Nice Title, I know, and before I start, I want to note that here I am writing on an Internet blog, arrogantly thinking someone will want to read this, so I am guilty of this as well, My concern however is true and I should probably right now be having relationship with someone on the phone, or more importantly taking time out of my life to go visit someone, but you know what? I think I will just text them. Below is the recent article in regards to Zondervan's new software called "the city" that allows people to, well, do more on line networking, but it is more than on line social networking, it is church on line life, well trying to do church stuff anyway. Email, small group forum interaction, prayer chains etc. and while I am thankful for the Internet and the ability to have 600 friends that I am so enthralled in their lives that I tend to neglect my own family, I am sad to say that I think we are mistaking this new age of communication with good old fashioned Laziness. Having a been an associate Pastor and now teacher I am aware of people's problem's in "getting involved" physically, I mean in serving, I mean in good old fashioned worship and service in regards to church. It is a two fold problem, First church Leadership does not help because it gives off the vibe that we are running things and you can just come and sit, so in the bodies defense it may feel like they are not needed or more commonly, "I do not have to do anything, it is done for me", On the flip side you have the lazy church attender, (which in my opinion is the major culprit) Lazy Church attender can not even sign up for a nursery, or utalize any gift whatsoever that the Lord has given he or she, They miss out blessing after blessing due to their uncommittal Nature to anything church related. In other words coming to church with an attitude of what can I get rather than what can I give. This has been a problem for years, forever. Has it improved?, maybe in some areas. But now let's add more lazy to the mix, with what I think is worse, giving the impression that we are "doing our part". The social networking monster has almost totally replaced social physical interaction. You do not want to call, then email, you do not want to email, then text. But now we reward this with soft ware that allows us to have small group from the privacy of our own home without even getting out. My best friend recently said after my wife threw his wife a baby shower, "I cannot believe she did all that by phone, no emails". It is true, now adays everything is done through email. Now rightly so to some extent, but church stuff, interpersonal relationship? i am not ready for that, i am not ready yet to feel more "special" getting a text rather than a call.
Another thought is the popular "Twitter" where people think so much about themselves that every hour or so they update their face book or twitter from their phone, "Hey world, I just took a dump, thought you might want to know", Hey world, I am spending time with my family, but not really, because I am updating my face book right now so you know what I am doing". 1. (like I said I am guilty, here I am blogging, )But number 1. is it not arrogant to think that the world needs to know what you are doing 24-7? and 2. What kind of person has the time to follow other people's actions everyhour, or check 600 friends on their face book? How much more could we be impacting God's Kingdom if we, instead of talked about it. just did it. Why do we want to succumb to the laziness of the social networking industry by making software for our churches to nurture the unrelational cyber communication world? I use internet all the time, I text, but folks, the age old issue of people not wanting to get involved is not going to be solved by now making it more accessable from their computers? Just because we are doing something doesn't mean we are getting anything done.
Worship and service has been drasticly altered since the OT sacrificial period. If you wanted to worship God there was service involved. There was never any confusion in who you were worshipping and what was required. If you wanted to worship you served. If you wanted to worship, you did not just go in the building, sit down, stand up for some songs , critique the service and then leave wondering why you did not feel like you did anything or worse did not worship God at all. In regards to the sacrificial system if you wanted to have "fellowship" with God, you brought an animal, you killed it yourself, you cut it up yourself, you and the priest put it on the altar, you got to eat some of it. You worshipped, but you served. We have a hard enough time serving in our culture, I mean hands on worship that involves service, easier soft ware to accomodate our lazy culture might seem like a great fix, but I am afraid this is a temporary band aid. In fact who are we really accomodating? Ourselves or are we really bringing God His due Glory?
A final thought, I am not saying ignore the culture, we need to live in it and thrive and proclaim as living sacrifice's the major reason why we are alive and not dead. We were and are made for relationship, personal physical interaction. I do not think we can forget that, to forget that is to reject whose image we are made in.
We see this in our kids who in our youth are more prone to solitude than ever, "no friends", "no one understands me", "I feel disconnected" HMMM interesting, those are major concerns i hear now from Seniors, (Troy you will agree with me), who have had adults invest in them for 8 years, and now when it seems like the time for the seniors to be investing in the younger, they selfishly decline and want more "milk" or in thie case "meat", or selfishly more for "ME" Yet they will go home and spend countless hours on line interacting with whomever they want, and seeking "relationship" with thousands of "friends", but are still empty....
Don't thow the baby out with the bath water, but there must be some balance in this as we move forward with the Gospel, the real, physical, life changing, personal, tangible Gospel..
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Zondervan-Acquires-Online-Community-Building/story.aspx?guid=%7b57A05E7B-FDDA-4C24-B774-2C8AC5A9A82E%7d
4 comments:
Vander Wiele we think a lot alike. I wish I could visit you in Indy or something.
Facebook is not necessarily bad, and you know that, but when I had it (I've been clean for about half a year) I got on way too much and found myself, like you talk about, with a bunch of numbers of friends but growing further apart.
To be hones, "the City" thing really sickens me. My biggest problem with the church (and myself) is how much I/we use words and no action. I was talking to a writer friend yesterday and we talked about this. I feel so lacking in the "works" department, in the "charity" department. Ideology has taken over, and coming from a neo-conservative city that looooooves doctrine, it's bothersome and hard. I need to read that post again that's my favorite you've done yet.
Later man, hope to see you some time.
I mean honest, not "hones"
I am so mad.. I just typed a really long comment only for it to somehow get erased when I had to make an account to leave it!!
Anyways.. shorter version since I've now been on here way TOO long.. But I really liked this post. I totally agree.. tho here I sit too reading your blogs and leaving comments.
I'm amazed even here how much email is used in place of a phone call or physical interaction for things like just getting together for dinner, a party, or any other social event. I still choose to make the phone call or talk about it in person when I see them. Maybe that has a lot to do with mom and dad never having internet...which did you hear they are not getting a laptop and internet through the business now?!?! I never thought we'd live to see the day.
I do have a blog and fb. I do like it but to me it does seem so superficial on the social level. This season I'm in right now (a stay at home mom) is hard at times to stay social but I know the importance and even calling to do so. Being creative is key.
Like you said a balance is needed bc sometimes it is really good...like when Grant was thought to have salmonella and going to die.. in a matter a mins I was able to send a prayer request out through email to 100+ people to pray for healing.
When it's used as heavily as it is to replace what we were designed and called to do is really sad to me as well. What blessings we and others are missing out on.
And the church thing too.. I am one of those who can't sing or play an instrument but I am amazed the needs else where in the church and the shortage of servers. Why do people think just because they have no super noticeable gift like teaching or singing that they then have NOTHING to give. Again.. what blessings they are missing out on.
Great post. I'll try to send this again! Love you big bro!
Mom and Dad are 'now' getting a laptop not 'not' getting! Cool huh?
Post a Comment