Focus on the Family article on tech in the church

[churchsoundguy]

New link for the article:
http://www.pluggedin.com/upfront/200...thechurch.aspx

I hear in the article a general sense of bemoaning the current nature of our culture: we are heavily influenced by media, isn't that a shame. We shouldn't need technology to communicate the message of the gospel.

It seems to me that Jesus must have used some sort of technology as well, though obviously of a different sort. When he fed the "5000", he was speaking to "5000 men, plus women and children." Sounds like it might have been 10,000 or 20,000 altogether, with the kids probably not sitting still in rows and being quiet.

Have you ever tried to talk to ten or twenty thousand people without a sound system? It doesn't work.

One doesn't captivate ten thousand people with just your voice without some sort of help. In our day, it's a sound system. In his day, it probably was just another one of those miracles that he was so justly famous for.

So I'd suggest to the author of the article, "If you can regularly reproduce whatever it was that Jesus did, then I'll toss out the sound system. Until then, let's make use of the tools God gives us, wot?"

[Mike Donahue]

I think what he is trying to say is for us not to get distracted by the media and all the info that saturates our lives. But in return we need to monitor the affect that it has on our lives when we can't pay attention long enough to see what christ is trying to say. he says in the end of the article that we need to dissect what comes in and think logically and use reason not the quick impression or feelings we get.
MIke D

[wmmsaved]

Some of the comments here make me sad. I agree with one post that basically said that we, the church, should not do ANYTHING that drives or turns people away. Does that not include our elders (those whom God says we should honor and treat with respect)? Rather than "helping them find another church" or worse yet, being condescending toward them, doesn't our Bible tell us that we are to include them, love them, honor them and learn from them?

For example, if God has placed hymns in their heart, who are we to prevent them from singing those hymns in praise and worship to God. How are we going to answer God when He inquires about that? Are you going to tell your local symphony to "toss out the old stuff" and change to only rock music because symphonies are no longer of value? There is room and a need for both. Failing to recognize that is nothing if not selfish.

While there is nothing inherently wrong with music styles or technology, in too many churches, these things have become the center of attention and THAT is the danger. We who serve in the technology area of worship need to be most vigilant of all. It should never be about which church puts on the best show, has the coolest gear and the best band or draws the biggest crowd . If we are counting on anything other than God's message (His Word and how it has changed US) to attract people and change hearts, we're headed in the wrong direction. If what we do is becoming a distraction, or worse yet, the draw, we need to change our hearts and our approach.

I sincerely hope that churches will return to blended services that embrace ALL resources, approaches and people that are available to spread God's word, not just the contemporary.

[Les Wilson]

Here's another radically informative takes-longer-than-5-minutes article pointing out the true problem is Helvetica font.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...ook#printMode_