{"id":593,"date":"2008-11-14T00:01:48","date_gmt":"2008-11-14T00:01:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2008\/11\/unusual-hi-tech-retreat-at-laity-lodge.html"},"modified":"2008-11-14T00:01:48","modified_gmt":"2008-11-14T00:01:48","slug":"unusual-hi-tech-retreat-at-laity-lodge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/11\/unusual-hi-tech-retreat-at-laity-lodge.html","title":{"rendered":"Unusual Hi-Tech Retreat at Laity Lodge"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"FrioLaity Lodge is, quite intentionally, a lo-tech place. We don’t have cell service in the Frio Canyon where Laity Lodge is located, and we don’t want it. If people need to make phone calls, they can use pay phones! We don’t have televisions. We have a few computers with limited Internet access . . . only for emergencies. Our hope is to give people on retreat a break from the ever-present interruptions of technology. If folks can stop checking their email for a weekend, just maybe they’ll be quiet enough to hear from God! (Photo: The Frio River alongside Laity Lodge in autumn.)\"Cody
\nBut this week we’ve had a very unusual retreat at Laity Lodge.\u00a0 The Global Christian Internet Alliance<\/a> has been meeting here. This is an international network of ministries using the Internet to further the cause of Christ. It is sponsored by Christianity Today International<\/a>, the organization that published Christianity Today<\/em><\/a> magazine and so very much more. GCIA met in the Cody Center of Laity Lodge, a space usually reserved for low-tech art and music. But, this week, the room was filled with computers connected by wi-fi to the Internet.
\nGCIA members spent most of the time sharing their ministries: a wide-ranging collection of Internet-based efforts. There was an extensive presentation on GodTube<\/a> and its future. Participants came from across the globe, including: Chile<\/a>, Germany<\/a>, France<\/a>, Sweden<\/a>, Brazil<\/a>, Korea<\/a>, India<\/a>, Canada<\/a>, Costa Rica<\/a>, and the Netherlands<\/a>. The links I’ve supplied are just examples of the many ministries represented at the retreat.
\nThere was also a conversation about the sociological and theological implications of the new media. It was led by Heidi Campbell, a professor at Texas A&M University who specializes in religious use of the Internet. Check out her fascinating website: When Religion Meets New Media<\/a>.
\nIt was great to have such a diverse group of visionary Christians out at Laity Lodge. I’m impressed by their creativity and commitment to Christ. Kudos to Christianity Today for their bold vision and efforts to communicate the gospel across the world.
\nIf you’re a Laity Lodge fan, don’t worry. By next week the Cody Center will be returned to its quiet and peaceful norm. The Internet will be turned off.\u00a0 And Laity Lodge will be back to low-tech. But it’s been an honor for us to offer hospitality to this hi-tech bunch from around the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Laity Lodge is, quite intentionally, a lo-tech place. We don’t have cell service in the Frio Canyon where Laity Lodge is located, and we don’t want it. If people need to make phone calls, they can use pay phones! We don’t have televisions. We have a few computers with limited Internet access . . .…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sharing-laity-lodge"],"yoast_head":"\nUnusual Hi-Tech Retreat at Laity Lodge - Mark D. Roberts<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2008\/11\/unusual-hi-tech-retreat-at-laity-lodge.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Unusual Hi-Tech Retreat at Laity Lodge - Mark D. Roberts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Laity Lodge is, quite intentionally, a lo-tech place. We don’t have cell service in the Frio Canyon where Laity Lodge is located, and we don’t want it. If people need to make phone calls, they can use pay phones! We don’t have televisions. 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Roberts","description":"Mark D. Roberts: Thoughtfully Christian Reflections on Jesus, the Church, and the World","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/1ff094a57b7e41f534434b1723df3d73","name":"Mark D. Roberts","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-content\/wphb-cache\/gravatar\/f2d\/f2ddf5f080861f66ea230384f9d1bab2x96.jpg","caption":"Mark D. Roberts"},"description":"The Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts is a pastor, author, retreat leader, speaker, and blogger. Since October 2007 he has been the Senior Director and Scholar-in-Residence for Laity Lodge, a multifaceted ministry in the Hill Country of Texas. Before coming to Laity Lodge, he was for sixteen years the Senior Pastor of Irvine Presbyterian Church in Irvine, California (a city in Orange County about forty miles south of Los Angeles). Before his time at Irvine Pres, Mark served on the staff of the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood as Associate Pastor of Education. (Thanks to Janel Pahl for taking the photo to the right.) Mark studied at Harvard University, receiving a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in the Study of Religion, and a Ph.D. in New Testament and Christian Origins. He has taught classes in New Testament for Fuller Theological Seminary and San Francisco Theological Seminary. Mark has written several books, including No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer (WaterBrook, 2005), Dare to Be True (WaterBrook, 2003), Jesus Revealed (WaterBrook, 2002), After \"I Believe\" (Baker, 2002), and Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Word, 1993). His most recent book is Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Crossway, 2007). He is currently working on a commentary on Ephesians that will be published by Zondervan in 2014. Mark writes a devotional for The High Calling of Our Daily Work, a website associated with Laity Lodge. His \"Daily Reflections\" can be viewed online or sent as a daily email. If you wish to receive this email, just visit TheHighCalling.org and sign up. Mark serves on the editorial board of Worship Leader magazine, where he publishes articles and reviews, including his regular column \"Lyrical Poetry.\" Additionally, he has published dozens of articles in leading magazines and journals. He often speaks for churches and other Christian groups, and has been interviewed on over seventy-five radio programs nationwide. Mark is married to Linda, who is a Marriage and Family Therapist, a Spiritual Director, and a retreat speaker. They have two children, Nathan and Kara.For Publicity Photos and Bio Statements for Mark, please check here. Mark's Dossier Professional History: Senior Director and Scholar-in Residence, Laity Lodge, October 2007 to present. Senior Pastor Irvine Presbyterian Church, June 1991 to September 2007 Adjunct Assistant Professor Fuller Theological Seminary, 1994 to 2007. Courses: New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Adjunct Instructor San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1995 to 2001. Courses: New Testament Greek and Exegesis Associate Pastor of Education First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, 1987-1991 Teaching Fellow Harvard University, 1980-1983 Education: Ph.D. in the Study of Religion. Harvard University, 1992. Area: New Testament and Christian Origins M.A. in the Study of Religion Harvard University, 1984. A.B. magna cum laude in Philosophy Harvard University, 1979. Phi Beta Kappa; Danforth Fellowship Books: Can We Trust the Gospels? Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Crossway, 2007 No Holds Barred: Wrestling with God in Prayer. WaterBrook, 2005 Dare to Be True: Living in the Freedom of Complete Honesty. WaterBrook, 2003. Jesus Revealed: Know Him Better to Love Him Better. WaterBrook, 2002. After \"I Believe\": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. Baker, 2002. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther in the Communicator's Commentary Series. Word, 1993. Contacting Mark: You can reach Mark at: E-mail: mark@markdroberts.com mroberts@laitylodge.org Phone: Laity Lodge: (830) 792-1216 Address: Laity Lodge 719 Earl Garrett Kerrville, TX 78028","url":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/author\/mroberts"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/214"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=593"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/593\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}