In a conversation with a friend yesterday, the subject of technology and church attendance came up. He pointed out that new forms of technology could (and probably already are) pose a great challenge to the church in the future. Why should I get out of bed on a Sunday morning when I can just download an awesome sermon from Mr. Pastoral Rock Star and listen in my car? Why go to church when I can have "fellowship" with all my Facebook friends? Why round up all the kids and load them into the car when we all could just sit around the computer and watch any number of services online on a Sunday morning?
Some thoughts:
1. Church is not about simply consuming information. It always has been and forever will be about a community on mission to glorify God through loving each other, singing to each other, reminding each other about the Gospel, exhorting and rebuking each other, submitting to one another, and telling other about Jesus together. All the "one anothers" of the New Testament can't be performed in isolation. Try to pull off Hebrews 3:12-14 by yourself at home in front of your computer. It doesn't work and you'll be a sitting duck for the Devil, the world, and your sinful flesh.
2. Submission to authority is a big deal (Heb. 13:17). Intentionally placing myself in a context of relationships pushs back against the sinful desire to be "free", autonomous, and self-governing. Just like my kids find great freedom in the submission to my parental authority, humbly submitting to the authority of another brings great freedom for believers as we are given a context to fight sin, receive instruction, and encouragement to believe the Gospel. Over and over again I see that sin comes to fruition from a tree that was intentionally self-planted off insolation with no one to watch over it and care for it.
3. The mission of the church to make disciples was never meant to be done in isolation. There is a reason that Jesus sent his disciples out two by two and there is a reason that Paul planted churches full of people. The nature of Church itself implies multiplicity not isolation.
1 comment:
I have a sister in law with some extreme health issues that bar her from ever attending a service. I also have had to be out of town at crucial times in certain series'. Technology is great for these circumstances. However, there are definitely some shortcomings (even for the sis in law) that tech won't ever be able to mitigate. I love all things tech, but your thoughts have definitely hit the nail on the head. Tech is to support, not be, the church.
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