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When I was a child the Memorial Day holiday had an alternate name. Many of my relatives still called it “Decoration Day” because part of the day was devoted to putting flowers or wreaths on the graves of those who had died while in military service to our country. I know it is still an important day for many and countless families still pause to honor fallen family and friends. But for many of us it is too easy to make this a day only for barbecues, department store sales and family get togethers. I have not been directly touched by the loss of a family member or friend in war. My father served in World War II and I remember how moved I was by the twenty-one gun salute his fellow comrades gave him at his graveside service. I don’t want to be grumpy old man and rain on your fun Memorial Day plans. I am planning on having sixty-seven percent of my sons over for a cookout. But I am asking you to take a few minutes and reflect, pray and thank God for the men and women who are serving us this day around the world. And for the families of those who are desperately missing a beloved soldier on this day.

A few weeks ago I wrote an article challenging the idea that some Christians might choose to sit out the upcoming Presidential election.   I received some feedback from a man who had earned the right to be heard on this issue.  

I risk my life daily in the skies of Iraq so you all may have the privilege of voting. Please don’t throw that away. I am not a fan of any of the candidates either, but I will vote and my vote will go to the one whose values are most like my own. I fear if the wrong people come to power, we will pull out of Iraq pre-maturely which means two things. 1. It means that my friends have died in vain. 2. It means that our families are at a much greater risk from another attack on the home soil. Contrary to what some think, Al Q’aida is in Iraq. They haven’t submerged so as to re-emerge at some later date. We are chasing them down and killing and capturing them daily. I believe they haven’t been able to plan and execute another horrible attack simply because we have them on the run. Their thoughts are only of survival and we must continue to pursue them to keep them at bay. Your vote tells me that you care about the sacrifices of my friends’ lives. It also tells me that you care about the sacrifices of all of our military families. About the men and women, who though happily married, play single-parent for months at time. My wife has been a single mom for 8 of the last 13 months and this cycle will continue. It is a sacrifice we gladly make to keep our friends and families safe, to keep our nation free and to protect your rights. Please, exercise those rights.

-David, Major, United States Air Force
Balad Air Base, Iraq

Pray for David. Pray for his friends and colleagues. And thank you David for your service, your wisdom and your heart. We are blessed by men and women like you. Don’t forget them on this Memorial Day.

(Today’s post is an update of an earlier article)

It has been well documented that Barak Obama has been riding the hope train right into the Democrat nomination (if he can shake that pesky Hillary). His rally in Oregon recently looked like the Beatles performing at Shea Stadium.

I was thinking that God must have a real sense of déjà vu as He watches the people of a nation that once publically honored Him clamor for a human leader to give them hope and change. Then I got sidetracked as I wondered if an omnipotent God can even experience déjà vu? That gave me tired head so I moved on.

Would God look at these rallies and think of another group who had hope and change at their disposal but then chose to reject it? God wanted to bless His nation Israel. But they wanted a king who they believed would give them everything they wanted. Remember the story in Samuel?

Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”

Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for it is me they are rejecting, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.”  (I Samuel 8, NLT)

God gave Samuel a warning to give to His people that this might not be the best idea. God warned them that the king would take a tenth of their crops and flocks. Actually I would think about clamoring for a leader that would only take a tenth of my earnings. But I digress. God warned them about other consequences of putting their faith in an earthly king. Their response was typical.

But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said. “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.”

I see so many parallels in our culture to that story. We know that it did not work out like the nation of Israel dreamed that it would. I see many Christians in America falling into the same trap that Samuel warned about so long ago. And perhaps it is not a party we are rejecting when we put or hope in a man. Perhaps we, like the Israelites, have lost sight of our real hope.

We are deluded into thinking that hope lies in a leader or a political party. We believe that change will come because of kindred politicians or better laws or lawsuits that establish justice as we see it. We think that the right leader will help educate every child no matter their circumstance. We hope that this political savior will provide healthcare for every person at no cost to them and that somehow we can be immune to the cost. This leader will help the poor find jobs and realize their every dream. And I picture God looking at His millions of followers with a heart sad with the knowledge that this earthly dream of hope and change will not satisfy. God has blessed this country with so much in money and resources. So much of what we now demand our government to do could be accomplished if God’s people simply read, trusted and followed His Word. 

I can’t help but think that God has given us, the church, just about everything we need to make a huge difference in meeting the needs that we expect Washington to address. And that would give hope and change to people that obviously are looking for those elusive words in odd places or from the “king” that might reside in Washington, D.C.

What makes me most sad is that so many people really seem to be placing their hope for happiness on a political candidate. I do believe that leaders make a difference. It is very important that followers of Jesus vote with Biblical knowledge and conviction. I care deeply about making an informed and prayerful choice. But I never place my hope or desire for change on a politician. The word hope is used about 80 times in the New Testament. The first appearance of the word in the NIV translation pretty much lays out my belief.

 “In his name (Jesus) the nations will put their hope.”  (Matthew 12, NIV)

Paul wrote about the hope that I have in his letter to the Romans.

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

In Colossians we read this praise from Paul as he relates how hope based on the eternal God should make a difference.

For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News. This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.

That is a hope that I know will not disappoint. As for change, I would be pleasantly surprised if our leaders in Washington would work together for us. But I will not be surprised if they do not. The important change for me has already happened. I became a new person when I placed by full trust in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

I have hope that is real in the promises and character of God. I am changed because of Christ. Because of those two facts I can deal with whatever happens in this election. I learned my lesson in previous elections. I thought our country was doomed because my candidate did not win. Yet God’s plan did not cease. People continued to come to faith, grow in faith and serve Him in ways that gave real hope and change to others.

I will be active in the political process. I will read, listen, pray, debate and study the issues and candidates. As long as I am still breathing I will vote everytime the chance is there. But I will continue to trust God for my hope and worship Him for the change that has already happened in my life. 

Soaring rhetoric about new direction, hope and change sound really good to ears discouraged by life. But the truth is all three are available even this day as a free gift of grace opened by faith. Why wait till November for potential hope and change when you can vote with your heart for real hope and change today.

I love using music to spark my spiritual meditations. Regular readers of the humble ramblings know that I have a rather eclectic blend of music on the trusty iPod. Today a song from Matthew West called “Nothing Else” was one of those tunes.  You might better know Matthew West from a song called “Next Thing You Know”. His CD called History is one of my favorites and today’s song is an honest reflection on the journey to find happiness. Here are some of the lyrics to Nothing Else.

I tried money I got as much as I could and I went to the store And I bought it all But it wasn’t enough ’cause I wanted some more But my house was full So I bought a bigger house and filled it up And there I was with all that stuff And empty.

Been there. Done that. Just took the t-shirt in a bag of other stuff to Goodwill. We have so much stuff at our house. Other Christians are so convinced that God is angry over one or more of the top 10 sins on their personal countdown (gay marriage, alcohol, gambling, et al). I have a deep burden that He is most unhappy about our lack of commitment to His Lordship and our lack of giving in the midst of incredible wealth. If you go through Scripture you will find that Jesus is described as Savior 16 times. Jesus is described as Lord of our lives over 400 times. God’s Word talks about Jesus as Lord 96% of the time and describes Him as Savior 4% of the time.

I would suggest that we have it all backwards. I would guess that we talk about Jesus as Savior 96% of the time and reluctantly talk about Jesus as Lord about 4% of the time. I believe that because I have done exactly that for most of my Christian journey.

I want the Savior part of Jesus. I desperately wanted to be reconciled to God. I knew He was Holy. I also knew I was not (I have great self-awareness). I wanted to spend eternity in heaven. But making Him Lord of my life is another story. That takes sacrifice. I have to give up control. I have to surrender to the Holy Spirit. I can tell you that control and surrender don’t sleep well together. How can the God of the universe who created the amazing complexity of life know what career move is best for me? I had better take control of that. Silly, isn’t it? But human nature is to want a savior…not Lord.

Matthew West nails the essence of our often futile pursuit of happiness in the chorus of Nothing Else.

Nothing else can take the place of You Nothing else can take the place of You

A very simple concept. A very difficult application. Matthew West, like most of us, tried something else.

Still I try friendship I called everyone I knew And invited them over for a party They ate all the free food And they told me how much they loved me But when the food was gone My friends were gone And there I was all alone And empty

So take the place The place of You And fill this space The way You do I’m tired of searching Those days are through So take the place It’s made for You Not friends or money or alcohol None of these things, believe me You can try them all Not status Not success I know none of these things will ever bring true happiness

Realizing the simple truth of these powerful lyrics can save you years of frustration. Nothing else can take the place of Him. I have tried. I am convinced of the truth of that simple statement. We were created to be in fellowship with God and nothing short of that satisfies. You can try other things. But just remember that God will be patiently waiting when you figure out that nothing else can take the place of Him.

We are blessed to have a little neighborhood park about a half-mile from Casa Burchett so dog friend Hannah and I headed there this morning.

I have walked this park dozens and dozens of times over the years. But today something funny happened. There is an old joke for my sports inclined readers.

I went to a fight today and a hockey game broke out. Today’s Bad Christian paraphrase is I went on a walk today and worship broke out.

It started routinely enough. Hannah was busy checking new messages left along the path by other canine buddies. Apparently she had a lot of mail to catch up on.

I was listening to the Grace Romans CD series with Bill Thrall in my ear. For some reason I began to notice what had been around me all along.

The park has a play area for kids, an open area for soccer and Frisbee and dog running and a wooded area with some natural fields. I first noticed some toddlers playing in the wood chips around the playground toys. I smiled at their delight to see Hannah. I thought about their innocence and complete trust that Mom was taking care of them. I suspect that was what Jesus was talking about when He told us to be like little children. Not that we should become childish but that we would trust completely like a child because we can’t do this Christian thing ourselves.

Around the bend I saw three squirrels running and playing. I thought how much cuter they are in the field than they are in the attic of my house. The cavorting squirrels inflamed Hannah’s sin nature but the critter’s seemed to know she was safely restrained.

For some reason I was taking in all that was going on in this quiet little park. A blue jay darted through the bushes. We walked over the wooded creek area and I watched the fascinating, darting flight of a dragonfly. The wildflowers carpeted the field in a swaying tapestry of color. Some sparrows hopped along the path ahead.

On the next lap I watched a toddler running across the field. Is there anything cuter than watching a little one run with their own distinct style? I thought how much that little boy’s running was like my Christian experience. Making progress but always with the potential for a major face plant at any moment.

I felt so alive. So much of what is good on this troubled planet was right here around me. It was routine. But it was life. Young moms and precious children. God’s awesome creation ranging from amazing blue skies to brilliant red cardinals to annoying fire ants. So why do I tend to only think about the fire ants when there is so much more?

On the final lap a butterfly flitted among the wildflowers and one of my favorite analogies from the book TrueFaced came to mind.  

Have we already been changed?  Yes.  As day is from night, we have been changed.  We have received a new heart, for crying out loud!  We have a brand new core-identity.  We have already been changed.  Now we get to mature into who we already are. 

…Nature provides many examples of this incredible discrepancy between who we appear to be and who we truly are.  Consider the caterpillar.  If we brought a caterpillar to a biologist and asked him to analyze it and describe its DNA, he would tell us, “I know this looks like a caterpillar to you, but scientifically, according to every test, including DNA, this fully and completely a butterfly.”  Wow!  God has wired into a creature that looks nothing like a butterfly, a perfectly complete butterfly “identity”.  And because the caterpillar is a butterfly in essence, it will one day display the behavior and attributes of a butterfly.  The caterpillar matures into what is already true about it.  In the meantime, berating the caterpillar for not being more like a butterfly is not only futile, it will probably hurt his tiny ears! 

So it is with us.  God has given us the DNA of godliness.  We are saints.  Righteous.  Nothing we do will make us more righteous than we already are.  Nothing we do will alter this reality.  God knows our DNA.  He knows that we are “Christ in me”.  And now He is asking us to join Him in what He already knows is true!”

That is when worship broke out. Being in His creation with good dog friend Hannah enjoying good enough health to walk briskly and good enough eyes to see His beauty. Seeing children laughing and playing. Life teeming all around me on the ground and in the air and in the trees. And then realizing that this same God that created this world had changed this creature named Dave Burchett into something I never thought possible. Godly. A saint. Righteous. Are you kidding me? But that is what God says is true about me. And can be true about you if you put your full trust in Christ.

What a day. What a Savior! How I wish for everyday to be just another walk in the park.

Winnie the Pooh character Tigger often departed by saying “TTFN” (Ta-Ta For Now). Today is a NTTW (No Time To Write) day for me. So I have gone back to the dusty electronic archives and pulled up a well received article full of grace and truth. Okay, to be honest it was published earlier and it is full of something. I hope to swing by the insight market and whip a fresh blog for next week.

Blessings, Dave

One of my favorite ancient characters is Diogenes of Sinope. Born in Turkey about 400 years before Christ, he was a student of Antisthenes (444-370 BC), who was himself a pupil of Socrates. His philosophy was “marked by an ostentatious contempt for ease, wealth, and the enjoyments of life.” Diogenes would have had a field day skewering the consumerism and materialism in modern day America. One of the things that I love about Diogenes is his moniker. The irascible philosopher was known as Diogenes the Cynic. What a great name! How cool would that be to have a title like that? It certainly is better than Diogenes of Sinope. I would gladly swap Dave of Garland for Dave the Self-Deprecating as my appellation any day.

One story relates that while Diogenes was sunning himself, the powerful and feared Alexander the Great came up to him and offered to grant him any request. “Stand out of my light,” he replied. For a man who lived in a tub that was probably all he needed at that point in time.

When asked what wine he found most pleasant to drink, Diogenes replied, “That for which other people pay.” (So I actually do think like some of the great philosophers at times). But the name Diogenes is most known to the general populace as the man who would stroll through the Agora at full daylight with a torch (or, as legend sometimes has it, a lantern). When asked about it, he would answer, “I am just looking for an honest man”.

While I part company on much of Diogenes philosophy his search for an honest man resonates with me. This will likely sound harsher than intended but sometimes I feel like taking up the lantern and going out in search of one authentic Christian. Please hold the emails about how negative and judgmental I am. I know they are out there. But what breaks my heart is how many people are not living an authentic and transparent life as followers of Jesus. That is what those outside of the body of Christ see far too often. Is that a smokescreen to avoid the question of who Jesus really is? Of course it can be. But I do not want on my ledger that I was a person that someone looked at to evaluate the Christian faith and they saw nothing. Or at least not enough to find it compelling.

That is why I would choose Dave the Self-Deprecating as my title. I am not using the definition of self-deprecating that means to undervalue one’s abilities. That would be a false humility. I am talking about being able to see and admit your shortcomings. Simply being honest and real.

I began my book When Bad Christians Happen to Good People with this disclaimer.

I am a hypocrite. I can be arrogant and selfish. I have been known to stretch, conceal, or slightly massage the truth. I am sometimes inconsiderate and insecure. I struggle with lust and impure thoughts. My ego often rages out of control, and I battle foolish pride. I can be lazy and foolhardy with my time. I get angry, petty, and ill-tempered. I am sarcastic and cynical.

I am a Christian.

That is real. I am a sinner saved by grace. The parts of Diongene’s philosophies that apply to me are summed up in these points.

• Living by personal example
• Exposing the falsehood of conventional thinking
• Exposing vice and conceit

That would be a decent road map for a follower of Jesus.

• Walk what you talk
• Share the hope that is in Jesus, not in this world
• Hold one another accountable in our walk

If Diogenes were walking around Garland with his lantern looking for one authentic Christian and ran into me…would he put his lamp down? Would his quest be complete if he encountered you?

 

Much has been made recently about the Evangelical Manifesto. First of all, I really dislike the word manifesto. Perhaps because I immediately think of the Communist Manifesto when I hear the word. The Evangelical Manifesto seeks to clarify the definition and beliefs of evangelicals. There is much in the document that I welcome and endorse. I don’t agree with everything in the document. But I am pretty sure that no one agrees with everything I say. Including me.

One central idea makes me shout AMEN loudly. That idea is that Evangelicals should be defined theologically and not politically, culturally or socially. Since I am not smart enough to produce a document as eloquent as the Evangelical Manifesto I have decided to issue my own smaller brain version.

Without any adieu I present “The Bad Christian Mini-festo”.

• I am a follower of Jesus.
• 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. 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 America has been blessed with while giving back an average of less than three percent.
• I do not believe in ranking sins for their offensiveness to me. 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.
• I do not believe that I should follow a spokesperson that represents all Evangelicals. I engage Scripture, my conscious, research, debate and prayer into my decisions as a Christian and as a citizen of this country.

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 apart from Him.
• 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 oppose me.
• To love my wife and family sacrificially and well.
• 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 agonizing 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.

I believe that Jesus gave me a very simple game plan.

1. “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’[e] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22, NLT)
2. “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.”  (Matthew 28, NLT)

And finally, I believe the truth of this promise that Jesus made. 

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

That’s it. I care about the environment and politics and issues but I am passionate about Christ. He is where I have found hope and change.

 

Last year I wrote an article about a “reality” TV show that was so far from reality that it couldn’t see it with the Hubble telescope. The show is called The Girls Next Door and it sleazes up the E! Network on a regular basis. The premise is to look inside life at the Playboy mansion. Another sign of the apocalypse is that this is the fourth season of this show.

Three gorgeous young women vie for the affection of octogenarian Hugh Hefner while they all live under the same roof. Now that is reality! Hefner rates the girls and appoints one of the girls as “number one” like some weird parody of Dr.Evil. In fact, the Mike Myers character Dr.Evil makes this appropriate comment in the movie.

“There’s nothing as pathetic as an aging hipster.”

Last year The New York Post reported that the show might have a ratings gimmick planned. They hinted that Hefner might just marry “Number One”. Here is an excerpt from that Post story.

“This is very secret, but the word is ‘yes,’ ” one insider told Page Six. “Hef has decided he will marry Holly, and he wants it for his show, ‘The Girls Next Door.’ Hef thinks business all the time, and looks for a new hook, although he also does really love Holly.”

Hmmm….he thinks business all the time and is looking for a new hook. The afterthought that Hefner “really does love Holly” must certainly have made Number One feel really special and valued. Hefner reportedly wanted to delay the marriage because monogamy would “kill the show”. Another reason for Number One to be wildly optimistic. So I was not a bit surprised when this followup to this ridiculous story appeared today.  

The Dallas Morning News reported that since she first laid eyes on the Playboy mogul in 2001, Hugh Hefner’s “lead” girlfriend, Holly Madison, has made it no secret that she wants to get hitched to the geezer. (Perhaps the first stop should be getting a thorough vision check)

But it seems she’s starting to give up on her dream. “We are no closer to getting married than we were years ago,” she said at last week’s “Playmate of the Year” luncheon in Los Angeles. “It’s like a car stalled at the side of the road.” (So many lines…) She looked away as he added, “I love Holly very much and I think we’re going to be together the rest of my life. But marriage isn’t part of my puzzle.” (Anyone shocked by this besides Number One?)

Madison was quoted during season one about the odd arrangement she had agreed to live with at the mansion.

She said she “couldn’t believe” that she’s sharing her boyfriend with the other two busty blondes. But, she noted, “you do funny things when you’re in love.”

I would suggest you do funny things when you are infatuated by money and fame and material comforts. You do loving, sacrificial things when you are in love. You sacrifice for your wife and children. You place your mate first. You love her just as much when her body reflects the effects of child bearing and age. You take seriously the words of Paul when he admonishes followers of Jesus to love their wives.

Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives.  (Ephesians 5 – The Message)

Hugh Hefner is living the fantasy of many young men. I used to be one of them. But I do not envy him one bit. Because he will never understand what I have been blessed to experience. A wife who has loved me when I was unlovable. A wife who doesn’t care if I am rich or famous or powerful because that is not what she bases her love on. A relationship that has weathered storms together and emerged stronger. Joni’s strength and dignity during her cancer journey took my respect for her to a new level.

She is number one. There are no other contenders. And there never will be.