Author: Dave Burchett

The morning perambulation (look that one up Nelson) was lovely today. The sun was shining brightly and the air was brisk. The iPod was cranking with a playlist that featured songs from my brief career as a disc jockey in the early 70’s. Yep, that was one more failed career on my resume. I remember that I used to play songs each day based on my mood. If I had just broken up with my girlfriend you would hear songs like “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart”, “Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song” and “Alone Again, Naturally”. I feel sorry for any listeners on those days.

“Did you listen to the radio today?”
“Yeah…I feel really depressed for some reason.”
“Me too. I wonder why?”

Sorry.

On my current DJ playlist is a song that generated some spiritual reflection. Bill Withers had a big hit with the song “Lean on Me” in 1972.

Sometimes in our lives we all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there’s always tomorrow

Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you don’t let show

Lean on me, when you’re not strong
And I’ll be your friend
I’ll help you carry on
For it won’t be long
‘Til I’m gonna need
Somebody to lean on

God designed this journey to be lived in community. Remember the description of the early church?

And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity– all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.  (Acts 2,  NLT)

We were created to be in community. A community of believers that accept and embrace those different from us because of Christ. That is what makes church dynamic to a person who experiences grace and acceptance for the first time. And that is why church can be devastating when the congregation becomes selective, judgemental, and legalistic. When we become “professional Christians” something seems to happen. We lose touch with our former brokenness and sinfulness.  I wrote about my dream of the Sinner Sensitive Church to replace the seeker sensitive approach in When Bad Christians Happen to Good People.     Here is an excerpt from that book.

The sinner-sensitive church (SSC) is my proposal for a new church movement toward making everyone feel welcomed and loved. The SSC would model nonjudgmental attitudes. Issues like having tattoos, body piercings, weird hair, or ugly shoes would not necessarily denote demon possession. The SSC would pledge not to gossip because we would realize that it is only by the grace of God that we are not the current targets. The sinner-sensitive church would value every spiritual, physical, and financial gift, no matter how big or small. This church would appreciate but not elevate the person who built the new wing with the large financial endowment. The SSC would make it a practice to reach out, touch, and care for one another sacrificially because we know that we all fall down in life and in our Christian walk. At the SSC we would have executives holding hands in prayer with laborers and not thinking twice about it. Blacks and whites and Hispanics and others would break bread together because we are all sinners in the eyes of a color-blind God.

The sinner-sensitive church would give freely out of profound gratitude to a God who somehow saw fit to give us an undeserved chance. The sinner-sensitive church would practice the prodigal son ministry, running to welcome those returning from mistakes and bad decisions and sin. Our members would get involved in other people’s lives. We would hold our brothers and sisters accountable to godly standards. Marriage would be cherished. Families would have a community of support during problems and trials. The congregation of the SSC would not be so self-centered that we would demand the undivided attention of the pastor at every little crisis. Other believers would help meet many of those needs that we now prefer to leave to the “professional Christians” on staff. The people of this church would come with hearts ready to be fed but also realizing that God has provided resources beyond any available in history to meet our spiritual hunger. And should we walk out the church doors still needy, we would know we can draw from the marvelous resources of Christian books, music, radio, video, tapes, Internet, and studies to meet our needs. Any one of us could be filled to overflowing if that were our desire.

The sinner-sensitive church would also delight in the company of other spiritual travelers and make it a priority that no one ever felt alone. We would make each other feel valuable but, on occasion, a little uncomfortable. Being comfortable in church is not the primary goal. I am not always comfortable at the dentist’s office. I often arrive in pain because I have neglected to do what I should have done. The staff always makes me feel welcome and even cared for. Then the dentist confronts me with the truth: “You have let this go too long, and I must hurt you (a little) in order to heal you. You will have to pay a financial price and spend time recovering before you are completely well.” Those are the facts of my dental hygiene sin. The sinner-sensitive church would not back off the truth either. Decay in the enamel or soul must be addressed. We will tell one another the truth and explain that the process might be a little painful. We would participate in ongoing preventative maintenance and help one another deal with problems as soon as possible, before they become even more painful and expensive to fix.

The SSC would worship with enthusiasm, whether singing hymns or praise choruses, because God is worthy of that praise. The sinner-sensitive fellowship would have a sense of profound reverence because we have received God’s grace, the most amazing gift ever offered. The sinner-sensitive church would be so excited about this grace that the incredible news of the gospel would be as much a part of who we are as our jobs and our families.

Sinner sensitive was the ministry style of our Lord. He was always available to people who realized their need. Merely being a seeker did not necessarily merit His time. The wealthy young man came to Jesus seeking what he lacked to receive eternal life (Matthew 19:16-22). However, the jarring truth of Christ’s answer to sell his possessions and give to the poor revealed to him that he was not ready to follow Christ. But when sinners came with a humble confession of need and a willingness obey God, Jesus never turned them away. The church of Acts was sinner-sensitive and functioned much in the way I have described above. (I’m not sure about the praise choruses, though.)

Frankly, sometimes we try a little too hard to “attract” the unchurched. A church that functioned like the one described above would be such a societal miracle that you couldn’t keep people away if you barred the doors. And while the majority of my idealism has been beaten out of me, I still believe that such a church will be possible when we finally reach the point of actually wanting it. That will not come until we decide we are willing to pay the price for such a church. The harsh reality is that most of us are afraid to commit to this radical type of fellowship because we aren’t sure what it would require of us. My own natural reaction is “Praise the Lord but keep the Lexus!” I’ll hazard a guess that you are the same.

That is my dream of what church should look like. A place of grace. A place where others can sing these lyrics and mean it…

Lean on me, when you’re not strong
And I’ll be your friend
I’ll help you carry on
For it won’t be long
‘Til I’m gonna need
Somebody to lean on

 

Regular readers of the humble ramblings know that I will often reference some of the great thinkers of our age to make a point. Today is one of those days as I go deep into the mind of Popeye the Sailor Man.

What other Christian writer offers this kind of depth and insight?

Stumbling across an old Popeye cartoon triggered this post. Seeing an old cartoon brought back memories of a childhood misspent in front of a glowing black and white Sylvania television. Questions still unanswered came to mind. Why did Popeye have to get  his strength from spinich? Why couldn’t he be more like Wimpy and get his super strength from hamburgers? What was so attractive about Olive Oyl?

What size shoe did she wear? Fifteen? Sixteen? Perhaps some of my questions will never be answered. But it was a couple of familiar expressions from Popeye that generated today’s article. The first Popeye proverb summarizes the place I arrived at a few years ago in my Christian journey.

“That’s all I can stands, I can’t stands no more!”

That frustration led to my first book, When Bad Christians Happen to Good People. I was fed up with Christians who display their faith on their shirt, wrist and bumpers but not in their lives. I was tired of phony faith. I was tired of faking it. If I was going to call myself a Christian I wanted to understand what that meant and how it would change my life.

And if I am reading the Bible correctly it should change my life dramatically. My life will not change perfectly but there should be discernable change that is noticeable to me and to others.

That frustration and search has finally led me to an epiphany that is, again, summed up by the wise sailor man Popeye.

“I yam what I yam.”

So what “yam” I?

I was a sinner saved by grace and faith alone. But what I am beginning to understand is who I “yam” now in Christ. That is transforming my life. I have referenced the book TrueFaced as an incredible volume of practical theology.

Buy it. Borrow it. Get your library to stock it. But please read this book. The authors have a great approach to teaching who we are in Christ. Here are some nuggets from that book.

God is not interested in changing the Christian.

My heresy alarm sounded prematurely when I first heard this comment from the TrueFaced guys. But listen to the rest of the story.

God is not interested in changing the Christian. He has already changed us when we believed in Jesus for salvation. At that point our spiritual DNA was rewritten and we became a new person in Christ. God wants us to believe that He has already changed us so that He can get on with the process of maturing us.

Grace changes our life focus from struggling with sin issues to trusting who God says I already am. I am a saint who occasionally sins, not a sinner who is striving to become a saint. If we focus on struggling with sin issues, we will never experience trusting who God says I am. If we focus on the trusting who God says I am, we will experience unparalleled transformation regarding our sin issues. Grace lets God handle sin. Moral striving to become godly only keeps us enslaved to sin. Shifting to trusting God helps us take ourselves less seriously while taking our sin far more seriously.

Powerful stuff. I am experiencing unparalleled transformation as I am finally comprehending who I am in Christ.

I yam what I yam. A saint. I have been changed and my spiritual DNA rewritten. Now I need to get on with the process of growing into who I already am in God’s eyes.

 

Fifteen years ago a funny and underappreciated  movie came on the scene. Groundhog Day told the story of a self-absorbed news reporter (redundancy alert?) that finds himself stuck in an endless repeat of the same day. Bill Murray is perfect in the role of reporter Phil Connors. Since I live in the odd world of broadcast television I can relate to the cynical personality of Murray’s character. Reporter Phil is less than thrilled that he has been assigned to cover Punxsutawney Phil’s annual peek outside to predict winter’s duration. Connor’s looks into the camera and cynically reports:

“This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather.”

I have directed some events that offer that kind of challenge. But what got me thinking about that movie again was the plotline where Phil Connors realizes he is doomed to live the same day over and over and over. The plot is summed up in this article in Wikipedia. For Connors, Groundhog Day begins each morning at 6:00 A.M., with his waking up to the same song, Sonny & Cher’s “I Got You Babe”, on his alarm clock radio, but with his (and only his) memories of the “previous” day intact, trapped in a seemingly endless “time loop” to repeat the same day in the same small town.

Connor has this exchange in the film.

Phil: What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?
Ralph: That about sums it up for me.

And that brought to mind another famous Bill Murray quote…this time from Stripes.

And then depression set in.

So what is the point of these ramblings? Is it to impress you with my cerebral movie tastes? The point is that too many followers of Jesus are stuck in a Groundhog Day life of their own. They wake up every day and feel trapped in a repeating pattern of frustrating behavior. And then, depression sets in. Why is that?

Einstein was once quoted as saying that “insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” I am not quite willing to concede that I was insane. But the truth is that for years I did approach my spiritual life the same way everyday while somehow expecting different results.

I would make a mistake (that is politically correct for sin) and I would convince myself that I would never do that again. I was grateful that the consequences were not worse. I was determined to stay far, far away from that sin. And then before I know it I had forgotten the lesson and I would awaken each morning to my own version of Groundhog Day. The Apostle Paul wrote about this very thing (not the giant rodent part, but the repeating behavior part) in his letter to the Romans.

I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.   (Romans 7, The Message)

Wow…can I relate to that. A bit later Paul writes…I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?

That is the real question. And there is a real answer offered by Paul.

The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

So what can you do to get out of this sin spiral?

Nothing.

Wait! Don’t let depression set in. This is good news. You and I can’t do it. I am incapable in my own efficacy to escape my spiritual Groundhog Day. Only Jesus can enable me to escape this endless loop of frustration. Further advice from Paul follows in Chapter 8 of his amazing letter to the Romans.

But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him.

Allow the truth of that verse to soak in. 

Want to get out of your Groundhog Day existence? Most readers of these humble ramblings realize they couldn’t deal with their sin separation from God on their own. We needed Jesus. So why do we think we can deal with our ongoing sin issues on our own? When the Father looks at me on my very worst day this is what He sees. 

Jesus.

That is step one. I don’t have to clean up the sin to please God. He loves me already because of Jesus. Step 2. I am learning daily to recognize that the Spirit of God has taken up residence in my life. I am learning that I am the one who limits His power by restricting access and control to my thoughts and actions. I am learning that I don’t need to wake up to the frustrating effects of repeated self-effort. I can wake up trusting God, trusting that Jesus has my sin covered and trusting that the Spirit of God will allow me to resolve that sin. Trusting God and what His Word says to be true allows me to escape the Groundhog Day syndrome. Instead I have a new day full of possibilities to thank God for His amazing grace.

 

 

 

The great Dallas sports columnist Blackie Sherrod used to have a weekly column that started with this phrase:

Scattershooting while wondering whatever happened to (fill in the name from someone from the past or a person who had faded out of view).

My version would be scattershooting while wondering whatever happened to my 2^nd book, “Bring’em Back Alive”? Has anyone heard from it or seen it? Please tell it to call home from whatever bargain bin it is hanging out in.

Yesterday I wrote a column on my struggle with how to respond to ungraceful comments about my faith. I got a thoughtful and kind response from Linda.

As a Catholic and the mother of a Notre Dame student, I have certainly struggled with my response to this situation. My 20 year old Fightin’
Irish son’s response was, as expected, anger, and confusion regarding the seemingly “it’s only Notre Dame fans who are upset” attitude of
ESPN and other media outlets. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you publishing your thoughts on the matter. I have forwarded your column to my son, and I have happily received it from other members of the ND and Christian community. You have said with your words what I have struggled to say with mine!

While we as Christians try to “turn the other cheek” to such thoughtless comments as those made by Ms. Jacobson, it does sometimes
feel so unfair that we seem to have to endure these tirades with a “mature” attitude, but you are exactly correct in your response. If
God can forgive our many indiscretions, we, as his followers, must find it in our hearts to do the same.

While I am sorry to say that praying for Ms. Jacobson was not my first response, it is never too late for prayer. I started mine right after
reading your column.

Thanks Linda. It is never too late for prayer. Sorry about the little dig about Touchdown Jesus being Field Goal Jesus last year. I have seen the Notre Dame upcoming slate of new recruits. I suspect the Irish will soon be back as a national power.

From the you never know what will connect file I give you this item. Crystal wrote that she was watching the State of the Union address when the words to a song by The Youngbloods popped into her mind. It’s okay Crystal…I have a brain like that too. She “googled” the lyrics about everybody coming together and found my iPod devotional on that very song. I had forgotten all about it. Crystal wrote this note last night.

Although a little late, I want to thank you for the intricate gathering of your words….after all, isn’t our existence and live hereafter totally dependent on our comprehension of true hope in Christ? 

Absolutely. And thank you for correctly realizing that my posts are an intricate gathering of words. Others are less graceful in their analysis of the humble ramblings. Here is a little snippet of that post.

I watch the news and my heart aches. I wish we could have peace on earth but I have come to realize that is not possible through human institutions. I truly wish it were possible. The lyrics continue with an interesting twist.

Some will come and some will go
We shall surely pass
When the one that left us here
Returns for us at last

I am not sure if the writer of this song really believed that Jesus would return for us at last. Christians (present company included) maintain that Jesus will return as one of our articles of faith. But we don’t really live as if we believe that.

You hold the key to love and fear
All in your trembling hand
Just one key unlocks them both

I believe there is one key to love and fear. But we do not hold the key. We do, however, have the opportunity to respond to the key to love and fear. His name is Jesus. Thirty-seven years ago with trembling hand I asked Him to unlock my heart and enter in. I began changing at that moment. And with each passing year I get a little better learning how to…

Love one another right now
Right now
Right now!

And finally, I am blessed that some of you have joined my team in the Mocha Club. For $7 a month we can make an incredible difference in Africa. Think about that. For the cost of a couple of mochas (hence the name) you can feed a child or prevent malaria. And this is a legit and reputable ministry. Click here if you want to join.  There is a box on the right side that says join the Fellowship of the Broken. Click on that.

Seven bucks a month. Why not love one another right now?

Every so often I take on a topic that reminds me of the Civil Defense film called Duck and Cover. They used to show us this “educational” film in elementary school. Having a serious as a heart attack announcer discussing nuclear attacks made for some really restful nights. More experienced readers recall that we were advised to “duck and cover” under our school desks in the event of a nuclear attack. Even as a 2^nd grader I knew that was nonsense. In later school years I would develop better descriptive words. I don’t recall the other kids thinking this was stupid but perhaps I just have an exceptional gift to discern the obvious.

Today’s topic is one that generates as much vein bulging controversy in the church as picking the right kind of worship music or the correct bible translation. Yes, we Christians can mount a full out expedition on any kind of molehill. But today’s issue is one that reasonable and thoughtful people can disagree about. Unfortunately, the reasonable and thoughtful ones are not nearly as likely to email me.

The fact is that Christians are getting beaten up a bit in this culture. And a lot of Christians are getting defensive about it. I understand that. Nobody likes to be mocked, ridiculed, badgered and marginalized . Okay, most of us don’t like that. The tough thing for followers of Jesus is deciding the right response to all of these verbal drive-bys. I have a hard time calling them attacks. I read the Voice of the Martyrs Newsletter. The suffering Christians around the world can use the word attack and persecution honestly. So far in America we are only dealing with bad manners and insults.

It seems like every time I turn on my television recently I see Bill Donohoe of The Catholic League complaining about something. In the past week it was comments by an ESPN announcer. This piece is not about criticizing Donohoe or the Catholic response. I am not smart enough to discern what God calls others to do. He simply represents one end of the spectrum. American Family Association also believes an aggressive approach is necessary. I often get e-mails asking me to boycott, email, complain and mobilize to help stop an offensive program or event. I rarely respond. Am I a bad Christian? Do I not care? If you haven’t already launched a angry missive full of misspellings in my direction please allow me to discuss.

ESPN morning anchor Dana Jacobson launched a profanity laced, alcohol fueled tirade at a celebrity roast for radio hosts Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic. (Disclaimer: I used to do some freelance work for the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network but that has ended. So I don’t think my comments will be influenced by a non-revenue stream but I still believe in full disclosure) Jacobson definitely made some crude remarks about Notre Dame (Mike Golic is a Irish grad) and about the mosaic of Jesus with arms raised that has been dubbed by alumni as Touchdown Jesus (this year it would be more appropriately called Field Goal Jesus or Three and Out Jesus). Some accused Jacobson of saying something vulgar about Jesus. But that is in dispute. Yet many Christian organizations are calling for her to be fired. I struggle with that response as a Christian.

I am deeply offended when someone mocks Jesus. It hurts. Jesus is my rock and my salvation so of course I don’t like to hear comments like that. The Christian Defense League (that sounds ominous) had some strong comments.

“After meeting with ESPN officials for over an hour last week, it is clear to me that they are still in the ‘dark ages’ when it comes to workplace religious discrimination, bigotry and hate speech.  There are several reasons why I feel this way.  First, ESPN could end this controversy in a minute if they would just release the video tape of what Jacobson said or an exact transcript.  Their refusal to do so demonstrates a lack of openness, good faith and candor which is necessary for true dialogue and healing to take place.  It is painfully clear that they are more interested in protecting the corporate image of ESPN and avoiding actions taken against them, than they are in having a meaningful exchange on religious discrimination in the workplace.”

 

ESPN is like every company. Their corporate image is without question their biggest concern. To be fair, we in the faith community have not always dealt with some sin issues in the church with openness and good faith. Why would it be a surprise if a corporate giant does not? The press release continues:

 

“ESPN is also implying that the faith community should not be upset because Ms. Jacobson was suspended for a week showing that the network is treating this episode seriously. However, over and over again in our discussion with them, ESPN made it clear that Ms. Jacobson was not fired for her speech or comments she made.  She was disciplined only for her behavior.  In other words, ESPN does not believe any offensive or discriminatory religious language took place.”

 

Again, I am not sure what was said to Jacobson or to the rest of their employees. I do know how seriously they take workplace issues like sexual harassment  because I have sat in the meetings. Now they will likely add several pages of restrictions regarding religious speech. Over the years I have had many open discussions about faith prior to or after ESPN events. That will likely be forbidden in the future. That is sad to me. The results of the reaction to this incident might have far greater impact than one announcer’s personal status. 

 

One of the consistent arguments is that only Christianity can be insulted without serious ramifications. I rather like that point. The comparison of how Christians respond versus other faiths is a strong argument for the teachings of Jesus. Is it weakness that we don’t demand violence or ruin for those who offend? Or is it strength born out of grace?

 

Jesus gave a game plan for how to deal with those who rejected His followers.

 

“If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.”  (Mark 6, The Message)

 

Why? Because making a scene would not change anyone’s mind about Jesus. However, showing grace might. Paul made the uncomfortable suggestion to the church in Rome that we should “bless” those who persecute us. I suspect that persecution was more serious to the early church than second hand comments from a bad celebrity roast. I am not sure that I am generally able to bless those who simply annoy me…let alone persecute me. But that would demonstrate grace in a graceless world and it would make a clear differentiation between followers of Jesus and other religions.

 

These words from Jesus seem to apply to our cultural challenges today.

 

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’  and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.  If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.  But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

 

That is my struggle. How am I different if I am cynical and angry toward Dana Jacobson or anyone who makes an offensive comment? So I choose to believe her apology and I choose to pray for her. I choose to grant grace. I would gently challenge one comment she made.

 

“My actions at the roast were inappropriate and in no way represent who I am. I won’t make excuses for my behavior, but I do hope I can be forgiven for such a poor lack of judgment.”

 

At the heart of the Gospel is the fact that such unseemly behavior does represent who you are when you strip away the masks. Jesus made it clear that what is in our hearts reveals who we really are.

 

But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. (Matthew 15, NLT).

 

Sometimes what comes from deep within surprises us. Perhaps alcohol released some of that darkness. I don’t know what caused Dana Jacobson to act the way she did. I will say this from one lonely follower of Jesus.

 

I do forgive you. I appreciate that you make no excuses. And I pray that you will come to know the Jesus that I know. That you will meet an authentic follower of Jesus.

 

And to my fellow travelers in this journey I hope you are encouraged in spite of getting run over by a few secular buses recently. Despite shelves of bestsellers denouncing God faith in Him continues to grow. Despite unprecedented opposition from universities and professors Christianity survives and often thrives on our campuses. Despite the legal and intellectual efforts of militant atheists millions are choosing to follow Christ. I have often said that the greatest apologetic of all is that Christianity is flourishing in spite of Christians.

 

God’s plan is being accomplished. I choose to trust Him. I don’t need to make God look good. I just need to be faithful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One reader of the humble ramblings was a bit confused by yesterday’s declaration of my affection for the Baylor Bears. They thought I was an Ohio State Buckeye fan.  I am. I am also a diehard Cleveland Browns and Texas Rangers fan. I have a nearly unlimited capacity for suffering.

I proudly proclaim that I am an Ohio State fan by birth. I was born forty-five miles due south of the Horseshoe. For pagans the Horseshoe is the magnificent Ohio Stadium nestled on the banks of the Olentangy River in Columbus, Ohio. I have been an Ohio State fan since I can remember. If I became a Buckeye by birth then I guess I became a Baylor Bear by checkbook. Eldest son Matt became the first Bear. He was followed by brothers Scott and Brett.

If I had given this much money to any other Baptist organization I would have a little plaque on a building somewhere.

                In Loving Memory of Dave Burchett’s Retirement Fund that sacrificed itself for three undergrad degrees.

But something happened during those often painful check writing sessions. I fell in love with Baylor University. I even became an alumni by choice, an award that Baylor probably would like to have back. I love what Baylor has done for my sons. All of them have grown in wisdom and stature in, of all places; Waco, Texas. I love the atmosphere and the values that the administration unashamedly proclaims. I wrote a piece defending Baylor when they told coeds they could not pose in the Big 12 issue of a men’s magazine. Baylor is very clear about who they are and what they believe. If you want to get “nekkid” in a magazine you have eleven other choices in the Big 12. Baylor is based on Christian values. If you go there you know that fact and they do not hide that under a bushel basket. How refreshing.

Several years ago a tragedy in the men’s basketball program sullied the university and their athletic reputation. Player Patrick Dennehy was murdered by a teammate and that led to a series of revelations that included cheating, deception, lying and coverups. The basketball program was nearly dismantled by sanctions and penalties. Many wondered if the program could ever recover from such a devastating series of events.

Coach Kim Mulkey’s Lady Bears started the healing process in earnest with an amazing run to the National Championship. But on the men’s side the question was daunting. Who would take on a rebuilding job that Nehemiah might have turned down? Enter a golly gee young coach named Scott Drew from a school known as Valpo. Hardcore basketball fans knew all about the Drew family and Valparaiso University. Coach Homer Drew had built the politically incorrectly named Crusaders into a mid-major power. They became a national darling when son Bryce Drew made a miracle shot in the 1998 NCAA Tournament. His son Scott was an assistant on that team. Scott Drew had taken over an established program at Valpo. Drew could refine his skills in a safe environment with helpful input from his Dad. So when Baylor came calling the smart thing to do would be to politely ask to be placed on their no call list.

Thank God Scott Drew did not do the smart thing. For reasons only he understands Drew took the job and brought his faith, charm, hard work, recruiting skills and unbridled optimism to the banks of the Brazos River. Knowing what the team has overcome is why this year’s Baylor team cracking the Top 25 and winning that amazing 5 overtime game on Wednesday against a ranked Texas A&M team is such a great story. 

I am proud of Baylor and I am thrilled for the players who believed in Scott Drew’s dream. Stories like this are what make sports so great. Baylor basketball is a metaphor for the Christian journey. You can suffer catastrophic failure on that path but with faith and hope you can find redemption.

Grace always takes me by surprise. I am not conditioned by this world to expect acceptance when I have failed. I am conditioned to expect condemnation, shame, and rejection. But anytime I fail there is the Father God patiently and lovingly waiting for me to return. Like the father in the story of the Prodigal Son, God is waiting to race to greet us when we turn away from self  and toward Him. There is no cleanup required. A heart of repentance is all that He asks. His grace is sufficient…and always amazing. 

Baylor basketball is a great story of redemption, faith and hope. Isn’t it nice to have a good story for a change? Sic’em Bears!

 

It is usually not a good thing when you read about some Baptists having a long session marked by aggressive behavior. But last night it was a very good thing. The Baylor men’s basketball team worked 5 overtime periods to beat the Aggies of Texas A&M and gave the long suffering Bears an incredible win. My Bears are now ranked in the Top 25 for the first time in forty years. Sic’em Bears!

I like to review past columns now and then. This one caught my eye as I scrolled through the humble musings archives. The article tweaked my interest because I had just experienced a very bumpy flight through gray clouds last weekend. Here is that earlier post with some updates.

I fly way too much. I have amassed nearly five million airline miles over the past twenty-five years of traveling. That is a lot of bad omelettes, delays, and bruised knees from incredibly unaware passengers who recline their seat backwards at warp speed. But there is one part of flying that still fills me with awe.

Take-offs on cloudy, nasty days always reveal the nervous flyers. As the plane thunders down the runway and rises into a soupy and overcast mix the nervous flyers grip the armrest tightly and glance anxiously out the window. They look at the seasoned flyers reading the paper or napping and wonder what is wrong with them. Nerves are not soothed by seeing nothing but gray through the tiny portals. These takeoffs are usually accompanied by bumps, shudders, and stomach churning drops. The pilots always cheerfully glosses over the turbulence ahead. “We will have a little light chop as we head out”, the captain tells us before takeoff. Not long after lift off you begin wondering what “heavy chop” might feel like. Today was one of those takeoffs. The Tennessee skies were dark and we bounced through the expected turbulence of winter weather. Trust me, that is not the part that creates awe everytime I experience it.

Stormy airplane travel seemed a fitting metaphor for the past eighteen months of the journey with the striking Mrs.Burchett. It has now been almost two years since we heard the word that changed us forever.

Cancer.

Few words have more gut punching power than the “C” word. Looking back I can see that our journey through Joni’s breast cancer treatments in many ways paralleled a stormy takeoff. Just like the captain of our plane, Joni and I faced the inevitable clouds ahead with limited visibility. We could not begin to see what we faced in the coming months. The captain trusted his instruments and had faith in them to direct the flight safely. We trusted our God and the doctors as we took off in darkness to travel through our cancer journey. As the airplane hit the bumps the pilot did not let off the power in fear. In fact, bad weather often requires more power to offset the wind gusts. Joni and I learned that we had to similarly go full throttle with optimism, hope, and trust in a God who is sovereign and trustworthy. We determined to do our part and rest in Jesus. Cancer is hard. The burden is heavy. But Jesus made it easier to bear.

I will not try to claim that Joni and I have been giants of faith. We are not like the Top Gun pilots who never show fear and are always incredibly cool. We hated the turbulence. The bumps were nervewracking. Twice we hit huge bumps that knocked the emotional breath out of us. 

A nervous flyer puts his or her faith in a pilot they almost surely don’t know. We put our faith in a Saviour that Joni and I know and trust and who has been faithful for many years.

But what about the part of stormy takeoff that still inspires awe? When you lift into the clouds you can’t see what lies ahead. The ride is bumpy and a little anxious (or maybe a lot anxious). And then it happens. You break through into awesome sunlight. There is nothing quite like that experience. The sunlight is breathtaking. It is hard to believe that moments ago you were in a confusing darkness. That is how Joni and I feel at this point in our journey. We have broken through the storm clouds of the past months into the sunlight of hope and life together. A nervous flyer wonders if they will ever clear the storm clouds. At times we felt the same way. We filed a flight plan based on a God who is worthy. I am not sure exactly how we got through the clouds. I just know that God was there for every bump and shudder along the way.

If you are flying through turbulence remember that sunlight may be just ahead. Go full throttle with the power of a God who cares. Don’t back off in fear. Rejoice in the trial because it can refine you and equip you for service. And I pray that you soon will rejoice as you break through dark clouds into magnificent sunlight.