A Quick Thought On Worshipping Via Technology
With technology being so pervasive in our culture, there is an infinite amount of information available to us 24 hours a day right in the palm of our hands. This convenience can be an incredible asset to our workflow, our education, our entertainment and even our daily quiet time with the Lord and our corporate worship on the weekends. The ability to open up a Bible app and swipe over to the scriptures is such an easy way to dive right in. Being able to pull up the most recent sermon or article from John Piper or Matt Chandler in just a few seconds is an incredible luxury that we all share, and I bet most believers would agree that we have benefited greatly from technology when it comes to personal discipline in our worship.
But....are there some risks involved in relying on technology for our daily devotion and prayer? Of course! The most obvious one that I think we all experience is the risk of distraction. Although we have access to great Gospel content, and although there are so many great tools available to us through our phones and our computers, there are also millions of other voices that are fighting for our attention. With every ding, red dot or popup banner on our phones, we are faced with the potential for distraction. Even on silent mode, we battle with the fear missing out. And we know that those social media "likes" are piling up.
But, potential distractions are not what I want to focus on in this blog today. Today I want to pose a question that focuses on something a little different that perhaps, we don't think about too often:
Does worshipping via technology set a confusing example at home?
One day I was sitting down reading scripture on my iPhone when my son walked up to me and asked, “Dad what game are you playing”? I answered him and said, “I’m not playing a game bud, I am reading the Bible”. He responded and said “that’s not a Bible dad, that’s a phone”. Now, this may not seem like a big deal, and in reality it probably isn't, but for me, that moment caused me to re-think how I worship on a daily basis during my *not always so quiet* quiet time at home.
You see, our kids learn more often, by what we as parents do ourselves, rather than what we as parents tell our kids to do. They are smart little observers, and they follow our lead more than we realize.
Even though technology is a great tool that grants us access to many ways to learn and grow in our walk with Jesus. I have been challenged to use a physical copy of the scriptures when I am studying at home. I don’t want my kids to grow up remembering that “dad was on his phone all the time”, even if I was indeed, studying the Gospel during many of those times. There is just something about opening the scriptures on the table, or in your lap and asking God to meet with you and to speak to you through His Word. Of course, He can do this through technology just the same, but personally, I would love for my kids to grow up remembering that "Dad was always reading His Bible". It just has a better ring to it :)
Q: What is your primary method of studying God's Word each day?
Q: How has this impacted the culture of your home?
Q: Are there some adjustments that could be made in order to create a more explicit Gospel presence in your home?
But....are there some risks involved in relying on technology for our daily devotion and prayer? Of course! The most obvious one that I think we all experience is the risk of distraction. Although we have access to great Gospel content, and although there are so many great tools available to us through our phones and our computers, there are also millions of other voices that are fighting for our attention. With every ding, red dot or popup banner on our phones, we are faced with the potential for distraction. Even on silent mode, we battle with the fear missing out. And we know that those social media "likes" are piling up.
But, potential distractions are not what I want to focus on in this blog today. Today I want to pose a question that focuses on something a little different that perhaps, we don't think about too often:
Does worshipping via technology set a confusing example at home?
One day I was sitting down reading scripture on my iPhone when my son walked up to me and asked, “Dad what game are you playing”? I answered him and said, “I’m not playing a game bud, I am reading the Bible”. He responded and said “that’s not a Bible dad, that’s a phone”. Now, this may not seem like a big deal, and in reality it probably isn't, but for me, that moment caused me to re-think how I worship on a daily basis during my *not always so quiet* quiet time at home.
You see, our kids learn more often, by what we as parents do ourselves, rather than what we as parents tell our kids to do. They are smart little observers, and they follow our lead more than we realize.
Even though technology is a great tool that grants us access to many ways to learn and grow in our walk with Jesus. I have been challenged to use a physical copy of the scriptures when I am studying at home. I don’t want my kids to grow up remembering that “dad was on his phone all the time”, even if I was indeed, studying the Gospel during many of those times. There is just something about opening the scriptures on the table, or in your lap and asking God to meet with you and to speak to you through His Word. Of course, He can do this through technology just the same, but personally, I would love for my kids to grow up remembering that "Dad was always reading His Bible". It just has a better ring to it :)
Q: What is your primary method of studying God's Word each day?
Q: How has this impacted the culture of your home?
Q: Are there some adjustments that could be made in order to create a more explicit Gospel presence in your home?
I would love to hear your thoughts,
JOSH MASSEY
Director of Worship and Creativity
HEARTLAND CHURCH | jmassey@connectatheartland.com
JOSH MASSEY
Director of Worship and Creativity
HEARTLAND CHURCH | jmassey@connectatheartland.com
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