Stephen W. Hiemstra's Blog, page 186

Heintzelman Simplifies Vellum Publishing

Chuck Heintzelman.[1]2017. The Author’s Guide to Vellum: Creating Beautiful Books with Vellum 2.0. Mead, WA: Kydala Publishing Inc.

Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra

In 2018, I became the proud owner of a MacBook Pro laptop to aid me in my writing and publishing. A number of computer programs focusing on creative activities like writing are available primarily in the Apple world. One of the first that I purchased was Vellum, which has a small cult following among fiction writers. On the back-cover of his book, The Author’s Guide to Vellum, Chuck Heintzelman writes: “Whether you’re new to Vellum or an advanced user, you’ll learn  something with this [How-To] book.”In my case, I published my first compendium of three books (a box set) in early 2018, which makes me a user, but certainly not an advanced user—I was tickled pink to find this book and found the author’s claim credible.

Author’s Background

Chuck Heintzelman describes himself as a software developer and an EBook bundler, having his own company—BundleRabbit.com. Having created more than 900 EBooks and more than 80 box sets in Vellum, he is certainly an advanced user with the experience necessary to offer advice on using Vellum.

Vellum Basics

For those new to Vellum, start by downloading and installing Vellum on your Mac. Vellum is not available for Windows or Linux, which was initially a sore point in my case. It is possible to rent a mac online, but that is expensive ($1 per hour).[2]The trial version of Vellum does everything but create your EBook file, which you can do on a pay-as-you-go basis, or you can simply buy the program.

Your starting point in EBook creation is to create a Word document (*.docx file) with your book. For those who compose their books in other programs, such as Scrivener,[3] this requires a conversion to the Word format taking care to follow the guidelines to make sure Vellum properly converts the Word document into a Vellum file. 

Heintzelman recommends that authors download a template from the Vellum website[4]that allows 17 Vellum styles to be applied directly to your Word file before making the conversion (16). These styles assure a clean conversion. The availability of this template and style book is a great tip that does not seem to appear in the Vellum documentation.

Why Vellum?

The Vellum selling points arise because most EBooks are fairly bland electronic books and it is not obvious how to assemble a compendium or box set of electronic books. Vellum is popular because it permits the creation of customized EBooks in multiple formats (*.mobi, *.ePub, and *.rtf) sporting features like drop-case letters, graphics, and wing-dings not available elsewhere. What I did not know until reading Heintzelman is that Vellum can also be used to publish print books.

Why Not Vellum?

Heintzelman wrote a short, but important chapter on what Vellum cannot do. Vellum cannot:

Insert a tableFootnotesInternal hyperlinksFine tuning (128-129)

Vellum support says that since this book was published an endnotes option has been added. In general, Vellum makes publishing easy, provided that you like the default settings.

Assessment

Chuck Heintzelman’s The Author’s Guide to Vellum is a short, helpful guide to publishing with Vellum. Because the Vellum help system is very brief, this guide fills an important niche.

[1]https://kydala.com.

[2]Heintzelman(136-139) mentioned a service called MacInCloud (www.MacInCloud.com).

[3]Scrivener is a popular writing program for authors available for download at:https://www.LiteratureAndLatte.com. Scrivener is optimized for writing and is cheaper than Word, but can create a Word (*.docx) document.

[4]https://get.180g.co/download/VellumAd....

Heintzelman Simplifies Vellum Publishing



Also see:

Thompson: Paul’s Ethics Forms Community

Other ways to engage online:

Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net, Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com.

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/Simple_Faith_Out

The post Heintzelman Simplifies Vellum Publishing appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.

Sermon: A God Who Listens. Monday Monologues, May 6, 2019 (podcast)

Stephen W Hiemstra, 2018

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

In today’s podcast, I share a sermon entitled: A God Who Listens.

After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).

To listen, click on the link below:

Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!

Sermon: A God Who Listens. Monday Monologues, May 6, 2019 (podcast)



Also see:



Monday Monologue On March 26, 2018 



Other ways to engage online:

Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net, Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com.

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/Simple_Faith_Out

The post Sermon: A God Who Listens. Monday Monologues, May 6, 2019 (podcast) appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.

Centering Prayer

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Almighty and loving father,

Your name radiates above all created things and your honor exceeds any in earth or heaven.

Even tiny babies know you and demonstrate your strength in weakness, silencing your enemies and ours.

Heaven itself displays your creative artistry and leave us in awe. Why do you even bother with us or care for our childen?

Yet, you honor us more than angels and openly display your love for us, giving us title to your estate and trust us to care for it.

All of creation is under our supervision, creatures tame or wild, birds, fish, and even the worms in the earth.

Almighty and loving father, your name radiates above all created things. (Psalm 8)

In the power of your Holy Spirit, bless us the wisdom to care for your creation. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Centering Prayer



Also see:



Books, Films, and Ministry



Other ways to engage online:

Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net, Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com.

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/Simple_Faith_Out

The post Centering Prayer appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.

A God Who Listens

Stephen W Hiemstra, 2018

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

A sermon given in Spanish at El Shadai DC, Georgetown South, Manassas, Virginia, April 28, 2019 (Spanish link).

Prelude

Good afternoon. Welcome to El Shadai DC. For those that do not know me, my name is Stephen W. Hiemstra. I am a Christian author and live with my wife in Centreville, Virginia. We have three grown children.

This afternoon we continue our series studying heaven on earth. Because we are created in the image of God, we want to do all those things that we see God doing. As the Bible says, we serve a God who listens. Follow a suggestion from Pastor Julio, I will focus on the example of the life of my father—the other Stephen Hiemstra as I often introduce him.

Invocation

Holy Father,

All praise and honor are yours, because you hear our prayers, comfort us in our afflictions, and rescue us from death itself. 

We confess that we are unworthy of your affections and we thank you for teaching us to love.

Draw us now to yourself. In the power of your Holy Spirit, open our hearts, illumine our minds, and strengthen our hands in your service. In Jesus’ precios name, Amen

Scripture Reading

Today’s Reading comes from the Book of Exodus 22:21-27. Hear the word of the Lord:

You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless….And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.

 The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

Introduction

I often tell the joke that when we speak to God, secular people call that prayer, but when God speaks to us, they call it psychosis.

While Christians are accustomed to God listening, one of the most astonishing attributes of God is that he listens to us! (2X)  For example in the Book of Judges, we read:

And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth. Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia. And the people of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years. But when the people of Israel cried out to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for the people of Israel, who saved them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. The Spirit of the LORD was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the LORD gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim. (Jdg. 3:7-10 ESV)

In this passage we see a model known as the Deuteronomic Cycle, which has four parts: the people sin, they fall under subjugation, they cry out to the Lord, and God proves a savior (Deut 30:1-3).

Crying out to the Lord may sound like a strange prayer, but the point is that God listens to people who suffer, even when it is well-deserved. As the Apostle Paul writes: “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”(Rom 5:8 ESV)

This example of the Deuteronomic Cycle that we see in the Book of Judges is especially interesting because we also read: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” (Jdg 17:6 ESV) This time was in many ways similar to our own and we know that maltreatment of immigrants, widows, and orphans can evoke the wrath of God (2X).

History of my Family

This passage has a special meaning for my family because my father devoted his entire professional career to nutrition and food programs in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). My father worked as an economist in program like food stamps, the school lunch program. And women, infant, and children (WIC). My father was known as the father of the WIC program because he helped set it up. The primary beneficiaries of these program were immigrants (minorities), widows (single moms), and orphans (disadvantaged kids).

These days my father is eighty-eight years old, he suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, and lives with my mother in McLean. Virginia. In 2016, I published his memoir with the title: My Travels Through Life[1]before writing my own memoir to introduce other people to my father and to learn more myself about his story.

The Hiemstra family came to the United States in 1853 from Holland and the family spoke Dutch for about 100 years in the house and in church. My grandfather refused to teach my father and his brothers Dutch because he wanted them to think of themselves as Americans and because he believed that the Dutch in Holland gave up believing in God.

My father grew up in poverty on a small farm in southern Iowa. Up until the Second World War my grandfather worked the fields with horses and the house had no running water or an indoor bathroom. My father and his brothers attended a small country school. Much later my father graduated from Iowa State University as one of the first in the family to attend college.

My father was a brilliant student, he studied hard, and paid for his studies by joining Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). After graduation, the Air Force sent my dad to serve in Korea. Much later he completed his studies at the University of California at Berkeley. He received his doctoral degree in 1960 and the family moved to Virginia where dad began working for USDA.

Although we did not have a lot of money when I was growing up, our necessities were met, we had our faith, and we had each other. In every town we lived in, we found another church willing to receive us.

For many years in USDA my father traveled to set up new food stamp programs. He spent, for example, a lot of time in Puerto Rico where today two our of three persons received food stamps. When I began my graduate studies much later in Puerto Rico, I got to meet many of my dad’s collogues on the island.

A couple of years ago. I learned that as a yo9ung man my grandfather aspired to becoming a pastor, but he did not have the money to finance his studies so he went into farming. My father continued the tradition of working in agriculture while my uncle John became a pastor. In my case, I was an agricultural economist early in my career and later went o seminary completing both of my grandfather’s ambitions. As a young person, I was close to my grandfather but I did not know about his ambitions until after his death.  

Final Words

Finally, when I published my father’s memoir I was surprised that he did not say much about the impact of his faith on his career. He was a man of few words. But all through the years he always attended church on Sundays and supported the church with special interest in world missions. As a family, we are much blessed by his example.

We worship a God who listens to our cries for mercy and also listens to the aspirations of our hearts. As Prophet Jeremiah wrote: 

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.”(2X; Jer. 29:11-12 ESV)

This promise is real today as always in the life of those who receive it as in the case of my family.

Prayer

Let’s pray.

Holy father,

Thank you for your forgiveness and your presence in our everyday lives. In the power of the Holy Spirit, grant us the strength to listen more intensively to those around us every day. In the previous name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

[1]Stephen J. Hiemstra. 2016. My Travels Through Life. Centreville, Virginia: T2Pneuma Publishers LLC (Amazon.com).

The post A God Who Listens appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.

Un Dios Que Escucha

Stephen W Hiemstra, 2018

Por Stephen W. Hiemstra

Sermón dado de El Shadai DC, Georgetown South, Manassas, Virginia, April 28, 2019 (English translation).

Preludio

Buenos tarde. Bienvenido a la iglesia El Shadai DC. Para
aquellos que no me conocen, me llama Stephen W. Hiemstra. Soy un autor
cristiano y vivo con mi esposa en Centreville, Virginia. Tenemos tres hijos
crecido.

Esta tarde continuamos nuestro estudio del cielo en la tierra. Porque somos creado en la imagen de Dios, querremos hacer todas las cosas que vemos que Dios esta haciendo. Como dice la biblia, servimos un Dios que escucha. Siguiendo la sugestión de Pastor Julio, voy a enfocar por el ejemplo de la vida de mi padre—el otro Stephen Hiemstra como yo lo introduce frecuentemente.

Invocación

Vamos a orar.

Padre misericordioso:

Toda la alabanza y el honor son tuyos, porque escuchas nuestras oraciones, nos consuelas en nuestras aflicciones y nos rescatas de la muerte misma.

Confesamos que no somos dignos de tus afectos y te agradecemos por enseñarnos a amar.

Dibújanos ahora a ti mismo. En el poder de tu Espíritu Santo, abres nuestros corazones, iluminas nuestras mentes y fortaleces nuestras manos en tu servicio. En el precioso nombre de Jesucristo, Amén

Escritura

El texto de hoy viene
del libro del Éxodo 22:21-27. Escuchen a la palabra de Dios.

No maltrates ni oprimas a los extranjeros, pues también
tú y tu pueblo fueron extranjeros en Egipto. No explotes a las viudas ni a los
huérfanos, porque si tú y tu pueblo lo hacen, y ellos me piden ayuda, yo te
aseguro que atenderé a su clamor: arderá mi furor y los mataré a ustedes a filo
de espada. ¡Y sus mujeres se quedarán viudas, y sus hijos se quedarán
huérfanos! … Si se queja ante mí, yo atenderé a su clamor, pues soy un Dios
compasivo.

 La palabra del Señor. Gracias a Dios.

Introducción

Muchas veces cuento un chiste que cuando hablamos a Dios las secularistas llámala oración, pero cuando Dios nos habla llámenla psicosis.

Mientras cristianos son acostumbrada a Dios que escucha, uno de los atributos más asombroso de Dios es que el nos escucha (2X). Por ejemplo, en el libro de jueces, leemos:

Los
israelitas hicieron lo que ofende al SEÑOR; se olvidaron del SEÑOR su Dios, y
adoraron a las imágenes de Baal y de Aserá. El SEÑOR se enfureció contra Israel
a tal grado que los vendió a Cusán Risatayin, rey de Aram Najarayin, a quien
estuvieron sometidos durante ocho años. Pero clamaron al SEÑOR, y él hizo que
surgiera un libertador, Otoniel hijo de Quenaz, hermano menor de Caleb. Y
Otoniel liberó a los israelitas. El Espíritu del SEÑOR vino sobre Otoniel, y
así Otoniel se convirtió en caudillo de Israel y salió a la guerra. El SEÑOR
entregó a Cusán Risatayin, rey de Aram, en manos de Otoniel, quien prevaleció
sobre él. (Jdg 3:7-10 NVI)

En este pasaje vemos un modelo conocido como el Ciclo Deuteronomio que tiene cuatro partes: la gente peca, se caen en sujeción, llaman al Señor, y Dios provee un
salvador (Deut 30:1-3).  Llaman al Señor
se parece como una oración extraña, pero la punta es que Dios escucha a
personas que sufra, aunque sea bien merecido. Es como escribió el Apóstol
Pablo: “Pero Dios demuestra su amor por nosotros en esto: en que
cuando todavía éramos pecadores, Cristo murió por nosotros.” (Rom 5:8 NVI)

Este ejemplo del Ciclo Deuteronomio que vemos en el libro de jueces es especialmente interesante por que leemos también: “En aquella época no había rey en Israel; cada uno hacía lo que le parecía mejor.” (2X; Jdg 17:6 NVI) Este tiempo fue en muchas maneras como nuestros hoy día. Y sabemos que maltratamiento de inmigrantes, viudas, y huérfanos puedan evocar el furor de Dios. (2X)

Historia de la Familia

Estés pasajes tienen una significa especial para mi familia. Por que me padre trabajaba toda su vida profesional por programas de nutrición y alimentario por el departamento de agricultura de estados unidos (se dice USDA). Mi padre trabajaba como economista para programas como cupones de alimentos (food stamps), almuerzos para las escuelas (school lunch programs) y mujeres, infantes y niños (women, infant, and children—WIC). Mi padre fue conocido del padre del programa WIC (father of the WIC program) porque el ayudaba a empezar este programa. Los beneficios mayores de estos programas fueron inmigrantes, viudas, y huérfanos.

Hoy día mi padre tiene ochenta y ocho anos de edad, sufra de alzhéimer, y vive con mi madre en McLean, Virginia. En 2016 publicí su memoria con titulo: Mis Viajes Durante La Vida (My Travels Through Life)[1] antes escribiendo mi propia memoria para introduce otra gente a mi padre y aprendo por mi misma su historia.

La familia Hiemstra vinó a estados unidos
en 1847 de Holanda y hablábamos holandeses por más o
menos cien anos en la casa y en la iglesia. En 1953 cuando nací la iglesia de
la familia empezó a hablar ingles por la primera vez. Mi abuelo se negó a
ensenar holandeses a sus hijos porque el querró que ellos identificar como  norteamericanos y porque el creó que los
holandeses en Holanda no más creían en Dios.

Mi padre creció en pobreza por una finca pequeña en el sud de Iowa. Hasta la segunda guerra mundial mi abuelo trabajaba la finca solamente con caballos y la casa no tuvo agua corriendo o baño adentro. Mi padre y sus hermanos atenían una escuela pequeña en el campo. Más tarde mi padre graduó de Iowa State University como uno de los primeros en la familia.

Mi padre fue un estudiante brillante, estudiaba duro, y pagó para sus estudios por medio de una beca a estar un oficial de la fuerza aérea (Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC)). Después graduación la fuerza aérea mandó que mi padre sirvió en Corea. Más tarde completó sus estudios en la universidad de California en Berkeley. Recibió su doctorado en 1960 y la familia movieron a Virginia donde empezó a trabajar con USDA.

Aunque no teníamos mucho dinero cuando crecía, nuestras necesidades se satisfacían, teníamos nuestra fe, y nos teníamos mutuamente. En cada ciudad donde vivíamos, encontrábamos una otra iglesia que nos recibió.

Durante muchos años en USDA mi padre viajaba para empezar programas nuevos de cupones. Gastó mucho tiempo, por ejemplo, en Puerto Rico donde dos de tres personas hoy día reciben cupones. Cuando yo empezó mis estudios graduado más tarde en Puerto Rico, conocí algas colegas de mi padre por la isla.

Hace un par de años, aprendí que mi abuelo como joven quería ser pastor, pero no pudó pagar para sus estudios y se hizó granjero. Mi padre quedó trabajando en la agricultura mientras mi tío, John, hizó pastor. En mi caso, fui economista agricultura temprano en mi vida y más tarde terminé mis estudios en seminario completando ambos de las ambiciones de mi abuelo. Como joven fui muy cerca de mi abuelo, pero no supe sus ambiciones hasta después su muerto.

Final

Por fin.

Cuando fui a publicar la memoria de mi padre fui sorprendo que el no habló mucho del impacto de su fe por su trabajo. El es un hombre de pocas palabras. Pero toda su vida visitó la iglesia cada domingo y soportó la iglesia con un interese especialmente en misiones del mundo. Y fuimos bendecido mucho como una familia por su ejemplo. 

Adoramos a un Dios que escucha a nuestros llamados para misericordia y también escucha a las aspiraciones de nuestros corazones. Como el profeta Jeremías dice:

¨Porque yo sé muy bien los planes que tengo para ustedes
—afirma el SEÑOR—, planes de bienestar y no de calamidad, a fin de darles un
futuro y una esperanza. Entonces ustedes me invocarán, y vendrán a suplicarme,
y yo los escucharé.¨ (Jer
29:11-12 NVI)

Esta promesa es real hoy día como siempre en la vida para aquellos que recíbela como mi familia.

Oración

Oramos.

Padre santo,

Gracias por tu perdón y por tu presencia en
nuestras vidas cotidiarias. En el poder de tu Espíritu Santo, darnos el fuerzo
para escuchar más intensivo a las personas alrededor nos cada día. En el
preciso nombre de Jesucristo. Amén

Notas

[1] Stephen J. Hiemstra. 2016. My Travels Through Life. Centreville, Virginia: T2Pneuma Publishers LLC (Amazon.com)

The post Un Dios Que Escucha appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.

Moots: Disciple like Barnabas

Paul Moots. 2014. Becoming Barnabas: The Ministry of Encouragement. Herndon: Alban Institute.

Review by Stephen W. HiemstraOne of the most important ministries in the New Testament is largely unknown and, yet, provides a significant example to many churches. Barnabas was an early benefactor to the Jerusalem church and, because of his social standing, played a key role in reconciling Paul to the Apostles. He also mentored Paul in Antioch. Without Barnabas, Christianity might still be a dissident faction in Judaism rather than a world religion. Yet, only the most astute of Bible students know about Barnabas.

Introduction

In his book, Becoming Barnabas: The Ministry of Encouragement, Paul Moots writes:

“The ministry of encouragement is the art of leading and supporting others in the discovery of their own spiritual gifts and call to discipleship…We can become a Barnabas…encouragement allows the congregation to shape its ministry around its strengths rather than to base its work on some model derived from another congregation’s story, another pastor’s experience.”(2-3) 

Notice the role of story in this description. Each of us and each congregation has its own story of its Christian walk that deserves to be honored and built on. Herein lies our spiritual gifts and our strengths in ministry. 

Encouragement is at the heart of the multiplication of gifts and church growth (6). It stands in contrast to the usual concept of discipling that implicitly (or explicitly) defines discipling almost exclusively in a teacher-student role and seeks more to replicate than to strengthen. At the heart of encouragement is respect, much like Barnabas clearly respected Paul. Imagine what might have happened had Barnabas attempted to fashion Paul into a mini-me version of himself?

The Lessons of Barnabas

Moots sees five components of Barnabas’ ministry that together compose the ministry of encouragement: partnership, hospitality, courage, second chances, and character (xvi). He writes in seven chapters:

The Ministry of EncouragementStanding With and Standing Aside: The Ministry of PartnershipStanding with Outsiders and Outcasts: The Ministry of HospitalityStanding Against Fear: The Ministry of CourageStanding Against Failure: The Ministry of ReconciliationAuthenticity in Ministry: Character and Call(v)

These chapters are preceded by a foreword and preface, and followed by notes and readings.

Standing Against Fear

One of the most unexpected insights that Moots brings to the Barnabas accounts in the Book of Acts is his recognition of the need for courage in offering encouragement. Moots writes:

“One difficulty I may have in approaching the problem of fear in ministry is my reluctance to admit that the fear exists.”(61)

He notes that fear is an important component of stress in ministry. We experience the fears of change, of consequences, of losing control, of admitting weakness, and of failing God (62-68). Moots suggests meeting regularly with colleagues in ministry to care for each other in the midst of spiritual warfare (74). He reminds us that fear is about condemnation which is why love drives it out (76-77).

Sons of Encouragement

Barnabas is mentioned in twenty-eight verses in the New Testament. All but five verses are found in the Book of Acts. He is also mentioned in First Corinthians, Galatians, and Colossians. 

Acts 4:36 explains that Barnabas means son of encouragement, which is described as his nickname because his given name is Joseph and he is said to be a Levite which implies that he is a priest. This reference is curious because bar-nabas literally means son of the prophet in Hebrew. Prophets are known for offering encouragement, which suggests the alternative inference.

Assessment

Paul Moots’s book Becoming Barnabas: The Ministry of Encouragement is an accessible book filled with scriptural and ministry insights. While clearly pitched to pastors, lay leaders may also benefit.

Also see:

Thompson: Paul’s Ethics Forms Community

Other ways to engage online:

Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net, Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com.

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/Simple_Faith_Out

The post Moots: Disciple like Barnabas appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.

The Value of Life. Monday Monologues, April 29, 2019 (podcast)

Stephen W Hiemstra, 2018

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

In today’s podcast, I offer a prayer on life and reflect on the Value of Life

After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).

To listen, click on the link below:

Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!

The Value of Life. Monday Monologues, April 29, 2019 (podcast)



Also see:



Monday Monologue On March 26, 2018 



Other ways to engage online:

Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net, Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com.

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/Simple_Faith_Out

The post The Value of Life. Monday Monologues, April 29, 2019 (podcast) appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.

Prayer for Life

Art by Stephen W. Hiemstra

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Loving Father,

All praise and honor be to you for you created us in your image and sustain our lives in the ups and downs of daily life. Blessed be your name above all names.

We confess that we have not always honored your name and acted in the manner of your sons and daughters. Forgive our selfishness focus on ourselves that we might cherish human life as priceless the way that you do.

Thank you for your gracious and merciful patience, for your covenantal love and faithless in spite of our lack of patience, inattention to your care, and spitefulness as sons and daughters.

In the power of your Holy Spirit, grant us strength to meet the day, grace for those we meet, and peace. In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.

Prayer for Life



Also see:



Books, Films, and Ministry



Other ways to engage online:

Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net, Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com.

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/Lent_2019b

The post Prayer for Life appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.

Value of Life

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

The value of human life has been neglected in many controversies in recent years. Once believed to have infinite value because we are created in the image of  God, the chipping away of this value has been dramatic during our lifetime.

The Lord’s Prayer reminds us to honor God’s name in keeping with the Third Commandment—do not take the Lord’s name in vain—because all the other commandments are leveraged on it (Exod 20:7). Why keep the other commandments, if we dishonor God’s name?

Intrinsic versus Market Value

The practical implications of honoring God arise because we are created in God’s image. Because we are created in the image of God, human life has intrinsic value—value in itself that does not change with life events. Because life has intrinsic value, we cannot accept discrimination, injustice, abuse, mistreatment of prisoners, weapons of mass destruction, euthanasia, abortion, designer babies, and a host of other detestable practices. Our human rights—a concept based on intrinsic value—exist because we are created in the image of a Holy God.

Our capitalist society focuses, not on intrinsic values, but on market values. Market values change with circumstances that are volatile. Your market value as a person implicitly depends on your productivity. If you are young, old, or unable to work, then you are a dependent and a burden on working people. The focus on market values inherently disrespects God’s image. When God is not honored; neither are we.

The strong influence of market values on our self-image explains, in part, is why depression rates tend to be highest among population groups—like the unborn, young adults and senior citizens—who are unable to work. The rate of depression, suicide, anxiety disorders, addictions, and divorce appear to be correlated, in part, with changing job prospects.

Honor and Idolatry

When God’s name is dishonored, we also become more prone to idolatry (Rom 1:21-23). Why worship the God of the Bible when my income and status in society depends more on my family legacy, education, and hard work? So I naturally run to all sorts of substitutes for God that work, like insurance, to manage the ups and downs of life. Alternatively, I can obsess about the security of my home, spouse, and family.

The implications of honoring the name of God come together in the debate over euthanasia—the right to die. If my self-image and my dignity in society are both increasingly subjected to the same market values, then I will surrender myself to assisted suicide precisely when I need support from my family. And, of course, they will agree because I have become a burden both financially and emotionally. Consequently, euthanasia is evil masquerading as compassion. We are created in the image of a holy God who declares that life is good and sacred (Gen 1:31).

Link to Ethics

The question in ethics is on what you do about your faith.

When someone is speaking, do you honor them by listening or go to that happy place in your mind? Do you know the name of the janitor in your office or only the names of your supervisors? How do you show that the people in your life, including those really annoying people, are created in the image of God? 

Ethics is about who we honor and the choices we make.

Value of Life



Other ways to engage online:

Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net, Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com.

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/Lent_2019b

The post Value of Life appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.

Pope and Contraception Get Second Look

Pope Paul VI. 2014. On Human Life(Humanae Vitae). San Francisco: Ignatius Press.

Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra

The failure of many churches, especially protestant churches, to teach moral discipline since the 1960s is beyond dispute. The consequences have been stunning both in terms of cultural change and public health. For example, a recent report by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states:

Half of STDs are among young people ages 15 to 24 years. These infections can lead to long-term health consequences, such as infertility; they can facilitate HIV transmission; and they have stigmatized entire subgroups of Americans.

Cases reported for Syphilis, Chlamydia, and Gonorrhea rose 31 percent over the period from 2012 to 2017 showing infection among 2.3 million Americans in 2017 after declining since the 1940s.[1]This statistic does not include hepatitis or AIDS, both of which are also sexually transmitted and especially prevalent among homosexuals.

Introduction

Unlike the protestants that began loosening restrictions on contraception in the 1930 Lambeth Conference of the Anglican Church (87), Pope Paul VI ignored advice consistent with the protestant position to issue a papal encyclical, Humanae Vitae, on July 25, 1968. The encyclical affirmed the traditional church teaching on the issue of contraception. The encyclical states:

In considering the problem of birth regulation, as is the case for every other problem regarding human life, one must look beyond partial perspectives—whether biological or psychological, demographic or sociological—and make one’s consideration in the light of an integral vision of man and his vocation, not only of his natural and earthly vocation, but also of his supernatural and eternal one….Marriage, therefore, is not the effect of chance or the product of the evolution of blind natural forces, it is a wise institution of the Creator for realizing in mankind His design of love.(52-53)

This encyclical was not popular among Catholics, especially American Catholics, and it was widely ridiculed by practically everyone else.[2]Now, after all the negative consequences of the sexual revolution of the 1960s, Christians are taking another look at this encyclical.

A Second Look

The foreword to this publication by Mary Eberstadt cites four prophecies made in the encyclical that appear to have taken place:

“a general lowering of moral standards throughout society; a rise in infidelity; a lessening of respect for women by men; and the coercive use of reproductive technologies by governments.”(11)

The absence of a consensus on morality promoted uniformly by American churches has led to the perception that the church itself is irrelevant. The decrease in marriage, increase in illegitimacy, and increase in abortion have largely been ignored by the church. Secondary effects of the demise of the family like suicide, drug abuse, incarceration, and abuse of women get talked about without linking them back to the root causes (13). Safe irrelevance, not hard morality, tends to the be watchword in churches hemorrhaging members and young people.

In this context, Pope Paul VI encyclical is getting a second look by Christian leaders wondering what went wrong in our generation (35).

Assessment

Pope Paul VI’s encyclical, On Human Life, raises the important issue of contraception. It is worthy of discussion, especially as fertility rates decline in America below the population sustaining level of 2.1 children per adult woman. As an economist, I have long linked declining fertility rates to the need for immigration. If for no other reasons than to keep our Social Security and Medicare programs viable.[3]Support for families and basic morality is a prerequisite for a viable economy and for preventing social diseases that are devastating for the individuals affected and for the economic viability of our health care system.

[1]https://www.cdc.gov/std/stats17/2017-STD-Surveillance-Report_CDC-clearance-9.10.18.pdf.

[2]I still remember John Carson’s comment—if you don’t play the game, you don’t get to make the rules.

[3]Both Medicare and Social Security are pay-as-you-go programs. This means that employed young people pay for the benefits of retired old people. If you have fewer young people than emerging old people, either rates have to increase or benefits have to decrease.

Pope and Contraception Get Second Look



Also see:

Thompson: Paul’s Ethics Forms Community

Other ways to engage online:

Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net, Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com.

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/Lent_2019b

The post Pope and Contraception Get Second Look appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.