Whirled Views with Dan Burrell

I haven’t had a good rant in months, so I thought I’d rip one off for you right quickly as we start the week.  If you are unfamiliar with my “rants” — it’s just a quick mental download of randomness from someone who is known for his quirky observations and ADD-styled musings…

• Like a moth drawn to the light (or a fly drawn to….well, any way, you get the picture), I couldn’t help but watch some of the inaugural coverage as much as I vowed I wouldn’t.  I’m glad I did — it was a historic moment and the majesty of our governmental system was on full display.  However, I should have turned the volume down because honestly, the newscasters total abandonment of any pretense of objectivity (compared to how they have moderated previous inauguration) was nothing short of nauseating.

• Whoever came up with the “Five Dollar, Five Dollar, Five Dollar Foot Long” jingle for Subway was a genius.  Every where I go, I hear people singing and humming it. That one will go in the American cultural repertoire like “Two all beef patties…” and “It’s the Real Thing”.

• I remain frustrated with where I fit in the whole “fundagelical” world.  I don’t fit in the “fundamentalist” camp even though I’m with them on doctrine, because I just can’t tolerate their spirit and legalism.  I don’t fit in the “evangelical” camp even though I like their passion and spirit, because I can’t tolerate their pragmatism and squish philosophy.  So where’s a guy like me supposed to fit?  Just wondering out loud….

• I’m on a diet again.  Pray for my family.

• I’m rooting for the Cardinals Sunday out of principle.  I’m just generally for anyone playing the Steelers.  Plus I like Kurt Warner.

• I also think Tim Tebow is the man.

• One of the neat things about having your kids grow up to be fine young adults is that you not only love them, you like them.

• I’d rather be the most conservative guy in a room full of liberals than the most liberal guy in a room full of conservatives.

• I think it is interesting that when Democrats are in power, they govern from strength.  When Republicans are in power, they govern with apology.
  

• I respect a liberal with principles more than I do a conservative without them.

• I’m pretty much against everything that Obama stands for politically.  However, you gotta’ admit this, he is straight out of central casting when it comes to looking “Presidential”.  Plus, he doesn’t use words like “misunderestimated”, “strategery” and “nuke-u-lar.”

• You gotta’ wonder about a guy (Obama) who has more compassion on Prisoners of War than he does for pre-born children.

• Has anyone noticed that there is basically nothing worth watching on TV anymore?  (Except “24″ — Jack Bauer is the man.)

• I don’t know who that little chick is that co-hosts the Today show on the week-ends, but I find her immensely annoying.

• My favorite meal of the week is Saturday breakfast with Josh.  He’s about the only person on the planet for whom I’d get up early to eat breakfast on a Saturday.

• I have this sinking feeling that as bad as the economy is right now (and it is BAD), we haven’t seen ANYTHING yet.

• Speaking of the current economy, I’m so concerned that I have adopted my father’s philosophy of cash management. I wouldn’t “spend a nickel to see a turkey ride a bicyle” right now.

• If you live in South Florida, you owe it to yourself to go to the South Florida Fair in Palm Beach County.  Eat a fried twinkie, try a smoked turkey leg and catch a pig race.  It really doesn’t get better than that.

• I miss having chickens in my back yard.  (But not enough to move to Hialeah.)

• One of the great things about living in South Florida — February = Spring.

• That new Coke Zero is pretty tasty stuff.  Much better than Diet Coke.

• I’m sad to see newspapers disappearing.  I think they’ll all be gone in 10 years except for maybe USA Today.  Of course, the only time I buy a newspaper anymore is when I’m flying somewhere.

• I truly don’t understand why Hamas just didn’t stop launching their little pop bottle rocket missiles into Israel instead of letting hundreds of their civilians get killed in a senseless war.  I don’t blame Israel — I blame Hamas.

• I wish Jimmy Carter would go back to Plains and retire.  How did he ever get the impression that he is an effective diplomat when he was one of the most ineffective Presidents in US history?

• I think we should change the name of pyramid schemes to “Madoff Schemes” instead of “Ponzi Schemes”.  Words fail me to describe how despicable he is for what he has done to old people and charities.  I don’t care how rich, gullible, liberal or whatever those people where, he couldn’t have been more of a thief if he had been wearing a bandana and carrying a six-shooter.

• I like the fact that Rick Warren ended his inaugural prayer with all those various names of Jesus.  And some wondered if he’d even mention His name once.  LOL.

• Was it me or was Joseph Lowery’s prayer just a little bit racist?

• I like Aretha Franklin’s hat.  I think all ladies should wear hats to church.  I’m just weird that way.

• So I went into a restroom at a Golden Corral the other day and they had a “sanitary hook” on the back of the bathroom door which allowed you to open the door without touching the knob.  Someone else has a public restroom “issue” like me.  I hope they get a raise.

And with that….consider this rant COMPLETE.

Sunday, January 25th is Sanctity of Life Sunday and it reminds people to mark the anniversary of the infamous Roe vs. Wade decision by the Supreme Court which legalized the murder of tens of millions of our citizens.  Ironically, the alleged “party of compassion” and its leader, President Barak Obama, rushed to demonstrate that their so-called “compassion” doesn’t apply to the unborn by making one of the first acts of their new administration and power in Washington, the lifting of restrictions that kept our tax dollars from paying for abortions in this country and around the world.

We don’t have enough money to pay our bills, we’re facing record tax increases to pay off mind-boggling deficits, our economy is in the toilet and what is the first priority of President Obama?  Subsidizing the murder of innocents using our tax dollars.  Oh wait, that wasn’t the only priority of his first week.  He also took decisive action to protect the “rights” of those who are actively and viciously trying to murder American citizens on our homeland in the name of Allah by wanting to close their prison resort in Cuba and bringing them to the mainland where they can receive all the rights and privileges of incarcerated American citizens.

Too bad that Obama doesn’t care for the rights of the unborn as much as he cares for the rights of Islamic terrorists.  Of course, this is the man who refused to vote for a bill that would have required medical personnel to offer assistance to a baby who survived an abortion and was viable.

One thing is for sure, abortion may be legal, but it will never be moral.

Most people who know me know that I’m a bit of a “Worldview” fanatic (hence, the name of my blog).  I’ve been a long time fan of Summit Ministries which was founded by Dr. David Noebel and is a major resource for teaching a Biblical Worldview to young people.  His book, “Understanding the Times” should be a required text for all Christian schools.

Recently, someone sent me a link to an article by the Executive Director of Summit Ministries, John Stonestreet on why today’s Christian student’s “don’t get it” when it comes to the power of their faith and Worldview.  I’d highly recommend that you take a moment and read it.  You can find it HERE.

I won’t pretend — I’m pretty sick of all my Christian friends sending me those insipid touchy-feely emails imploring all good evangelicals to pray for President Obama like there’s reason to be optimistic that we’ve surruptisiously elected a closeted evangelical conservative to the White House who is going to fulfill all of our right-wing fantasies.  Unless Mr. Obama pretty much does a complete 180 turn on all the positions he held in the Senate and pronounced during his Presidential campaign, I’m confident that I’m going to be fairly irritated and discouraged over the next 8 years. (Yes, I’m already predicting he’ll be a two-termer.)  And no, I’m not going to be intimidated into silence when he does things that violate a Biblical Worldview just because someone might call me a racist.  My disdain for Mr. Obama’s political views have absolutely, positively nothing to do with the fact that he is black.

But will I pray for Mr. Obama?  Yes, I will.  I will probably end up praying more for our President, our government and our nation in the future than I have for the last eight years.

How will I pray?  Let me share some of my prayers with you…

• I will pray that he changes his mind and has mercy on the unborn as he moves to make abortions easier to obtain and underwritten by our tax dollars.

• I will pray that he shows some of his “centrist” governance ideals as he begins to appoint judges and justices to our nation’s highest courts and that he will avoid the temptation to appoint people that see the constitution as some kind of morphing play thing for social manipulation and the courts as a tool for legislation apart from elected representation.

• I will pray that he does not destroy our free-enterprise system by abandoning his socialistic view of economics and does not utilize the current economic crisis (as has our current President) to justify violating fundamental principles of a free-market society.

• I will pray that he changes his mind about what constitutes a family and instead embraces the idea that marriage and its equivalents are reserved for a man and a woman as has every civilization in recorded history.

• I will pray that he fights the liberal extremists who see him as their chance to implement radical social policy that would silence conservatives, criminalize free speech that they deem “hateful”, instill civil rights protections for homosexuals even when people of faith hold religious views to the contrary and which would prevent parents from homeschooling their children.

• I will pray for his protection against Islamic terrorists, racist bigots and others who would do him harm.

• I will pray that he does not tie the hands of our soldiers and military leadership in fighting to keep our citizens save from Islamic extremists.

• I will pray that he does not secretly embrace the theology, beliefs and philosophy of his long term minister, Jeremiah Wright.

• I will pray that his family will remain intact under the ridiculous kleiglight intensity that is “journalism” today.

• I will pray that he will not allow his administration to seek revenge on conservatives, evangelicals and others who have held the reins of power in the past and that he will instead choose to dialogue with them in order to see the basis for their beliefs.

• I will pray that those who see him as some sort of messiah on whom they have placed all of their hopes, aspirations and expectations will filter those same wishes as the reality of our political process begins to unfold to their disappointment.

As for this blog, I will continue to use it as my personal pulpit of commentary on all kinds of topics — including the Obama administration.

From time to time, I hear from friends who are, for a variety of reasons, looking for places of vocational ministry.  Some churches are hiring during this time of the year and some are cutting back because of the global economic troubles we are seeing.  Because this is the time of year when transitions often occur, I thought I’d post a quick note to let you know of some folks that are looking for places of ministry that I think you might want to consider.

• Experienced, balanced worship pastor who could also work on a pastoral staff.  Mid-40’s and very skilled in both vocal and instrumental worship.
• Teaching pastor or senior pastor, bilingual (English/Spanish) would be great as a solo/senior pastor or on a staff.  Strong student of the Word and very relational.
• Up-and-coming young man with a Master’s Degree in theology that is looking for a college position or would probably consider a pastoral staff teaching position.  LOVES to teach.  Balanced and energetic.
• Director of Internet Technology.  Bilingual.  Ministry heart with loads of passion.  Ready to take on IT department of any size.
• Bookkeeping/Accounting, young guy with a strong educational back-ground.  Prefers the Southeast. 

In addition, I know of two openings for a good lead administrator of a PK-8 Christian school and a High School Principal — both in South Florida.

If you want contact information for any of the above, just drop me an email at dan@danburrell.com.

Several years ago, I received a modest inheritance after the death of my grandfather which made it possible for us to get a family retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina in the community of Lake Lure.  This is very much an “old Carolina” community that is charming, small-town, simple and drop-dead gorgeous.  Located next to the stunning Lake Lure, Chimney Rock Park and, near the Biltmore estates, near Asheville and Hendersonville and loads of other great things to see and do, it is in a fantastic setting for resting, relaxing and exploring.

Our house is not a “rustic cabin” but a lovely 3 bedroom home fully-equipped with nice furnishings, satellite TV, things for the family to do, nice master suite with a king-sized bed and jacuzzi garden tub and more.  It is perched above beautiful Mirror Lake and is five minutes from Lake Lure, all the resort amenities, two breath-taking golf courses, 3 pools (one indoor), mini golf, a marina, white-water rafting, horse-back riding and more.  Go in the fall and pick apples, hike the Appalachian Trail, visit the site of the place where “Last of the Mohicans” was filmed and more.  Winter offers quiet, year-round golf, a full-spa and even better mountain views.

We used to use this as a regular family retreat location when we lived in Charlotte, but obviously, it’s a bit longer drive now that we are in Miami.  We have placed this house on a nightly and weekly rental plan through Wyndham Resorts.  You can get booking information HERE. (Click on Vacation Rentals and then Click on View our Vacation Home Rentals and then click on “more information” for Burrell’s Paradise Cove).  If you are in full-time vocational ministry as a pastor or missionary, email me at dan@danburrell.com and I can get you a special rate.  It’s a great place to go for a private retreat if you are a pastor and I used it to do long-term planning, studying and writing on a regular basis.

It is less than an hour from the Biltmore Estates, two hours from Charlotte, less than two hours from Greenville and Spartanburg, SC, less than an hour from Hendersonville and about two hours from Pigeon Forge, TN and Dollywood.  Fantastic day trips are in every direction.  It will sleep 7 comfortably and you can use blow-up mattresses (as we have done) and fit even more in comfortably.  Two full baths, a wonderful kitchen and a 2,000 square foot unfinished basement with scooters and ping-pong or a finished loft with TV/Video and fooseball will give you a place to send the kids on rainy days.The house is fully-equipped, linen and towel service is provided, a maid cleans after you leave.

So if you are heading to Western North Carolina in 2009, consider this house as an option for your family! Write me if you have any questions.

Recently, I read an article on several internet news websites regarding a woman who was horrified and considering a lawsuit against her church because they were exercising church discipline for living with a man out of wedlock.  She was angry, the journalists covering the story were curiously perplexed and interestingly, many who were commenting on the discussion boards and response sections were totally outraged that a church would actually break fellowship with a member because they were living in an openly immoral relationship.  How intolerant and harsh!

Real grace and cheap grace are often sadly confused in many churches today who have lost their discernment and whom have a greater commitment to “relevance” than orthodoxy. One of my biggest criticisms of today’s “Church Growth Movement” is a lack of commitment to the time-consuming and vital process of discipleship. In addition, few churches engage in Biblical church discipline in which they confront known instances of unbiblical behavior which results in a dilution of the church’s testimony, infectious behavior and attitudes among the body and a lack of repentance over sin. Whether this absence of church discipline is due to recalcitrance, political correctness, ignorance or as an over-response to legalism, its consequences are still the same — sin is allowed to fester and ferment and it ends up affecting the whole body.

Like the church at Corinth cited in I Corinthians 5, many churches today are so concerned with appearing to be tolerant, that they are compromising their own stand on sin. Pastors and churches are facing increasing controversy for taking strong positions on issues of right and wrong and often they are accused of being graceless, legalistic or intolerant in the process. Let me give you some examples from my own files and experiences.

A pastor is accused of a lack of compassion because he refused to marry a couple who were living in sin.

A pastor is criticized for refusing to marry a person who was born-again to someone who made no profession of faith in Jesus Christ.

A church member felt that the church dealt too harshly with a church member who was caught committing a crime and refused to repent when it voted to remove him from the church roll as an act of church discipline and changed churches over it.

An extravagant church-wide baby shower was given to an unmarried and promiscuous young woman who became pregnant. The shower was equal to that given to young ladies who had remained virgin until married and had a child after marriage. One person justified the shower by stating, “at least she didn’t abort the baby.”

A Christian school was sued for the unchristian act of expelling a child who had arranged a drug deal in the parking lot.

When a man fell into sin and destroyed his family, people in the church went out of their way to patronize his business to prove their “Christian love” even though he had given no sign of repentance or made no effort to seek reconciliation.

When a church did not provide cash to someone whose car payment was due and who had spent his funds on alcohol and lost his job due to alcohol, it was accused of being “unchristian.”

When the benevolence committee refused to assist a man with his bills who had not applied for a single job in over 2 weeks, again the church was accused of being uncaring.

When the pastor of a church refused to allow a young couple who had conceived a child a full-church wedding, the family left the church for a more caring and accepting church.

When the pastor of a church preached against homosexuality, he was accused of creating an atmosphere of hate against those who were gay and lesbian.

When a pastor refused to marry two people who had divorced their original spouses for unscriptural reasons, they left the church in search of a more “tolerant” church. Others took up their offenses and complained to the church board.

Churches (and churches are merely “clumps” of Christians) are compromising their stand against sin. In the name of unbiblical “tolerance”, they ignore sin, passively approve of unbiblical behavior and muddy the lines of separation and absolute truths. The Apostle Paul asks a question in I Corinthians 5 and then he answers it. He wrote, “Know ye not that a little leaven leaventh the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.”

Certainly the church should be a place of grace, healing and restoration. But it should also not be a safe refuge for unbiblical behavior – whether it is popular or not or whether or not the people involved are powerful and influential. Right is right and wrong is wrong and of all places, the church should be the place where the line is clear and evident.

Sometimes, we undercut the efforts of the pastor or elders or other church leadership by circumventing their authority whenever we don’t agree or understand a decision. An example I’ve often seen is when someone is turned down for financial assistance due to a legitimate and Biblical reason that is known privately to the church authority, but not to the congregation, they receive “assistance” from sympathetic (if not misguided) church members who personally designate a gift to them, take up a special offering in a class or home Bible group or simply reduce their tithes and give them the gift personally. This kind of enabling activity does no good for the person in need and is typical of a selfish type of giving that wants to be a “hero” or “popular” with an individual. Sometimes, it is just a matter of a weak person who is afraid to say “no” or to trust the leadership of their local church.

These are tough days in church leadership.  The global economic crisis, the prevalence of sin, the presence of a new world order of “morality” and a “dumbed-down” understanding of ecclesiology.  Grace is essential to Christian life — but so is principle, doctrine and orthodoxy.