Perhaps you’ve seen this clip of “Sixth Sense Technology,” which has stirred my thinking about how prepared ministries and churches are for the emerging and integrative technologies of the future (or present).
To be clear, I’m not advocating that we should follow every technological trend the world throws at us. In fact, if we’re not prayerful, thoughtful and intentional about how (and for what purposes) we utilize technology, we could be sucked into a distracting and expensive black hole.
I do believe, however, that we should be willing to grapple with technological questions and not bury our heads in the sand when faced with them.
Does technology provide opportunities for us to connect with people with whom we would otherwise not connect? Through technology, are we able to communicate the message of Christ more effectively? Is a particular technology standing in the way of a true personal relationship with those we are called to reach?
There are many other questions that we should be asking. The point is that we should be asking them and hopefully reaching at least some conclusions.
Tags: Questions, Sixth Sense Technology
Categories: Communication, Media, Relationship Building, Technology
15 Responses
August 31st, 2009 at 11:16 am
Oh my gosh!!! This is crazy!
This is like a scene from Minority Report! (but she said that)
Could you imagine the day when a pastor will be able to show someone through this device their need for Christ, and etc. The possibilities are endless.
But I must admit it does scare me as well…considering what destruction can be done in the wrong hands. I can imagine more people in the church being more cautious of the latter.
August 31st, 2009 at 11:41 am
No doubt, Michael. My main concern is the accelerated rate at which technology is advancing. The church is generally light years behind.
I definitely don’t claim to have all the answers, but feel strongly that the conversation should be happening as an intentional part of our daily ministry experience. IMO, we shouldn’t just sit back and be on the receiving end of these advances.
This is where intentionality in decision-making matters.
Thanks for your comments.
Kerry
August 31st, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Churches are very behind and some are just now using PowerPoint and think this is advanced technology. Thanks for keeping us aware of issues that affect the church.
Shirley
August 31st, 2009 at 1:02 pm
My pleasure, Shirley. Thanks for reading and thinking about these issues! We appreciate the comments.
Kerry
September 1st, 2009 at 6:51 am
@Paula- great comment: “Churches are very behind and some are just now using PowerPoint and think this is advanced technology.”
@Kerry-I just showed my wife the video and we both concluded the same thing: that’s crazy! :)
September 1st, 2009 at 8:40 am
First, I think the Church has come much farther in the last decade when it comes to embracing technology than it is given credit for. Sure there are still some using overhead projectors for song lyrics. But look at the contributions to technology that LifeChurch.tv has made with YouVersion.com and BabelWith.me. There are also bloggers out there like John at ChurchCrunch.com that contribute to the discussion of how technology and the Church mix.
As a day dreamer and somewhat of a futurist, I’ve given some thought to how technologies like this and others will affect the church. Consider this scenario, for example:
Technologies in the realm of cybernetics (it’s not just sci-fi, there are some very interesting things happening in this field) continue to advance eventually replacing the organic with the synthetic, until at one point, what we know as consciousness is replicated on a chip that can “live” indefinitely. This raises a couple a few questions including ones about the nature of the soul and immortality.
I know I sound insane, bear with me.
My point is, discussions like these are taking place more and more often by those involved in the Church. I think we are better positioned now more than ever to tackle issues such as the ones presented in the TED talk. I am reminded of one of my favorite quotes:
“…we do not know what a day may bring forth. This is generally said with a sigh of sadness, it should rather be an expression of breathless expectation.”
- Oswald Chambers
September 1st, 2009 at 8:56 am
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September 1st, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Eric,
Good observations.
I agree that some churches are having these conversations and utilizing technology well. I also think there are many, many others, who need to really lean into this convo.
Great point and tight Chambers quote.
Thanks so much!
September 1st, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Michael,
I appreciate the ping back on http://repairerofthebreach.wordpress.com
You make some great points and unpack this topic even further.
September 4th, 2009 at 1:51 am
Scary…..the Church must be prepared for any eventuality. Tks!
September 4th, 2009 at 8:11 am
True, Ronnie, we must be prepared. As Eric discussed above, thankfully there is much progress in this area.
We appreciate the comments.
Kerry
September 4th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
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September 9th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
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September 17th, 2009 at 8:20 am
I vote that churches use technology but more importantly that churches teach the revelation of the scripture to the believers. This will be accomplished by skilled Bible teachers not pastors who preach application, talking points, and stories.
September 17th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Thanks for your comments, T.F.
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