“. It took off like a rocket and evoked a lot of discussion, suggestions, debate and rumination. Some have asked if I’m crazy enough to do it again and the answer is “Yes” — times 2! I have indeed written not one, but two lists this year. One for the Top 10 Evangelical News Stories and a separate one for the Top 10 Fundamentalist News Stories of 2006. I’ve been working with the editors over at Sharper Iron and they have the first rights of publication on them. They will be going up on their front page on January 3 and 4 (or is it 4 and 5?) and after they are launched there, I’ll also post them here.

I’m sure that once again, debate and additional opinions will flourish around them, but that’s half the fun. So keep an eye open for these two lists and plan on joining in on the action.

Currently, I’m taking a brief break with my family and getting caught up on some work and spending time with my extended family in the Midwest. The weather is great. The boys and I have had fun doing a little shooting (Josh fired a shotgun for the first time, but really didn’t appreciate the kick. He much prefers paintballs.) We’ve been eating too much and we’ve got more planned. I even took Julie out for a little pre-Birthday shopping (she’s a New Year’s Day baby). All in all, we’re enjoying this holiday break and looking forward to being back, full-bore, in a few days.

Once again, Dr. Charles Wood gives some great counsel and thought-provoking wisdom for his readers…

SIMPLE TRUTHS; PROFOUND IMPLICATIONS:
The truly profound is often really quite simple. Whenever I think of that truth, I think of the preaching of Warren Wiersbe. I have often come away from hearing him with the impression that the message was so simple that it was hardly worth the time, only to find myself a week later still thinking through all the implications of what he had said. There are some simple truths in the Christian life that have profound implications, and the tragedy seems to be that these simply truths are seldom grasped by a significant portion of God’s people. The following forms just a little sampling of the phenomenon.

No one can make me do anything I choose not to do. Simple? Yes, but the issue at the heart of martyrdom. Everything I do or don’t do is a matter of personal choice. That choice may be subconscious, the result of habit or even reflexive, but it is a choice none-the-less. Children have a tendency to defend themselves on the basis of, “he/she made me do it.” It’s a nice ploy, but it is uniformly untrue. Unfortunately, we carry that same defective thinking into adulthood to our own detriment.

I am responsible for my own choices and actions. This statement arises out of the previous truth, but it goes down hard. The problem with it is that it establishes individual responsibility and strips one of all possible “blame-shifts” and excuses. Scripture is very clear that each of us will appear at the judgment seat of Christ to give account of his own performance, etc. It is also quite clear that none of us will answer for anyone else, nor will anyone else answer for us. We are responsible for the choices we make and the actions we take. If such is the case, then we also bear the full measure of responsibility for the consequences of those choices and actions. This is a tough truth in a victim-oriented world as it puts the blame squarely where it belongs - on each of us as an individual. It is also, however, a very liberating truth as it takes control of our lives away from others and places it in our own hands. For instance, I grew up in poverty caused by the “Great Depression” and in what was in some ways a rather dysfunctional family. It would have been easy to accept a “loser” role in life (victimized by the childhood poverty) and to replicate my own unhappy childhood family situation, saying that it’s just the way I am because that is the way I was raised, and there is nothing I can do about it. I didn’t chose to be born three years after the great stock market crash, and I didn’t chose a father to whom I was almost completely unable to relate, but choices regarding my response and reaction to those outwardly-imposed circumstances were entirely mine. My responses have been far from a model of such, but I have chosen to rise above the poverty and to structure a family far different from what was patterned to me as a child (my brother and late sister also made the same choices with essentially the same results). Without meaning to be arrogant or self-congratulatory, I grow tired of the whining excuse-makers and their endless wails of, “I can’t help it….” I often want to say - and sometimes have said - “If you can’t help it, exactly who can?” Tragically, so many of my own generation are living in self-imposed misery because of their unwillingness to take responsibility for the choices and responses that have led them to the situations in which they find themselves “trapped.” If it is someone else’s fault, then there is nothing I can do about it. If it is the result of my own choices, then I can change the choices and at least alter the outcomes (and this is true at any point in life - it is never “too late”).

No matter what anyone else does, I am responsible to do right. I am responsible to treat others in a Biblical manner no matter how they may treat me (the Bible tells us to do unto others as we would have them do unto us; it does not say that we are to do unto others as they have done unto us). Fifty years of involvement in ministry have taught me that there is a “mean streak” in fundamentalism (likely related to the strong stress on separation, which is negative by nature). I have experienced my share of insults, false accusations, hypocrisy, “friendly fire,” and the like. I have even endured deliberate “black-balling” that has somewhat limited the scope of my ministry. Because of my own carnality in the flesh, I have not always responded well to such treatment, but I have always known in my heart that I was responsible to do right no matter what anyone else did or said. There is so much clear Biblical teaching on this subject that it shouldn’t be necessary to make specific citations, and Scripture also provides us special assistance with its frequent assurances that God will right the wrongs and settle the scores (”Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord”). I have lived long enough to know that “what goes around, comes around,” as I have seen it happen numerous times. Natural impulse pushes us to respond in kind, but succumbing to such inner drives only increases the amount of evil in the world. It also violates the Word of God at a variety of points.

Right is its own reward. In fairy tales everyone “lived happily ever after.” In real life it frequently doesn’t work out that way. I have seen people do right and be rewarded with salary increases, bonuses, and heaps of praise. I have, however, seen others do equally as right and be rewarded with “a kick in the teeth,” job termination, slander, and other forms of great loss. Over the last few years I have watched someone repeatedly face choices and chose to do what is almost beyond right rather than even skirt the edges of ethical conduct. As the situation has digressed, there has been no tangible “reward” (although God has done someobvious internal”reconstruction”), but the commitment to right has remained firmly in place. Reward will come, but it may not be in the areas in which the losses have been suffered. Regardless, the individual involved has the very satisfying reward of knowing beyond the shadow of a doubt that right has been done. For the child of God, that knowledge, in itself, ought to be sufficient reward to keep one going until the time when the eternal reward will exponentially overshadow any possible earthly reward. How we need to teach our children and young people this simple truth as its implications are profound. Right is often - even usually - rewarded in some tangible way. When it is not, however, the very fact that right has been done must be seen as itself the reward.

My good friend, Warren Smith, of the Charlotte World Newspaper and owner of Evangelical Press News, has written a great editorial I’d like to share with my readers. I’ve occasionally expressed my disdain for “Christian Schlock” like “Jesus is my Homeboy” gear and the latest fad-driven sermon series (ala “The DaVinci Code”). (For a hilarious website that pokes at this kind of stuff, go to www.purgatorio1.com.) Warren nails this trend with some thought-provoking observations inan editorial he recently released. Take a few minutes and read what he has to say…

The Christian-Industrial Complex

by Warren Smith

COMMENTARY–In his farewell address to the nation, Dwight Eisenhower gave a
speech that became famous because it used the expression Military Industrial
Complex. In it, Eisenhower warned of great danger if the military preparedness
of our nation came to be seen as a mere market for private industrial
interests. Eisenhower feared we would expand our military and the size of our
government for all the wrong reasons. Eisenhower viewed the relationship
between the military and industry as not merely symbiotic, but parasitic and
pathological.

I use this historical example so that it might be easier to see a similar
pathological relationship emerging between the Christian retail industry and the
Christian church, what I call the Christian-Industrial Complex.

Examples of the Christian-Industrial Complex are easy to see. The Women of
Faith conferences, for example, rake in more than $50-million per year and are
part of a for-profit, publicly traded company. The Christian retail industry
topped $4.5-billion last year. (A bit of context: $30 per month can support
many pastors in developing countries. That means that Americans spend enough
annually on “Jesus Junk” to support 250-thousand Third World pastors — for 50
years!)

Another example that played out last month is the controversy over the usage of
the greeting Merry Christmas instead of the greeting Happy Holidays.

Beginning in the 1990s, some conservative Christian groups have decided that the
use of the phrase Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas is a defeat of
Christian values by the forces of political correctness. These groups include
but are not limited to the Mississippi-based American Family Association and the
Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), a Christian legal aid group.

If you ask me, Christmas needs reforming, not defending. Indeed, the early
church did not celebrate Christmas largely because they rightly predicted it
would become what it has become, a materialistic bacchanal. In the 17th
century, the Puritans attempted to eliminate the observance of Christmas
altogether, believing it an unholy combination of the pagan and the popish,
and because it resulted in much public drunkenness. For these reasons, in some
New England towns, the observance of Christmas was actually prohibited by law.
Indeed, such was Americas relationship with Christmas that Congress regularly
met on December 25 until the 1850s.

Most historians attribute the rise in popularity of Christmas to Charles
Dickens, who was no advocate of biblical Christianity. The celebration of
Christmas was almost non-existent in America when Dickens already the best
known writer in the world — wrote A Christmas Carol, one of his most popular
stories. But Dickens wrote the story more out of an impulse toward social
reform than out of any desire to promote Christianity.

This forgotten history of Christmas makes the current defense of it seem almost
ridiculous. Its hard to imagine humble Mary and Joseph being at all
comfortable with what Christmas has become, let alone the carpenter from
Nazareth, whose only real fit of anger was displayed by the overturning of the
moneychangers in the temple. In fact, you could make a case that the Christian
response to the December 25 holiday would be to keep Jesus as far away from it
as possible!

So what possible purpose could be served by keeping Christ in Christmas when
Christmas is what it is? The answer is money. The Mississippi-based American
Family Association says it has sold more than 500,000 buttons and 125,000 bumper
stickers bearing the slogan Merry Christmas: It’s Worth Saying. The Alliance
Defense Fund said it sold about 20,000 Christmas packs. The packs, available
for a suggested $29 donation, include a three-page legal memo and two lapel
pins. You can do your own math on this one.

This story goes beyond the ridiculous to the surreal when you learn that the
groups also publish a naughty and nice list that identifies major retailers
that use the words Merry Christmas in their Christmas advertising as nice
and those that use Happy Holidays as naughty as if identifying Jesus with
the worst aspects of the seasons materialism is something to be celebrated.

Its no surprise that it also made these groups an easy target for its enemies.
Its just a fund-raising scam, said the Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director of
Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. And its a scam in
the worst sense its fighting something that doesnt even exist.

I am no fan of Americans United, and normally Im on the same side as the AFA
and the ADF. But Barry Lynn got this one right. This is one more example of
the Christian-Industrial Complex at work. I do not want the politically correct
thought police telling me I must say Happy Holidays instead Merry Christmas.
But neither do I want the titans of the Christian-Industrial Complex telling me
I must send them money so they can fight battles that are either not worth
fighting, or that put us on the wrong side of the true Gospel message.

I pray that God would deliver us from both evils.

—-

Warren Smith is the publisher of The Charlotte World. He can be reached at
warren.smith@thecharlotteworld.com

Several weeks ago, I used this blog to ask you to pray for Andrew Kinard, a young Marine who was severely injured in Iraq. For Northsiders, our connection with him is that he is Charles Gouch’s brother-in-law. Andrew lost both of his legs and had severe injuries across his body. Many have left him messages on those blog entries and I have forward them to him at his CaringBridge.com site.

The Spartenburg (SC) Newspaper did an incredible section on Andrew in their Christmas eve edition and also on their website with video, audio and an incredible slideshow. Get a box of kleenex and go take a look at his story. It will make you thankful for our soldiers in harm’s way as we enjoy this holiday with our loved ones. You will also be impressed with one American Hero’s story of courage and recovery and faith.

You’ll find the story HERE.

Christmas - 2006

Dear Friends,

As a family, this has been a year of transition and growth. Nathan (18) graduated from Northside Christian Academy in May and is now a freshman at Liberty University. We were quite surprised that Nathan ended up at LU as I had been pushing Cedarville University and he had been leaning toward the architectural program at the University of NC/Charlotte. After a campus visit early last summer during which we met some wonderful, Godly professors and received a taste of the college campus atmosphere (which was quite different than what we had expected in a positive way), we agreed that hed be joining a couple dozen of his classmates and friends at LU in the fall. Having our first one leave home was emotional for all of us, but seeing Nate flourish and enjoy campus life so much helped us with the transition. Hes found a sound, smaller church that is quite conservative to call home, but makes it back to Charlotte every few weeks as well. Hes very active in intramural sports and found a job in Lynchburg as well. Dan was able to chaperone Nates senior trip to California last spring and the picture is of him and Nathan on a whale-watching boat off the coast of San Diego.

Megan (15) is a sophomore at NCA and continues to develop her singing and writing talents. Shes anticipating getting her drivers permit soon and stays busy with a gaggle of really great friends. Dad has to diligently work to keep all the starry-eyed boys away and shes really turned into a pretty young lady. Katie (10) and Josh (9) are in 4^th grade and have a great time wherever they go. Katie is our worker bee who loves helping mom and Josh is our warrior in waiting and interested in anything military. Katie loves to cook and she enjoys listening to her music. Josh enjoys playing in the woods, making weapons from any available tool and is all boy. Our nice big backyard gives them lots of space to explore and create and theres never a dull moment around the house. They both now have the responsibility of caring for our flock of chickens and are active in AWANAs and the church recreation leagues. They are looking forward hopefully to going to camp for the first time this summer.

Julie injured the major tendon in her foot in early July while at our lake house and was in a wheelchair for two full months, crutches for nearly three and has been in a boot ever since. Its amazing what all she could actually accomplish from her wheel throne and apart from being able to leave the house much and driving, she amazed us all with how she coped. The doctors tell her it will take almost another year before shes back to 100%, so its been an interesting year for her. We are so grateful for all the wonderful ladies in her studies who provided meals and prayer support! She continues to lead her three Bible studies a week and has over 100 ladies attending them.

Dan remains hyper-busy with his myriad interests and projects. He just hired a great guy to come on staff to serve as Executive Pastor which should allow him to put his attention on more pastoral ministry and less administrative responsibility in the coming year. Apart from missions trips to Brazil and Albania this year, hes stayed fairly close to home. He still does a week of adjunct teaching at Boston Baptist College in January and began teaching for Liberty Theological Seminarys online program this fall which he really enjoys. He serves on 4 college boards, but is gradually rotating off of most of those as his terms expire so that he can focus on local interests more.

We broke ground on a $4.5 million parking lot and road construction property on our church campus this year which is the culmination of five years of planning and proposing and he is trying to raise another $1 million in the coming year. The church and the school are both doing well and many of the first wave of goals have now been implemented and hes working on the second wave. Its hard to believe weve been in Charlotte for seven years!

We only took one six-day break this year, joining Dans sister and her family in Orlando for a breakneck week of amusement parks to celebrate a couple of graduations. This year, Dan is planning on heading to Cuba and/orChina on personal missions tripsandas a church leaderhe’s hoping to take a Northside team to Antigua and/or Albania and/or India on a missions trip. Megan is going to the Bahamas with the youth team. Nathan will be taking a missions trip somewhere. Next year, we hope to do a week of family missions somewhere for the first time.

Any spare time is taken up with school work, music lessons, rec leagues or the like. We did not get to spend nearly as much time at our Lake Lure home this year as in past years, but we plan on fixing that this coming year. Over the Fourth of July holiday, Dan and Nate went golfing with some friends and Nathan got his first hole-in-one on the 4th. Were not going to discuss Dans golf score. The lake house is a great place for us to reconnect as a family away from the bustle of living on the church campus. Dan continues to write for Evangelical Press News, his blog Whirled Views (www.danburrell.com), assorted other periodicals and internet sites and is bound and determined to finish writing another book this year.

Thanksgiving was spent at Lake Lure with the gang. Our fifth child Rene came home for a week from Florida where he graduates from college this spring. We had a great time relaxing, eating too much and playing games. Dan and all the kids except Katie (who stayed at home to keep an eye on mom), went hiking in Chimney Rock Park one day. We are looking forward to going home to Missouri for the first time since mid-2005 after Christmas to spend some time with Mom and Dans sisters and their families. The kids would rather go to Missouri than about anywhere else as they love hanging out with their cousins.

Thats about it for the Burrell family this year. We are thankful for Gods incredible goodness on us and we look forward to a another great year of ministry and family activity in 2007 as the Lord allows.

With our Love,
Dan, Julie, Nathan, Megan, Katie and Josh

My good friend, Bob Byers, over at Watchman’s Words has posted a hilarious little piece on Christmas Carols you won’t want to miss. Click HERE for a good laugh.

This week, I received an interesting box in the mail. It was stamped on the outside in a way that almost made it look like a Christmas present until I read it. It said, Rocky Balboa Leader Resource Kit. I almost chucked it, but it sounded unusual when I shook it and Im always looking for something to sell on EBay. So thinking maybe it had a book or a DVD inside, I opened it. To my surprise, inside was a single boxing glove (in addition to a bunch of brochures, ads, promotional materials and order blanks.)

What I received was probably sent to thousands of pastors across the country and it represents a new and disturbing trend in marketing. In effect, Pastors are being asked to Pimp for Hollywood. In the last year, Ive received similar (though not as creative) packets trying to get me to either a) send my church members to a theatre to see a particular movie or b) develop a line of sermons or lessons around a certain movie (which would obviously incite my church members to attend said certain movie.)

With subtle and alluring promises of family values and spiritual messages, Ive been encouraged to partner (their term) with Hollywood to promote movies running the gamut from The Nativity to Facing the Giants to Charlottes Web to The DaVinci Code to Flicka to Jesus Camp and multiple others. The only one I actually saw was Facing the Giants and it was actually half-way decent and ironically (or not) the least associated with Hollywood.

I will admit that I got seduced into this a couple of years ago with Mel Gibsons The Passion of the Christ. After having been given an exclusive, pre-release viewing limited to a few personally invited and selected guests, I was convinced enough that it had evangelistic value that I bought out five screens at a local theatre before its public release and we invited scores of non-believers to join us in watching the movie and discussing it afterwards. I recall one decision, but no conversions after all the effort and I learned my lesson. From that point forward, Ive been immunized against partnering with the Hollywood industry. Upon further reflection, Ive reached the decision that pastors are being asked to pimp for the Hollywood industry.

Im not trying to be crude or outrageous by using the term, but I think what is now occurring really is pimpin for Hollywood. The media moguls of tinsel town have discovered that evangelicals are a potential cash cow long overlooked. Whereas many of us (myself included) didnt darken the door of a theatre for the better part of a quarter of a century or more, a lot of us have rethought that standard which had (at least for me) become rather mindless. Instead, Ive tried to preach, teach and live a different standard that applies to every form of visual entertainment from TV to DVDs to movies and to be more accountable than simply saying, this type of entertainment is wrong for the believer. That said, Hollywood seems bent on exploiting us for those long pocketed Baptist bucks which we previously held in keeping until it was released on video or came on free TV.

So.while I think the boxing glove was a neat and clever marketing idea (and I intend on giving it to my 9-year-old son until he uses it against a sibling at which point I will give it to the dog for a chew toy), I do NOT plan on building a series, a sermon or a set of lessons on Sly, Rocky or any other Hollywood symbol. I can think of any good reason for pastors to serve as front-menfor the heavily-painted faces of an industry that is nearly completely corrupt. Call the advertising wizards and promotional gurus who send me the movie schlock Hollywood whores or simply good business folks, this pastor isnt going to serve them as a pimp nor as a promoter.

Last week, I posted 25 of a list of 58 theses written by a professor at a large, well-known fundamentalist school of higher learning. If you missed the initial list, you can find it by clicking HERE. It’s been receiving boatloads of hits, so apparently it’s hit a topic of interest.

Today, I post the second half without additional commentary…

58 Theses
Regarding Christian Liberty and Legalism

(Remember: A thesis is not an article for doctrinal confession, but rather a proposition for debate.)

Dr. (Name Redacted)

Part - The Second