I’m Pro Technology
I love technology. I’m not great at running it, but I love it.
My entire life has been shaped by the technological advances of my generation: The Internet, smart phones, blue tooth capability, social media, etc.
I’m also a huge proponent of using the media to impact culture. I think that our ability to reach more people with the gospel through technology is incredible and we haven’t even scratched the surface of our possibility. I dream of cyber missionaries, interactive online discipleship and the development of healthy social media friendship.
I’m Pro Church
I’m a pastor. I run a local church. We have all four of our services live-streamed online each weekend as well as special events. I co-lead a podcast on engaging culture. My sermons are available in video and audio form and are downloaded all over the world. I have multiple websites and various social media platforms. I’m doing all that I’m able to at this point to reach the world through technology.
I’ve seen brilliant successes.
I’ve seen significant challenges.
God designed me to want to impact people for the kingdom, to change lives, to love and lead people both one-on-one and in large group settings. I want to see the transformation by the Holy Spirit in every person I come into contact with. My heart longs for true worship to rise from every corner of the world with hearts aflame for the Lord. I’ve seen and know the power of God interacting with humanity.
I believe that is done significantly in the local church.
I know that everyone is saying that the church is dying out and every poll (thank you Barna) shows the world going to hell-in-a-hand-basket with the withering of traditional religious methods. I realize that the fact that I think the Church is just as alive and active as ever (albeit, morphing), that preaching is still significantly vital, and people needing to be together as a tribe is old-school and rare.
I’m not naïve. I just know people. I know how people transform.
What does this have to do with ‘podcast church’? Everything.
What’s Podcast Church?
When I say podcast-church, I mean interacting with the local church through technology. I’m thinking of the hundreds of thousands who watch church services online, whether live-stream or after the fact. I’m thinking of the various ministries worldwide who rely heavily on technological engagement. I’m thinking of the online discipleship courses becoming increasingly available.
When I talk about the pros, I’m thinking of the ways that people who are homebound can belong and be virtually among their spiritual family. I think about the Facebook groups that share hearts, stories and lives. I think about the millions of times I have listened to a podcast from another teacher and been blessed.
When I think of the cons, I’m thinking about social-media-disconnect and the subtle loneliness that it can create. I think about the ability to hide behind a screen and not be fully known. I’m thinking about the distance that’s inevitable with support and volunteering and engagement in the local church.
Only some of these challenges are relatively new.
I’m a firm believer that human nature doesn’t change all that much through history. Our methods change rapidly but our needs don’t, our hearts don't, our cravings don’t, our sin-nature doesn’t. We’ve always been up against world versus spirit. We’ve always wrestled with how much to adapt our methods to culture. We’ve always wondered if we’ve lost the heart of it all. None of that’s new.
And that’s why I’m encouraged about the church today and why I think that if we use it wisely, technology can be one of God’s greatest gifts to the local church.
My One Challenge
Yet there is one particular challenge that I want to highlight before I wrap this up. In fact, it’s the whole reason I wrote this article in the first place. I want to throw out a caution that is on the fringe of a very commonly discussed issue within modern day theological circles as well as sociologists world-wide.
Please be careful in designing your own church experience.
Everyone realizes that our society, because of technological advances, is allowing us to become ever increasingly self-reinforced in our beliefs. What we think right now will be cycled back around to us through our media in a form that makes it look like everyone believes what we believe. For example, our filters on our Internet sift out articles and opinions we disagree with or aren’t interested in. Those same filters send us more and more of the same over and over again. The minute we click on a news story our filters log our interest and will send another one just like it. The second we click on a political leaning article or site, more will be forwarded to us. Everything is designed to feed what we want to see.
But what if we NEED to see something different?
What if being forced into uncomfortable scenarios and contact with differing opinions is healthy and right and a primary way to grow?
What if church is supposed to be a place that shoves you out of your comfort zone, and pastors are supposed to talk about things you don’t want to hear?
One of the dangers in listening to a hundred podcasts of a hundred different preacher/teachers is that we select what we want to hear. We skip what we are bored with. We reject what we don’t like.
The danger in designing our own cyber church experience is that it becomes self-reinforcing and coddles us. It gives us the false impression that the Bible agrees with us. Our filters remove the ability of the Holy Spirit to crash into us in agitating ways.
Additionally, when we only listen to ‘sound bites’ (bits and portions of sermons, devotionals, etc.) that are divorced from their context they become very dangerous. We all know what it’s like to have words that we’ve said ‘taken out of context’, right? Sure. What’s the problem with it? “It’s not what we meant.”
If we cut and paste, sift, filter and select all of our religious experience, we will be taking things out of context and they become devoid of their true meaning. It’s the same reason that we aren’t supposed to ‘Scripture Dive’ (just drop open the Bible and read a random verse out of context for our daily devotional). If we only listen to some of the things great teachers say, we are not getting a well-rounded perspective from that person. It’s like buying a box of Lucky Charms and eating all the marshmallows out of it.
As a preacher/teacher/pastor/leader I design what I say with a big picture in mind. Sometimes I talk about harsh things that people NEED to hear. Other times I cool things down by talking about encouraging things that they WANT to hear (that are true). In my expository and exegetical Bible teaching style I balance Old Testament and New Testament. I blend challenge and hope. I speak of God as Father and King.
But what if someone only wants to listen to my hope messages? What if they only want to hear that God is gentle? What if they only like the New Testament because it’s easier?
Then have I really taught them? Have they truly been discipled by me? Have they heard the Truth, or simply a half-truth?
Just because we listen to a variety of teachers doesn’t mean we listen to a variety of subjects. Just because we listen to a variety of subjects doesn’t mean we listen to differing opinions. Just because we watch a long video cut (2 minutes plus), doesn’t mean we have enough to figure out the context. Just because we like to listen to ‘mean’ preachers doesn’t mean we have stood under teaching of conviction.
We think we know what we need.
What if we don’t?
What if being physically present, stuck in a local church is the only way that we are forced to receive a healthy spiritual diet? What if the conviction of getting involved because people can see your eyes is necessary? What if singing alongside the tone-deaf lady is truly corporate worship? What if the Holy Spirit electrifies an atmosphere in the sanctuary but you can’t feel it because you only watched it online? What if there was a blessing because you showed up and stuck it out?
Podcast church isn’t bad, but until we advance significantly enough to make it healthy, it’s only a supplement.
Bottom line – if you can’t get to your local church, get there and stay there. If God’s there, we’re good.
