Together Separately...or e-God + iPod = iGod?

Podcasting is a great thing. I was able to listen to a half-hour talk on the Essentials for Salvation at work today while I was testing some software I had written. On the way into work this morning I heard that a church in Oregon (I think it was) is now putting their sermons in podcast so people can listen. What a terrific way to reach so many more people...I think. One of my favorite Christian Apologists is supposedly going to start podcasting his radio broadcast as well - which will be sweet if he does because he's in California and I usually have to wait until Tuesday or Wednesday to download his show so I can hear it. He's only on Sunday afternoons for a couple of hours and with podcasting, it will automatically download to my PC when it's available (geez, how lazy have I gotten - lol). I think all these things are good - you can download some of your favorite speakers (as long as they upload their talks/broadcasts/sermons) to iTunes (I'm not really sure how it all works) and listen to them anywhere in the world at the click of a button.

On the other hand, I am worried about the bad side of it as well. We've become, in such a short amount of time, a society that is more at easy in the world of Chat Rooms, Message Boards, Blogs, Instant Messengers and E-Mails, that we have begun to be isolated from human contact. If church is about community and fellowship and corporate worship - how dangerous is it that listening to a sermon is a click away on a computer and we can be fed without being in fellowship? Is it possible that the church, while trying to use technology in a beneficial way, can actually dissolve itself by the same technology? Perhaps that is a bit of an extreme view - but as quickly as things shift and change in our information age - is it a viable concern? Isn't part of the churches attraction our community?

While I think that we can use technology in a way that helps spread the Word, I hope we never reach the day where we all download our e-God to our iPod and worship sitting in front of our monitors together separately.

Shawn

We're back

And all I can say is WOW!!!

Davina and I had the best time and it was excellent. A fantastic presentation by Ravi and the two members from his staff. Ravi spoke first on the topic of "Defending the Faith in the 21st Century". He really focused in on how peoples apologetic has to be not just spoken, but lived and how our worship needs to be authentic.

A gentlemen by the name of L.T. Jeyachandran (he is head of the Ravi Zacharias International Ministry branch in Asia) spoke on the topic of "Trinitarian Answers to the New Age Movement" - again another great talk with some really nice insights. Pretty appropriate since we are beginning to talk on this theme in my Sunday morning class this coming week - I'll be using some of his talking points.

Finally, Stuart McAllister spoke on "Apologetics Then and Now". He made a very compelling argument from the Gospels and Acts on how both Jesus and Paul used current cultural activities and stories to make a spiritual Christian point. He tied that in to current day on how we can use movies, popular literature, music and the arts to find creative ways to teach the Gospel be looking at their overall themes that they speak to.

The main theme of the night was "Engaging Today's Culture". It was a really fun, inspiring and instructive evening. After they each spoke, then they all went back to the stage and did a panel Q&A. Ravi was brilliant as usual. The entire evening lasted about 4 hours - maybe a few minutes more - but it went by so quickly.

Shawn

I'm jazzed

Woo Hoo - Davina and I are taking a quick, turn-around trip to Irvine, California in the middle of the week. We'll fly into Long Beach Wednesday afternoon and return to Phoenix Thursday morning. The reason for the trip? I get to see Ravi Zacharias deliver a talk at Mariner's Church on the topic of "Engaging Today's Culture". According to Ravi's website "they discuss issues of worldview, truth, and how to engage in meaningful conversations that are relevant to today's culture." I've read several of Ravi's books and have a few of his lectures and Q&A sessions on cd and he is such a powerful speaker. If you are not familiar with Ravi - you can ask me or you can just click his link at the right-hand side of this blog. His is the first link in my list.

Shawn

Linguistically Speaking

I read a true story this morning about a couple who went to an ice cream stand. The gentleman who owned the stand took this couples order. He was Hindi and spoke with a thick accent. After the order was received, he turned to his new employee and gave him instructions in careful, but fragmented Spanish - the employee didn't speak English or Hindi. Watching all this, the husband asked the owner if he knew Spanish? The owner replied, "Not really. But the teacher is no good unless he speaks the language of the student."

A blending of languages. With all the languages that creation speaks (Scripture says creation groans and that the heavens worship God) isn't it awesome that God spoke to us in our language? That he descended to our level, became like us and spoke in a language that we could understand? Our Teacher spoke the language of His students and we are all the better for it.

Our God is an awesome God

Shawn

Put a helmet on!

Are you kidding me? Are we really this sensitive? Am I missing something here? Well, if I am missing something, please let me know because I just don't get it. Granted I'm not a parent, but c'mon people - shake yourselves and get a grip...

According to the AP, a group of parents got seriously bent when a teacher showed her class snippets from the opera 'Faust'. Some of the parents are saying the teacher is Satanic because this opera is about a "character sells his soul to the devil in exchange for being young again". She, the music teacher, showed it to about 250 2nd and 3rd graders. If it is content they are worried about - I sure hope these parents don't let their kids watch a lot of what is on the cartoon channels. Heck, I hope they don't let them participate in halloween - can you imagine the trauma and the psychiatric bills?

I love movies and consequently I end up in the movie theaters alot. I love all types of movies but probably horror and suspense are my favorites - and I've seen parents dragging their kids into these things - kids who aren't even old enough yet to be in school, much less the 3rd grade. And they are going to have the audacity to complain about high art? Yes, I do consider opera high art - particularly when compared to movies. By the way - I love opera too - but that's besides the point.

If you are going to have your 4 or 5 year old (or newborn - as I witnessed in horror when a parent brought them along when they watched The Grudge) in a movie that some adults can't handle - I don't want to hear complaints when they are being asked to watch an opera that has someone playing Satan in it. If they allow their kids to watch South Park ("humor" not even fit for adults much less kids and extreme violence) or The Roadrunner (again, violence) then they have no room for calling out a teacher when it comes to something like this.

Hey, I've got an idea - put a helmet on - that should protect you. And while you are at it, I've got a few pages from the Good Book that you can tear out as well - let me find my concordance and I'll give you a list of all the places it mentions Satan in it. Wouldn't want that disrupting your peaceful study time.

Here is a link to the actual story: Faust Opera Angers Parents

You are more than free to comment and complain away at me if you so wish. I can take it - I've got my helmet on at all times. :)

Shawn

Christian Cows

For several months now I've thought about starting up a blog titled "The Christian Cow". Actually, I've got the space reserved, but I haven't posted anything there yet. Part of the hesitation is that I'm not sure how well sarcasm would be received. As Christians, we tend to do a lot of silly things I think and I was going to use that blog as a way to point out how ridiculous we can be at times.

For instance, several weeks back someone mentioned in a group setting that we should be more open with everything in our lives in order to foster deeper fellowship within the community. Case in point, they said they had a friend who was going to be making a financial decision and that they were glad this person discussed their financial plans with them because they were able to deter them from seeking a loan from a particular banking establishment. Apparently this bank support homosexuality and as Christians we shouldn't do business with them. So what then? We seeking out a Christian only bank? Are their business practices going to be any more ethical than a non-Christian branch? There are too many criteria to address and what if my criteria doesn't match yours? Who's right and who's wrong? Should we only conduct business with Christian companies? Should we only watch Christian television and listen to Christian music? Should we only drink milk from a Christian cow? What if the cow eats grass planted by an Atheist - has the cow sinned?

It's enough to drive me mad. Do I believe that homosexuality is wrong? Sure I do, I believe that Scripture is emphatically clear on that point. But do I isolate myself from everything that is non-biblical to make some point? No, because isolation removes our presence and voice from the public square and it renders the message of Christ and the Cross meaningless. Our influence in the world comes not from isolation, but from innoculation. That's what it means to be salt and light. Salt doesn't flavor and preserve anything if it is kept sealed away and stored on some pantry shelf - it's useless in that context. Only when it comes in close contact - actually when it is embedded within, does it preserve and give flavor.

Shawn