Highlights of 2007

It's that time of the year when virtually every major media outlet in the world of news, entertainment & sports publishes their annual “Best of…”, “Top Stories” or “Year in Review” lists. In a tip of the hat to that grand old tradition, I’ve decided to compile & share my own personal list of ministry highlights for the past year at Mount Hermon Baptist Church. Here goes!

1. Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. Mount Hermon has a long and inspiring history of missions giving. That history reached new heights this past year. After closing out 2006 with a record-setting $70,000 Lottie Moon offering, we set out to do it again in 2007. As I write these words, we’ve already exceeded $60,000 in receipts with one more Sunday remaining in 2007. That means that in the past 13 months, Mount Hermon has given more than $130,000 to support the vital work of the more than 5,000 IMB missionaries serving around the globe! Hallelujah!

2. Mission Trip to Cambodia. 2007 was also a year for greater hands-on involvement in missions. In May, a team of 6 Mount Hermon members responded to an urgent plea for help from one of our IMB missionaries in Cambodia. On short notice, our team traveled across the Pacific to work with missionary kids while their parents were involved in an important annual spiritual retreat. Traveling to Southeast Asia was by far the most far-reaching mission trip our church had ever taken. And this was the first step in a continuing hands-on ministry relationship with our friends in Cambodia. In fact, we'll be taking another team to Cambodia in May 2008.

3. Mission Trip to Greece. In July, 46 Mount Hermon youth & adults took part in the most far-reaching youth mission trip in our church’s history. Working in conjunction with the SBC's International World Changers, our group was involved in a wide variety of ministry projects in the historic city of Thessaloniki, following in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul, who planted a church there in the 1st Century AD. Our young people made a significant impact in the ancient city, which today has a metropolitan area population of over one million. Much noteriety was given to a major beach cleanup project involving several of our people. Team members were given special recognition by the mayor, interviewed & photographed by a local newspaper, and filmed on location by a local television crew, in each case faithfully giving glory to Jesus Christ.

4. Mission Trip to Baltimore. Another contingent of youth & adults traveled up to Baltimore, Maryland around the 4th of July to work with a new church plant as part of our North American Mission Board’s PowerPlant ministry. This was the second successive year we had undertaken an endeavor like this, as Mount Hermon youth also participated in a PowerPlant project in Richmond in 2006. (By the way, in 2008 our youth will be involved in hands-on mission work in New Orleans, as that city continues to rebuild from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.)

5. Calling of Whitney Clarke. In October, Whitney Clarke became our new Minister of Preschool & Children. A product of Mount Hermon, Whitney returned to our community after earning a seminary degree in Texas, marrying, and living overseas for a time in Japan. Whitney has been a wonderful addition to our church staff. She and her husband Randall, the Chaplain at nearby Hargrave Military Academy, and their daughter Catie are a real blessing to us. I personally look forward to working with her for years to come.

6. Calling of Josh Mark. In November, Joshua P. Mark was called as our new Minister of Youth & Young Adults. He officially begins his duties with us January 1, 2008. Born in Canada, Josh grew up in Bradenton, Florida. After graduating from college, serving with a church in British Columbia, and attending seminary in the Pacific Northwest, Josh came back to Bradenton and served with in a church there. He and his bride Elisabeth “E.B.” will soon be in Danville. I look forward to their arrival and I am excited about their future ministry with us.

7. Sanctuary Renovation/ Organ Installation. Just in time for the Christmas season, our new Rodgers organ was delivered, the spacious, newly remodeled stage area was completed, and new lighting was installed. The changes added a considerable amount of space to the platform, expanding the potential for our choir, orchestra, creative arts team, and drama ministries. The renovations also gave the front of the worship center a whole new look with a friendlier, more open feel. I’m excited about the possibilities for the future.

8. Marriage Conference Weekend. In September, we held our first annual ministry event to strengthen marriages. Several married couples (and couples preparing for marriage) were blessed by the teaching ministry of Murrill & Deborah Boitnott. It was truly a highlight of the year. From now on, every other year, we will host an event like this at Mount Hermon. In alternating years, we will lead groups from our church to off-site marriage enrichment retreats. In October 2008, for example, Sandy & I plan to take a large Mount Hermon contingent to Ridgecrest, North Carolina for a Festival of Marriage weekend. Then, in 2009, we’ll bring a special guest conference speaker on site once again.

9. "Discover Mount Hermon". This newly-developed seminar for seekers and prospective members debuted this year. Led by yours truly (with assistance from the New Member Team) this special quarterly luncheon event provides an opportunity for people to meet the pastor, learn more about our church—who we are, what we believe, how we function, etc.—and be presented with the Gospel. This not only helps clear up many questions in the attendees’ minds, but it also has already proven to be an effective, non-threatening “ice-breaker” that motivates people right then and there to make a personal commitment to join the church and/or follow Christ.

10. Choir Christmas CD. Our adult choir worked very hard this year recording a beautiful new CD entitled, “The Joy of Christmas.” Our choir has done CDs in the past, all of which have been well received. This was their first ever seasonal recording, however. The new music was presented live to our congregation & community on December 8th & 9th. Subsequent sales of the CDs were brisk throughout December, with many people wanting to share them as Christmas gifts. Most importantly, as in the past, these CDs are an extension of the worship ministry of our church by which we are able to reach out and touch others.

Wow! A lot of things happened in 2007. Of course, there are countless immeasurables & intangibles that you cannot easily compile in a list like this. For example, broken hearts mended, wounds healed, relationships restored, sins forgiven, joy reclaimed, freedom achieved, encouragement extended, devotion deepened, growth experienced, etc. You get the picture. But I certainly thank God for all of those wonderful victories as well!

Yes, it's truly been a great year at Mount Hermon. I just can't wait for 2008!

Pastor Danny

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Feliz Navidad (Spanish)

Joyeux Noel (French)

Buon Natale (Italian)

Mele Kalikimaka (Hawaiian)

Heri ya Krismasi (Swahili)

Froehliche Weihnachten (German)

Vrolijk Kerstfeest (Dutch)

Καλά Χριστούγεννα (Greek)

Nollaig Shona Duit
(Irish Gaelic)

圣诞快乐 (Chinese)

С Рождеством (Russian)

God Jule (Norwegian)

Feliz Natal (Portuguese)

عيد ميلاد سعيد (Arabic)

In as many ways as we can possibly say it, Sandy & I want to wish you a most meaningful celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As people the world over pause this week to celebrate our Savior's birth, our prayer for you is that you might experience a fresh touch from God in your life.

May the Lord bless you this Christmas and always.

PASTOR DANNY

"And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins."

Matthew 1:21

Favorite Christmas Carols

This past Wednesday was time for our annual churchwide Christmas caroling expedition. After dinner, we divided into groups & visited various shut-ins & nursing homes from Danville to Dry Fork. It was a fun time of ministry & fellowship. I believe that the singers as well as the listeners were blessed. Afterward, we all warmed up to some hot chocolate in the church fellowship hall. This whole experience inspired me to give thought to my own favorite Christmas songs. Although it’s hard to narrow down the list, here’s my personal Top Ten.

1. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. My absolute favorite Christmas song. It’s really a song of Advent, a song of yearning for the Messiah to come and “ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here.” This ancient song has a strong Jewish feel, a haunting melody, and compelling words of spiritual desire. I love it.

2. Sweet Little Jesus Boy. An old Negro Spiritual that expresses a heartfelt sense of our human struggle and our deep need for Jesus. It’s a beautiful, soulful prayer addressed directly to the Lord. Near the end, it poignantly offers Him an apology for the world’s rejection & mistreatment of Him: “Please, sir, forgive us, Lord, we didn’t know ‘twas you.”

3. Mary’s Boy Child. The newest (1956) song on my list. A joyous, Caribbean-flavored tune about the birth of Christ. Harry Belafonte first recorded it, and then Mahalia Jackson. I love it. The song's chorus—“And man will live forever more because of Christmas Day”—does not mean that everyone will automatically go to Heaven just because Christ was born. It means that if Christ had never come to earth in human flesh, there would have been no cross, no resurrection, and thus no hope of forgiveness, redemption & eternal life. Jesus' sacrificial death for our sins is our only hope of ever attaining Heaven. But even then, it's not automatic. There's a personal response of faith that each of us must make.

4. O Come, All Ye Faithful. One of the classics. In my mind, I think of it (along with Silent Night and Joy to the World) as one of the “Big 3” Christmas carols. All three are special, but I personally prefer this one to the other two. It’s a great worship song. The chorus—“O come, let us adore Him”—is a wonderful admonition to all of us, at any season of the year. In fact, many churches today sing the chorus (and variations of it) at various times other than Christmas.

5. Good King Wenceslas. It’s technically not a Christmas carol, although it’s always considered as such. It tells of a king who goes out to give alms to the poor on St. Stephen’s Day (December 26th, the day after Christmas.) The weather is cold and the snow is deep. The king’s page, who accompanies him on the journey, reaches a point where he feels he cannot go on. But with the assistance of the king, the page survives. The song ends with this phrase, “Therefore, Christian men, be sure, wealth or rank possessing, ye who now will bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing.” All in all, the lyrics of the whole song are rather strange, but I love this tune. It plays in my head every Christmas.

6. Coventry Carol. An old English carol dating from the 16th Century. It has a dark, somber, reflective tone. The words are heavy—referring to Herod’s edict to slay all of the young infants born around the time of baby Jesus—and the melody is quite haunting. But it really touches my heart. It has a strange beauty to it.

7. Beautiful Star of Bethlehem. This old bluegrass/ country song has a strong mountain flavor to it. In fact, it’s quite popular in the mountains of Appalachia, the place of my heritage. I love the feel and message of this song. And you can’t do it justice vocally without the strumming sound of a good old acoustic guitar in the background.

8. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. There are some powerful lyrics in this old carol, most notably, “Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day, to save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray.” Whenever I hear a secular recording artist sing this song, I always wonder if they are grasping the true meaning of what they are singing.

9. O Holy Night. A beautiful song. Its great lyrics point to the world’s desperate need and longing for a Savior—“Long lay the world in sin and error pining”—as well as our need to respond to Him in worship—“Fall on your knees!”

10. We Three Kings. A song about the journey of the wise men. When you hear it, don’t you just feel like you’re riding on a camel? OK, we don’t know that these men were actually kings and we don’t know that there were actually three of them in number, but it’s a beautiful song nonetheless. The verses describe each of the three gifts—gold, frankincense & myrrh—and how they relate to Jesus’ royalty, deity and death. The final verse refers to Him as “King and God and Sacrifice.”

Well, there you have it. I’m sure a few of the songs on my list may have surprised you. But they’re truly my favorites, although I like many others as well. I also enjoy a few secular songs of the season, but I won’t delve into those now. I want to keep the main thing the main thing. After all, Jesus IS the reason for the season. By the way, what are YOUR favorite Christmas songs (and why)?

Pastor Danny

Favorite Christmas Movies

Earlier this month, the Believers Sunday School Class had their annual Christmas party at our home. One of the most anticipated highlights of this class’s holiday get-together is the after-dinner game planned each year by class member Michael White. A dermatologist by day, Mike’s greatest joy seems to be coming up with these unusual games. This year’s contest was a Christmas trivia game based on the movie A Christmas Story. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen that film, but Mike thinks it’s the greatest Christmas movie ever made. And he’s not alone. Oddly enough, there are quite a few other people that feel the same way. My youth minister at my former church was one of them. He absolutely loved this film!

The 1983 comedy stars veteran actor Darren McGavin in the role of the father. The setting for the story is a 1940s Indiana town. Nine-year-old Ralphie Parker wants only one thing for Christmas—“an official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model BB rifle with a compass in the stock.” He sets out to convince the world this is the perfect gift. But along the way, he runs into opposition from his parents, his teacher, and even Santa Claus, all of whom tell Ralphie, “No, you’ll shoot your eye out.” The whole movie is filled with all kinds of childhood hijinks and misadventures, including a memorable scene in which a kid, on a dare, gets his tongue frozen to a flagpole.

Every year, one of the cable television channels runs A Christmas Story non-stop for 24 hours on Christmas Day. A few years ago, during one of these exhaustive marathons, I forced myself to finally watch it, because I had heard so many people talk about it. Honestly, it’s a dumb, unfunny movie to me, but “to each, their own,” I suppose.

When the Christmas party trivia match-up was over the other night, the members of the winning team—much to their surprise—were awarded Daisy “Red Ryder” BB guns through the generosity of Michael White. A special gift also was presented to the class teacher, David Sloan—a full-size replica of the ugly tabletop “leg” lamp that is prominently featured in the movie. Perhaps David will display the lovely item in the waiting area at his eye care clinic!

All of this focus on A Christmas Story got me to thinking about my own favorite Christmas movies. Here’s my personal Top Five:

1. Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) starring Jimmy Stewart. A great story with thought-provoking spiritual overtones. What would the world be like if you had never been born? (i.e., Are you making a difference with your life?) What really makes one rich in life? Truly, it’s not money, but love, friendship, caring, and servanthood. Those are the values that will last. There are so many heartwarming scenes in this film that I can’t even begin to list them. The real tearjerker for me is when a desperate George Bailey is standing on the bridge in the falling snow, tearfully praying to God to give him his life back, “I want to live again! I want to live again! Please, God, let me live again!” That always puts a lump in my throat.

2. The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945) starring Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman. I love the extended sequence in which a group of kids at the Catholic school rehearse their rough-around-the-edges Christmas pageant. That’s a real classic. I also love to hear Father O’Malley singing with the nuns around the piano. The tension between Father O’Malley and Sister Mary Benedict throughout the film is a poignant reminder that sometimes in life Christians of different perspectives can experience disagreement and misunderstandings, something we all have to guard against. Their resolution of this conflict at the very end of the film is heartrending. One of my favorite characters is the successful but troubled businessman Mr. Bogardus played by Henry Travers. I love his “conversion experience” in the film. By the way, this same actor also appeared as the angel Clarence in It’s a Wonderful Life. Just think. Two of the greatest Christmas movies of all-time and this wonderful British character actor played an important supporting role in each of them. (By the way, he’s also great in the Academy Award-winning film Mrs. Miniver.)

3. The Bishop’s Wife (1947) / The Preacher’s Wife (1996). The original starred Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven. The remake featured an all-African American cast starring Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston and Courtney B. Vance. The remake also includes a dynamite soundtrack featuring Whitney’s dynamic voice. I like both of these films, but I think I may like the newer one a little better. I love the ending of both, when the tired & distracted pastor (Niven/ Vance) with the help of an angel (Grant/ Washington) suddenly recovers his vision, remembering what it’s all about. This becomes quite evident when he steps into the pulpit revived & refocused.

4. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965), the classic animated television special based on Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip. As a kid I watched this show the night it premiered on network television. The extended monologue by little Linus in which he recites (in King James English) the entire birth narrative as recorded in Luke chapter 2 is just absolutely priceless. I also love the simplistic animation and acting, as well as the smooth jazz piano soundtrack. The look as well as the message of the film is simplicity. Less is more. I.e., when you’ve got Jesus that’s all that matters. The most delightful transformation of this film is when the pitiful little tree nobody wants suddenly emerges beautifully decorated. To me, that’s a picture of what Christ does for us.

5. The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (1966), the classic animated television special based on the popular Dr. Seuss book and featuring the voice of Boris Karloff. Yes, I saw this when it premiered also. (I didn’t care for the newer live-action, full-length, feature film version starring Jim Carrey. It just doesn’t compare.) In the original animated work, I love the evil Grinch’s powerful “conversion experience,” during which the green meanie’s miniscule heart multiplies several times in size and the old Grincheroo does a complete one-eighty from heel to hero, akin to the Apostle Paul’s turnabout on the Damascus Road. That climactic scene always puts a warm feeling in my own heart.

HONORABLE MENTION # 1: Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (1984). There are several film versions of this classic tale, but I like this George C. Scott version best of all. It’s another “conversion” story, as the heartless and unlikable Ebeneezer Scrooge—the pre-Grinch—does a complete turnabout with the help of some ghostly visitors. Interestingly, this is my son’s very favorite Christmas film, and has been since the time it premiered (when he was but a tiny preschooler). As just a little guy, he couldn’t wait to watch this film each year, and he would be mesmerized by it, watching it by himself even without Sandy or me present. For that reason alone, I just had to include this classic on my list.

HONORABLE MENTION # 2: You’ll notice that my list above does not have a “religious” film on it. Frankly, while there have been numerous films depicting the life of Jesus in total, there really had not been a notable film focusing solely on the events surrounding His birth. That is, until last year. The Nativity Story (2006) was a pleasant surprise to me. More than any other film I’ve ever seen, I think it gave a fairly realistic portrayal of Mary and Joseph and the challenges they faced. It was reverent, but not over the top in its depiction of the couple. Mary and Joseph come across as believable. Not as stained-glass halo-wearing images, but as real flesh-and-blood people. I’ve only seen this movie one time, and that was a year ago when it was first released to theaters. Perhaps if I get to watch it some more, it will move up on my list.

So there you have it. My top Christmas movies. I suppose the reason I like these in particular is that they’re all so heartwarming and uplifting. There’s an underlying theme of hope and redemption that can be traced through each one. If you—or your kids—have somehow never seen one or more of these, I encourage you get the DVDs, pop some popcorn, and settle down on the sofa for a special evening of enjoyable holiday entertainment.

Pastor Danny

White House Christmas Tour

Recently, I received a telephone call from Capitol Hill in Washington DC. No, it wasn’t the Speaker of the House calling for advice. It was my son Jordan.

“Dad, I can get you and Mom into a White House tour next Wednesday morning at 7:30 AM, but I need to know right away if you can do it.”

My dream from the time I was a small boy was to someday go to the White House, either by electoral vote or as a tourist. Having reached the age of 50, I had come to realize that the latter approach was now my only viable option for attaining my childhood goal.

I came close to getting to the White House fifteen years ago. In 1992, during the original Bush Administration, I was part of a group of Southern Baptist ministers attending a public affairs conference in D.C. We were invited to a White House briefing with then-Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (and later VP candidate) Jack Kemp. But it was held in the adjacent Old Executive Office Building rather than the White House itself. Close, but no cigar.

But now, my son was opening the door for me to finally fulfill my dream. A lifelong student of presidential history, as well as a history and political science major in college, I was delighted that this long-awaited opportunity was finally presenting itself.

“Yes,” I replied. “We’ll be there. Tell W. & Laura & the kids that we’re coming.”

Faster than you can say “George Stephanopoulos” I called Sandy at home and told her the good news. Sandy had visited the White House once before, back during the Carter Administration when she was an 18-year-old high school student on her senior trip. It was a much different world back then. Nowadays—in our Post 9-11 culture—getting into the White House is about as easy as getting a baseball player to admit that he’s used steroids. You have to go through your local Congressman, applying far in advance, and even then, it’s far from a sure thing. Jordan, a Congressional aide, had been trying for two years to get us in.

When we got to the White House early that morning, it was a cold day and the snow was starting to fall. Inside, the mansion was beautifully decorated for Christmas. Gold had been chosen as the predominant color for this year’s decor. And the theme of this year’s Christmas celebration was a salute to our national parks. Artisans from each of the 50 states had painted original designs and images on clear glass ornaments in commemoration of our various national parks and historic sites. These colorful ornaments were proudly displayed on the large tree in the circular Blue Room. During our 30-minute self-guided, self-paced walk through the White House’s first floor, we also passed through the East Room, the Green Room, the Red Room, the State Dining Room, the Cross Hall, and Entrance Hall. Along the way, Sandy, never at a loss for words, joked with several Secret Service agents. Fortunately, she didn’t create enough of a scene to bring us under suspicion.

I kept hoping we’d bump into George. I envisioned him sitting there next to the tree in a recliner, with his feet up, wearing a cardigan sweater, sipping his hot cocoa, reading the morning newspaper. But alas, there was no such encounter. No sign of any members of the First Family, as a matter of fact. Not even Barney, the family dog.

By the time we exited the White House and began making our way up Pennsylvania Avenue, the snow was really coming down. Before the day was over, some 3 inches or more would fall in the capital city. Not having experienced a real snowfall in more than a dozen years, Sandy and I relished our windy walk all the way to Capitol Hill—about a mile and half from the White House. By the time we reached our son’s office, we looked like survivors of the recent cruise ship that sank in Antarctica. Snow and ice was all over us. After grabbing some lunch and thawing out for a bit, we took a cab over to the National Cathedral. The last and only time we had visited that magnificent structure was almost 15 years earlier. This time, since tourist traffic was slow, one of the guides gave us an hour-long private tour, sharing with us many interesting facts we’d never heard before, as well as reminding us of some we’d forgotten.

Afterward, we made our way back to Capitol Hill to be part of the Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. This year’s tree—a 55-foot fir—was shipped down from the state of Vermont. Numerous Vermonters had made their way south for the special occasion. As the sun set, the wind picked up and the snow seemed to intensify. I can tell you that there was definitely no global warming going on in Washington that night! As we stood there shivering, the entire Vermont Congressional delegation (only 3 people—2 U.S. Senators and one U.S. Representative) took turns speaking proudly of their home state’s great gift to the nation. One the senators even had laryngitis, but that didn’t deter him from offering his own ornate oratorical observations on the magnificence of the tree and the heroic efforts of all that had been involved in any way in its 54-year life span, from planting to cultivating, to cutting to transporting, to erecting to decorating. Before the ceremony was all said and done, I think every citizen of the state of Vermont had a part on the program, with the notable exception of Howard Dean. (I certainly would have recognized his unique scream anywhere.) We were so glad when the Speaker of the House finally pushed the button that lit the tree. Interestingly, as soon as she did so, the entire crowd—wet and cold—immediately dispersed. Again, Sandy and I made our way back to Jordan’s office, looking by now like Nanook of the North after a robust day of subzero seal hunting.

The next day, we drove back to Danville. (Interestingly, unknown to us at the time, another Mount Hermon couple—E. B. and Ramona Cassada—were touring the White House that very morning, just 24 hours after we did. By the way, they didn’t get to see the president either.) Scheduled for that Thursday evening was the lighting of the National Christmas Tree on the White House lawn, a much bigger event than the one we had observed at the Capitol the night before. I would like to have stayed, but since George W. didn’t even bother to come down and greet me on my first trip to his home, I decided that I wouldn’t go back to help him with his Christmas tree lights. As far as I was concerned, he was on his own on that one. Besides, Sandy and I didn’t want to spend yet another night freezing out in the cold wind waiting for more lights to come on. We’d rather be all warm and toasty over at Dick Cheney’s place, sitting by the fire and helping him clean his hunting rifles.

Pastor Danny

Don't Trust This Compass for Direction

Throughout the years, you’ve probably heard stories about malicious adults placing harmful substances in Halloween trick or treat candy so as to hurt unsuspecting children. We recoil at the thought of someone being so devious and cruel. And yet, sometimes, the most harmful things that can be foisted upon innocent children are not those items they can ingest orally but the ones they can absorb mentally and spiritually.

Such is the case with a new major motion picture being released today. “The Golden Compass” looks like an ideal holiday movie for kids. It has the look and feel of J.R.R Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and C.S. Lewis’ “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, both of which are allegorical fantasies with strong spiritual underpinnings. “The Golden Compass” also has an underlying spiritual theme, but not in the way you might imagine.

Now before I proceed, let me say that I seldom raise concerns about movies, maybe once every few years, and only when I feel such a pastoral response is absolutely needful. And while I’m not trying to lead any kind of crusade against “The Golden Compass” or put a guilt-trip on anyone that’s already seen it, I feel it is incumbent upon me as a pastor to give the parents in my church a heads-up about some of the concerns involving this seemingly wholesome holiday film.

“The Golden Compass” is based on the first book in a popular 3-volume series by British author Philip Pullman. An avowed atheist, Pullman writes in the genre of C.S. Lewis, but with a very different agenda. His trilogy has been referred to as the “anti-Narnia,” reflecting his deep personal disdain for Lewis’ Christian-flavored fantasies. In a 2001 interview with The Washington Post, Pullman declared, “I’m trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief.” Two years later, he told another interviewer, “My books are about killing God.” Pullman has been more toned down in recent interviews, however, perhaps because this movie adaptation of his first book needs to be broadly successful if the final two books are to make it to the big screen.

Launched in 1995, Pullman’s books—following in the wake of the successful Harry Potter series—have been extremely popular across the Atlantic, winning several awards in the United Kingdom. Here in the United States, Al Roker of NBC's Today Show recently made “The Golden Compass” part of his children's book club. The book also is reportedly being sold nationwide in schools through Scholastic, which claims it is appropriate for grades four and up. The story itself focuses on a 12-year-old girl and her daemon (pronounced "demon"), which appears in the form of a talking animal. Everyone in her world, in fact, has a daemon in the form of a talking animal. Early in the story her young friend is kidnapped, and she sets out to find him. What follows is an unfolding adventure in which the two of them help rescue the world from institutional Christianity, learning along the way that sin is the key to “wisdom” and that saving the universe depends on killing the God of the Bible. Whoa!!!

Supposedly, most of the anti-religious elements of Pullman’s trilogy are found not in his first book but in the latter two. In addition, the film version of “The Golden Compass” tones down some of the more blatant anti-Christian elements of the story. The director admits that this was intentional in order to make the film more palatable for the general public, thus enhancing its potential for financial success “so that we have a solid foundation on which to deliver a faithful, more literal adaptation of the second and third books.”'

While it’s likely that a good many moviegoers could go and watch this film as a pure fantasy-adventure without grasping its deeper spiritual agenda, the biggest concern I have is how this film potentially could entice countless numbers of children to read the books, which I believe would be to their detriment.

If you’re interested in finding out more about this so you can make your own determination, here are a few suggested website links:

Focus on the Family’s movie review:

http://www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/movies/a0003536.cfm

Baptist Press articles:
http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=26849
and http://www.bpnews.net/BPFirstPerson.asp?ID=26986

Dr. Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, commentary:
http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=1065

Pastor Danny

Merry…Uh…?

Perhaps you’ve recently heard about the city of Fort Collins, Colorado, which earlier this year formed a Holiday Display Task Force to review the municipality’s longstanding policy regarding outdoor holiday displays on public property. As the Task Force set out to do its work, it acknowledged that Fort Collins has grown over the years to become a “dynamic, culturally diverse community” that is now “home to people of many religious and cultural beliefs and traditions, including Christian, Jew, Hindu, Baha’i, Buddhist, Wiccan, atheist and Muslim, among others.” The Task Force went on to note that “city residents celebrate a variety of winter holidays, such as Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, Birth of Bahu’u’llah, Bhodi Day, the Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa and more.” Furthermore, in an effort to make all residents feel “valued, welcomed and included”, the group sought to come up with a plan that would unite all residents in a generic wintertime seasonal celebration that would be inclusive to all. So, here (in part) is what they came up with. First, they advocated the “decreased use of decorated greenery that carries connotations of particular holidays; for instance, removing red ribbons from wreaths and removing stars and ornaments from trees.” Then, they recommended that the exteriors of city buildings be decorated with “white (rather than colored) lights, secular winter symbols not associated with any particular holiday (snowflakes, icicles, etc.), and unadorned garlands of greenery (not decorated with ribbons or ornaments).” The group went on to say that “it is important to have an environment that communicates a welcoming message to all who enter these common areas, regardless of the holidays they may or may not celebrate.”

Bah! Humbug! Who was on that Task Force? Grinch and Scrooge? How about Lenin and Marx? Sounds like somebody had an agenda. Without coming right out and saying it, what they were clearly trying to do--under the guise of inclusiveness and tolerance--was eradicate every vestige of Christmas from the public square. Not content with taking Christ out of Christmas (i.e., secularizing a holy day for Christians) they were seeking to wipe out the holiday altogether, even though reportedly an overwhelming majority of the city’s residents preferred to maintain the traditional focus on Christmas.

Fortunately, common sense ultimately prevailed. The Fort Collins City Council, under heavy public pressure and intense media attention, soundly rejected the recommendations of the Task Force by a vote of 6 to 1. So, Christmas is still safe in Fort Collins…at least for now. But reading stuff like this just makes you wonder where our country is headed. Just think what would have happened had Fort Collins chosen to adopt this anti-Christmas (and, in essence, anti-Christianity) policy. Just think what it would be like if every municipality in the nation chose to ban all public displays of Christmas. Kind of scary, isn’t it?

There was another public official that long ago sought to wipe out Christmas. His name was King Herod. He was the original Grinch. When he first received news of the birth of the Christ child, he felt threatened and responded with hostility. Unlike those wise men who joyfully sought to worship Bethlehem’s babe, Herod was filled with nothing but utter distain for the newborn king. In his mind, the birth of Jesus was not something to celebrate. Rather, it was something to obliterate. So Herod mobilized the powers of government to wipe out every trace of this little king ever having been born. He sent out his murderous minions on a mission of mass extermination. In a powerful precursor to the Holocaust, countless innocent infants were slaughtered…but not the One they were after. By God’s grace, Jesus survived…and so did His mission of redemption to a lost and dying world.

Since the time of Christ, many secularists have tried to do away with Christmas. It’s nothing new. Many Communist countries —being officially atheistic— have long prohibited their citizens from acknowledging and celebrating the birth of Jesus. But I never dreamed I would see a movement like this gaining traction in the United States of America, of all places. It’s just another example of political correctness run amuck. When will thinking people wake up and smell the coffee, recognizing how utterly absurd all of this p.c. nonsense really is?

Anyway, while the ultimate news out of Fort Collins wound up being positive, this whole bizarre episode just makes me thankful that I live in a place like Danville, Virginia.

Pastor Danny

Help! My Leaves Have Fallen & They Can’t Get Up!

Gazing out the back window of our home, I see an ever-thickening blanket of brightly-colored leaves covering our lawn. The leaves are slowly but continuously falling, like light snow flurries. And the grass is gradually disappearing underneath the growing accumulation of red, yellow, orange and brown “flakes.” Obviously, all of this freshly fallen foliage needs to be blown or raked to the curb. But it’s still coming down. And, even though it would be nice to think that I could get rid of it all in one fell swoop, I know this project out of necessity will have to be repeated more than once.

As the leaves have fallen, so have the temperatures. I guess that’s why we call this time of year “fall”, although its formal name is autumn. Actually, “fall” has come “late” for us this year…that is, in the sense of falling temperatures and falling leaves. Usually by this time of year all the leaves are down. But because of a warmer-than-usual September and October, the leaves hung on and changed colors late, peaking well into November.

I really love the four seasons we have here in Virginia. During the nearly 12 years that Sandy & I lived in Florida, we really missed the bright vivid colors of autumn as well as the cold starkness of winter & the emerging new life of spring. Although the Sunshine State has its own unique beauty & we certainly enjoyed living there, one does get a little tired of the seemingly endless summer. I like the variety of the four seasons. The seasonal changes seem to enhance the beauty of God’s creation, reminding the beholder of how wonderful it all really is—a truth that all-too-easily might be taken for granted otherwise. The changing seasons also are a colorful illustration of life itself, which has its own seasons of birth, growth, decline and death. The most beautiful aspect of all, however, is the way in which the seasonal cycle points us to the resurrection power of Jesus Christ and the life-changing spiritual renewal that’s always available through Him.

Yes, I love the changing seasons, but there’s still the matter of gathering up all of those loitering leaves now sprawled out on my lawn taking a nap. But I have to say that dealing with them is worth it when you come to realize the whole grand process of which they’re a part. And that’s also the way it is in regard to life in general. For each of us, there are challenges and difficulties that come our way in life. But those challenges are part of a much bigger process in which God is working for our good, to both grow our faith and build our character. When we can see it from that larger perspective, we can better appreciate those times of “leaf raking” we all have to periodically endure in our lives.

Well, my little congregation of leaves is still growing religiously with no end in sight. And as I watch yet another lonely leaf gently descend earthward to join his friends below, an old song keeps playing in my head. No it’s not a hymn or a spiritual—sorry to disappoint you. It’s an old Country song—this is going to really date me—from the early 1960s: “Please Help Me, I’m Falling”, one of the biggest hits of the so-called “golden era” of Country Music. It was sung by the legendary Hank Locklin, who today at age 89 is the oldest living member of the Grand Ole Opry. You may remember the classic love ballad from when it was dusted off and revived a few years back as the soundtrack for a series of Wal-Mart TV commercials. As Hank Locklin crooned in his high tenor voice, “Puh-leez help me I’m faw-haw-lin’ in lu-huv with you,” the television screen depicted images of falling prices at America’s largest retailer.

Interestingly, many years ago, not too long after we got married, Sandy and I went to the Grand Ole Opry—we have very eclectic musical tastes—and heard Hank Locklin sing his famous signature song. Then, several years later, Sandy and I were visiting Nashville on another occasion. My parents and our son Jordan were with us. We ran into Hank Locklin in a restaurant and began talking to him. He sat down at our table with us and conversed for a while. A very nice gentleman. He gave Jordan his autograph—although Jordan (a small boy at the time) couldn’t have cared less and certainly didn’t (and probably still doesn’t) know who this man was. While we sat there talking with the country music legend, he told us that he made a whole lot more money off the Wal-Mart commercials in the 1990s than he did from the song’s original release in 1960. That, in spite of the fact the recording was a huge crossover hit on the pop charts (one of the first) and also did very well in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It just shows you how times have changed in the entertainment industry.

So, as I stand here gazing at all of these lethargic leaves in my yard, postponing the inevitable task at hand, I’m just reminiscing about that old balladeer Hank Locklin. And that classic tune of his just stays stuck in my head. And I suppose it will still be there until the last leaf falls. But that almost sounds like another old country song, doesn’t it? Anybody ever heard of a guy named Freddy Fender?

Pastor Danny

Let's Talk Turkey

Some years ago, the associate pastor at my former church in Florida was talking with his young son about what he had learned in his mission group the night before. Their conversation went something like this:

“Dad,” the boy said excitedly, “did you know that there’s a country named Chicken?”

“What?”

“I said did you know that there’s a country named Chicken?”

“Son, there’s no country named…”

“Oh, yes, there is, Dad! We learned about it last night. Our teacher said there’s a country named…er, uh…wait a minute…it’s Turkey! That’s it! There’s a country named Turkey!”

Linguistically, the boy was in the right church but the wrong pew. He knew it was poultry but he had zeroed in on the wrong bird.

This week, a lot of turkeys are hoping that somehow they will be lucky enough to be misidentified as well. It’s that time of the year when many gobblers (quite reluctantly) will find their way into ovens and fryers all across America.

Thanksgiving and turkeys have this long association going back to the very origins of the American holiday tradition. In fact, many Americans think it’s absolutely unpatriotic or even sacrilegious to dine on anything other than turkey on the fourth Thursday of November! This Thanksgiving/ turkey connection in our national psyche has infiltrated even the highest levels of our federal government. One of the grandest traditions associated with Thanksgiving is the annual “pardoning” of the National Thanksgiving Turkey by the President of the United States himself. This year is the 60th anniversary of the hallowed Washington ritual, first conducted in 1947. On that occasion, President Harry S Truman, in a gesture of benevolence and goodwill, “pardoned” the first such bird-on-the-chopping-block, canceling its imminent date with destiny aboard a garnished platter. This yearly death sentence commutation has since become an important responsibility of our nation’s Chief Executive, continuing throughout eleven presidential administrations, up to the present day.

In recent years, the naming of the National Thanksgiving Turkey (as well as his alternate, should he be unable to fulfill the duties of his high office) has become a national event via an Internet poll. On www.whitehouse.gov, citizens are able to cast their ballots for their favorite pair of monikers. This year's options are Wing & Prayer, May & Flower, Gobbler & Rafter, Wish & Bone, Truman & Sixty, or Jake & Tom. The winner will be personally announced by the President at the “pardoning” ceremony. (I voted for “Truman” and “Sixty,” in case you’re interested. By the way, last year’s winners were Flyer & Fryer!)

What happens to the feathered friend that gets pardoned? An all- expenses-paid vacation to Istanbul (Turkey)? A trip to Colonel Sanders’ original Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Corbin, Kentucky (the city where Sandy Davis was born)? No. Something stranger than that. After the presentation, the honored fowl will be flown first class (!) to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, where he will be the grand marshal of Disney’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Afterward, the bird will join the resort's permanent live-animal collection. This is the first pardoned turkey to be sent to Disney World. Just think...all of those years that Sandy and I lived near Disney and we never got to see the National Thanksgiving Turkey! I feel so deprived! (By the way, last year’s winner was sent to the original Disneyland in Anaheim, California, just in case you were wanting to know.)

All of this turkey talk is making me hungry. Evidently it’s time to wrap up this blog. It’s also time to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving! Remember that Thanksgiving is far more than food, football and family. While your celebration may include any or all of those elements, please don’t forget the One to Whom we need to direct our thanks —our Creator, our Sustainer, our Provider, our God. For truly, because of God’s amazing grace, we as Americans— and even much more so as Christians— have SO MUCH for which to be thankful.

But just in case you don’t feel like you have anything to be thankful for, at least be grateful that our Pilgrim forefathers decided against serving cooked possum as the main dish that first Thanksgiving. If they had, I’m not sure you would be cleaning your plate this coming Thursday.

Pastor Danny