Technology is one of those ever changing things. By definition it is “the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry.” As scientific knowledge increases, technology —which is based off of that knowledge—also advances. I recently was watching a show from back in the 70s and it was so cool, they had this large, probably four inches by twelve inches by eight inch tall box installed in the consul between the seats in the car. The box had a cord on it and a telephone handle on the other end of it. Yeah, a car phone that was so cool and about the same size as fifty of our smart phones today. Technology is one of those things that does change with time.
Concepts don’t change, but the technology that goes with them does. Power Point is such a great advancement in technology. I am a visible learner, seeing helps me learn so much more that simply hearing. Seeing a graphic or even the words on the screen helps me grasp it more than just hearing the words read. And though the technology of Power Point may seem old to many, the concept of this visual lesson aid is even older. They used to be called sermon sheets. Items and pictures written out on sheets that the traveling minister would take with him from congregation to congregation to get his message across. Overhead projectors were a technological advancement on this. I’m still waiting for the holographic projectors to come out for congregations so we can immerse ourselves in the story of Jesus reaching out his hand to heal or keep Peter from sinking. Not sure if I want us all sitting around wearing goggles during the lesson, but it would be pretty cool. The concept of getting us to see or feel is still there, just changing how it is displayed.
Technology has always seemed like one of those things the church has been resistant to. Like something that is easier to understand or comes too close to entertainment or is just more visual, must be wrong. We need to suffer, have a difficult time if we want to follow Christ. Naw, we don’t need to make it more difficult to follow Christ, the culture we live in seems to do its part to make it difficult enough. So, as a church we need to make sure we are not afraid to embrace advancement of technology.
Now, I am not saying we need to get a holographic preacher to deliver lessons. Even though I do like the idea of us sitting in the round facing each other, rather than simply seeing the back of someone’s head. I do believe the live person is better than, though it would be pretty cool, a holographic preacher.
The church is about relationships. We need to be here with a live person who we can relate to. We need to be able to walk across the room and see how someone is doing, or rejoice with hugs when someone makes their commitment to Christ. In person is best. But there are times when you just can’t be here because you are traveling. Or maybe someone is sick, or work causes you to miss a Sunday. That is where the technology comes in. Our services are streamed live and you can always go to our website to find our YouTube channel and see any sermon you may have missed.
So if you miss one of these current lessons “Down the Aisle. . . with Christ”, you can always catch it live online, or watch it sometime during the week before the next Sunday, or just view it again for encouragement. But ultimately shaking a hand, giving a hug, or seeing a smile is the best. Let’s use the technology we have, but never leave the relationships behind.
Liking Smiles,
Randy