Religion

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Mr. Burrow was originally raised in the United Methodist Church, but he changed his affiliation as an adult. Today he is a member of the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Algona, Iowa. He has served as an usher, as chair of the Missions Committee, as vice president of the Board of Directors, and as secretary for the Worship and Music Committee. He is currently the church worship leader (called "lector" in many churches), and he has used his talents in church dramatic presentations. In October 2008 he led an entire service in his church, including presenting a sermon entitled "Change the World Today" and in November he presented a sermon called "Six Degrees of Separation".  Then in September 2009 he presented a sermon called "What I Did on My Summer Vacation (Lessons Travel Can Teach)".

The school he teaches at, Bishop Garrigan High School, is affiliated with the Catholic Diocese of Sioux City. Through the school Mr. Burrow has also become active with the Roman Catholic Church. Though he is not a member, he has helped to prepare school liturgies and he has read scripture and prayers at mass. He finds the Catholic liturgy especially reverent and meaningful; and he has attended mass while traveling in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri, Texas, Colorado, Ohio, New Mexico, New York, South Dakota, Virginia, Alaska, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C.

It is probably his Methodist background that makes Mr. Burrow love hymns and religious music. He especially enjoys the resounding old British hymns with their precise words and hearty melodies. These are, of course, the very songs upon which much of the Methodist tradition is based. Mr. Burrow also likes newer offerings, such as the Catholic hymns by the St. Louis Jesuits. In keeping with his liberal religious beliefs, gospel is his least favorite style of religious music, but occasionally he can even enjoy hymns of that genre. Mr. Burrow especially enjoys religious music while driving. He keeps an old Methodist hymnal and a Catholic missalette in his car. On long trips, singing hymns aloud helps to pass the time.

Mr.Burrow enjoys writing prayers, both for his own devotion and for public presentation. Many times he has written prayers of the faithful for school masses, and he has also prepared numerous daily devotions. In December, 1997, he presented the main message at BGHS' Christmas prayer service, relating his experiences when his father died at Christmas fourteen years earlier.

Mr. Burrow is offended by those who believe there is only one route to heaven--theirs. He is willing to respect their views, and it bothers him when they are not willing to respect his. It bothers and saddens him when large numbers of people support or oppose political candidates based on one or two supposedly "Christian" issues. Some people, for instance feel a politician's views on abortion are the only views that matter. Mr. Burrow believes in protecting life, but he believes life after birth is at least as precious as life in the womb. To him candidates who oppose war, support gun control, disavow capital punishment, protect the environment, and work to end poverty are more actively "pro-life" than those who care only about ending abortion.

The national UCC has recently aired advertisements stressing the church's inclusive nature and noting that other churches are far less welcoming. It both amused and angered Mr. Burrow when CBS and NBC found these innocuous ads "controversial" and saw fit to ban them. It would hardly seem that anything could be LESS controversial than encouraging people to attend a church where they can feel at home.

As St. Paul said, "faith without works is dead". Mr. Burrow believes that being a good person and helping other people are far more important than just "believing" or attending church. Service has been important to him throughout his life, and it is probably the number one reason he chose teaching as a career. He contributes to many charities and helps other people directly whenever he can.

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Don't place a period where God has placed a comma. God is still speaking,
Don't place a period where God has placed a comma. God is still speaking,

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1st Congregational Church--UCC
First Congregational United Church of Christ -- Algona, Iowa

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Last Supper Tableau
David Burrow played Judas in a church production
of The Last Supper Tableau.

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***** Links to other sites on the Web

* NEXT PAGE (Other David Burrows)
* "Change the World Today" (text of sermon delivered October 26, 2008)
* "Change the World Today" (.mp3 audio of sermon)
* "Six Degrees of Separation" (text of sermon delivered October 26, 2008)
* "Six Degrees of Separation" (.mp3 audio of sermon)
* "What I Did on My Summer Vacation (Lessons Travel Can Teach)" (text of sermon delivered October 26, 2008)
* "What I Did on My Summer Vacation (Lessons Travel Can Teach)" (.mp3 audio of sermon)
 * United Methodist Church
* United Church of Christ
* Diocese of Sioux City (Globe)
* The Vatican
* Patron Saints
* First Church of Cyberspace
* The Jesus Homepage
* The Bible Gateway
* The Cyber Hymnal
* HOME

© 2009 davidmburrow@yahoo.com

The background music on this page is the title theme to the Andrew Lloyd-Webber classic Jesus Christ, Superstar.

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