Technology & Church Planting – Part 1
October 7th, 2009
Technology
Fallen Tongue + Immense Power = Trouble
One of our members describes Grace Church of Alexandria as one of the most “wired” churches he knows of. This may be true. The average Grace Church member is a Mac user, who is using an iPhone to check their Gmail account. Is that a good thing? Is the technology in our lives just background noise in a world that needs more clarity and less confusion? I struggle with this as a computer technician. My job for a while was to know the latest technology for my clients, and support them when it broke.
Throughout history, Christians have struggled with technological advances, and you will see many well meaning Christians speak out against radio, television and the Internet: as if these were the problem. Of course our real problem is our sin nature, and ultimately us.
James 3:8-10 – “But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so.” (ESV)
In the time of James, the tongue was the primary form of communication. Today, I would think our communication usually runs through some kind of technology first before it arrives at the intended audience. The tongue was to James what email and Facebook are to some of us. Take a look at your communication over the next week, and count the opportunities you have to sin with the Internet. James is trying to tell us that the medium is not the problem, because it can be good or bad, depending on who controls it.
Technology tends to amplify our problem with communication. As with most things, greater power means greater responsibility is needed. We can email people quickly without thinking. Have you ever clicked “Send” and regretted it? We get on Facebook, Twitter, and email and communicate too much. Ecclesiastes 5:2-3 says “Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words.” (ESV)
Note: I’ll be posting more on technology & church planting over the next few weeks.
October 7th, 2009 at 8:14 pm
Very well said. Excellent Scripture application.
October 18th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
i need to get with it and get an iphone and a mac lol
November 2nd, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Interesting start. I’ll be interested in where you take this. I agree entirely with what you said but would add something about calling. God calls the right people to the right place at the right time, which means we are called to be here at this time. Therefore God will equip us to see through what can be a very difficult time.
I hope we don’t run from this culture but keep it in balance with our lives, our families and our time with God.
I do have a Mac and an iPhone and am pleased to be able to say I have several versions of the Bible on the phone and in audio as well!
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:58 pm
Thanks for you thoughts. I agree with you that Scripture is clear that God has purposes for each of us. He has ordained both the ends and the means by which we will glorify Him, and technology is one of those means. Acts 17:26-27 is a great passage on the idea that God has set the places and times that we live. It seems that God is breaking down the “boundaries of our habitation” through various technologies, and it is exciting. It is possible through increased technology, to be in the right place at the right time for even more people.