Author: Dave Burchett

Why would anyone ask a self-described “Bad Christian” a question? And yet, for some reason, readers of this daily rambling have recently posed a number of inquiries for me to consider. Some forced me to think, some made me laugh, some made me a little angry, and a few made my heart ache. I have decided to tackle a few of them so here is the first (and very possibly the last) edition of “Ask a Bad Christian.”

Dear Bad Christian,

Did Paul who preached at Ephesus have a wife?  

Evelyn

Dear Evelyn,

The Bible does not state whether Paul was married or not. So we can only try to piece together bits of evidence to reach a conclusion. Clearly Paul felt that marriage was cool because he wrote this to the Church at Corinth. “Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?” (I Cor.9:5) He never specifically mentions a wife in any of his writings and even notes that he has the gift of celibacy. (I Cor 7) Others say that he must have been married because members of the Sanhedrin were required to be married. But Paul never wrote that he had become a member of the Sanhedrin before his little encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus. So the best answer I can give you is that it does not appear that Paul was married at the time of his writings. It is possible he had been married earlier and was widowed but that is only speculation.

Dear Bad Christian,

Question for you: Today in church the pastor said both he and his wife were asked this week if they are ever down. He said they both replied negatively since they have the Wonderful Counselor on their side they are never down or negative. I felt as if I should throw up a BS flag or something. Or is there a level of communion with Christ where you never feel down? He didn’t mean it like this, but I twisted his words in my brain that if you are ever down you aren’t a real Christian.

Bridgette

Dear Bridgette,

First of all, you have to know that Bad Christian loves the idea of a “BS flag” to throw when we feel a member of the family says something that does not past the authenticity smell test. Throwing the “BS flag” would be like a replay challenge in football. The pastor would review the tape and see if the statement is valid and defensible.

“After further review, the statement made from the pulpit stands as proclaimed. Start the clock, the sermon resumes from point 2”

Or the ruling might be,  “After further review the pastor withdraws the comment, is penalized 5 minutes from the sermon, and will resume from the spot of the flag.”

As for your actual question, I would have to respectfully disagree with your pastor. And I do mean respectfully. I would say that as you grow in your relationship with Christ that you will not stay down or negative. But I cannot say that you never get down or negative. I have found that the time frames that I remain down or negative grow shorter as I  mature a bit in my faith. But I have not personally reached the point in my journey with Jesus that I never get down. I have not come close to the point where I am never negative. Remember, I am a guy who has scoured the Bible to see if cynicism is a spiritual gift. But I can tell you that I am much better than I used to be. And that is what the journey is all about. I understand what your pastor is saying about the Wonderful Counselor retooling your emotional responses and that has and is happening in my life. But to say you are never down is unrealistic. As Jesus prepared for the Cross at Gethsemane it appears He was both down about the agony that was ahead and negative toward His sleeping Apostles.

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”   (Matt 26)

So Bridgette…you have the full support of “Ask a Bad Christian.” And I am sure that is reassuring!

Dear Bad Christian,

I am 17. I describe myself as a “bad christian.” Why can’t I be a good christian?

Charles

Dear Charles,

Can I tell you something from the depths of my heart? You are well on your way to being a better Christian because you are honest enough to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal your condition. Calling myself a “Bad Christian” is not done to make me feel bad about myself or to punish myself. I use that description as a daily reminder of my potential to sin and the need to depend on Christ in every moment.

Do I really think that I am a “Bad Christian?” I often feel like the Apostle Paul who said this to Timothy.

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.” (1 Tim 1)

Notice something very important here Charles. Paul says “of whom I am the worst” instead of “I was the worst.” Paul knew that his walk was a daily dependence on Jesus. But I do not think that I am a “Bad Christian” in the sense that I am any less in the eyes of Jesus who shed His blood for me. The description is simply a daily reminder of my need for Him.

Honesty and the realization of your need for help is the first big step to becoming a good Christian.  I would suggest you spend time in God’s Word. Find a older mature Christian to mentor you (if you can). Try to enlist a couple of Christians who will help you be accountable. Realize that all of us are “Bad Christians” now and then. Also realize that not all of us admit that. When you are a “Bad Christian” you need to repent, repair any damage you might have done, forgive yourself, and keep going. This is not a sprint but a long and sometimes difficult marathon. I am praying that a few years from now you will look back and say what I often say. “I may still sometimes be a Bad Christian but I am a whole lot better than I used to be!”

I am praying for you Charles. Thanks for being real.

Dear Bad Christian,

Are you going to do this again?

Fake Poster Invented By Author to Conclude Blog

Dear Fake Poster Invented by Author to Conclude Blog,

I await the feedback of my dozens of readers.

My dear friend and e-mail pest Nelson deposited this story in my cyber mailbox this morning.
With more than 1 million copies in print, “Marley and Me — Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog” has struck a chord with dog lovers who are laughing and crying over author John Grogan’s account of his yellow Labrador retriever. The story is more than a recounting of Marley’s antics that include chewing through doors, expulsion from obedience school, clawing paint off concrete walls, devouring furniture, swallowing valuable jewelry and swooning over soiled diapers.

“It’s really not just a dog book,” Grogan said in an interview with Reuters. “Before Marley, our life was about career, relationship, and ourselves,” said Grogan, a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer. “He helped us shift from an egocentric life to something more generous.” In the book, Grogan wrote: “Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things — a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in the shaft of winter sunlight. “And as he grew old and achy, he taught he about optimism in the face of adversity. Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty.”

The Marley story reported by Yahoo News noted that the nonfiction book has been on The New York Times bestseller list for 17 weeks.

It reaffirmed what I have been saying for years. I need to combine my dog stories with other Christian best sellers in order to get enough book sales to retire. So I have begun work today on “The Power of Praying for Purpose Driven Dogs who are Left Behind.” Finally I will get some shelf space at the local Christian chain store! (Note to spiritual hall monitors: I am joking. I don’t write Christian books to generate income to retire. However, I wouldn’t mind getting enough to pay Baylor University tuition)

I realized the amazing connections we have with our canine partners after a tongue in cheek piece about the Canine School of Evangelism became the third most read rambling in the brief history of this blog. A follow up dog story about the Touch of the Master was also well received by readers. I had decided to take a break from the dog days of winter but a recent development from scenic Waco, Texas changed my mind. It started innocently enough with a phone call from youngest son, Baylor student, and dog lover Brett. He had spotted three abandoned puppies along the side of the road and he stopped to try and help them. Two ran off but he managed to round up one of them. Brett called to let me know that he intended to bathe, feed, care for the dog, and then take him to the Humane Society on Monday for adoption. I knew I was in trouble when Brett decided to let me know what his rescued puppy looked like. This arrived via cell phone messaging.

I called the lovely Mrs.Burchett. “He is working me,” I told her. “He is falling in love with this dog.” On Sunday I was driving through Waco and I stopped to see Brett and his alleged short term friend. The way this puppy followed Brett around and looked at him was astounding. He appeared to sense that Brett was, for him, the canine version of Amazing Grace. That dog seemed to understand that he once was lost, and now was found. Maybe if we remembered our dramatic rescue along the side of the road to destruction we might gaze at our Rescuer more consistently with such a look of adoration.

But now we had a bigger problem. I started falling in love with this improbable mutt. I took my own photo to show to Joni.

I laughed with her and we realized that our family dog population had just increased. Brett was scheduled to take the temporarily named “Trigger” to the vet for shots and a checkup on Monday since the Humane Society was no longer on the radar. On Monday another phone call came. Trigger had become violently ill overnight. The scourge of all abandoned puppies seemed to have attacked this sweet little ragamuffin mutt. Trigger had  probably contracted the parvovirus. Brett’s words were heartbreaking in their honesty and love.

“Dad, I don’t think he is going to make it. But at least he knew he was loved for a few days.”

Okay. I cried at Old Yeller. I am a soft touch. But that remark from my youngest touched my heart and made me think that this is a microcosm of ministry. Sometimes it is heartbreaking. The results don’t always match our desires. But if we can love the down and out like Jesus at least they know they have been loved and they will know the source of that love.

For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ 
“Then these righteous ones will reply, `Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?’ And the King will tell them, `I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ Matt 25 – NLT

The results are not guaranteed when you minister to the least of these. But when we do minister to the least of these we show them the very face of Jesus. The lyrics from the group Casting Crowns fit nicely here.

Just love them like Jesus, carry them to Him
His yoke is easy, His burden is light
You don’t need the answers to all of life’s questions
Just know that He loves them and stay by their side
Love them like Jesus

Postscript:  “Trigger” is being released from the animal hospital today. Ten days of intravenous feeding, medication, and a major hit on my MasterCard saved his life.

I try to sample various schools of thought and I attempt to understand how others think. Part of my assignment on a recent road trip was watching Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO. To say that Maher doesn’t like Christians is one of the great understatements of all time. He would have to double his respect for Christians to ratchet up to contempt. Whew…Maher is so cynical he makes me look like Mr.Rogers on Prozac. But he did have one segment that was kind of amusing. Maher does a segment that he calls “New Rules.” He outlines the old rule and then he comedically (at least in his mind) unveils the new rule. To be fair, some were funny.

I got to thinking about how that applies to us to as followers of Christ. We often look at the struggles of the journey and declare “new rules” for ourselves. Part of the spiritual battle is being deceived into believing that we are exceptions to the rule. Pride whispers that God is pretty lucky to have me on the team. Perhaps we imagine we are special like those selfish folks who drive down the shoulder of the highway instead of waiting in the traffic jam like everyone else. Or like the person who kept jamming their seat into my knees on a flight today and gave me an opportunity to field test my forgiveness blogs of recent days.

Rewriting the rules could result in the making if a special set of Dave rules that only I get to play by. For example, here is your rule followed by my rule.

When you gossip it is sin….
When I gossip it is “sharing.”

When you stand up for a belief you are stubborn and rigid…
When I do I have the strength of my convictions.

When you make a mistake you are an immature Christian…
When I screw-up I am going through a “difficult time”.

You are selfish…
When I act selfishly I am looking out for myself because no one else will.

When you miss church you are letting down the fellowship…
When I miss it is because of my difficult week that you can’t even begin to understand.

When you don’t work at a church function you are lazy…
When I don’t volunteer it is because I can’t possibly take on another thing (sighhhh)

When you take initiative you are self-centered…
When I take charge I am following God’s direction.

When you get angry you have a terrible attitude…
When I get ticked off I am “filled with righteous indignation”…or something. 

I think I have made the point. I can run my sin through the Dave filter, apply my special Dave rules and remove every shred of personal responsibility and accountability.  C.S. Lewis pointed out our nature when he said, “It is only our bad temper that we put down to being tired or worried or hungry; we put our good temper down to ourselves.”  The good things I do are me bein’ spiritual, the bad things I do are because of whatever excuse I can muster that day. I have had enough of the excuses in my own life. George Washington said that “It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.” For Christians there should be no excuses…good or bad. On those “Bad Christian” days (and all of us have them) we just need to learn the following phrases.

I am sorry.

Forgive me.

I hit a nerve with a lot of people with the post about forgiveness. I lot of you thought my ideas fit into the philosophy of  “nothing is impossible for the person who doesn’t have to do it.” My thoughts were addressed to a wounded lamb who identified himself as “doormat”. That post brought a return response from doormat who graciously thanked me for the effort to address his situation.

Thank you for taking so much time to respond to my post. I don’t expect you to go on and on with me. I know the ultimate answer is “Jesus surrendered His rights so who do you think you are?”

First of all, you are welcome. Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I have a heart for wounded lambs. I would be willing to go on and on with you if God could somehow use my words to help you heal and forgive. I think you got it partially right about the ultimate answer. Yes, Jesus did surrender His rights and we are all trying to follow Him and become more like Him. But we ain’t there yet. So who do I think you are? I think you are an honest, sincere, wounded lamb trying to do the right thing in the middle of anger and pain. So if I can be patient with that I am sure the Good Shepherd is infinitely more patient with your struggle. I understand that forgiveness is rarely instantaneous. It is a process based on knowledge of God’s Word and faith.

Is a Christian allowed to have an attorney to defend his rights and to maybe even fight for damages on behalf of the wronged person? As a Christian, can I have my own attorney and can I press charges against the pastor who deliberately took advantage of me and violated my rights? Do Christians have the same rights every other citizen of this country has? Must I give up my rights? These questions are rhetorical.

I don’t know your situation. I don’t know how you have been damaged. I do believe it is important to separate your legal response from the biblical response that Jesus taught. I am not going to tell you that you cannot take legal action, that you cannot have a lawyer, and that you cannot seek recovery of damages. Of course you have every right to do that as a citizen of this country. But I have learned in my five decades on this planet that your spiritual peace and joy will be unrelated to the success of your lawsuit or whatever you can recover through legal action. If this pastor or church leader is a danger to others you might well be doing a service by pursuing such action. But your own soul will not find peace until you are willing to forgive. You probably think I have never experienced anything like you are going through and that may well be true. But I would invite you to read the story of the rejection of our infant daughter Katie by our local church. That was pretty rough. But we had to be willing to forgive to be healed.

I don’t think the Father of the crucified Christ imagined that His Son’s death could be one day used to manipulate believers into positions of surrendering their rights out of respect for what Christ did for him. That is the answer, I think.

I am sure that God knew the depths of depravity and the wicked potential of men to misuse the wonderful gift of salvation and grace that Jesus offered. But that is a part of the miracle of the incarnation. Jesus became a man and has walked in our skin. He understands how that betrayal feels and when you take it to Him…He gets it.

I’ve read other posts where people have said that being a Christian has blessings and rewards but this is just not my experience.

I think we have done a disservice in our zeal to tell others about Christianity. We talk about blessings and rewards and how Jesus is the answer and I believe all of that is true. But Jesus never promised blue skies, green lights, and a non-stop giggle fest. He told us this journey would be hard. He said to follow Him. And when we follow Him we will go to some of the places that He visited. Ugly places like betrayal and loneliness. But as we follow Him we can also go with Him to places like peace and joy and comfort in the arms of our Heavenly Father.

I can relate to what Camille said when she referred to her forgiveness coming and going in waves. You can most sincerely have the desire to forgive, deeply and desperately, and you can actually get “there” but the memories come back like a wave and just knock you down and pull you back under. Everytime I read or hear someone comment that Christian leaders should be held to a higher standard I feel feverish and weak, and I ask myself how long before I can get the memory of this A@* hole out of life?

I wish I could answer that.  I have had to deal with these same issues and I argued with God about these very topics. My friend Matt Blackmon tells the story of how he refused to forgive. Matt relates how God seemed to speak to him and asked him are you willing to forgive? His response was a loud, “NO, that is why we are having this discussion!”

Allow me to share a bit more from my book “Bring’em Back Alive“.

Mark Twain and I share at least one common sentiment when he wrote that “Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do understand.” Forgiveness is a foundational condition of growth throughout Scripture. Here are some passages that I completely understand that have bothered me for years.

In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. Matthew 6:14 

 Do you think we might have found the link to why so many of us hit a spiritual plateau and just stay there?  But we look for an escape clause somewhere in the contract or a special exemption for our “situation.” Lord, you KNOW how bad the people I have to deal with are and I know that as a loving God you will cut me a little slack. God’s love is revealed in that He does not cut us any slack. Our Creator knows what research is now showing…that a lack of forgiveness is not only a spiritual problem, it can manifest itself as a health risk.

Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you. Ephes. 4:32 
 
 The “as quickly” part is hard enough…the “as thoroughly” clause is nigh on to impossible.

And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it’s not all asking. If you have anything against someone, forgive-only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins.” Mark 11:25

 Only then? Jesus you must understand how impossible it would be to forgive that offense against me? The truth is that He does understand perfectly how impossible that command is to implement. And that is one more reason that following the teachings of Christ should cause us to give up on self and depend on Jesus to live this incredible journey.
 
“Be alert. If you see your friend going wrong, correct him. If he responds, forgive him. Even if it’s personal against you and repeated seven times through the day, and seven times he says, ‘I’m sorry, I won’t do it again,’ forgive him.” Mark 11:25

 Maybe I could manage once or twice but doesn’t continually forgiving make me a fool? Did you maybe misspeak there a little bit? Isn’t it interesting how we will subconsciously negotiate with God about what He really meant? The text seems pretty clear in all of the translations. There are no exceptions for me or you.

And that is the hard truth I have come to in my journey. A post from a person identifying himself as No Name disagrees with me completely.

you don’t have to forgive anyone who abuses you premeditatively and deliberately and who does not even ask for forgiveness especially if that person happens to be your own pastor especially if that person abused his position especially if that person took money that was not his to take especially if that person used confidential information to place himself in the driver’s seat

Before I accepted the unmerited forgiveness of a Holy God I would have totally agreed with No Name. But now I am the one who has been forgiven much . In fact I believe you do have to ultimately forgive no matter how premeditated or whether the offenders seek forgiveness or not. Because when I face the Savior who extended grace to me He will only judge my actions. I am accountable only for me. I can respond (eventually) in forgiveness if I can shift my focus from how much I have been wronged to how much I have been forgiven.

i love to read what dave wrote but oh please people use common sense don’t be pollyannas don’t be stupid

no this is pathetic

No Name

Thank you for the compliment (I think). It has been a long time since I have been accused of being a Pollyanna. The stupid part is old news according to many readers. But as hard as this concept is for me (and you) to accept it is not stupid or pathetic or weak. It is truth. God’s Word makes it very clear what we must do. His grace makes it possible. Forgiveness may well be the missing ingredient to true revival in the church. Clearly our lack of forgiveness is a major impediment to growth. I believe that we attract people to Christ when we behave in a way that is supernatural. From watching televangelists you would equate the supernatural with miraculous healings or speaking in tongues. I am not going to debate those manifestations in this book. I am instead going down the path that Radio Host Steve Brown traveled when he observed. “We can claim to have supernatural love, but it’s only supernatural when one would expect hatred instead. We can claim to be forgiving, but forgiveness is supernatural only when there is no earthly reason for one to be forgiving. Compassion is supernatural when the smart thing to do is look out for number one. Joy is supernatural when circumstances don’t warrant it.”

The truth is I don’t like this any more than you do. But lawyer or not, I don’t see a personal waiver for me in God’s Word. You may need to seek another fellowship. You may need to examine legal avenues. You may need to seek counseling or a support group. But Jesus makes it clear that He expects the forgiven to also be forgivers.

The informal meaning of post mortem is an analysis or review of a finished event. One previous post is ready for a “post” mortem examination and another should soon be there. Let’s take a look at a couple of prior stories and where they stand.

• Jesus wins round one in Italy

I wrote about an atheist who was going to take a former friend and Catholic priest to court to prove the historical existence of Jesus. The Washington Post recently reported that “an Italian judge has dismissed an atheist’s petition that a small-town priest should stand trial for asserting that Jesus Christ existed. Luigi Cascioli, a 72-year-old retired agronomist, had accused the Rev. Enrico Righi of violating two laws with the assertion, which he called a deceptive fable propagated by the Roman Catholic Church. “The Rev. Righi is very satisfied and moved,” Righi’s attorney, Severo Bruno, said. “He is an old, small-town parish priest who never would have thought he’d be in the spotlight for something like this.” Cascioli, a former schoolmate of Righi’s, said he had not expected the case to succeed in overwhelmingly Roman Catholic Italy. “This is not surprising but it doesn’t mean it all ends here,” he said, adding that he’s considering taking the case to the European Court of Human Rights. “This is an important case and it deserves to go ahead,” he said. Judge Gaetano Mautone said in his decision that prosecutors should investigate Cascioli for possible slander.”

Here is what I had written earlier about the validity of the trial.

For me the real question is not whether Jesus existed. That seems pretty clear to most. There is a very real question for everyone about who Jesus was and what that means in your life and mine. What the writers of the Talmud called sorcery the followers of Yeshua called miracles. The apostasy that led to the death of Jesus was called the Truth by His followers. Putting Jesus on a mock trial in Italy does not change the fact that every person must answer the question of who Jesus is. Some simply dismiss the question out of hand. Foolishness they scoff. A crutch for weaklings say others. Some struggle and look for empiracle and overwhelming evidence to support a step of faith. I find it fascinating that there is evidence to believe if you are looking for it. And there is evidence not to believe if you are looking for that. Faith ultimately means you have to step on one side of the line or the other. Everyone of us must answer the question that Peter and the Apostles did.

One day as Jesus was alone, praying, he came over to his disciples and asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
 “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead.”

 Then he asked them, “Who do you say I am?”

  Peter replied, “You are the Messiah sent from God!”

Peter’s impulsive replies often got him in the disciple doghouse but he hit this one out of the theological park. So when the million dollar question is presented to me here is my strategy.

Jesus is: 

A)    A made up figure
B)    A great teacher
C)    A crazy man
D)    The Messiah sent from God

I am going with D, Regis, the Messiah sent from God. Final Answer.

• Man who changed name to KentuckyFriedCruelty.com still moving awkwardly about.

Now that his fifteen minutes are over the former Chris Garnett gets to deal with the monumental hassles of explaining his name to banks, credit card companies, car rental agencies, etc. Recently Pamela Anderson joined the vegan formerly known as Chris and launched a campaign to have the statue of Colonel Sanders removed from the Kentucky state house. In one of the truly great quotes in history CNN reported the following information.

“Anderson wrote the letter with the help of People for the Ethical Treatment of animals.” 

That is just too easy. You insert your own joke here. In a statement that some literate people helped her write Anderson said, “The bust of Colonel Sanders stands as a monument to cruelty and has no place in the Kentucky state capitol.”  I always thought it stood for freedom of choice…regular or extra crispy. But that is why forward thinking people like Mr. KentuckyFriedcCruelty.com need to step up with bold ways to amuse us with their weirdness. This is from the earlier post about the pathetic publicity grab.

An employee of an organization known for ridiculous publicity stunts decided to legally change his name to KentuckyFriedCruelty.com.

The new name “never fails to spark a discussion,” according to KentuckyFriedCruelty.com. I would imagine that is true. Try to picture the possibilities.

Him: “Hi, my name is KentuckyFriedCruelty.com”

Me: “Nice to meet you. My name is TheBurgerKingDancesFunny.org.”

Him: “Seriously. My name is KentuckyFriedCruelty.com. I changed my name to protest the inhumane treatment of chickens.”

Me: “Later Dude. Much later.”

KentuckyFriedCruelty.com reports at his website (oddly enough of the same name) that his parents “were a little shocked at first” with the name change. They still call him Chris, but “have accepted the change.” They are no doubt looking forward to their grandkids someday. Little KentuckyFried.org will be quite unique around the old day care. KentuckyFriedCruetly.com works for an organization that gets publicity out of stunts like this so it shall remain nameless.

While I am sticking with the nominally vanilla Dave I did realize that I have added a name over the years. I have added the name Christian to my identity. And I must admit that I did not always contemplate how serious that responsibility was when I added that name to mine. As I mentioned in prior blogs about the Victoria Osteen event, having the title Christian by your name raises the bar on your life. Oh, it does not guarantee perfection. I don’t get in the same zip code with perfection. But calling yourself a Christian does mean you have given up some rights in order to demonstrate Jesus in your life. The classic quote of Saint Francis of Assissi should be the daily mediation of all who call themselves followers of Christ.

“Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”

I have been outed. Some readers of my books and these daily ramblings have somehow discovered that I am, deep breath, a conservative Evangelical Christian. A blog called Disaster Area reviewed When Bad Christians Happen to Good People. A couple of things he said cracked me up. First of all, he says the book is by “a guy called Dave Burchett.” That also happens to be my name so that may well be the reason I am called Dave Burchett. Secondly, he oddly states that I am “apparently an Emmy winner in sports broadcasting.” Apparently? But the biggest revelation against a guy called Dave Burchett who has apparenlty written this book is this breaking news. (emphasis is his) “However, it becomes clear about halfway through the book that by Christians he means North American Fundamentalist Evangelical Christians.” I guess they are on to me. Feedback to my post about  Richard Dawkins noted the following with this quote which I have reproduced exactly as it appeared. “The article also trys to make Dawkins look bad (I’d guess because the author is religious motivated).”  Busted!  I should have known they would figure out that a website called “Confessions of a Bad Christian” is, in fact, a Christian site. How did I think I would get away with this?

When I became aware that word of my Evangelical Christianity was out I went to the secret underground bunker where we all meet to plan how to advance our agenda.
“I have been Valerie Plumed!” I told the group.
“They know?”, they asked.
“I’m afraid so. Should I come clean?”
They looked horrified. “You mean tell them your agenda?”
“Yes,” I said boldly. “I am going to lay out my entire agenda so there will be no doubt.”

So here it is. I certainly don’t speak for all Evangelical Christians but I think I just might represent a number of them. So here is what I believe and my entire agenda.

I believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I believe the Bible is the inspired and authoritative Word of God. I believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, His sinless life, and miracles.  I believe in His atoning death, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory. I believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.

Let me tell you what this particular evangelical Christian does not believe…

I do not believe you have to be a Republican to be a Christian despited accusations to the contrary by some of my critics. Like it or not, heaven will be bipartisan and I am totally fine that there will not be sides of the golden aisles.
I do not believe that God is “judging” America for any particular sin. But if He is judging this country I would suspect it is for the massive squandering of wealth and resources that we have been blessed with while giving back an average of less than three percent.
I do not believe in ranking sins for their offensiveness to a Holy God. Some things are more offensive to us but all sin is equally intolerable to a Holy God.
I do not believe that censorship, boycotts, or politics will redeem this culture…only a spiritual renewal can accomplish such redemption.
I do not believe that it is my place to relish or desire eternal punishment for others. I am willing to leave that to a righteous and just God who sees the real heart and motives for each one of us and Who will judge justly.

And finally, here is my complete agenda.

To try and see everyone through the eyes of Jesus because my eyes are prejudiced and prideful.
To try and love them like Jesus because my love is selfish.
To let them others know that my relationship with Jesus has changed my life, given my life purpose, given me strength to endure tragedy, and real hope for the future.
To authentically relate how this personal relationship with the living God saved my marriage and made me a better father to my sons.
To be gentle in relating the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ to people in every situation and mired in any sin. My goal is to introduce them to Jesus and let them work out their salvation in fear and trembling.
To exhibit grace and forgiveness to those who attack me for not sharing their views.
To be an example of the living Christ to everyone I come in contact so that I can be salt and light to my little circle of influence.
To be a advocate for those wounded by the church and other Christians. Our lack of unity must grieve the Lord who prayed for unity of the body during His final agonizining hours before His betrayal, mock trial, and crucifixion.
To try to never be surprised or repulsed by the actions of those who do not have a relationship with Jesus. The Lord Himself was always gentle with sinners and always tough on religious hypocrites. We have reversed his example far too often. We are too tough on sinners and too gentle with the hypocrites.
To try and give generously of my time and treasure to those who have not been as materially blessed in my neighborhood, my country, and around the world.
To let people know that I love Jesus and I am not at all ashamed of that fact.

In short, I am praying to be a “troublesome” Christian. It is easy to dismiss the hypocrite. No problem to ignore the angry and judgmental religious types. But I was troubled when I saw some Christians who displayed something different in their lives. I could not dismiss so readily the joy, peace, strength, courage, and love they modeled. They were “troublesome” Christians to me.  I could not ignore them because their lives were authentic and different (different good, not weird). I want to be that kind of Christian. That is my agenda. Sorry if I have disappointed you conspiracy types. But I have come completely clean with you. My entire agenda is to be a “troublesome” Christian because Jesus is transforming my life every day. There…I feel better. I am glad you finally know the truth.

One of the things that really struck me from the movie “End of the Spear” was that in the Waodani language, there is no word for forgiveness. The concept was so foreign to that culture that no word had ever been coined. In our Christian culture we have the word but we too often lack the ability to apply it. One of the joys of writing these daily ramblings is hearing from readers who are blessed or challenged by something I have written. Occasionally someone takes time out of their busy schedule to tell me I am an idiot. Isn’t it a waste of time to tell an idiot that he is an idiot? How can an idiot comprehend that? But I digress. The communications that are really hard for me are the ones from people who have been wounded by other people in the church or by church leaders. Those break my heart and such messages arrive far too often. Today was such a day.

I wrote a blog this week called  “Boomers get ready…how soon will we be going home?”. The article was based on a mortality calculator developed for baby boomers. You could add up your variables and predict your chances of living for the next four years. But my argument was that no matter how much time we have we should live with a sense of urgency.  Here are a couple of paragraphs from that post.

So how then should we live? Like Paul and Peter and John and the rest of the early followers of Christ. With an air of expectancy that tomorrow (or the rest of today) is not guaranteed. To live with a sense of priority and passion about what really matters. Do you have someone that you want to tell that you love them? Tell them now. Is there a relationship that needs repairing? Repair it now. Someone that you know you have to forgive? Please forgive them now by faith and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. Still angry with a parent or sibling? Deal with it now. Have you slipped away from God for some reason? Come back now.

What if I told you that you have exactly one week to live? Write down what you would do and what you would say in those precious seven days. And then start doing those things now. Because no matter how stunning your score might be on the Grim Reaper Index it is no guarantee of anything past this moment. I know that not every recipient of such communications are receptive or even civil. But at the end of the day we are accountable before a Holy God only for our actions. They are accountable for theirs. Do the right thing and trust the rest to Jesus.  

Today I found this response to that post.

I agree that as a follower of Christ we should not be concerned about how many days we have left, we should live each day as though it is our last. My issues to deal with are related to pain inflicted by Christian leaders on trusting and innocent people. How can anyone forgive these people who take advantage of the very ones who they are entrusted to lead, teach, and help? HOW is it possible to forgive a pastor who has deliberately lied, stolen, and strung along an innocent person? Does God really expect us to forgive such people- exploiters who manipulate the word of God in order to trick a trusting person into submission – a pastor who uses a hurting person’s unfounded guilt to his own advantage? And when does accountability come into the equation? And do we have to forgive others when we are not even ASKED for forgiveness?

Dave, is a Christian required to forgive those who have willfully lied, used and abused them with premeditation when no apology was ever offered? If I die today will I go to Hell because I cannot forgive a pastor who caused me and my loved ones excruciating pain and suffering for years? What then is the difference between a Christian and a doormat?

Wow. Anyone out there want to field this one? The message was signed “doormat”. The pain and anger in that message are heartbreaking. There is no way I can address all of the issues raised here in this space. But I did want to offer a few things and hope that this reader finds some comfort. I think that we have generally done a poor job of teaching forgiveness. Here are a few misconceptions that I personally had about forgiveness.  This is from a chapter on forgiveness I wrote about in “Bring’em Back Alive – A Healing Plan for those Wounded by the Church”.

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  Forgiveness is not condoning or diminishing the offense. Forgiving a person who has wronged you does not mean they are “off the hook” for any consequences or judgment that may result from their actions. Forgiveness is a personal act of your will that releases the other person from your condemnation. At that point you have been obedient to what Jesus asks of you…the other person is responsible to God for their response. By extending forgiveness you are not saying the offense was insignificant or unimportant. You are saying that you trust God to see that justice is dispensed according to His Holy judgment and timing.
  
  
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  Forgiveness is not forgetting. The old forgive and forget admonition was one of the biggest barriers I faced in my journey to learn how to forgive. You know the old mental challenge to not picture an elephant in the room. You can’t do it. Instantly the image pops into your mind. The more I tried to be spiritually mature and try to forgive and forget the more my offender became the “elephant in the room.” That person or event was all I could think of. Over time you will think less and less of the hurt and/or the one who administered same. C.S. Lewis wrote to a friend late in his life. “Dear Mary…Do you know, only a few weeks ago, I realized suddenly that I had at last forgiven the cruel schoolmaster who so darkened my childhood. I had been trying to do it for years.” To try to achieve a state of instantaneous forgetfulness is setting yourself up for failure and frustration.
  
  
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  Forgiveness does not require reconciliation. Certainly it is a worthy goal to have the gift of forgiveness lead to a restoration of a damaged relationship. But it takes two people to reconcile and you have no control over anyone’s response except your own. The other person may not respond graciously. They may not be ready to accept forgiveness or acknowledge their part or even desire to be reconciled. Again, we have done what is required of us by extending the grace of forgiveness. Reconciliation is not required  to be obedient to the command of Jesus.
  
  
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  Forgiveness is an act of the will and is not a response to feelings. We must choose to forgive and trust the Jesus who forgave us to eventually change our feelings. We may not “feel” like forgiveness has transpired. If you decide to wait until you “feel” like forgiving or that the other person must make the first move you will remain spiritually stuck. We have to make the choice and then wait for God to honor the choice.  We make a choice to forgive and then we have faith that the Holy Spirit will reshape our feelings over the course of time. Forgiveness requires choice and faith, just like every miracle that comes from God. 
  
  
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  Forgiveness is not ignoring or excusing the offense. There is nothing to forgive if we have not been wronged. Jesus is not asking us to ignore reality. He is asking us to acknowledge how much we have been forgiven and to extend the same courtesy to others. Forgiveness is acknowledging the offense without cover-up or excuse and still choosing to forgive.
  
  
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  Forgiveness is not denial of the hurt. Pride will often cause us to “not allow the person who hurt us the satisfaction” of knowing we are wounded. That is absurd. Acknowledge the reality of the injury but make the choice and decision of your will to be healed. 
  
  
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  Forgiveness is eliminating revenge as an option. Lewis Smedes makes a brilliant point about revenge. No matter how much we try “we cannot get even; this is the inner fatality of revenge.” When you start trying to get even you have lost. How many times must I gossip about you to get “even” for the hurt you caused me? When is the scale even? Or do I need to have the scale tip a bit toward me to be satisfied? What a self-defeating pursuit that becomes! And the truth proclaimed by Josh Billings is “there is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.”
  
  
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  Forgiveness means understanding that hurt is part of the faith tour contract that we signed when we decided to follow Jesus. Author David Stoop notes that, “People choose the Path of Bitterness when they get caught up in trying to understand the reasons for the offense. They think, if only they could understand why the other person did what he or she did, they could get over it
  and let it go.”  I have three words for that approach….does not work.

 The late author Lewis Smedes wrote powerfully about forgiveness. He often spoke of how only forgiveness can “release us from the grip of our history.” We cannot change an abusive upbringing. We cannot alter dysfunctional theological training that denied grace. We cannot simply deny the hurts that have been visited upon us and be spiritually free. Only forgiveness can release us from the grip of these real and historical events.

So I would say this to my wounded brother who wrote the message to me. Yes, I believe you do need to forgive that pastor. But the reason you need to forgive is that Jesus knew that is the only way for you to be fully healed. You have a Savior who understands the pain of betrayal. So I am going to ask you to be selfish and forgive. Say what? I have heard bitterness described as drinking rat poison and hoping the other person dies. The comparison works for me. It is vital to your spiritual well being to forgive this person. When you follow the directive of Jesus and forgive you are free to concentrate on the blessings in your life. Is this easy? Of course not. I believe that forgiveness is the single hardest thing that Jesus asks us to do. But He knows how important forgiveness is for own growth. Will you go to Hell if you die today without forgiving this person? I don’t believe that for a moment. The redemptive act of Jesus on the cross literally has you (and sins past, present, and future) covered. But why would you want to live in anger and distress when Jesus has something better for you? The Apostle Paul’s wrote these words in Colossians.

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Col 3  NIV

You and I have been forgiven of much. Thomas Fuller observed that “He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself; for every man has to be forgiven.”  A
Christian who is not forgiving is a Christian who is not growing. I am going to pray for you to make the choice to forgive. God will do the rest.

May I add that no one who has the courage and maturity to make that choice will ever be called a doormat in my book.