Technology and Churchlife
Think
back to the time before cell phones and the internet. We communicated using
paper and ink and spoke on a phone that was attached to the wall with two wires.
Today Americans have a large menu to select from when deciding how to contact
someone: email, text, phone, writing a letter, even Skype. The internet gives us
a source of timely, free-flowing information. Social-networking sites such as
Facebook offers a steady stream of contact between friends while setting a new
threshold for the term "Too Much Information".
These societal changes
have affected churchlife as well. It wasn't too long ago that beyond
word-of-mouth, the two primary communication devices for our congregation were
the bulletin insert and the monthly newsletter. Now we have the website, a
congregational-wide email , as well as the church's Facebook page. This has had
a profound impact on how we function as a congregation. News travels
quickly, we can respond more quickly. For example, if the Lawrenceville
Food-Coop suddenly and urgently needed 300 cans of Campbell's chicken noodle
soup, we could probably deliver that in 48 hours. Before, it would have taken
over a week to get word out, and an additional week for collection and delivery.
Christianity began via
word-of-mouth. Stories of someone named Jesus who claimed he was the Son of God
and had the power to save circulated throughout the Mediterranean world. Most of
Jesus' original followers were illiterate. Eventually the accounts of his life
were written down and assembled with other letters of communication in the early
church, forming what we call the New Testament. As Christianity grew, it adapted
as it was absorbed into different cultures and contexts. In this sense, the
Christian faith accommodates different mediums; radio, tv, the web and so on.
Today we seek to balance
the role of technology in our lives. There is such a thing as being too
plugged-in, which risks promoting impatience and distraction. Not long ago I
read about a three-year-old who, in wanting to get her mother to look up from
her Blackberry, resorted to biting her leg. There are some people have started a
habit of going tech-free for one day a week, such as saying no computer or
cell-phone on Saturdays. Churches and individual Christians are also in a
time of discernment over the role of technology in the faith, seeking to
enhance, not distract, from the important matter of one's relationship with God.
There are many ways to
encounter Christ's word beyond Sunday morning, avenues for God to permeate your
life. They are as varied as the choices you have in contacting a friend.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone
hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and
he with me.
Revelation 3:20
Pastor Jason Talsness