Friday, October 2, 2009
just a fad???
A friend of mine posted this video on his Twitter account today. As an immigrant to the digital world, I continually struggle to speak the language of social media which is native to my children. While I am grateful for the stabilizing influence the church can, and perhaps should, exercise within a dynamically shifting culture, there seems to be a disconnect between the burgeoning world just outside our door and the kinds of conversations we have within. For the last several weeks I've received angry comment cards from a beloved church member about why I still haven't capitalized the word "god" on my "if god twittered" sermon series PowerPoint slides. Before that it was an outcry week after week over why we were using the words "sin and sinners" in the Lord's Prayer rather than "debts and debtors." No wonder the church is increasingly irrelevant to people who haven't grown up within it. Why does the church always seem to be about five steps behind in the conversation?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
12 comments:
So you are saying and the reality is that the fastest and best way to get the word out is though internet social networking. I don't know of any better word than the good news of Jesus Christ. Let's use it!
Having said that, "getting the word out" eventually must lead to understanding that comes with face-to-face "conversation."
@Stone's Gems - ultimately Jesus Christ is the only Word that matters. Yes! At the same time, the Good News of that one Word speaks incarnate. I'm wondering what the implications of electronic social networking are for the ongoing incarnate revelation of Jesus Christ. Certainly the invention of the printing press radically changed how people encountered the Good News of Jesus. I believe we are in the thick of a similar revolution.
Interesting. While the stats in this video are obviously a little biased I think it's intent it quite accurate. A relevant physics book is "Linked" by Barabasi, a prof at Notre Dame, it is interesting he wrote that book before the social media started to explode but the same underlying principles still apply.
Hey my Grandma is over 80 and she is on FB and has been using a webcam to do video conferencing for over 10 years with friends and family across the country. So I think it is a medium that anyone can relate to if they really wanted.
Those complaints you have been getting are a bit troubling. Surprised you didn't take flak then for the "Gsus" moniker. It isn't about the grammar it's about the content! (unless you are an editor) ;) Guess you could say capitalizing letters on a mobile device takes a lot of effort and is often omitted/implied.
Robespierre was allegedly at a Paris cocktail party one afternoon when he suddenly became agitated, excused himself - he had to leave. "What's your rush?" "I just saw the mob stream past our window, and I'm supposed to be their leader."
That's a problem with revolutions, it's a bit difficult to predict where they're going. I agree w/ Steve's point, in fact, I doubt there's been as momentous a change since the Industrial Revolution. One can do graduate school online, surgeries are performed with networked auxiliary services based in foreign lands, the last Iranian Election used recent server architecture to press alternatives in the face of an apparent attempted military coup d'etat. One gets the feeling you have to race just to avoid being left in the dust. Perhaps this is an opportunity to press high school & college kids into helping set up new portals into the Church. Certainly, it's a time when communications is key. We need to stay on the lookout for innovative approaches used successfully elsewhere.
Rankin
I am not the congregational member who has been sending "angry" comment cards about capitalizing "God" in your sermon series. However, I have been terrifically annoyed over the change of the Lord's Prayer.
Why am I annoyed? I've grown up with the same Lord's Prayer for 50 years. As a young child, we were taught how to read it. As a teen-through confirmation-we had to memorize it. It separated us from the Catholics when said outloud in mass occasions (funerals)..somewhat defining our beliefs in religion. I've sat through pastor's sermon series explaining phrase by phrase what the Lord's Prayer actually means.
This morning, when the Lord's Prayer was being said, I couldn't help closing my eyes and saying the Lord's Prayer loudly in the pew, so everyone could hear my protest. This is something that is recited from my gut...nothing I need to read from the church bulletin, until now.
When did the church decide as a whole that the Lord's Prayer was going to change? I mean, it is still "our" church, right? Did someone stand in front of the congregation and do a show of hands? Paper ballot?
I don't consider myself "behind" in conversation/or in the church--I just don't accept the altered version of the Lord's Prayer. It's about change-and I don't want it.
My child went to Sunday school last Sunday (after the nine o'clock service). In the Sunday School room....they made bookmarks, with their picture on it....and the Lord's Prayer. The children are learning to read the Lord's Prayer. J U S T as it's always been k n o w n to us all these years.
If change is absolutely "necessary"....it's obvious not many are on board.
Christmas being spelling "Xmas".
I don't really like the spelling of "Gsus". I consider it desrespectful. Personally, it's becoming annoying and old.
Not all of us twitter,blog, facebook, myspace, and socially network. Many employers don't allow socially networking, period.
Texting? When did it become so popular? Now, it's a teenager death trap/while driving.
Texting is a pathetic substitute for picking up the phone and calling in many occasions.
Dear "Anonymous":
Thanks for joining the conversation!
My concern regarding the language of the Lord's Prayer is one of relevance. One of the reasons you find the "traditional" version of the Lord's Prayer so meaningful to you is that it has relevance to your personal spiritual encounter with God. If the issue, however, is the purity of the translation then we really all ought to be saying the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic - the language in which Jesus taught the prayer to his disciples. Or perhaps we should recite the prayer in Latin as Christians did for centuries? Hopefully, you would agree that it is a good thing that the Lord's Prayer has been translated into a language you understand and appreciate.
The "ecumenical" version of the Lord's Prayer is precisely concerned with making the same Lord's Prayer that is precious and meaningful to you, precious and meaningful to future generations.
With that said, I'm sure you've recognized that at the 11:15 service we've been using the traditional version of Lord's Prayer so as to honor the spiritual attachment that some like yourself have with those particular words.
My prayer is that while you hang on to the Prayer that has been formative to your spiritual experience that you would support efforts to make that prayer meaningful to future generations.
Steve
@ Anonymous re: texting
Yes! Isn't it tragic what a deathtrap that has become on the roadways... I think we'll soon see all car cell phone usage banned as it is in California.
I miss Hmingi. She took the time to know me. >sigh<
Pastor Steve,
Respectfully, I have to agree with "Anonymous" concerning the Lord's Prayer. I think it perhaps may be time to simply ask the congregation what their opinions are in regards to the "Ecumenical" version. Especially if this isn't the first person who is sincerely protesting your effort.
It's not what the Pastor feels comfortable with--it's about the comfort of the congregation.
If the Sunday School teachers are using the traditional version also, then I don't see any purpose to the effort to get the 9:00 service members to change. They are--primarily the congregational members who have small children. You didn't address this in your retort.
I think Anonymous makes some strong points-well deserving of investigating this further.
I have uncovered that there is a difference between an Internet Forum and a Blog.
It has occurred to me Steve's Blog-an visible journal of his thoughts; hence my comments should not appear, I suppose.
My apologies. I will go back into hiding again.
Anonymous
Stop Hiding! Stand up, let your voice be heard! You have many who are agreeing with you.
"You can't stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes."-----Winnie the Pooh-----
The Lord's Prayer issue....I dislike the Ecumenical version also. You are not alone.
Post a Comment