1000 Hours Free: An Internet User’s Guide to Lent

Bill Gartner

I get at least one a month; usually more.

They come in the mail, both U.S. mail and e-mail. The companies

that send these make grand promises about the kind of services that

they provide. They always try to get me to leave the company that is

currently providing my Internet Service Provider.

Each company that markets its product this way vows that their

service is the best, “so dump the rest.” And, all of them guarantee

one thing: 1,000 hours free Internet service.

Thinking that the grass was always greener with another company, I

used to change service providers quite frequently. But finally I

realized that service providers do not change the Internet.

Regardless of what the service providers promise, the Internet

remains the same.

I receive so many of these free trial offers, that whenever I hear

any phrase containing the words “1,000” I automatically think of free

Internet service. And now, I have become so conditioned from this

mass-marketing technique, that if I simply hear a number that is

anywhere close to 1,000, I begin mentally surfing the net.

The number “960” is very close in value to 1,000: it has just such

an effect on me. But, as a pastor of a church, this number symbolizes

hours other than Internet service, hours that have greater

significance right now, yet still remind me of those guaranteed free

start-up services. 960 hours are the total amount of hours in a

40-day period, such as the 40 days of Lent that are taking place

right now. Churches all over the world are participating in Lent for

almost 1,000 hours.

Often enough, churches are not that different from ISPs in their

mass marketing during the period of Lent. We promise better goods

than the church that you are currently attending, “so dump them and

come on over here.” With a variety of different programs offered by

churches, and a slick marketing campaign, Lent easily becomes a

wonderful time to advertise 1,000 hours free. But, this year, I have

noticed that churches are beginning to realize the same thing that I

finally realized about the Internet. That is, there is one

fundamental reality. No matter what services that churches provide

for this “1,000 free hours,” there is really only one church.

In Costa Mesa, Newport Beach and Anaheim, at least nine churches

have collectively made a bold statement concerning this reality. They

are participating in a united prayer movement called “40:24:7.”

This means 40 days of prayer, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It

comes to just about 1,000 hours of prayer. Rather than competing for

other churches’ “customers,” during this traditionally high-end

marketing time, these “40:24:7” churches are cooperating with each

other.

They realize that there is really only one church, and its goal is

not to compete with each other for the other “companies’” business.

Instead, during this 1,000 hours, these churches are joined together

in intercessory prayer for our communities, our leaders and specific

needs for each of the churches involved. Instead of competing with

each other, they are praying for each other. And, this will be going

on at one of the participating churches for almost 1,000 hours

continuously.

I’m sure that I will still think of Internet Service Providers

whenever I hear a number that is close to 1,000, unless providers

start promising 2,000 free hours. But, at least now I can sift

through the vain promises of a better product and know that in

reality, there is just one Internet and it remains the same.

Regardless of whatever promises it makes, that same truth holds firm

for the church also.

Think about that before you switch providers during the current

1,000 free hours.

* BILL GARTNER is the pastor at Harbor Christian Fellowship in

Costa Mesa.