Monday, Monday…

For all you "preacher types" out there, just wanted to share with you some of the things that I do on Monday morning. You might find some of them helpful or useful. This is very much an overview of these things. I'm tossing around the idea of a book which goes into detail, so stay tuned!
I have a practice of considering Monday my "Technology Day". For those of you who know me, you know that I'm very technology oriented, and I've been trying to find practical ways of making use of technology in a small congregation. For those of you in a small congregation you know the importance of practicality, because you will likely be doing any things that you do like this completely by yourself. It can't take forever to do, or it's impractical.

Let me go back for a moment to the idea of a "Technology Day" . First of all, there are MANY other things that I have to do throughout the week (visits, Bible study, my own personal Bible study, class preparation, sermon preparation, etc…). If you aren't careful, technology can RULE your week. That makes it impractical. I've had to find a way to make all of the good things I can use it for fit into a space to which it is confined. Thus, comes Monday. I don't feel a lot like using my brain on Monday (because of Sunday) so I confine the rather "mundane" tasks associated with technological outreach and edification to that day. Monday is also good for me because some of the tasks are "time sensitive" (i.e. website updates). It works for me. You could easily pick another day, but I recommend Monday.

So, what do I do?

Here's the basic list of things that go out every given Monday:

• Archiving sermon video/audio from the previous day.


• Update Website with previous day's sermons.


• Update Website with previous day's radio broadcast.


• "Monday Memo" phone message.


• "Monday Memo" eMail edition.


• Send personal webcam video message to visitors with email address.


• Prepare to record this week's radio broadcast.


• Record this week's radio broadcast.

I'll now explain each one in a little more detail:

Archiving Sermon Video:

Each Sunday's lessons are sent to multiple places. If the internet is working, they are streamed and recorded to a server for "on demand" playback using the UStream service. They are also recorded locally to hard drive as an AVI file for the purposes of our archiving. I use the audio from the local AVI file for our sermon audio. Since an AVI is enormous, I also use Quicktime Pro to convert the AVI into a very compressed Quicktime Movie (.MOV). This cuts file size from being about 6 Gb to about 150Mb.

The audio files are enhanced (compression is added) and then "archived" as mp3 files. I usually set them to a 64kbps stream rate with a sampling rate of 32khz. That gives me a file that is about 15Mb. This is the file that will ultimately end up on the website. By the way, all of these settings I have set up as "presets" so that I don't have to go through and punch in the parameters every time. Streamline what you can.

I do this so that every lesson is available to be burned to disc in some way, but we don't have to burn the disc right now. It's expensive and time consuming to make discs, so I make them "on demand".

Update Website:

Our website contains all of the lessons where the power doesn't go out (like it did last night) and ruin things for as far back as we can practically go. You can visit our audio page by going here. Our website was built using Squarespace, and it saves me tons of time. Notice that our audio is set up like a "blog post". When I update the website, the RSS feed associated with that page also updates (automatically) so that subscribers (either to the feed itself or to our iTunes store "podcast") are notified that there is a new lesson up. I used to write code, but this is MUCH MUCH easier. I'd suggest taking advantage of it if you haven't.

I also update the page for our radio broadcast, One Word, the same way. It also has its own iTunes store. Remember, keeping your website up to date means that you draw more visitors on a regular basis. Give them a reason to come back! Update regularly!

Monday Memo:

This is something that I started back a year or so ago. We use a phone messaging service called "One Call Now" which allows us to send instant update phone messages. You can also upload a pre-recorded message to their website. I now do this every Monday. It's just another way to "exhort one another" and provide encouragement and information about the week. I also send an email version which contains a link to the audio file (which I upload to our server space hosted by Fatcow) and also links to the updated sermon and radio broadcast pages. It's something nice that people miss if I don't do it. It's especially nice for the "shut-ins". You can listen to an example by clicking here.

Webcam Visitor Messages:

This is definitely not original to me, but it's something I've recently started trying to do. We re-designed our visitor information cards to make sure that we are getting pertinent information (one of those being email address). For those visitors that give me their email, I'll record a personalized message thanking them for being there (using all of the members in their family's names) and hoping that they'll come back. I try to speak well about the congregation here, too. Most think it's a nice touch (along with the cards we send for "Pasta Penpals").

I try to do all of the above things before noon so that I have time to work on the radio broadcast in the afternoon. It usually takes me about 3 hours to work on from start to finish. If I get it all done on Monday, that leaves me plenty of week to do the rest of the things I need to do.

What makes it practical to do all of these things? Repetition. As I do them over and over again, I get faster and faster. I would suggest starting slow and working on just a couple of them. Once you have those perfected, add another one or two. In fact, I have a few more things that I'm planning to add to this mix that I will mention at a later date. I also have a few other "special projects" that I work on when I have time. For now, this overview ought to keep you busy! They are very basic things that I think most people can do. We haven't even gone into social media integration…

I guess the next question is, why should I do all of this? I defer to Matthew 25:14-30. Think about the resources that God has give you (in time, abilities, and money). Why not be a shrewd businessman with what you've been given? Make it work! Don't bury the "talent"!

I will be speaking on the topic "Practical Ways of Going into All the World" at the Cold Harbor Road Lectures in November 4-7. I hope that you have a chance to come and hear all of the wonderful lessons along the theme of "Meat".

My Generation’s Civil Rights Movement

The Who had a song which was a hit many moons ago, titled "My Generation". In it, they sought to vindicate their generation's problems in the eyes of others. This article most definitely does not have that purpose.
Let me tell you a little bit about my generation. Meet "Generation Y". We are often also called "the Millennials". There are also probably a few other names that I'm not even aware of. Some would argue that our generation made some improvements over the last one, but that's yet to be seen.

One major part of my generation's experience is the movement to streamline homosexuality. I can remember watching Nickelodeon and seeing Rosie O'Donnell from a very early age. She was in children's movies like Harriet the Spy. Think about the impact that it had on people my age to find out that someone you had watched as a young child was… gay. What message did that send my generation? In some way that made it seem more okay, right? Look at how she now is one of the staunchest advocates for homosexual "rights" of anyone. I grew up watching her, and so did many in my generation.

I can also remember the shockwaves that went around the world when Ellen DeGeneres "came out of the closet" on TV. Now I never watched Ellen growing up, but I'm aware of the impact that all of that had. It suddenly became fashionable during my generation to "come out" and be "openly gay".

Another thing that changed as I grew up was the acceptance of more and more homosexual content into mainstream television. The same year Ellen "came out" another TV show made waves. I can remember how it was a shock to the world to see two women (or men kissing) on Ally McBeal (which I didn't watch, by the way). Because of that event, and others like it, same sex lip-locking soon became commonplace, and is "no big deal" anymore.

The meaning of many words changed well before our time, like the words "gay" or "queer". I can remember seeing a children's book with the word "queer" in the title and my mother telling me that it's not a good word to use in today's time. So many things changed just before or during my generation's days of childhood.

With all of that in mind, what I heard this morning on the radio really made me shiver. Is it any wonder that things are the way they are today?

I was listening to local talk radio and the discussion was about "man-gagement" rings (men's engagement rings) and tradition. I wasn't paying too much attention until a particular guy, sounding very obviously young, called in. This is what he said (to the best of my memory):

"I just can't agree with anyone entering into an institution which discriminates against people. I wouldn't go into a restaurant or a bar that doesn't let black people in. Why would I ever enter into an institution that doesn't let gay people in? It's just bad for business."

Since it wasn't exactly clear to me (or the host for that matter) what he meant, the host pressed him further for his thoughts:

"I'm talking about marriage! I don't think its fair to let others do something that my gay friends can't do. How could we ever look at one of God's children and treat them unequally. I think it's my generation's civil rights movement [to support gays' right to marry, D.H.]."

It turns out that this man is heterosexual. The host then asked him his age: 26. He's in my generation. He's someone that I could have gone to high school with. What happened to us? Who is to blame?

I'm not going to pass blame around. It could be that the parents of the previous generation just didn't raise their kids to hold strong convictions of what is right and what is wrong (remember, they were "Generation X"), but that could be said of almost any generation. At some point, though, we become responsible for our own actions (Ezekiel 18:20).

Besides, what an (and I write this as kindly as possible) ignorant and absurd comparison this is to the civil rights movement. Men and women devoted and sometimes gave their lives to fight for the recognition of this principle – "God shows no partiality" (cf. Acts 10:34), especially when it comes to race and nationality (Romans 1:16, Galatians 3:28). How could we show "partiality"? The civil rights movement is an entirely different subject (its own problems and all). The argument could also be made that marriage is not a right, but rather it is a privilege reserved for those who meet the qualifications (even for heterosexuals). But that's for another time.

The point is this: homosexuality may be paraded around as an "alternative lifestyle" (it is a choice, cf. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11), but it is a lifestyle of sin the same way that a drug addict or a drunkard sins. In all fairness, legalizing gay "marriage" is the same as legalizing the sale of illicit drugs, or allowing drunks to drive. It's feeding into the desires of a sin. Why is the problem so clear in those cases, but blurred for many when it comes to homosexuality?

If people are willing to hold this kind of disdain for God's plan for the home, what can the church expect in the future? For the moment I will leave you with the bone chilling words of the Spirit inspired apostle Paul in Romans 1:26-27:

For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. (Romans 1:26-27 ESV)

What Does Jesus Say?

The following is an example of a "Youtube Sermon" - now people at Sweetwater are going to wonder why I can't preach a lesson this short on Sundays!

Just in case you don't see the video above, CLICK HERE.

This is all part of a continuing attempt at finding ways not only to use YouTube and social media to reach out, but ways of making high quality productions in little time with little expense. If you'd like to know more, feel free to send me an email - daniel@sweetcoc.org

Don’t Mess With It!

As I was reading through random news articles yesterday I discovered this one. There's just something about it that stood out in my mind.

In Los Angeles there is a freeway known by several names. It's called the Arroyo Seco Parkway. It's also goes by the name Pasadena Freeway. Others simply call it "the 110". According to an Associated Press article I was reading about the road, it is the oldest "freeway" in the west. In fact, it is said that this particular road was the one that inspired the concept of a "freeway" because of how its design allowed traffic to flow in a freer, faster, and more efficient way.

Today the 110 is one of the busiest, but most beautiful drives in the United States. The eight mile stretch of highway links downtown Los Angeles to Pasadena. It features "lush embankments", tunnels, city views, as well as many other design aesthetics that make it a unique historical roadway. It truly is unique.

Why go to all the trouble to describe this freeway? Well, now some people want to change it.

As I was reading this article I found out that there are plans to "improve" this highway by building concrete walls along a six mile stretch of the roadway. These barriers will be decorated to look like stone. Also in the plans are new streetlamps modeled after older streetlamps that are supposed to improve roadway lighting at night. All of these things are supposed to make the road safer and easier to maintain, but at a cost.

Well, there are actually preservationists crying foul about this project. One "community activist" by the name of Martha Benedict asked this:

"Why was the style of the original lamps not respected or preserved? Why does it have to be some phony thing?"

There are people who are genuinely concerned about the preservation of this roadway! They want it to retain the same character and look that it had in "the old days". It's interesting to me sometimes what people choose to get worked up about. While I certainly admire the spirit, in the grand scheme of things it's ultimately still just a road. While it is an admirable thing to do (as I do like to see historical sites preserved in reasonable ways) many people tend to forget which direction they really need to be looking: Up (see Colossians 3:2).

While I do not know them, I wonder if they would take the same approach when it comes to religion. Why don't they get worked up about preserving, or restoring Christianity to the original intent? Instead of doing what others perceive to be "improvements" or instituting "phony things" into worship, why don't more people want to go back to the simple beauty contained in God's original design? I guess it all comes down to priorities (cf. Matthew 6:33).

"Thus says the LORD: "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your soul. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'" (Jeremiah 6:16 ESV)

I Don’t Know, But Maybe He Does…

I'm trying to come up with something to write about today. It's hard. Sometimes I just don't know what to write about. I get the old "writer's block". It's like a brick wall is built up in front of me. I keep swinging the hammer, trying to knock it down, but I promise you the harder I swing, the bigger the wall gets. I just don't know what to write.
It's not that I don't know anything. My brain seems to be full of ideas at times. The inspiration to write, though, sometimes comes at times when I don't have any way to get the idea down so that I can remember it. Oh, what a problem!

Fortunately for us, though, the inspired writers of the New Testament (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16-17) never were short for the words to write. They knew a lot of things, of course by the knowledge supplied to them by God (cf. 1 Cor. 2:12-13; 2 Peter 1:16-21). They always had the right words to write.

This is certainly the case for John. When we read 1 John we see that John knew a lot of things, and wanted us to know them as well. Thus, he wrote.

If you do a quick search (using the English Standard Version) you see that the word "know" is found in 1 John some 34 times, as well as being in 28 verses of the text. Now keep in mind that there are about 105 verses in 1 John. That means that about 25% (actually 26.66666666….%) of the letter deals with John discussing things that he knows, and that we can know as well. What are some of these things?

1. John writes about how we "know" that we "know" God. In 1 John 2:3 we read that we know that we have come to know him not by some extra sensory perception of knowledge. In fact, it's quite simple. We know God if we keep His commandments. We know that we know Him if we do what he says to do. On the other side of that, if you want to know God, that's the way to do it. To keep his commandments.


2. John writes that they could know and that we can know the "last hour" is here. In 2:18 he writes about the last hour, and antichrists. We can know that this is the last chance for all of us to make ourselves right with God. There is no other doctrine that is going to come along. It's the new covenant for us now, and that's what we are going to be judged by (cf. John 12:48). Not only that, but we can know that this notion of "The Antichrist" that many people have today is a false one. At that time there were already many antichrists that had gone out. Verse 19 clarifies this further in stating that they had even gone out from among Christians. The modern pre-millennial view of the end of time just doesn't fit this mold.


3. John writes that it is possible to know the truth. In 1 John 2:21he writes that they knew the truth. If this was true for them, why couldn't it be true for us as well? Of course it is. Just as they knew the truth, we can know the truth. No lie is of the truth.


4. John writes about how we can know that the world just simply isn't going to recognize us for who we are: Christians, Children of God. In 3:1 he writes that those in the world just aren't going to fully understand who we are. Why? Well, it's hard to understand who someone is and what they believe if you don't even believe or "know" of the God that they are children of in the first place. The world is just never going to understand, unless someone comes out of that world to knowledge of God (cf. 2:3-5).


5. John writes about how we can know love. In 1 John 3:16 John writes a good companion to John 3:16 that's easy to remember because of the chapter/verse divisions. How do we know love? Christ showed it to us, by laying down His life for us. We ought to follow his example of sacrifice.


6. John writes about how we can know whether we love the children of God: by loving God and obeying his commandments. It's more than just an emotional thing. In 5:2 he writes that we love by doing: especially by doing the things that he has commanded for us to do toward our brothers and sisters in Christ. We ought to love in deed and in truth (cf. 1 John 3:18).


7. John writes that we can know that we know what we know. In 5:20 we read that from God we gain understanding. We gain that understanding through Christ, and through learning more about Him and his coming. Knowledge of God and Christ is not something that is mystical, or that we can't grasp. Christ came and gave us the understanding that we need! We know that he is true, and we know that he is the true son of God. He is the true God and eternal life. We can surely know that whatever comes from Him is the truth, and that we can stand firmly on that foundation.

There are obviously a lot of things that I didn't mention that John mentions. My purpose is to write a blog post, not a commentary. But isn't wonderful to know that we can know some things. Especially in a time where people try to say that no one can really know the truth. No one can really be right. Every person is just as right as the next person. Well, John writes to us that we can know the truth. And we can know it outside of the realm of moral relativism.

"…And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." – John 8:32 (ESV)

• Daniel Howell

A Perfect Law?

Maybe you've been like me, and you've been hearing a lot on the news about the immigration law that was recently passed in Arizona. Because of the nature of what it legislates it has received both strong support and strong criticism. You can read the full text of the law by going here - http://www.azleg.gov/legtext/49leg/2r/bills/sb1070s.pdf.
People on both sides of the immigration law are looking for the "perfect" answer. One side sees the need for a law that allows an officer to catch those who are in this country illegally (illegal: not according to or authorized by law, unlawful). Those here illegally have broken the laws of this nation and must suffer the consequence. Such is the nature of law.

On the other side, there is a need for those who want to be in this country or who already are in this country legally to not have their "civil liberties", i.e. freedom infringed upon simply because of their supposed nationality. It's just as fair to not trample on the liberties of those who have not committed a crime as it is to punish those who have.

I'm not trying to make some political statement with the above. In fact, I'm trying to stay outside the ring of politics. It's just that all of the discussion going on about Arizona, and the knee-jerk reactions it has caused point to the overarching problem here. Man has a problem making laws.

You see, what's needed here is the perfect law. So, what constitutes a "perfect law"? Here are just a few ideas:

1. Universality – A perfect law is one that is going to be applicable in all places. It is never deficient or in need of some amendment because of location or circumstance. The perfect law would fit right into the code book wherever it went. Even if it is written in New York, it ought to be just as applicable in Tennessee. The same thing is true of time. It is applicable in all times as well. It never shows its age through obsolescence, thus its universal nature.


2. Absolute Truth – A perfect law is not guided by a "guessing game" of what is right or wrong. It's not based on what happens to be right or wrong at just this moment in time. It's based on the truth that some things are just wrong, no matter which way you try to paint the facts. Think about the phrase, "We hold these truths to be self evident…" Some things are just obvious. A perfect law takes this into account.


3. Equality – A perfect law is not subject to racial, political, or regional bias. It applies equally across the board, no matter what. It doesn't change when referring to one group of people. It doesn't promote one race or other group of people over another. All people receive equal punishment if they break it, regardless of who they are.


4. Transcending Nature – Somewhat related to the idea of absolute truth, a perfect law rises above all of the interpretations and ideas that man could put into it. It would be objective, free from mores, and not guided (or misguided) by some judge or legislator's bias. It ascribes itself to a higher calling.


5. Room for Grace/Mercy – What does grace have to do with the perfect law? Here's a basic fact: not everyone who breaks the law does so because of evil intentions. Sometimes people break the law because they had a lapse of mental function ("I just wasn't thinking…). To think that everyone who breaks any law (like traffic law) is a hardened criminal worthy of punishment to the fullest extent of the law is misguided at best. Sometimes people just mess up. How many of you have ever been "pulled over" by a police officer for speeding, only to get a "warning". Why did he (or she) do that? Well, because they realize that every person makes mistakes, and as long as you aren't making a habit of it, they'll let you off this time. Is that written into traffic law? Nope. That officer just interpolated a merciful attitude into the law. A perfect law takes those sorts of things into account.

As I think about these things, I'm drawn to a few passages of scripture:

1. 
   
   Universality –
   
   
   
   
   1. "And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." (Mark 16:15 ESV)
      
   
   
   2. "The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent," (Acts 17:30 ESV)
      
   
   
   
   


2. 
   
   Absolute Truth -
   
   
   
   
   
   1. "The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever." (Psalms 119:160 ESV)
      
   
   
   2. "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth." (John 17:17 ESV)
      
   
   
   
   


3. 
   
   Equality –
   
   
   
   
   
   1. "So Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality," (Acts 10:34 ESV)
      
   
   
   
   


4. 
   
   Transcending Nature –
   
   
   
   
   
   1. "knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:20-21 ESV)
      
   
   
   
   


5. 
   
   Room for Grace/Mercy -
   
   
   
   
   
   1. "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God," (Ephesians 2:8 ESV)
      
   
   
   2. "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:7-9 ESV)
   
   
   3. "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin." (Romans 4:7-8 ESV)
      
   
   
   4. "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." (2 Peter 3:9 ESV)
   
   
   
   

But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (James 1:25 ESV)

- Daniel