Month: August 2007

Several years ago I got serious about this whole following Jesus thing. And I began to ask the Lord for a ministry. I beseeched Him for something that would make a difference for eternity. I bemoaned my job in sports television as being “insignificant”. Finally the obvious hit me right between my stubborn eyes. My ministry was all around me. People I had built relationships with over the past twenty years had real needs and big questions. When I simply asked God to use me my prayer for ministry was answered virtually overnight. Right where I was. I didn’t get called to the mission field. My books didn’t become best-sellers so I could go on a powerhouse speaking tour. God called me to be faithful to the ones He had placed in my life. That pesky “be faithful with the little things” scripture came to mind.

I guess my spiritual dimness is the reason an article in the Dallas Morning News resonated deeply with me this weekend. One of the many excellent barbecue restaurants in Dallas has an interesting sideline activity. Every Tuesday Smoky John’s Barbecue has what the Dallas Morning News dubs a “beefed-up Bible study.” It is known as “Smoky John’s Fellowship.” How cool is that? Every week anywhere from thirty to double that number crowd into a small room to talk about life, about God and how those two intersect. It is a haven for both the believer and the broken, for people living on the street and those with upscale addresses in Preston Hollow and the Park Cities.

Smoky John Reaves is the man who found a ministry all around him. “Rich folks, poor folks, black, white, brown, Asian – they all come to this meeting,” Smokey said. “This is what heaven looks like. And I want to get a glimpse of heaven here on earth so when I get there I don’t have culture shock.”

Amen! And to quote Larry the Cable Guy: “That’s just funny, I don’t care who you are.”

Smoky John hit squarely on a pet peeve of mine. Studying God’s Word without seeking application. Every Bible should have a shampoo-like label attached.

Read.
Apply.
Repeat.

Reaves had grown frustrated with the sterile approach to Bible study as well. The story in The Dallas Morning News continues:

“That’s the thing that got me about all the other Bible studies I attended. Everyone was so involved in the questions that were being discussed, they weren’t concerned about relationships with the people around them. I was sitting in a Bible study once, and I turned to the guy next to me and I said, ‘Man, what’s going on in your life?’ “And he said, ‘My wife has filed for divorce and I’m contemplating committing suicide.’ And no one knew.”

Smoky John set out to create a Bible study where that wouldn’t happen.

“I was going to every Bible study I could find,” he said, “and I left each one thinking that I was the only messed-up guy in the city of Dallas. Everyone else seemed so together, so polished. But then I realized everyone else was as messed up as I was.”

Probably more. But isn’t that a key step to really growing in Christ? Realizing that you cannot do this on your own. That our righteousness apart from Christ is like filthy rags in God’s sight. Smoky John Reaves continues to see ministry all around him. The Morning News picks up the story:

Smokey’s life is all about ministry today. Along with his lunchtime Bible study on Tuesdays, he holds another at a Dallas home on Wednesdays. And on Thursdays, as many as 100 recent parolees come to Smokey John’s for a free meal and help getting their lives together.

Is that not awesome? I’m pretty sure that would be on the list of what Jesus would do.

He and some core members of the fellowship are working now to take over an abandoned strip club next to Smokey John’s. The extra room could be used for all sorts of ministries and community outreach, and it would make Tuesdays a lot more comfortable. Whether it succeeds or not, Smokey said, is up to God.

“I won’t lose a night’s sleep worrying about what to do here,” he said. “Jesus didn’t call us to do something. He calls us to be available to do his will. I just get up every morning and say, ‘Lord, what do you want me to do today? I’m reporting for duty.’ “

God has enough soldiers to make a difference in this culture. Instead of fighting the media, whining about “persecution” from foes of faith, and griping about our culture perhaps we should simply report for duty. See what God can do with people who are looking for whatever ministry is right at our feet. It is worth noting that the “big, bad media” reported this story and without pulling any punches. Maybe not all of the media is out to get Christians. Maybe we just need to be Christian and see what happens.

 

 

This is an updated version of a gently read prior post.

This is a dangerous post. I must begin with a disclaimer that I have now lived in Texas for 27 years. I love Texas and the people of the Lone Star state. Please remember that disclaimer as I confess that I can sympathize with General  Philip Henry Sheridan’s comments about Texas after the Civil War. Sheridan remarked that “if I owned Hell and Texas I would rent out Texas and live in Hell”. Because he criticized Texas and was also a Yankee (the Texas version of a Samaritan) I am pretty sure that most Texans are sure he is now residing in Hell. But let us extend a moment of grace and consider that perhaps Sheridan offered his comments during the month of August. I suspect that in pre-air conditioning days I might have pondered the same thoughts.  August is almost always miserable in North Texas. August in Texas is our payback for mocking our Northern friends during February.

The usual suspect for miserable summer weather is a high pressure dome that camps over the state. I am not a meteorologist, I don’t play one on TV, and I did not stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night but here is what I understand about this phenomenon. This high pressure dome just sits there defiantly (okay…it may not have personality but it sure seems vengeful) and whenever a cooling front or storm approaches those cooling temps bounce off and are sent to a less deserving state. Every night I watch the weather with naive hope. I observe these fronts floating toward Texas from Canada, bringing the hope of tantalizingly cooler air, only to see this high pressure dome reject that relief. And we stay miserable. Texans (and adopted Texans) know that eventually this dome will be broken up and cooler weather will arrive. Often that requires a tropical disturbance to break-up the high pressure dome.

So what in the wide, wide world of meteorology does that have to do with my faith? One of things that God is teaching me is that I sometimes allow spiritual “high pressure domes” to settle over areas of my life. The “high pressure dome” of pride forces a gentle front of humility and reconciliation to bounce tragically away. The net result is the same. I stay miserable. It takes courage, maybe a little Holy Spirit disturbance, or perhaps a life storm to break up the high pressure dome that blocks the arrival of spiritual change. I find it fascinating that I desperately hope the weather high pressure dome will go away so I will not be physically miserable yet I ignore the stubborn spiritual patterns that make me even more miserable. I am indeed a fallen creature. I pray that I will stop allowing domes of sin to settle over my spiritual life patterns. I pray that I will be willing to break up any hindrance that blocks the refreshing winds of the Holy Spirit.

And just to make sure my fellow Texans are clear…I would rent out Hell and live in Texas. Even in August.

 

I opened up the electronic mailbox today and found out that I nearly missed a holiday. You too? Apparently today (August 16^th) is True Love Forever Day as opposed to True Love Till I Lose Interest Day. This is a wonderful opportunity to tell that special someone that you love them and it is an even more wonderful opportunity for greeting card companies to sell products for a phony baloney holiday.

Nearly missing this holiday made me fearful that I might overlook other important and meaningful days. So I did a little research and found out that August is chockful of stupid and meaningless celebrations. I have to confess that I have already missed a couple of vital August events. Last Friday was National Lazy Day. I went back and checked my calendar for that day and I am pretty sure that I celebrated appropriately. Two days later I somehow overlooked Middle Child’s Day. So to beloved middle son Scott, forgive me. But I guess the middle child is used to disappointments like that. August 13th was Blame Somebody Else Day. Not sure what the card and gift potential for that day might be. A touching little ode to incompetence might be appreciated.

Roses are red
Violets are blue
The project would have worked
If not for you!

The verse above could also be used on Bad Poetry Day (August 18^th). Other events to look forward to include National Sponge Cake Day (August 23^rd) and National Toasted Marshmallow Day (August 30th). I am not making this up. If you read this too late to buy a lovely gift for True Love Forever Day you have an upcoming chance to recover on Kiss and Make-Up Day on August 25^th.

I am anxious for September and the dawning of Be Kind to Writers and Editors Month.

I am not sure how you can create or nominate a recognized day, week or month. But I do have some ideas for followers of Jesus. You may add these to your calendar free of charge.

Extending Grace Week – Christians would actually extend grace during this week instead of just talking about it.

Sacrifice Ridiculous Excesses Month – Sending the money we would spend that month on venti mocha no foam lattes to missions.

Actually Take Jesus to Work Day – Spend one day behaving and responding as if Jesus was really there. Oh wait, He is. Well act like it.

Pray During Rush Hour Day – Using the time caught on the freeways to talk to God instead of cursing the poor guy who stalled or had an accident and inconvencied you.

Represent Christ Not Just By My T-Shirt Slogans Day – Remember that every word, action and reaction reflect on the Lord that the shirt proclaims has changed my life.

Don’t Forget God’s True Love is Forever Day – What do you get the Lord of the Universe on this special day? I suspect He would be delighted with a little of my time.

Showing We Are Christians By Our Love Week – I thought about making it a month. Baby steps. Meditate on these words to get you started.

We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. (1 John 3, NLT)

Ouch. Allow me to proclaim this as Read God’s Word and Be Convicted of My Own Selfishness Day. You are welcome to join me.

 

 

 

 

I realized today how much the culture has passed me by. I was reading a story about a massive toy recall and I scanned the list of items. Pictured right there on the front page of my hometown newspaper was a picture of recalled Barbie and her dog, recalled Tanner. The caption read (and I could not make this up): The recall includes 683,000 sets that contain a magnetic pooper scooper.

So it has come to this? Our children are playing with magnetic pooper scoopers? This is an actual review from the Amazon.com link above.

“Initially we really liked this set but the dog’s “pooping” function broke rather quickly.”

We all know how painful that can be. So exactly how does a magnetic pooper scooper work? In real life Tanner would have to have a very high iron diet to make that work. It just made me happy that my toy buying days are on hold pending grandchildren.

That story gave me tired head so I took real dog Hannah for a walk and her functions were working very well. I thought about parenthood and how tough it can be. I remembered a movie by the same name that starred Steve Martin in role of an angst ridden dad. The movie Parenthood contains one of my all-time favorite scenes. Gil, the character played by Martin, is bemoaning his complicated and unfulfilling life when Grandma wanders through and offers this observation.

Grandma: You know, when I was nineteen, Grandpa took me on a roller coaster.
Gil: Oh?
Grandma: Up, down, up, down. Oh, what a ride!
Gil: What a great story.
Grandma: I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting to me that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn’t like it. They went on the merry-go-round. That just goes around. Nothing. I like the roller coaster. You get more out of it.

I loved the look on Gil’s face as Grandma goes out to the car. Then he responds with the kind of sarcasm that I am quite capable of producing.

“A minute ago l was confused about life. Then Grandma came in with her wonderful and effecting roller coaster story. Now everything is great again.”

But his wife gets it. She understands the wisdom of the analogy. I put that in the context of not only life but also my relationship with Jesus. It is so much easier to just get on the spiritual merry-go-round. It is safe. Predictable. I don’t need any assistance or encouragement for that ride. I can do merry-go-round Christianity in my own strength and with little effort. There is no risk.

Roller-coaster Christianity is a lot scarier. You have to trust the One in charge. Once you strap-in and leave the station you have surrendered control. That is the hard part. Grandma was right. You get a lot more out of that kind of Christianity. I want more of the supernatural as I follow Jesus and less of what I can do in my own strength.

Roller-coaster Christianity may be scary and unpredictable. But I don’t recall ever seeing people throw-up their arms in triumph at the end of a merry-go-round ride. They just walk away. Go to the end of the roller-coaster ride and you will see arms in the air, big smiles and animated chatter. That is what I want from my walk with Jesus. Taking chances and trusting God. The merry-go-round may be safe but that is not where I want to be. I like the roller-coaster. Paul chose the early church version of the roller-coaster ride. He certainly did not play it safe and he never regretted the ups and downs in his ride. He had some words to Timothy that warned him that many would choose the safe ride.

You’re going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food—catchy opinions that tickle their fancy. They’ll turn their backs on truth and chase mirages. But you—keep your eye on what you’re doing; accept the hard times along with the good; keep the Message alive; do a thorough job as God’s servant. You take over. I’m about to die, my life an offering on God’s altar. This is the only race worth running. I’ve run hard right to the finish, believed all the way. All that’s left now is the shouting—God’s applause! Depend on it, he’s an honest judge. He’ll do right not only by me, but by everyone eager for his coming. (2 Timothy 4 – The Message)

Paul finished his ride with arms held high in triumph. That is exactly how I want to finish.

Enjoy a gently read blog today. Blessings, Dave

I am changing careers. I have decided to start issuing official sounding studies about obvious things. I have a keen sense of the obvious. Why not profit from that? My career epiphany came as I read a study that found that college students are self-centered. Seriously?

I am planning to release my first groundbreaking study soon. My thesis is that people stuck in rush hour traffic are less friendly. I am pretty sure I am right.

While the conclusion of the study about today’s college kids isn’t shocking the conclusions about the reasons are indeed interesting. According to the study’s lead author, psychology professor Jean Twenge, the reason narcissism is now epidemic can be traced to an unhealthy desire to boost self-esteem.

Narcissism is defined at dictionary.com as excessive love or admiration of oneself. The second listed definition smacks of irony.

A psychological condition characterized by self-preoccupation, lack of empathy, and unconscious deficits in self-esteem.

So our out of balance attempts to artificially boost self-esteem actually creates an unhealthy self-esteem deficit in many young men and women. Very interesting.

Here are some excerpts from the Associated Press story.

In the study released today, researchers warn that a rising ego rush could bring personal and social problems for the Millennial Generation, also called Gen Y. People with an inflated sense of self tend to have less interest in emotionally intimate bonds and can lash out when rejected or insulted.

“We need to stop endlessly repeating ‘You’re special’ and having children repeat that back,” said the study’s lead author, San Diego State University psychology professor Jean Twenge. “Kids are self-centered enough already.”

Some of the rise in narcissism was probably caused by self-esteem programs that many elementary schools adopted in the 1980s, the study suggested. It noted that preschools began to have children sing a song to the tune of “Frère Jacques” that proclaims: “I am special, I am special. Look at me.”

Other trends such as permissive parenting, increased materialism and the fascination with celebrities and reality TV shows may also heighten self-regard, said the University of Georgia’s W. Keith Campbell, a study co-author.

Dr. Twenge has written a book titled “Generation Me: Why Today’s Young American are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled – and More Miserable Than Ever Before”.

Let’s be honest here. Maybe the “Mellennials” are a bit higher on the narcissism scale but this self-absorption is not confined to the university level. I would suggest this has been a growing phenomenon since the Baby Boomers starting crawling around America’s nurseries. The effects of America’s heightened self-regard has filtered into our churches as well. You could do a church version of Dr.Twenge’s book called “Generation(s) Me: Why Today’s Christians have more Teaching, Programs, Resources – and are more Miserable Than Ever Before.” Sadly, you can too often see Christians who don’t realize who they are in Christ lash out when rejected or insulted just like the students in the study. Why? The answer for Christians is that we have forgotten or don’t understand what Christ has done in our lives.

Self-esteem for collegians or congregations does not come from singing songs and being told you are special. The foundation of such shallow self-esteem is built on sand and is easily washed away by life’s storms.

But healthy self-esteem is possible. I believe it can be accomplished through applying some timeless truths.

1. It is not about you. Dr.Stephen Bramer, a teaching pastor at our church, shared that he was taught as a child that you find joy by living with clear cut priorities. The plan is simple and uses joy as an acronym.   J – Jesus comes first, O – Others come next, Y – You come last. When I have lived my life in that order I have found joy. Unfortunately my percentage of days lived in that order needs to get higher.
2. You are special. But you are special because you are created in the image of God and not because of a group sing-a-long.
3. I believe that every one of God’s children is gifted to contribute to His church and to His plan. Having a part in the Great Commission of the Lord Jesus gives you significance that has eternal value.
4. Self-worth is found in being loved unconditionally by the Creator of the Universe. Jesus said “I love you” when you were unlovable. Having a personal relationship with God gives you self-esteem that is built on a solid foundation and that can withstand life’s storms.
5. We were created to be in community and being self-absorbed sabotages that plan. I can enjoy the benefits of community only if I put things in the right relational order.
6. All of these truths come together when you become a child of God and allow Jesus total access. The old self must go away. Paul wrote powerfully about our potential to live new lives in Christ Jesus. Take a moment to read Romans 6. Good stuff.

The conclusion of the narcissism study made me chuckle. Dr. Campbell did note that narcissism can have benefits, suggesting it could be useful in meeting new people “or auditioning on American Idol.” So if the primary benefit of narcissism is getting shredded by Simon Cowell I think I will pass.

When I awoke today I thought about these words of Jesus.

“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

That makes me feel pretty good about myself today.

I love football season. The start of NFL camps got me fired up and ready for some football. I wrote a tongue-in-cheek reference to football in my book When Bad Christians Happen to Good People. I looked at how we assemble our church “team” using football imagery.

You start with a couple of All-Conference performers and a few other pretty good players. But you also have several who just started playing and don’t even know the rules or terminology of the game. Add some dreadfully out-of-shape, middle-aged players who have been around for years, who never work out or train, but who expect to get playing time nonetheless. You have a few who just don’t care anymore and don’t want to practice, learn the plays or listen to the coach. But you can’t cut them from the team or even bench them without causing big problems. There are some who try hard but are too weak or injury prone to be effective. A few regularly miss games and practices without notice and then reappear expecting to play and even start. Toss in some … umm… “mature” players who remember the way the game was played back when it was really good. You also have some players who think the coaches and assistant coaches are total idiots. Some passionately believe that the offensive game plan is totally wrong and that all the other players need to change to comply with their personal team philosophy… now! And then you have some who try to run their own plays when they go into the game. Many of the players meet regularly at Denny’s after each game to disparage the coach and staff after saying grace over a Grand Slam breakfast. How do you think this team would perform? If they ever won a game, it would be a miracle. 

Yet that is a rather common blueprint for a church. A team that is all over the map in maturity, knowledge, experience, passion and ability. Is it a surprise that our church team sputters at times? Maybe we should function more like a football team. Hold spiritual tryouts before you let anyone join the church. Cut the most of the rookie believers or send them to another church to gain experience. Waive all of the Christians with bad attitudes or poor work ethic. Fine any church members who are late to meetings or services. Make the deacons run laps when they miss a row while passing the offering basket. Fifty pushups for the pastor if he goes too long (poor clock management). With that kind of discipline you could shape up the church and it would cease to be the body of Christ.

The church will always be a little (or a lot) dysfunctional because people like me and you are on the team. So don’t be surprised when a committee member fumbles, an elder misses a block or a staff member tosses an interception. Part of our assignment on our church team is learning how to love those we would like to trade or waive. So we might as well keep our eye on the Coach and look for the fun in our dysfunction. Jesus established this team (church) and I am just glad to be on the roster. Paul wrote this to the church at Galatia.

Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.  Gal 6 Msg

Our training camp paraphrase:

Be a good teammate. When someone makes a mistake, get over it, encourage them and be a leader. You might need some encouragement too before the game is over. Help them up and reach out to a teammate that is down. Play as a team according to the Coach’s playbook. If you think you are better than your teammates you will hurt the team and yourself.

Have a great season!

 

 

There is a very smart website called SmartPastor.com. The site links interesting tidbits, articles, blogs and other resources for pastors. The man behind the curtain is a pastor from Loveland, Colorado named Jeff Berg. His bio describes his humble beginnings.

Born naked, helpless and unable to fend for himself, Jeff Berg overcame his inauspicious start to become the Pastor of Family Ministries at LifeSpring Covenant Church in Loveland, Colorado. 

How can you not root for an underdog story like that? Occasionally Jeff will tarnish his Smart Pastor credentials by linking to my humble ramblings. The last time that Jeff linked to my site he described me in a way that brought tears to my eyes.

Dave Burchett, the most entertaining Christian author you never heard of, finished his series of posts, “Sentences that change your life.”

I was not prepared for such an honor. But I have quickly scribbled some notes on one of my books that hasn’t sold. So here goes…

I would like to thank the thousands and even millions of you who have not purchased my books for making this award possible. I would also like to thank the hundreds of churches who have not asked me to speak at their retreats and services. I would like to thank the bookstores who ruthlessly tossed my book on the half-price table. Without all of you I would not have been able to claim this title. To quote the Great Carnac from the great Johnny Carson: “May a camel caravan make a pit stop on your lawn.”

Note to the humor impaired – The preceding paragraph was tongue-in-cheek. I do not write to get famous or rich (although I am willing to accept either for the Kingdom). However God chooses to use these efforts is fine with me. At least the SmartPastor thinks I’m entertaining. If you are curious about what so many of you have managed to miss you can check out the books by clicking here. Hey, I may be anonymous but I am not shameless!

Blessings and grace,

What’s His Name