What does Hulu, Lysol, the Atlanta Hawks, & Miley Cyrus all have in common?
I’ve been completely out of commission the last few days; quarantined to my bedroom; not permitted to breathe on or touch anything that might infect other family members in the house. A virus straight out of Hades attacked me late Wednesday night and forced me into a 48-hour violent relationship with the porcelain god of the bathroom. It demanded of me even when I had nothing left to give. My body ached and my head pounded, but there was no relief. Movement brought nausea, which meant I was pinned to my bed. Its comfort quickly became a curse. Should I dare to venture beyond the bed, my wife, turned germ-a-fobe, followed behind me, Lysol in hand, disinfecting my trail.
Hulu and I became thoroughly acquainted over the last few days. The show FlashForward kept me entertained, and I might add, kept me from going stir-crazy. On the entertainment side of things, last night I had to pass on my Atlanta Hawks ticket. It would have been my first NBA game.
This morning, when I woke, I had a Miley Cyrus song stuck in my head. You know the one, “So, I put my hands up. They’re playing my song. I know its gonna be ok. Nodding my head like yeah…” In some weird way, I guess that means I’m better. Thank God.
A Misdirected Text Message
I just sent a text message to a friend asking her to help photograph an event tonight. Well, my friend must have changed her number, because a complete stranger replied back and introduced herself as “Jessica”.
Oddly enough, Jessica and I continued texting. I even invited her to check out my church and linked her to the website. Seems innocent enough… Who knows, maybe she’ll attend and we’ll become friends.
In the old days (I say that like I’m an old fart), you were limited to meeting new people face to face. Friendships were formed after meeting each other at school, at work, or perhaps while standing in line at the Piggly Wiggly. But now… things are much different. Technology has led us to open up our lives, to be a little more transparent, and to share our experiences. Strangers, like Jessica, are invited into our little worlds.
Question: have you formed any real-life friendships that began through technology such as Facebook, Twitter, chat rooms, dating sites, or even random misguided text messages? If so, tell me about it.
37th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade
Today, January 22nd, marks the 37th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in the case Roe v. Wade. This federal case overturned all existing state laws and legalized abortion at a national level. The Roe v. Wade decision held that a woman, with her doctor, could choose abortion in earlier months of pregnancy without restriction, and with restrictions in later months, based on the right to privacy.
While the law has been in place for some time, our nation is divided on this moral issue. Most fall into one of two camps, Pro-Choice or Pro-life. Even our most recent Presidents disagree.
Here’s a heartbreaking statistic for you: In just 37 years, nearly 52 million unborn children have been aborted. A law protecting the “privacy” of women has legalized the killing of our nation’s future. Imagine, we may have put to death great poets, pastors, scientists, or even one of our next Presidents.
Today, 200,000+ Pro-Lifers have traveled to Washington, DC. and will March for Life along Constitution Avenue, up Capitol Hill to the Supreme Court, and to the Congress. They’ve come together to collectively make their voice heard, “Overturn Roe v. Wade!”
My prayer: “God, forgive us for what we’ve done. Give us the courage to stand up for what is right. Remove the blinders from our nation’s leaders. And bring healing to the women who have made this mistake.”
Feel free to add your thoughts below.
Your Thoughts on Virtual Church?
Christianity Today recently published an article entitled Church … Virtually. I recommend that church leaders (and anyone interested in the debate) take 15 minutes and read it. A lot of the big names are commenting on online worship experiences. Its a good read and poses questions that all of The Church will be seeking to answer over the next few years as we move deeper into the digital age.
I find that I agree with Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church when he says, “virtual church can be a worthwhile ministry of a church, but cannot be the fullness of the church.” (page 3 of the article). Along those same lines I agree with Brandon Buckner’s statement:
“The internet campus is not an end, but a means to the physical campus. There is real value that comes from being a part of virtual community, but it’s not a replacement for the church. We think it’s great for people who cannot be in attendance for whatever reason, but we would not be pleased if someone only worshiped in the virtual world. We want them finding community online and also coming to church and connecting in the real world.”
Bobby Gruenewald of LifeChurch.tv and several others in the article would disagree with those statements. To say the least, its something that church leaders must think about. I can promise you that this type of debate is far from resolved and will surface more and more in the coming years.
Again, read the article when you have time. Note that there are 5 pages and you’ll need to click forward.
Here’s the link again in case you missed it above.
Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.
I Want to Leave a Legacy
written by Tim Simmons (<-- iTunes link). Performed by Brett Divine at The Church at Chapel Hill
This weekend I heard a song that moved me to tears. Maybe its because I’m now a husband, a father, and a pastor. I want to leave a legacy!
YouVersion.com
Would you like to read the Bible more this year? Check out what the team from LifeChurch.tv has put together on YouVersion.com.
The Church on Every Corner: A Google Map Illustration
Search Google Maps for the words “church in Atlanta” and you’ll get results similar to those displayed here on this map. Take notice of all the red dots. Each one represents a local worship facility. That’s right. Every one of them is a church. A bit populated wouldn’t you say?
Start with your eyes on Atlanta and travel east on Interstate 20. You’ll see Douglasville, Georgia. That’s my area. — My church is one in the cluster of dots covering the cities name. A recent demographic study revealed that there are 403,000 people within a 15 mile radius of The Church at Chapel Hill who either never attend church or are declining in their faith. That’s a lot of hurting people within only 15 miles. Keep in mind that this area has nowhere near the population density of a city like Atlanta.
It seems as if there is a church on every corner in every city in America. If that’s even remotely true, its makes me wonder, how effective are all these churches? Shouldn’t a nation with this many extensions of Christ look more like it’s Savior? I have a few suggestions to share on the subject.
Imagine with me what would take place if all of the individual churches stood together as THE Church. What if every dot in Douglasville, in Atlanta, from Georgia to California, and even around the world, put their denominational differences aside and served local communities? Can you imagine the cultural influence The Church would have? Can you fathom the resources, talent, and volunteers that would be available to Her? She would stand with One voice and actually be heard. And all of the church buildings in the world could not contain the amount of the lives that would be reached.
The folks in Acts 2 got it right.
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Imagine if The Church stood in unity like the believers in Acts. Did you notice how they sold their possessions and gave to anyone in need? You see, God designed the local church, and it seems to be His intent that She take care of her local community. This certainly would minimize the need for such big government, wouldn’t it? God’s heart is for the the the broken hearted, the captive, the poor, the fatherless, and the widow. We could serve them so much better united together.
Back to the map, what if each dot were to partner with a few dots next to it, and collectively concentrate their focus and resources to the local community. I’ll tell you what’d happen. That map would look a lot more like Verizon’s coverage claims, spread in red across our nation.
In John 17 Jesus prayed that we, the people who make up The Church, would stand together as one. Let’s be an answer to his prayer!
How to Stay Out of the Red This Christmas Season
this entry was originally posted on Threads: a blog by The Church at Chapel Hill.
The holiday season is upon us. The spirit of giving, combined with well targeted ads promoting huge discounts, draws people by the thousands out of their homes and into the stores. In cities across our nation, the traffic will be jammed and the shopping will be chaotic. Items will be crossed off Christmas lists and millions of dollars will change hands.
I’m all for shopping, especially when its a great deal on something that is needed. But let me encourage you to have a written budget for purchasing gifts. This will stretch your dollar further and help you STAY OUT OF THE RED THIS CHRISTMAS.
Here are some suggestions based on how my wife and I create our Christmas budget and shopping lists.
- Before anything else, write your reason for the season on the very top of this list. In all the chaos, this will help you remember it’s really about God’s gift to us through the birth of Jesus.
- Establish a budget: determine how much money you’ve saved or can afford to set aside. Put that number in bold and embed it in your mind.
- Create a list: write down the names of everyone you intend to buy for.
- Allocate your cash: divide your budget up over each person on your list. Of course you may want to allocate more money for some. i.e. your parents or kids. Reality check here. Though you love her dearly, you may only have $15 bucks to spend on your Aunt Penny or Uncle Gary.
- Know what you’re after: its helpful to know what you’re shopping for. It minimizes random purchases. Write down the item(s) you plan to buy for each person.
- Stick to the budget: Keep your list handy & only purchase gifts that fit within the allocated amount.
- Don’t Over Buy: once you’ve made your purchase, write down the amount spent and cross it off your list.
These are simple steps that will help you stay out of the financial red this holiday season. One last thing, leave the credit cards at home. Some gifts are just too tempting.
Christmas Shopping for Video Games? Respect the Ratings
This video was produced by The Church at Chapel Hill for a weekend message by Dave Divine entitled, “When Virtual Meets Reality.” Also, thanks to store manager Terrell for his support.
Video games such as Modern Warfare 2, Grand Theft Auto, Halo’s ODST, & Assassins Creed will top many Christmas lists this holiday season. Millions of units will be sold for $60 a pop. This is a serious industry and a major part of our culture, and not just with the youth. In fact, the average gamer is now 35 years old. Seems the little boy has grown up… or has he?
As the gamers grew up, so did the content. Its not all Ninja Turtles or Super Mario any more. Its not even limited to the mischief of Bart Simpson. Games designated “M” for “Mature” can be expected to contain explicit adult language, up close graphic violence, and/or very strong sexual content. Yes, they show it all on what was once deemed a child’s toy. Needless to say, we are now responsible for filtering this form of entertainment.
I know that many of my readers still play some video games, myself included. If asked, most of us would agree that we should respect the established ratings and not expose young kids to adult content. Even Lazlo Jones, a creator of Grand Theft Auto, said, “If you let your child play this game, you’re a bad parent.” Obviously, the games target a whole different audience. Its not simply for the kiddos anymore. Again, the average gamer is now 35.
So, let’s talk beyond the ratings. Where do you draw the line personally? Does “mature” content matter to someone of adult age? Do you filter your entertainment, not just video games, but also movies or music? I’m curious. Reply below.
Driving While Texting – Just Don’t Do It
Spend any amount of time on this blog and you’ll quickly see that I’m a huge proponent of leveraging mobile technology to enhance everyday life. Yet, like so many other things, when this technology is misused or abused it can have grave consequences. And as of recently, nothing strikes me as scarier than texting while driving.
The video above was produced by a UK police department. It depicts a teenage girl texting while driving, which is then followed by a very terrible, graphic, and fatal crash. The message of this Public Service Announcement is clear: Stop texting while behind the wheel! It’s a killer.
The United States is also cracking down. The state of New York will be issuing $150 tickets to those caught Driving While Texting (DWT). In Utah, causing an accident while texting will be on par with drunk driving. It is an act of willful negligence and will carry steep fines. Those causing an accident could face jail terms of up to 15 years.
Dr. Phil is even bringing this issue to the media forefront. Speaking to a hardheaded teen about the dangers of DWT, he said,
“You don’t have the right to do that. You may think you can and you may think you need to be plugged in about whatever is happening at school and the latest gossip, but I’m driving on that street. My mother is driving on that street. All of our families are driving on that street. And we’re not really concerned with whether you are plugged in or not.”
Now for some confession. I’m guilty. Yes, I have been known to text, email, and tweet while driving at speeds of 70+ mph. But not any more. The statistics are alarming. Dr. Phil is correct. Crashes like the one in the video above are happening across the nation. When I text behind the wheel my attention is diverted from driving. Not only am I putting myself in danger, but also my passengers and the other drivers on the road. What changed things for me? Its my 1 year old little girl who regularly rides in my backseat. She’s my world and if anything were to ever happen to her… Well, you get it.
I’d love to discuss this with you further. Take a few minutes and comment back on one or all of the questions below.
- What did you think about the video? Shocking? Too graphic?
- How is texting while driving similar to drinking while driving?
- If you wrote the laws, would DWT be illegal? If so, how steep would you make the fine?
- Do you text while behind the wheel? If so, do you ever think about the dangers?
- Would you be willing to protect yourself and others (including my little girl) by pulling over when you must text?
Professionally? I'm Chest deep in Church Online, Pastoring, & Productions at The Church at Chapel Hill. This blog is a Behind the Scenes view of my life of faith, family, & leadership. I'm Daniel Mosley. I love meeting new people and ask that you please introduce yourself.
The headings across the top should give you a good idea of what I blog about. I'm an on-the-go kinda guy & the iPhone is my weapon of choice. Expect engaging videos & photos.
Chapel Hill Internet Campus
