Category: Uncategorized

I recently posted a rather fanciful look at how “man’s best friend” could teach Christians a lot about evangelism. I was heartened and bit surprised at the level of response to that article (Canine School of Evangelism). Apparently there are a lot of dog lovers embedded into the Evangelical community and that gives me hope for the church!

The star of the most recent post featured our rescued lab/mix Hannah.  This is not a   posed photo. At any given time around our household Hannah will come waltzing up with the three tennis balls in her big mouth and download them one by one onto your lap for playtime.

But the star canine of my two books was the late, great Charlie. Our beloved Golden Retriever died last year at the ripe old canine age of 14. Here Hannah snuggles up next to Charlie.

                                                                                                         

This excerpt from “Bring’em Back Alive” documents an experience I had with our senior dog citizen Charlie. It was one more example of the spiritual lessons we can learn from our faithful canine friends and it gave me a little hint of how our relationship with the Good Shepherd Jesus should work. 

The lesson I learned from my Golden Retriever came when Charlie suffered a health crisis. He developed a large benign tumor under his front leg that made walking difficult. We took him in for what would be a rather serious surgery at the ripe old canine age of twelve. The vet did a masterful job in removing the growth and taking care of Charlie. We were called to the animal hospital to pick up the old guy.We waited as they brought him out. He shuffled slowly out and I was taken aback by his appearance. Charlie was trembling, frightened and appeared to be in some pain. His head was down and his perpetual motion tail was strangely still. He seemed confused and disoriented. Then I walked over to Charlie and simply touched him. Almost immediately he quit trembling and he made a valiant attempt to wag his tail. We carefully got him into the car and took Charlie home to heal.

As I reflected on that scene it struck me that Charlie’s reaction to my touch and mere presence was a wonderful illustration of how Jesus comforts (or desires to comfort) His sheep. When I (his master) touched Charlie he was comforted. His pain was not gone. He was still frightened. He was still a bit disoriented and unsure. Charlie’s circumstances hadn’t really changed at all. But he knew that his master was there and that made it better. What a picture that is of how the touch of Jesus enables us to respond when we are frightened, in pain, disoriented and confused. We need to remind ourselves that Jesus never promised that all trouble would vanish when we believe in Him. Jesus did promise that He would be there and that would be enough. But the tough question arises…do we truly believe that?

My prayer for myself and for you today is that we will seek, realize, and be comforted by the touch of the Master. As I learned with Charlie, it doesn’t really matter what the circumstance might be, it is the knowledge that the master is there that makes all the difference.

 

 

 

 

My first reaction to the Evangelical Climate Initiative (ECI) yesterday was to start brainstorming ideas to help. For example, if Christian television preachers and hosts/hostesses voluntarily switched from hairspray to gel I think that would make a big difference in the size of the ozone hole. Maybe the megachurches could start a hybrid bus ministry to save precious fossil fuel for the people that drive over twenty miles to go to their churches instead of local churches. Perhaps the biggest contribution the evangelical community can make is to reduce the volume of hot air generated over philosophical issues that are not critical to essential message of Christianity. 

It is okay to disagree about issues like global warming. Really. Global warning is not a part of the Apostolic Creed. I applaud the men and women who took the initiative to produce this document. Are they right about the danger of global warming? Who knows? But a call to action doesn’t seem too radical to me. Here is a sample of the statement from ECI’s website.

“We are proud of the evangelical community’s long-standing commitment to the sanctity of human life. But we also offer moral witness in many venues and on many issues. Sometimes the issues that we have taken on, such as sex trafficking, genocide in the Sudan, and the AIDS epidemic in Africa, have surprised outside observers. While individuals and organizations can be called to concentrate on certain issues, we are not a single-issue movement. We seek to be true to our calling as Christian leaders, and above all faithful to Jesus Christ our Lord. Our attention, therefore, goes to whatever issues our faith requires us to address.”

I can’t find much to disagree with in that statement. Part and parcel to our call to communicate the gospel is to minister to the needs as well as the souls of the world. This powerful passage from Isaiah reminds us that our very petitions to heaven are “grounded” by a lack of caring for the impoverished and the powerless.

The kind of fasting you do
    won’t get your prayers off the ground.
    Do you think this is the kind of fast day I’m after:
    a day to show off humility?
    To put on a pious long face
    and parade around solemnly in black?
    Do you call that fasting,
    a fast day that I, GOD, would like?
    “This is the kind of fast day I’m after:
    to break the chains of injustice,
    get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
    free the oppressed,
    cancel debts.
    What I’m interested in seeing you do is:
    sharing your food with the hungry,
    inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
    putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
    being available to your own families.
    Do this and the lights will turn on,
    and your lives will turn around at once.
    Your righteousness will pave your way.
    The GOD of glory will secure your passage.
    Then when you pray, GOD will answer.
    You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, “Here I am.’
    “If you get rid of unfair practices,
    quit blaming victims,
    quit gossipping about other people’s sins   (Isaiah 58, The Message)

If these men and women who generated the Evangelical Climate Initiative feel led of the Holy Spirit to take this action then I will support them. I am not as smart as some Christians who can apparently discern God’s will for everyone. Our Lord said that “wisdom is proved right by her actions.” Time will tell if the Lord is leading their actions.  I think that letting the culture know we care about the planet is a good message. And I don’t mean that just to be politically correct. Christians believe in a Creator and we must be excellent stewards of that creation as a logical response to that belief.

I think it is interesting and more than predictable that the Atlanta Journal Constitution led their story with this line.

“A Bible-based call to fight global warming has split evangelical Christians.”

I think that is a pretty big overstatement. The evangelical community does disagree over the extent (or even the existence) of the problem. But I think that when you compare this issue to some of our other “Family Feuds” this is pretty minor.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported on one of the dissenting groups.

Other prominent evangelicals have formed the Interfaith Stewardship Alliance to oppose calls to curb the emission of greenhouse gases. They include Richard Land, head of the Southern Baptist Convention’s public policy arm; James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family; and Charles Colson, an official in the Nixon White House who founded Prison Fellowship Ministries.

I am thinking about starting my own organization today. Here is part of my proposed press release:

A less than prominent evangelical has formed the Evangelical Initiative for Environmentally Independent Observation also known as E-I-E-I-O. They already have a catchy little theme song in mind. E-I-E-I-O founder Dave Burchett said, “I firmly believe that global warming may or may not be a problem so I am calling for a curb on the emission of all gases. Why just curb gases in greenhouses? Thank you.”  We now return you to the prominent evangelicals.

“We all agree that there is a basis for global warming,” said Melinda Ronn, a spokeswoman for the alliance, “but we differ in what we believe is the severity, the cause and what to do about it.”
The Interfaith Stewardship Alliance said in a recent letter that “there should be room for Bible-believing evangelicals to disagree” on climate change, saying “global warming is not a consensus issue.”

May I suggest that a consensus issue would be the living out of the gospel message. E. Stanley Jones succinctly noted that “when we talk about what we believe in we divide. When we talk about Who we believe in we unite.” I am willing to allow God to move in the hearts of good men and women to seek His direction for their lives. When we disagree let it be gracefully. When Jesus prayed for us on the eve of his betrayal He spoke about unity.

I pray not only for these,
    but also for those who believe in Me
    through their message.
May they all be one, 
   as You, Father, are in Me and I am in You. 
May they also be one in Us,
   so the world may believe You sent Me.  (Holman Christian Standard Bible, John 17)

May we hear your prayer Lord Jesus. And may we seek to live it for Your glory.

 

 

 

 

 

To all of my Christian brothers and sisters…

I love you all like, well, brothers and sisters. But it is time for us to have a family conference. Next time you are really concerned about my health, hard drive, or soul could I request that you just pray for me instead of forwarding dire e-mail warnings? I don’t want to appear ungrateful but I have to agree with this note I received recently from my friends C&C.

To all of you who have taken the time and trouble to send me “forwards” over the past 12 months…

*Thank you for making me feel safe, secure, blessed and healthy. Extra thanks to whoever sent me the e-mail about cockroach eggs in the glue on envelopes – I now have to go get a wet towel every time I need to seal an envelope.
* Without you I would likely have gotten that flesh eating bacteria from bananas.
* Thanks to you, I have learned that God only answers my prayers if I forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.
* I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS. Oh wait…I haven’t used a pay phone in five years. But thanks anyway!
* I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants or shampoos. I will live to be 100 but no one will ever come near me.
* I was alerted to the deadly toilet spiders at a Chicago airport. That made for some long layovers!
* I no longer eat fast food chicken because their “chickens” are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers. Actually I still do…they are just too tasty!
* I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl on the internet who is about to die in the hospital (for the nnnth time).
* I no longer have any money at all in fact – but that will change once I receive the thousands of dollars that Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special on-line e-mail program.
Yes, I want to thank you all so much for looking out for me that I will now return the favor! If you don’t send this as an e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 7 minutes, a large pigeon with a wicked case of diarrhea will land on your head at 1:00 PM tomorrow. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbor’s ex-mother-in-law’s second husband’s cousin’s beautician, and have a Happy New Year!

The automatic forwarding of e-mail warnings is a real pet peeve of mine. About every other week I have to send an e-mail to a wonderfully well intentioned friend to let them know that they are forwarding a hoax. I feel a little uncomfortable when I do that because I know it is embarrassing to them.

For Christians this is an important issue. When we forward false information it can (and often does) do damage to the image of Christianity and to the very name of Christ. It makes Christians appear lazy and uninformed (restraint Dave…easy). How about the poor receptionist who fields thousands of irate calls for something that is not even valid? By the way, you would be amazed at the less than godly content of some of these callers.

Here are just a few of the hoaxes that crossed my inbox in recent months.

ACLU objects to Marines Praying –  False. They cause enough problems without making stuff up.
Al Gore calls Christians blight on environment – False. The quote is fabricated.
Harry Potter was written to recruit children to witchcraft – False.
James Dobson is pleading for our help because of a petition to stop the reading of the gospel over public broadcasting outlets – False.
This has been dead since 1975 but continually gets repackaged and reforwarded. And when it does the Federal Communications Commission must field thousands of calls and e-mails (at taxpayers expense).

Just this past week I got the e-mail that I needed to call the poor receptionist at my local NBC affiliate because of a storyline that was to be a part of the Will and Grace show. According to the e-mail Britney Spears was going to play a character that would mock the crucifixion. NBC quickly said the story was not true. I have no idea if the network intended to air that story line or not. What I do know is I got the e-mail to call/write NBC and my local affiliate several days after the network either pulled or debunked the script (depending on your view). For hundreds of Christians to call an underpaid receptionist at the NBC affiliate after there is no reason would be tragic. And that brings me to point number two. As good as it makes you feel to download on some faceless “pagan” you are probably not talking to a person who can make a difference.  I make it a core principal to try to communicate to the people who are actually responsible.

Here are my requests and suggestions (forward these to five friends and you might win something from somebody)

1) Be naturally suspicious. About.com has an article on how to spot an e-mail hoax that is very helpful.
2) Verify the story. There are a number of sites that catalog e-mail/internet hoaxes. Sites such as snopes.com or urbanlegends.about.com have extensive databases on these stories. Check before you forward. Please.
3) If the story is real and you feel led to respond please formulate your own response. Forwarding a boilerplate note of indignation tends to lose its effectiveness after the first few hundred times it is read.
4) Be gracious. You can let others know exactly how you believe and why you are concerned without gloating over their eternal destiny.
5) Apply Proverbs 2:11 to your cyber-ministry. Discretion will protect you,  and understanding will guard you.

James has a nice little take on wisdom.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.  (James 3, NIV)

I could go on but I just received a personal note from a doctor in Nigeria. He needs my help and he promised me 5 million dollars. Don’t worry, I’ll tithe!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I was an idealistic young man Jimmy Carter was one of my heroes. I was a mere pup of twenty-two when I first became aware of the peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia. He was so different, so refreshing, and seemingly so real. I felt like he was “one of us” and his resume was intriguing. He was an Annapolis grad and submarine skipper, a self-made man,  and he was not a Washington insider. But as a young believer I was most enthralled by his unabashedly candid comments about his faith in Jesus. I learned a hard lesson about faith and politics. Jimmy Carter’s presidency would kindly be described as mediocre.

But the post-White House years restored my respect for Mr.Carter. His tireless work for Habitat for Humanity set a standard for how ex-Presidents could use the platform of their recognition to make a difference. But somewhere along the way Jimmy Carter lost his focus.

I believe that we (Christians in America) fight a continuing battle to balance our dual citizenships. Scripture makes it very clear that we are both citizens of this world and also citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom. Any time we lose the balance between the two we risk making mistakes. I believe that Mr.Carter lost that balance yesterday. In fact, I think he fell face first on the altar of politics. You may have watched some of the memorial service of Coretta Scott King. Much of the service was uplifting but, sadly, some of it was puzzling and even infuriating. To use the memorial service of this fine woman and godly servant as a platform for politics was disheartening. I am particularly calling Mr.Carter to task because he has boldly proclaimed himself as an Evangelical Christian. With an audience around the world and the platform of the presidency Jimmy Carter chose to avoid the elements of Mrs.King’s life that really mattered. Her trust in the Lord that allowed her to continue the fight after shattering tragedy. Her grace that permeated her life in the face of fear and despair. Yesterday should have been a tribute to a life that culminated in the treasured words of her Savior…”Well done, good and faithful servant.” Jimmy Carter would have been better served to speak of the hope that Coretta King clung to and was now rewarded with in death. Millions of people are desperate for that message and not the political body punch that Mr.Carter threw when he made these remarks.

“It was difficult for them personally with the civil liberties of both husband and wife violated, and they became the targets of secret government wiretapping and other surveillance.”

Of course that was difficult. But what sustained Mrs.King? That was the message for yesterday. Mr Carter also referred to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as evidence that the struggle for civil rights was not complete. “We only have to recall the color of the faces of those in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi who are most devastated by Katrina to know that there are not yet equal opportunities for all Americans,” he said. No matter how you evaluate the truth of that comment the legacy of Coretta King was to celebrate the progress she helped engineer with her husband and in the years following his death. That was the message for yesterday. Mr.Carter can say whatever he wants whenver he wants to say it. But I would suggest there is a time for criticism and a time for politics. The memorial service of a great American woman was not the time for either. And as a Christian he missed the chance to communicate the most powerful message we can…the resurrection power of Jesus over death.

Why am I picking on Jimmy Carter? Because I believe he knows the truth that of the words that Paul wrote to the Church at Philippi. “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” I believe that we are to be good citizens of whatever country we call our nation. But we should never forget that we have dual citizenship. And we must always prayerfully seek God’s wisdom to keep that balance. And I believe it was unseemly to attack a sitting President during such a solemn time. Mr.Carter knows better than anyone how tough that job can be. How easy it is to pick up the stones when you are on the outer ring and not in the middle. 

Let me finish with the rest of  Paul’s words to the church at Phiippi. I believe they are quite appropriate for the courageous life of Coretta Scott King.

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 
All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.  Philippians 3 NIV

Thank you Mrs. King for pressing on, forgetting what was behind, and pressing on toward the goal. I believe you are holding the prize in heaven today. Enjoy your new citizenship in heaven. I hope the rest of us will honor your life with action and not just accusations.

 

 

Ray Pritchard is a very dear friend. God used Ray and Marlene in our lives when we were desperate to be restored because of wounds inflicted by the church. His book An Anchor for the Soul is my “go to” resource when I want to leave something with a person seeking a relationship with Jesus. So it was with some amusement (because I know him) and a lot of appreciation that I read these words on Ray’s weblog (Crosswalk.com). Ray was writing about my recent addition to the weblog fold at Crosswalk.

“Kudos to Dave Burchett for a stellar first week as the newest Crosswalk blogger. Dave is an accomplished author, an award winning sports TV director, and an extremely trenchant commentator on the issues of the day. Dave is an old friend, and I’ve always wanted to use the word “trenchant,” and now I’ve done it. Check him out. He’s says things we need to hear.”

Trenchant? Meaning number one according to dictionary.com is forceful, effective, and vigorous. Thanks Ray! But then I got to the second listing. Caustic and cutting. Wait a minute…which one did he mean? Since I am generally a glass half-full guy I will go with meaning one. Ignorance is bliss and there ain’t no more blissful guy than me.

It was an encouraging note from Ray that someone at my age (and his) could still be effective and maybe even worth hearing. That had been a concern recently. You see, when I passed 50 the advertising world, television executives, and marketing wizards put me out to pasture as no longer desirable. The gold standard in advertising has been the 18–49 year old demographic. CBS News ran a story about the rethinking of the value of that demographic. Here are some excerpts from that report.

The AARP began running magazine ads in an effort to draw attention to what it sees as demographic discrimination. “These days,” the ads say, “doctors don’t pronounce you dead, marketers do.”

“You’re either 18-to-49, or you’re dead to most marketers,” says Matt Thornhill, president of The Boomer Project, a marketing research and consulting firm in Richmond, Va. “You don’t exist. Or if you exist at all, you exist to wear denture adhesive or to drive a Cadillac. And that’s about it.”  Marty Kaplan, media analyst and associate dean of USC’s Annenberg School of Communication, says that “some programs are positively 50-plus averse. If you have statistics that show you are watched by that demographic, it’s like kryptonite to advertisers. They don’t want to be uncool.”

Ouch. It is painful to think that some ad executive is distressed if uncool Dave watches his or her show. For the record, I welcome all age groups to buy my books. Your money is good with me!
 
CBS reporter Jerry Bowen noted that it’s long been the reality for those who make and sell commercials, based on the belief that the 18 to 49 year old population, some 120 million Americans, is where the money is. Advertisers also believe younger viewers are more impressionable, more susceptible to advertising, and more willing than their parents to try new things.  But, Bowen points out, there is a growing body of evidence, study upon study, that indicates the business model of television is wrong; that if advertisers really want to reach consumers with the most money to spare and spend, they need to aim older. They need to go after the 77 million-strong baby boomer generation, more than half of whom are in their fifties.

Yes! Our wallets have overcome our lack of coolness! The reality is that the same discussion is going on at many churches. I have witnessed churches that were desperate to reach the younger and more hip demographic. But that strategy has some biblical shortcomings that merit discussion. I realize that churches need to understand their neighborhood. If you are surrounded by starter homes with young families that affects your programming and strategies. But I have not been able to find anywhere in Scripture where some demographic group is favored for the gospel or for the body of Christ. I can’t find in the Greek or Hebrew that a younger demographic makes for a more dynamic fellowship. Maybe a more attractive fellowship with a better softball team but not more dynamic. The body of Christ is all of us. And I would be deeply saddened if some church trends continue and it begins to generationally segregate our congregations. It may be inevitable. But something is lost in the body of Christ when the older men no longer mentor the younger men. And something is missing when the older women no longer teach the younger women.

But as for you, promote the kind of living that reflects right teaching. Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have strong faith and be filled with love and patience. Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that is appropriate for someone serving the Lord. They must not go around speaking evil of others and must not be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to take care of their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God. In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely in all they do  Titus 2, NLT

Remember that this letter was written by Paul to the church at Crete. This was a “tough room” for ministry because of the reputation of the citizens. Cretan didn’t become a pejorative for nothing. Paul didn’t exactly pull his punch when he wrote these words. Even one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith.” Imagine sending that letter today. (Insert group here) are always liars, evil brutes, lazy glutton. Whoa Nellie! Would we have a barnburner in the media! But Paul was pointing out the role of the older women to instruct the younger women in the faith.

The Apostle Peter said to “the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”

The term elder would indicate an older, more mature believer who is charged with setting an example and caring for God’s people. That is what I fear is being lost in the search for new structural forms of worship. I have my issues with the corporate church. Boy do I. But that is the structure Jesus established for His followers. A church doesn’t have to be gigantic or fancy or high-tech or feature a slick Branson style production. But it does seem like the biblical model is to be cross-generational. I love the interaction with younger people.  It challenges my thinking to reexamine issues that would not be on my 50 plus radar. It keeps me young. It challenges me to set the example that Peter challenged me to do. And it gives me the opportunity to offer the experience of living to younger men who are now heading down the same path. Will my telling how I misplaced priorities and worked too much make a difference in the life of a young husband? Can my exhortations to get involved in the lives of their children and celebrate that child’s unique design help? Who really knows. But there is no chance if the opportunity for interaction is removed.

I don’t really care about how I am viewed by the marketers of Madison Avenue. But I do think the marketers of the Message need to pray long and hard about elevating some demographics above others in the body of Christ. We are all in this journey together. Young and old. Rich and poor. Powerful and weak. And that it is by Divine design.

 

 

 

 

 

I was taught to “dog” people about their faith. But maybe a ministry with mutts would be more effective to reach others with the message of the gospel. So I am thinking about starting a new seminary with man’s best friends as the instructors and role models for the students. My inspiration for this “hounds-on” approach to ministry training came from an article in American Way Magazine. The story was about dog training programs that have been implemented into prisons across America. The concept is simple yet brilliant. These programs take dogs from overcrowded shelters and place them with prison inmates for training. The animals live with the inmates 24/7 and are trained by them to become adoptable pets or even companion animals. One of the difficulties in training guide and companion dogs is finding dedicated trainers who have enough time to interact with the animals. The prisoner trainers have nothin’ but time. The American Correctional Institute says that idleness is a major cause of violence among inmates. Martha Armstrong of the American Humane Society noted that a “lack of training is a major reason pets are brought to shelters.” This is your basic win-win situation. Pooches in need of training and prisoners with plenty of time to do exactly that.

Professional trainers provide inmates with the tips they need to rehabilitate their canine charges. Expenses for the programs are generally provided through non-profit organizations with clever names like New Leash on Life Prison Dog Training, Puppies Behind Bars, PAWS (Pawsitive Education Training Solution), and Project Pooch. The stories from these programs are heartwarming and amazing. Annie Tellion was quoted in Urban Dog Magazine (I will give you the quote in case your current issue hasn’t arrived), “A lot of them (inmates) have taken a life, so to be trusted with a life has an added meaning,” she says. “They’re able to grow self-esteem through this work. This is the best thing they have going on in prison and they don’t want to mess it up. For them it’s a way to show the outside world that they can succeed at something.” (Urbandog Magazine)

Smithsonian Magazine wrote about the growing phenomenon. Like prison inmates everywhere, most of the puppy raisers at Fishkill (Fishkill Correctional Facility, Beacon, New York) had perfected the intimidating look that says, “Don’t mess with me.” That facade does not work with puppies. “Your macho persona is a goner with these dogs,” says Ronald Jones, 33, who has served 12 years of a 15-years-to-life sentence for murder. He is raising his second dog, an impish 8-month-old black Lab named Cooper. “I’ve seen 6-foot-2, 250-pound guys rolling around on the floor kissing and talking in a high voice to their dogs. We all do it, even in the yard with 200 other inmates and guards walking by. We don’t care what anybody thinks. It’s all about what’s good for the dogs. We owe them. They did what nothing or nobody could—they took away our selfishness.” The raisers fill their cells with squeak toys and chew bones as well as photographs of their pups past and present. Paintings of puppies and stenciled paw prints also adorn the concrete walls of the dank basement room that serves as Fishkill’s training center. Veteran raiser Thomas Lonetto, 33, convicted a decade ago for robbery and attempted murder, says he learned more from giving up his first dog than taking care of it. “I felt what my mother must have felt on the day I was sentenced, when she stood next to the 24-year-old son she loved, who was going away for a very long time,” he says. “It’s called empathy. I didn’t know it existed in me until that moment.” (Smithsonian magazine)

Lisa Sonne wrote in the American Way article (Love at First Bite) about an inmate in Ohio. Joe was in prison for murder and came into the program not saying a word. The director of the Ohio Tender Loving Care program, Roma Paulsen, had these profound words to say. “The dog didn’t judge him. He learned to care for the dog and found his voice. Now he is a good citizen in prison.”

Those illustrations were the inspiration for the Canine School of Evangelism idea. Think about it. If Christians could learn from dogs how to express our Christian beliefs we could probably ignite a revival. The CSE (Canine School of Evangelism) curriculum would include a catalog of courses like these. I have included a sample quote and verse from the syllabus.

1) Introduction to Unconditional Love – A core course designed to teach Christians how to emulate the unconditional love of a faithful dog. What a great feeling to come in from a lousy day to the quivering adulation of our adopted Labrador/God only knows what else dog named Hannah (Hannah’s Picture). If we could even approach that level of unconditional love as followers of Christ we couldn’t find enough seats in our sanctuaries for the crowds. Syllabus quote: “No matter what you have done a friendly dog will approach you with joy and trust. A dog does not keep score of good deeds versus bad. We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It’s the best deal man has ever made.” (M. Acklam)

Course verse: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  I Cor 13, NIV

2) Grace 101 – Our canines will teach how to love others wherever they are in their journey and without judgment. How many people would be restored if they had experienced such grace? Dogs don’t care what you did ten years ago, ten days ago, or ten minutes ago. They just know that you are here with them right now. Syllabus quote: He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader.  He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion. (Author Unknown) 

Course verses: “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand…Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5, NIV

3) Unselfishness Lab with a Real Lab –  Is there any more unselfish creature on the planet than a dog? Our dog Hannah can be denied time after time to play or take a walk. No grudges. No change in how she feels about me. And when you finally get around to her she looks at me like I am the coolest guy on the planet. Syllabus quote: “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” (Josh Billings)

Course Verse: So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.  I Cor 10, NIV

4) Integrity in Comptemporary Culture –  Do you really think a dog would betray you? Syllabus quote: The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue (Author Unknown)

Course Verses: gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret.  Prov 11:13, NIV

5) Practical Advanced Gratitude –  I think any creature that is grateful for the same dog food every single night is qualified to teach us (What? Same old manna?) about having a grateful attitude. Syllabus quote: If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the principal difference between a dog and a man. (Mark Twain)

Course verse: Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  Col 3, NIV

6) Beginning Empathy – Our dog Hannah has an amazing calming effect on me. I call her “furry Prozac” for her ability to soothe my frayed nerves. Syllabus quote:One reason a dog can be such a comfort when you’re feeling blue is that he doesn’t try to find out why.  (Author Unknown) 

Course Verse:  LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. Psalm 145:8  NIV

7) Essential Joy for Living –  My dog is the canine Will Rogers. She has never met a man (or woman or child) she didn’t like. Wouldn’t it be nice if the body of Christ at least took a shot at that? Syllabus quote: Dogs laugh, but they laugh with their tails.  (Max Eastman)

Course verse: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 13, NIV

There you have the basic curriculum for my new Canine School of Evangelism. As I go for my Dog-torate of Ministry degree I can tell you that I have one goal before I graduate. And that is to be as good of a person as my dog already thinks I am.

 

 

 

 

The New York Times is called by some “the newspaper of record” in the United States. I guess that is fine if you don’t mind waiting a week or two for the paper to catch up with the culture.  This is a regular pattern where the newspaper is days or weeks late on stories that internet sites and blogs have discussed and already moved past. Maybe I can sell internet service to the paper to help them stay current. The Times was again a late arriver to the “controversy” surrounding the movie End of the Spear. The headline in yesterday’s edition misleadingly read, “Christians boycott film with gay actor.” The implication, whether intended or not, was that this was a widespread and organized boycott of the film based on the single issue of a gay actor (Chad Allen) playing the lead role. In paragraph 10 of the story the writer finally writes that “some” evangelicals have boycotted the film. I guess  that qualifier wouldn’t have fit in the headline. The paper also claims the controversy has “all but eclipsed the movie and has revealed fault lines among evangelicals.” Now there is another breaking bulletin from the “Gray Lady”. The Times is about two decades tardy on that fault lines among evangelicals revelation.

Because this is an important issue I am going back in the archives to January 24th to re-post my take on the controversy. The title of that post was “A Gentle Proposal to deal with Chad Allen, End of the Spear, Every Tribe Entertainment and One Another.”

I have been reading with my usual mix of amusement, sadness, and disbelief the growing debate over the movie End of the Spear. Some in the Christian community have decided to grab the pitchforks, light the torches, and storm the gates of Every Tribe Entertainment, the production company behind the movie. In case you have been a cloistered monk until today I will give you a bit of background. Here is the mission statement from the company’s website http://www.everytribe.com.

To create quality entertainment for a broad audience that inspires hope through truth. Every Tribe Entertainment grew out of the hopes and dreams of film-makers and individuals who desire to make a difference in our world and in our culture. Frustrated with the lack of quality story content in films today, and driven to provide more than just entertainment in our films, Every Tribe was founded to bring to life stories of courage and strength of the human spirit. Courage, tolerance, mercy, forgiveness, faith and love. We base our film choices on what we hope to inspire rather than what we hope to sell. This philosophy has its fingerprints on what we do and how we do it. We hope to inspire all who view our films as well as those who work with us to create them.

Sounds good. Every Tribe Entertainment was the darling of the Evangelical community because the company planned to release a theatrical version of the amazing story of Nate Saint. He and his four missionary colleagues were murdered trying to reach the Waodani tribe of Ecuador. But Evangelicals, like a mistreated pit bull, can turn on you in a heartbeat. I know that to be true because I am part of the Evangelical tribe and my first book brought out a few of those pit bulls (when they grab on it is hard to shake them off!). The primary reason that we have released the hounds on Every Tribe Entertainment is their choice to cast Chad Allen as the main character in the movie. Allen plays the dual roles of Nate Saint and later his grown up son Steve. The choice is generating great controversy because Chad Allen is a gay activist and recently appeared on the cover of the leading gay magazine. This has caused a flood of anguish about what we should do about the movie and how we should respond to Every Tribe Entertainment. Here are my thoughts in no particular order of importance…

1)  What should we do with the movie?

Go see it.

It is a very good movie with a powerful message. Don’t worry about sin in the lives of the cast or crew. If that becomes a criteria you will never see another movie in your life. Actually, you won’t even be able to go to church! Remember the incredible and heartwarming story of Eric Liddell that was told in the movie Chariots of Fire? The role of Liddell was played by Ian Charleston, a gay actor. Does that mean the impact of Chariots of Fire has been diminished? Of course not. And I believe the supernatural message of redemption and forgiveness in End of the Spear is not affected because Christians might not like the choice of Chad Allen.

2) What should we do about Every Tribe Entertainment?

Write them and thank them.

They have put their time and treasure into making a movie that they believe in. Just because you might not like every part of it does diminish what these men and women are trying to do. My late friend and mentor Bob Briner would have been rejoicing to see a company like this using their skills and vision within the culture. His book Roaring Lambs (http://roaring-lambs.org/) was a major influence in my life. Bob once said, “It’s time for believers to confidently carry their faith with them into the marketplace so that our very culture feels the difference.” That is what the people at Every Tribe Entertainment are trying to do. I commend them.

I also know that what they are attempting is not easy and we should be supporting them as the body of Christ in prayer and encouragement. Perhaps they will take a little different approach for their next project if we (the Evangelical Pit Bulls of America…or EPBA) don’t cause them to give up and go live in the jungles of Ecuador.

3) Should Christians be concerned about a gay activist playing such an important role?

Not in the way that I suspect most are concerned.

Jason Janz wrote about his concerns at his weblog  (http://www.sharperiron.org/showthread.php?t=2244). He voices some issues that I would gently disagree with and discuss. Here are some of Jason’s thoughts.

“Every Tribe Productions seems to believe that there would never be a case where someone’s public and known behavior would ever disqualify him from playing a Christian missionary in a film. Does anyone really believe that Chad Allen was the best possible actor for Nate Saint? This would be like Madonna playing the virgin Mary. I propose that the Christian film-making community come up with a code of ethics that will show the difference between a Christian film company and a secular film company. If you are going to ask for our loyalty and support, you need to be willing to hear our concerns and let us know that you will protect our beliefs, not muddy the waters.”

First of all, Every Tribe Entertainment thought that Chad Allen was the best choice and they put up the money to get it produced. If we want to do a better job we could choose to drop our stones of criticism and enter the arena. I don’t believe that a company who produces a film needs to be willing to hear my concerns before they spend their money. They can always ask for my loyalty and support but it is my call as to whether it is merited. But coming up with a “code of ethics” to warrant our support is not an idea I can support. I believe if Every Tribe had done that they would have produced a film that played only to Christians and would have gone straight to video after collecting about $200 in box office revenues.

The leadership of Every Tribe issued this statement to the Baptist Press.

“We are the filmmakers of End of the Spear. We cast Chad Allen because he had the best audition of anyone else by far. We know that the character in the film and the actor are not the same. If as a film company we could only work with people who were completely sanctified, then the film would never have been made. We do not agree with Chad over homosexuality. End of the Spear is not about Chad Allen, but rather it’s about remarkable people who lived their faith against all odds, and dared to reach out at the cost of their lives.”

I am praying for God to bless the efforts of this company. I believe their mission is sincere. Even if they made a mistake in casting Chad Allen I still believe that the awesome and sovereign God can use the power of this story in the lives of many viewers. My God is the same God who told Isaiah,  “My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” His plan will be accomplished. And imagine the uproar and further damage between evangelicals and the gay community if Every Tribe had dropped Allen after learning of his advocacy.

The Baptist Press continued in their story about the End of the Spear controversy.

“The producers have said they were not aware of Chad Allen’s homosexuality when they gave him the role of Steve Saint in the film but decided to stick with him once they were told of his sexual practices. Saint, who has befriended Allen, hopes that the film will help people see “that all of us have tragic, shattered relationships in our lives and that God is the one who can put them back together in incredible ways.”

“If Mincaye and I can be very close friends, be family, love each other, and my kids and my grandchildren can love Mincaye and his family -– if that can happen out of the tragic relationship that we started with –- then maybe it’ll give people hope that their strained relationships can also be reconciled and that, better yet, God can be part of the answer,” Saint said in an interview with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association’s Decision magazine.”

As for Chad Allen I have a very simple strategy. I am praying for him. If we believe that his beliefs and lifestyle are unbiblical then how about challenging the body of Christ to pray for him? I am afraid that the firestorm that has greeted his role in this movie has not caused Chad Allen to want to reevaluate his syncretic view of faith and embrace the liberating truth of the gospel. He has had the privilege of portraying a martyr for our Lord Jesus. But he is merely an actor. Chad Allen is not Nate Saint. I find it an amazing irony that the word hypocrite comes from the Greek word for actor. Hyprokrites means one who plays a part, an actor. Perhaps all of us should take a moment to see if the actor who is the real problem is the one in the mirror. I am a sinner saved by grace. Pray for me. Pray for Every Tribe Entertainment. Pray for Chad Allen. Pray that our Evangelical agenda will not keep away those who would be touched and even changed by this story. And pray that every Christian will hide this truth in his or her heart…

This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.  (Romans 3, NIV)