Whirled Views with Dan Burrell

I am excited that we will be continuing to offer college courses this fall for full credit (or audit) through Davis College at the Dade and Broward campuses of New Testament Baptist Church, Dade Christian School and The Master’s Academy.  Most of the courses that will be offered are already listed on the www.davisny.edu website (online courses are posted there also) and we’re working on adding at least one more option.  The courses will be a little more compacted this fall and will begin the week of September 20th.

I am happy to be teaching one of my favorite courses this fall on Wednesdays at our Miami campus.  I have taught this course at various colleges over the last decade, but I’m revising and improving it for this assignment this fall.  The course description is found below.  It will be a load of fun and we’re offering it as part of our renewed emphasis on Worldview education in the classroom at DCS and TMA.  I’d encourage you to consider signing up for it.  If you have any questions, contact Susan Robinson at 305.760.8994.

Introduction to Worldviews and Philosophy

Whose view have you?  How does what you believe impact how you behave?  Where did philosophy and worldviews originate?  How can we engage atheists, agnostics, skeptics and the confused in meaningful dialogue about morality, ethics, religion, the law and other important values-laden facets of life?  Join Dr. Dan Burrell in a fast-paced and exciting tour of Worldviews and Philosophy as he introduces you to the “Universe Next Door” and helps you develop an understanding of the nature of being, discernment regarding societal mores and messages and techniques for challenging shallow thinking and flawed reasoning.  This class will be filled with dynamic lectures, fieldtrips, exercises in discernment, debate, dialogue and mind-bending discussions. 

For all you guys who pastor in Dade and Broward County, Florida, make sure you plan on attending the WMCU (AM 1080) Pastor’s Appreciation Breakfast on October 22nd at 11:30 at Shula’s in Miami Lakes.  Dr. Steve Brown will be the guest speaker and the event is organized by my friend, Frank Trotta.

There is no charge.  Just go to the website by clicking HERE and register today.  I’ll look forward to seeing you there.

Reprinted with Permission

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The Tragic Legacy and disaster of America’s health care system to American Veterans

By Tim Lee
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“It’s a travesty. The greatness of a nation will be judged by how it treats its veterans.” –Daniel Crocker, Michigan service director for the Veterans of Foreign Wars

Due to my grave concern for this nation’s treatment of its military veterans, please allow me friend to give you a brief composite of our so-called “government health care system” as it has impacted me personally. This is not someone else’s story–this is my story. As most of you are aware, on 8 March, 1971, in Quang Nam Province in Vietnam I lost two good legs in a land mine explosion. My left leg measures 3 inches, my right leg measures 10 inches. Had it not been for the forceful intervention of my father I would have undergone a procedure known as a hip-de-articulation, where they completely remove you’re legs and your hips. That would have forced me to lie on my stomach or my back for the rest of my life. It is not that my injuries are more important than any other Marines’ injuries, who served his country, but my injuries were very profound and because they occurred during a time of war, any wounded or severely wounded American soldier has the right to expect his country’s health system to respond accordingly and professionally.

One thing I immediately determined was that I would not set around and feel sorry for myself. In these last 34 years of ministry I have flown well over 3 million miles and traveled another 400,000 miles by vehicle performing the duties of my calling. Never have I desired government hand outs or special treatment of any kind, but I have expected my government to live up to their responsibilities and promises. If we can provide free healthcare for non-citizen people who illegally flood our borders every day, then we certainly should be able to expect adequate and professional services to be rendered on behalf of the fighting men and women of our military services! One of the promises almost every president has stated during his campaigning process was that America’s veterans “deserve the best health care possible.” That is both just and fair. All of the politicians of all the major parties have expressed that commitment to America’s military personnel.

Why have they never kept those promises?

There is no judgment being passed on the other major cities of this nation when it comes to veteran healthcare, but this American veteran can tell you first hand about the deplorable conditions of veteran health care in the city of Dallas, Texas. The VA Hospital in Dallas, Texas is one of the most comical excuses for a hospital I’ve ever encountered anywhere in the world! As Doug J. Swanson of the Dallas Morning News wrote in 2005, “The Dallas veterans hospital is so dirty, dangerous and poorly managed, federal investigators have found, that it ranks as the WORST (emphasis ours) such medical center in the country.” Mr. Swanson went on to give the inspector general’s report findings by saying “We concluded there was no evidence of planned, collaborative effort to improve organizational performance” in the hospital.*

Please allow me to give you a personal example. Several years ago I developed a serious kidney stone. I thought I was dying. My son rushed me to Baylor Hospital in Garland, TX. They informed me that I had a large irregular shaped kidney stone. When I inquired about the expense of the treatment necessary the answer was $12,000.00! That kind of money wasn’t available in my personal banking account so I went to the VA Hospital in Dallas, expecting to receive “the best health care that America has to offer.”

Because of my extreme pain they administered an injection of pain medicine. Two minutes later another “nurse” entered the room to administer a second “pain shot.” When we asked what that shot was for, the nurse informed us “for pain.” “Ma’am, I was just given a pain shot two minutes ago.” “Well” she snapped, “you’ll be feeling really good then won’t you! When the necessary x-rays and tests were concluded they informed me that I would be put on a 2 1/2 month “Waiting list”! I asked if I was suppose to be at the top of the list because of my disability rating (which is 100%) and again I was informed rather quirtly “It will be a 2 ½ month wait. That would have been physically impossible. By that time I was experiencing excruciating pain. I could not wait. We had the surgery done at Baylor Medical Center. I was informed that I possibly would be “reimbursed by the VA”. It has been several years and we have yet to receive any “reimbursement”!

After that experience, we acquired secular medical insurance. It was obvious that myself nor any other American veteran could depend on the VA Hospital in Dallas, Texas for proper medical care.

Eight years ago I had 4 stents put in my heart at Baylor medical center. They gave me heavy doses of a very costly blood pressure medicine. It took several months to get it under control. Again, I turned to the VA Hospital for assistance in the high cost of this medicine. I was required to see a “heart specialist” at the VA hospital in Dallas. I was assigned to “Dr Root.” As I entered her office she made absolutely no acknowledgement as to my presence. There was no “hello” no greeting of any kind. After a long minute I asked her if she was feeling okay. She glared at me and replied “that is none of your business!” I then asked her if it was any of her business that I was a 100% disabled American veteran as the result of war-time injuries. She glared at me a second time and replied “I don’t care if you are 200% disabled”. Without saying another word to this fine “doctor” I rolled out of her office.

This is the best that America has to offer her Veterans?

Years ago when living in Illinois, I had a substantial amount of dental work performed. A private dentist did the work in Mt Vernon, IL and, to their credit, the local VA hospital paid for all of it. They had no qualified dentist to do the work I needed. Thirty years later that work had to be redone. I went to my personal dentist and was told the expense would be between $25000-$30000. Again, I could not afford that kind of out-of-pocket expense so I appealed to the VA hospital in Dallas. I attempted to get them to pay my personal dentist to have the work done. They refused stating that they had a dentist in residence that could do the work. After my examination I was informed that I needed two implants and a procedure called a sinus lift. They did the work. The “dentists” who performed the procedure were young men doing their “student work” with the ultimate goal of becoming private dentists. The implant procedure totally failed and caused me extended problems and multiple complications. The work they performed accomplished absolutely nothing!

They then began working on my crowns. To make a very long complicated story short–(for nearly a year I made repeated trips to the VA hospital to have the work completed). When they finished I still needed additional work done on my front teeth. I was forced to go to a private dentist and was informed that not one of the “crowns” the VA dentists had replaced was done correctly. At the present time I am still looking at $30,000 worth of dental work to be completed and setting again in a dentist’s chair for multiple hours.

Let me assure you this is not all of the stories that I could write about, neither am I the only veteran who has encountered this kind of arrogance and un-professionalism at the hands of a VA Hospital. Ladies and gentlemen, if the so-called government health care that this administration is currently proposing is to be administered like this–we don’t need or want it!

On behalf of our American Veterans, on behalf of honesty and integrity, please write or call your congressmen today! Encourage your friends and family to do the same. We must stop this legislation before it goes into effect!

Very kindly let them know that we do not want government forced health care.

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

I’ve been on vacation the last few weeks and every time that I spend any time in the Bible belt, I become mesmerized with the issue of “church names”.  Frankly, I think that the reason some of the names get so unusual is because they simply run out of them.  In some small North Carolina towns, there are more churches than the actual population, I do believe.  I can pick out a church that keeps rattlesnakes under the front pew from a mile away, for example.  How’s that, why they almost have a name that goes like this… “International House of Deliverance and Prophecy.”  Emergent churches usually have one-word names (not counting the actual word “church”) and it is preferred if that word ends in “-ion” as in Revolution, Restoration, Elevation, Inspiration, Constipation — or something like that.  Actually, there is a lot in a church name — more than usually meets the eye.

So, I have decided to re-post one of the most popular “humor” articles I’ve ever posted here in case you weren’t around 15 months ago when I first published it.

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Observations on church names….

1. Churches with One-Word Names

These churches have cool, hip-even, names which often sound as much like a rock band or a let’s-open-the-dictionary-and-point-at-any-word-and-use-it exercise.  Here are a few that I’ve seen recently: Kinetic, Elevation, Front-Porch (technically 2 words, but still hip), Mosaic, Celebration, North_______ (as in -ridge, -point, -pointe, -side, -ward, etc…), Impact, Lift, LatterRain, Life, and Fellowship.

These churches are generally for the younger and hipper crowd (that means not me) and their pastor is usually still shaving with a cat and a bowl of milk.  The pastor usually doesn’t own a suit and if he should be caught wearing one, he wouldn’t apologize more if you caught him naked as a jaybird or wearing a silk teddy.  Often, they will shave their head and polish it with lemon pledge which gives them a nice shine and a friendly lemony aroma.  If they don’t shave their head, they will spike it, wax it, mousse it or towel dry it to get that “I just got out of bed” look.  Often, they will produce kewl-looking facial hair (even in the presence of a totally bald head).  Soul patches (that little tuft that grows between the chin and your lower lip), line side burns (which look like someone ran a charcoal briquet from sideburn to near the chin) the 5-day-old-5-o’clock-shadow look (which really is cool unless you have a beard like mine that grows straight out at which point you end up looking like a pubescent porcupine) and the every popular goatee du jour.  State-of-the-art techno worship, stage props and coffee made from beans that have been passed through the digestive system of South American racoons complete the “One-Word” named church experience.

2. Churches with names that prove that they use THE Bible

These churches put it all out front and they are NOT ASHAMED.  They believe that if they offend you before you actually walk in the door, they have begun the work of the Lord.  Often, these names begin with “in-your-face” declarations like “Bible-Believer’s Baptist Church” (which is to imply that other churches may technically be churches, but really they don’t believe the Bible because if they did, they’d have it in their church name like we do.)  But then, some good fundamentalist brethren decided that to merely say “Bible-Believers” was a compromise and so they took it a step further with the “KJV Bible-Believers Baptist Church” (because if the KJV was good enough for the Apostle Paul, it should be good enough for us!  Amen?).  Well, as the FFF would have it (Freakish Fundamentalist Fanatics) that wasn’t good enough, so some decided to adopt the coup de grace of Bible-believing church names…. The 1611 KJV Bible-Believers Baptist Church and all was well in fundamentalism.  Until, of course, someone decided to name their church the Hyles Baptist Church (I’m not making this stuff up) after the legendary (in his own mind) Jack Hyles — universal protector of the KJV after 1988 or so.  At any point, one can anticipate the formation of a Ruckman Baptist Church or a Riplinger Baptist Church.  (No use explaining this to the sane…just do a google search for “Peter Ruckman” or “Gail Riplinger”.)

These churches are usually so exclusive that they break fellowship with themselves every few months at which they refer to their former “Bible-Believers” as members of the Alexandrian Cults.  Their pastors choose hairstyles that are of several approved styles: 1) High and Tight — you know like they give you on the first day of boot camp or the first day in prison; 2) the ever-so-stylish pompadour; 3) recommended by Brylcream or 4) the artistic weave (practiced by guys who have developed a totally clear landing strip down their dome but are still in serious denial thus they weave the few pathetic strands from the sides of the road and which are now six feet long artfully into a poor imitation of a combover which is really quite amusing should you be so lucky as to be near them on a windy day.) 

These guys also sleep in wing-tips and polyester suits (double-breasted preferred).  White shirts are the sign of a true man and if you dare wear a pastel-colored shirt, you should simply join a Metropolitan Community Church as you are surely gay.  Wrinkles are OK, cuff-lins aren’t and navy, gray and black are your only options.  Members are expected to be able to pass dress-check when entering the vestibule.

3. The More-the-Merrier Named Church

There is a definite co-relation between the number of words in a church name and the racial composition of its congregation.  As a general rule, 3-word named churches will be as lily white as a Brigham Young football game.  Four-word named churches can go either way.  But when you hit five words in a church name, you can bet your tithe check it is a church for “brothers” and I don’t just mean in the spiritual sense of that word.  Any time you see these words used in a collection of four or more  followed by the word “church”, well you just gotta’ know they’ve got some good gospel music happening inside: Apostolic, Deliverance, Faith, Prophecy, Divine, Holiness, Pentacostal, Zion, Horeb, Missionary, Ebenezer, House, Prayer, United, Holy Ghost/Spirit.  These churches also seem to have the market on 15-passenger vans pretty much cornered.  Many a tragic accident has nearly occurred because of a driver’s insistence on trying to read the entire church name from one of these fellowships while driving 70 down the interstate.

4. The Fundamentalist-Sub-Title Church

These particular churches are usually small and want you to know who they are before you even think about walking inside.  At the same time, heaven forbid that you think they might be a black church, so they won’t put all their adjectives in the actual name of their church.  They use “sub-titles” instead.  Watch for their signs, but plan on reading them twice.  They will use the traditional 3-word name like “Bible Baptist Church” or “Calvary Baptist Church”, but then underneath, you get the whole scoop.  In smaller, but still clearly readable letters, they’ll tell you what “kind” of Baptist they are with a series of additional informative adjectives like: Independent, fundamental, missionary, soul-winning, Southern, premillenial, pre-wrath, post-wrath, amillienial, separated, BJU-supporting, GARB, non-charismatic, moral majority, Republican, pro-American, anti-immigration, gun -totin’, “Christ-honoring” music, women-can’t-wear-pants, Christian-school sponsoring, anti-NIV, IFCA, SBC, ABC, CBC, BBF, SWBF, IBBF, FBF, anti-Purpose-Driven, Purpose Driven,  Beka-Book, homeschool, anti-cell group, no drums, CCM, just-say-no-to-wire-rim glasses, etc…  If you don’t line up with all the subtitles, you’re basically not welcome, because, well….what would people think of us if we allowed the likes of you to worship with us?

5. The Obscure Bible Terms/Names Church

These churches seem to look far and wide to find little known places in Biblical geography or obscure or obtuse theological terms that may be “code” to the knowledgeable to name their congregations and give them a unique identity.  Look for these words: Ebenezer, Gilead, Zion, Pisgah, Horeb, Herman, Berean, Corinthian, Laodicean, Pauline, Pergamus, Adventist, Ephesian, Bethany, Desiring God, Christ-Honoring, Believers, Abiding-in-Him, Covenant,  Glad Tidings, Petra, Colossian, etc…  Unless you have a seminary degree, upon seeing the church title, you might simply furrow your brow and say, “Huh?”

6. The Upright (and at times, Uptight) Church Name

All churches are technically institutions, but some are INSTITUTIONS and you can often see that in a name.  For example, any church that has “First” in it’s name is an INSTITUTION.  They have squatter’s rights to the spiritual of that particular denomination.  Yes, you may indeed go to a non-numbered church or on occasion, a lesser-numbered church (in the USA, I’ve never seen a number go higher than 4th, but it is possible.  I once attended a Thirteenth Baptist Church in Santiago, Cuba.)  But if you don’t go to “First Church”, well then, you’ll always just feel a little lower than the others.

Another category of the Upright/Uptight would be churches named after Streets.  This poses somewhat of a dilemma if the church chooses to relocate to a different street (see High Street Baptist in Springfield, MO and Thomas Road Baptist in Lynchburg, VA), but usually they just ignore the address and keep the name.

Another great signal is any name with Memorial in it.   If there is a Memorial in the name, you’d better believe that someone from the individual’s family is still a member there and woe, and I mean WOE, to the pastor or individual who would dare consider changing the name of the church to something else.

These churches usually keep a pipe or Wurlitzer organ in the sanctuary even if no one knows how to play it.  Guests who enter when the pipe organ style is being played have been known to spontaneously genuflect even when they’ve never been in a church before.  When the Wurlitzer organ is playing, guests are known to have experienced episodes of confusion and furtively whispering to their spouses something about forgetting their roller skates.

On some occasions, as a church is transitioning to a more contemporary style or is still at war with itself as to whether or not they should try to keep their teens attending the church, you will find the organ accompanying a praise band which makes for a most-interesting, er, uh, shall we say, “Instrumental Cornucopia” of sounds and rhythms.  One will also note that the organ is always placed as far as is architecturaly possible from the trap set on the platform.  But if the organ ceases to be in view, the upright/uptight church must change it’s name to a one-named church.  (Which is usually easier to accomplish AFTER the split rather than during it.)

There are other groups of churches classified by name categories, but my time for writing is over on this day.  For those of you who are positively foaming at the mouth with rage over my tongue-in-cheek attempt at humor, please relax and get over yourself a little bit.  We can laugh at ourselves and not be apostates.  I’ve actually attended, pastored, preached at, been members at churches that fit all of the above categories and then some.  If you know of a category that really needed to be mentioned, feel free to add it in the comments section.  And if you can’t laugh with us, just laugh at us.  It won’t matter in a hundred years.

Well, to all of you who thought I’d died or quit or both, I’m back.  June and July were a wonderful mix of getting some work and projects done and taking some time off.  In a nutshell….

• I had a great trip to C uba where I spent several days with my friend and ministry leader there.  He has been going through a tough few months and I went specifically to see him and be a friend to him and encourage him.  God is doing great things there and Satan is fighting it big time.

• I took Julie and the kids back to my hometown of Moberly, Missouri for a week the first part of July.  I hadn’t been home in 2 years and the last time I was there, life wasn’t all that great, so it was good to be back to with my crazy clan.  We went to Branson, MO for a couple of days of Silver Dollar City and White Water.  Then we hung out at my sister and bro-in-law’s place where they have lots of room, a beautiful lake and plenty to eat.  The kids (even the big ones) love going there and shooting fireworks and catching turtles and swimming and doing “country things”.  My mom and sisters cooked up a storm and the weather was just perfect.  I don’t remember a better time.

• I’ve been fighting a minor health issue for the last six weeks.  (Diverticulitis)  That has forced me to slow down a bit in some areas, but that’s been good for me.  I’ve got some tests coming up in the next few weeks to decide what they want to do with me.  On another health-related note, I went back to my Charlotte doctor for my annual physical.  Two years ago, he told me to make some major changes to my life and stress level or to start planning my funeral.  Two years later, my “numbers” are back to near sanity.  My cholesterol, which once had hit nearly 400, is back down to 144.  Sugar and blood pressure — formerly elevated, are now in the normal range.
• I spent a week with Julie and three of the kids at our lake house in NC and again, the Lord gave us incredible weather.  I really miss living in NC in the summertime — what a beautiful part of the world.
• I was privileged to officiate at the wedding of Richard Houser and Samantha Hicks a last Saturday.  It is a wonderful reward of ministry to see young people grow up to serve the Lord and start a home for the Glory of God.  Richard and Samantha are both students at Boston Baptist College where I serve on the board and am also an adjunct professor.
• Speaking of “professor” issues, I was blessed last month, to be invited to join the faculty of Liberty University (Seminary) as a full-time Associate Professor.  I work in the Distance Learning division, so I don’t have to relocate to Lynchburg and I obviously still have my other full-time job.  I love interacting with students and teaching, so this is a real blessing on several levels.
• My pastor/boss, Dino Pedrone, underwent a hip replacement surgery earlier this month.  During his absence from the pulpit, I’m honored to be filling in for him in the pulpit of the Miami and Broward campuses on Sundays.  This week, I’ll be at all three morning services.  I’m preaching on  “Avoiding the Loss of What Might Have Been” from Matthew 25:14-30.

So, that’s where I’ve been lately and what I’ve been doing.  I hope to get back to regular blog posts in the next week or so.  I’m going to post one of my most popular humor articles as a repeat in a few minutes.  Enjoy!

I’m on vacation for a couple of weeks and not writing much, but I read a tidbit in my friend, Charles Wood’s, daily missive and thought it worth reprinting here.  Take a moment and look at it…

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     A valued fried passed this article along to me, and I thought it made a point so valid that I ought to share it with my readers.
“A week or two ago I was sent an article.  It raised a question that is changing some of my thinking. He says that earlier in his life he taught in a ministry school where his students were truly hungry for God. He quoted a statement to describe the history of Christianity; it goes like this:
“Christianity started in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and became an enterprise adding that an enterprise was a business.
“After a few moments Martha, an 18 year old, the youngest student in the class, raised her hand. Acknowledging her she asked, ‘A business? But isn’t it supposed to be a body?’ I responded in the affirmative. She continued, ‘But when a body becomes a business, isn’t that a prostitute?’