How necessary is your technology?

An interesting article popped up today in my reader about technology becoming a necessity in our lives.  Could it be that upgrading my phone is more important than a new pair of pants?   Are a new large flat screen TV and HD channels more important than say food?  Trends seem to be pointing to this new reality.

As the article states, “Much has been made of the “cocooning effect,” or people rationalizing that they can spend a little more on a flat screen since they’ll be going to the movies less. But some think it’s gone a little deeper: Electronics have become more intrinsic, more of an extension of people’s everyday activities.”

How engrained is technology in my life?  It is a very rare day that I am not on my laptop for at least a few minutes.  I have an i-touch that gets me email pretty much everywhere I go.  I have a cell phone that I don’t use that much (yeah, Net10!).  Our family has a Wii and an X-box 360 (also an original Nintendo and a Sega Genesis!).  No flat screen TV though (although I have longingly looked at the store a few times).  No Blu-ray.

So the question is how much is technology just part of the way I do life?  How I connect?  How I communicate?  How I do my job?  Or how much is just something I choose?  And more importantly what difference does it make that technology is so embedded in our lives?  Should I be concerned about myself?  For my kids?

As I’ve dealt with this in past, the one theme that continues to re-occur is the theme of presence.  Am I still able to be present in the moment that I live in or am I hoping through technology to be somewhere else, talking to someone else about something else?  We’ve all been a part of conversations where we’re talking but not really anyone is listening – or listening to only part of what’s being said – because they are texting, tweeting or facebooking on their phone.  Can I be disciplined enough to use technology for my benefit when I need to or do I allow technology to demand my presence elsewhere all the time because its there?

Finally, what does this mean for faith?  Would Jesus have a Twitter account?  (BTW… Jesus O. Nazareth, whoever you are, I have chosen to leave you in my facebook purgatory -never accepting friend request, never denying- because I’m not sure if I should have Jesus as my facebook friend.  I mean, really.  Does that somehow make me more of a Christian?)  Does technology drive me away from faith or into faith?  Or is it just another tool, an expression of our lives that reflects the reality of our hearts?

 

Advent Picture

A different view than many of us hold, but perhaps more appropriate and powerful.

 

Can Americans Teach Religion?

Check out this quote and tell me what you think…

Americans themselves know all too well that their genius is not in religion… Americans are great people; there is no doubt about that.  They are great in building cities and railroads, as ancient Babylonians were great in building towers and canals…Americans too are great inventors.  They invented or perfected telegraphs, telephone, talking and hearing machines, automobiles… poison gases.  Americans are great adepts in the art of enjoying life to the utmost…Then, they are great in Democracy.  The people is their king and emperor; yea, even their God; the American people make laws, as they make farms and farm implements.. Needless to say, they are great in money…. They first make money before they undertake any serious work… To start and carry on any work without money is in the eyes of the Americans madness…Americans are great in all these things and much else; but not in Religion, as they themselves very well know… Americans must count religion in order to see its value… To them big churches are successful churches… To win the greatest number of converts with the least expense si their constant endeavor.  Statistics is their way of showing success or failure in their religion as in their commerce and politics.  Numbers, numbers, oh, how they value numbers!… Americans are essentially children of this world; that they serve as teachers of religion… is an anomaly… INdeed, religion is the last thing average Americans can teach… Americans are the least religious among all civilized people… Mankind goes down to America to learn how to live the earthly life; but to live the heavenly life, they go to some other people.  Is it no special fault of Americans to be this-worldly; it is their national characteristic, and they in their self-knowledge ought to serve mankind in other fields than in religion.

From the first volume of the Japan Christian Intelligencer from 1926 by Kanzo Uchimura.

I’m still trying to figure out which part hurts the most.  Anything resonate here with you?  It strikes me as a truth tale in the midst of this “Christmas” season of spending, selling, giving… more, more, more.

 

Danger

I don’t know about you but these are incredibly busy days for me and my family.  In the midst of the busyness its easy to lose sight of things that are important.  It’s easy, especially at this time of year, to succumb to the noise.  It’s also easy to fall into the trap of leaning on our talents, our own ability and not trusting in the God who comes.  It is a dangerous time for our faith. Henri Nouwen frames it well in Out of Solitude:

“Somewhere we know that without a lonely place our lives are in danger.  Somewhere we know that without silence words lose their meaning, that without listening speaking no longer heals, that without distance closeness cannot cure.  Somewhere we know that without a lonely place our actions quickly become empty gestures.”

May we all make space, even in the busyness, to listen.

 

Some fun

From the great site – AsboJesus.

 

Emergentia 09 report!

What a great event!  God is so good!  The second Emergentia event was a great opportunity to connect with old friends, make new friends, connect with God and to dive into the deepest questions of our hearts about ministry.

The event featured times of presentations from veterans in ministry helping us think through what it means to be a people who are Christian (Dan Copp – great challenge for us to stay grounded in reality and hope), Missional (Dave Curtiss – a deep and moving call for us to engage those on the “other side” from Mark’s gospel) and Holiness (Stan Reeder – started a little deep for some but definitely got us where we needed to go).  Those presentations were followed up with opportunities for conversations lead by facilitators helping to work through what each of those three values mean for us in our local communities and ministries.  These conversations were great!  We also spent some time working through some issues of justice and re-embracing the symbols of our faith.

Tony Kriz (you may know him as “Tony the Beat Poet” from Donald Miller’s Blue Like Jazz) spoke on the final night of the event challenging us with a view of our churches, language, expressions and ministries from the perspective of culture at large.  This was also very helpful.

For me personally I enjoyed the life-giving conversations with people who are passionate about Christ and the Kingdom. These were the highlights for me.  Drinking coffee (lots and lots of coffee) and just hearing friend’s hearts as they process through what God is calling them into.

On another level it was awesome for me to see the event take on a life of its own.  I worked hard to bring the first event to fruition a year ago and to see the whole thing take on a personality and shape that fits our host friends at Community of Adsideo was a whole new joy.  They did a great job bringing the event together and hosting us with a truly Christ like hospitality.  I believe God has greater things in store for Adsideo and Emergentia as it continues to move forward.  I count it a privilege to be a part of it.

 

Don’t see this everyday…

No this will not work for junior high retreat.  This is for people in Northern Russia who don’t get much sunlight for parts of the year.  This one to two minute ultraviolet light bath provides much needed Vitamin D.

There has to be a sermon/teaching illustration in here somewhere… ideas?!?!?

 

Wild Goose Chase

God, send me on a wild goose chase!

I’ve been reading quite a bit lately about St. Patrick and his mission and impact.  Awesome and inspiring stuff… some of which will be coming out in my workshop at the Youth Specialties convention in Cincinatti -  Creating Youth Missionaries: Ministry in the Model of St. Patrick  – where I will also be spending time talking about Peer Cluster Theory.

Part of the legacy of St. Patrick is the monastic groups that he started who were missional in nature, wandering the countryside searching for people to be kind to and share the gospel with.  Some have said that these Celtic monks referred to their job as “Going on a Wild Goose Chase!” in reference to their searching for where the Holy Spirit is at work.  How great is that!!!  In all my reading I cannot find anything to completely confirm or deny this, but its so great I have to start using it.

 

Emergentia: an Unforeseen Occurence

I’m really getting excited about the Emergentia 09 event.  If you are a young leader or if you are an advocate of some young leaders, this event is particularly important to you!

I know that many of you are involved in ministry in an emerging and post-modern world.  I also know that it can be difficult to know who to talk to about the how’s of doing ministry in that kind of a setting.  I’d like to invite you to an upcoming event that is addressing these key issues of our time.  This second annual event, Emergentia, is focused on directly pouring into young leaders in theologically and missionally practical ways where you will gain insight from leading ministry veterans and develop practical skills working in small groups facilitated by current ministry practitioners.

Emergentia will be focused on what is means to be a Christian, Missional and Holiness people in an emerging post-modern world.  Emergentia is hosted by the Community of Adsideo in Portland, Oregon, November 4-7.  We’ve worked hard to keep this event as affordable ($30 for registration) and as helpful as possible, focusing on helping each participant work through these issues for their specific ministry setting.  For more information and to register, please visit our website: paxsumma.com.

Will you please join me for this ministry shaping event?  I’d value your input and participation.

Speakers: Dave Curtiss, Dan Copp, Stan Reeder, Tony Kriz

Co-Facilitators: Jon Middendorf, Jim Wicks, Brian Hull, Dave Charlton, James Hampton, Tevis Austin

I hope to see you there!!

 

The Space Between

There is in our churches and ministries a gap.  It is largely ignored and to be honest I believe few actually even see it.  It is this middle space where real life and theology meet, but don’t meet easily and neatly.  The space between our conception of the reality of our physical space and the theological ideals we have of God and the cosmic.

In the Western world we are fairly confident about the rational truths that we can claim about the empirical world around us (the world we can know about through our senses).  Science has taught us through methodical research that certain elements interact with other elements and that there are laws (or at least habits) that nature has so that the same reaction will happen to the same interaction every time.  These scientific discoveries certainly help to explain certain things in life.  For example, I know (through hours of methodical and well documented research) that if I put a Mentos into a 2-liter of soda the result will be a dramatic fountain of effervescent hilarity.   We also use this knowledge to explain many things that may seem supernatural or extraordinary that happen in our daily lives.

We also are aware that there is another, more transcendent level of things.  This is where concepts such as heaven, hell, eternity, higher gods or a God exist.  We in the Christian church are well versed at talking about these things and teaching them to others.

Then there is this space between, the place where these two levels seem to come together as a part of our everyday lives.  This is where we ask questions about our future, the tragedies that may happen that are out of our control, the past things that have happened to us or around for which we do not find a ready explanation in science or theology (as defined in the higher level of things).  Some cultures talk about spirits, ghosts, and other types of magic operating at this level and in control of things.

I believe that this space between, this middle space is where the Western Christian church has incredible difficulty.  We don’t know how to address it so we don’t address it at all.  But people are trying to deal with it, to find answers, to make things “make sense”.  Oftentimes in my experience if the disconnect is strong even “good Christians” will turn to other religions, astrology, palm reading, etc. to find answers to their unanswered questions.

Which begs the question – do we have any answers for this space between?  Does our Story have anything to say about the tragedies of life, the unknown coincidences, the struggles with the past and possible future we all deal with?  Or do we merely point back to science and say, “there must be a rationale explanation”?

I believe we do have some things to say about this middle space, not all of which includes having “answers”.  In history the churches and ministries which found themselves most centered on communicating to this level experienced some powerful changes.  I wonder what would happen if we spent more time communicating about God’s presence in the space between?  For isn’t that where we all live?

A great article on this very issue by Paul G. Hierbert can be read here.  He does an excellent job of explaining the different levels.

Thoughts?  Examples of places where you have seen people dealing with the space between?

I have to be honest and say that part of these thoughts have been spurred on by recent tragedies to friends.