{"id":837,"date":"2009-07-31T04:01:00","date_gmt":"2009-07-31T04:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/markdroberts\/2009\/07\/church-and-the-internet-were-not-in-kansas-anymore-section-3.html"},"modified":"2009-07-31T04:01:00","modified_gmt":"2009-07-31T04:01:00","slug":"church-and-the-internet-were-not-in-kansas-anymore-section-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/2009\/07\/church-and-the-internet-were-not-in-kansas-anymore-section-3.html","title":{"rendered":"Church and the Internet: We\u2019re Not in Kansas Anymore (Section 3)"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the last couple of days I’ve been reflecting on the impact of the Internet on the church, especially with respect to the calling of a new pastor in a church. I want to finish up (for now) with some general reflections.
\n1. We can’t go back to Kansas.\u00a0<\/strong>
\nIf Kansas represents a world of secure, local communications, a world where the confidentiality of things like pastor-calling efforts can be protected, then we can’t go back to Kansas. There are no Ruby slippers for the church. What the Internet, cell phones, and related technologies have started cannot be stopped. Oh, I expect some churches will manage to hold back the tide for a while. And, just you watch, soon we’ll be seeing younger generations rejecting electronic church and going unplugged. This kind of reaction is almost guaranteed. But, for the most part, we will not be able to unflatten the world. (By the way, the metaphor of the Internet-related flatness of the world comes from Thomas L. Friedman’s watershed book, The World is Flat<\/em><\/a>. Photo: My daughter and her friend dressing up as ruby slippers for Halloween.)
\n2. Just because the technology is available, that does not mean we should use it.<\/strong>
\nThough I think the Internet and related technologies are here to stay, and though I think the church needs to use them in a thoughtful and faithful way, I do not assume that just because a technology is available that it should, therefore, be used. My family and I, for example, still live in the dinosaur age of TV antennas. We do have a television at home, but we do not have cable, or sattelite, or whatever else is available. The only TV we get comes in for free from the small antenna attached to our chimney. We have made this unusual choice, not only to save money, but also because we just don’t need more TV in our home.
\n3. Christians and churches need to learn to think strategically, creatively, and, most of all, theologically about technology.\u00a0<\/strong>
\nIn my experience, we’re pretty good at the first, thinking strategically about technology. We can evaluate its impact on our lives and ministries, though sometimes we do not consider unintended consequences of technology.
\nI have not sensed an abundance of creativity among Christians and churches when it comes to technology. Mostly we do what the world does. Or we copy the megachurches. Or at least we try (usually, without much success). I include myself in this observation, by the way.
\nBut I am most concerned about the lack of theological reflection on technology among Christians of all stripes (conservative, liberal, pro-tech, anti-tech, etc. etc.).
\n4. Technology is part of this world, which means it necessarily includes both good and evil, as well as relatively neutral “stuff.”<\/strong>
\nThere’s a bit of theological reflection.\u00a0 If we take seriously the fundamental goodness of creation and its fallenness, then we should expect all technologies to be a mix of good and evil, right and wrong. Moreover, they will be used by us fallen people, who, even if we have been redeemed, are not yet fully renewed. In my opinion, the example of Rich Kannwischer and St. Andrew’s exemplifies the moral mixed-up-ness of technology.
\n5. Those of us who have the resources to entertain ourselves with technological wonders, even in church, need to think long and hard about how our choices impact (or do not impact) Christians and churches who don’t have such resources.<\/strong>
\nI sometimes wonder if our lavish technological expenditures make sense in a world where so many Christians and churches have so little.
\n6. I have no idea how much technology there will be in the new creation, but a part of me hopes it’s rather more like a garden than a Wi-Fi hotspot.\u00a0 <\/strong>
\nI won’t be all that sad if there are cell phones and even the Web in the new heaven and new earth. But I do hope there’s something like an iPod for listening to music. Angelic choirs are fine, but I would prefer a little variety.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the last couple of days I’ve been reflecting on the impact of the Internet on the church, especially with respect to the calling of a new pastor in a church. I want to finish up (for now) with some general reflections. 1. We can’t go back to Kansas.\u00a0 If Kansas represents a world of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[78],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-837","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-church-and-internet"],"yoast_head":"\nChurch and the Internet: We\u2019re Not in Kansas Anymore (Section 3) - Mark D. 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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\/837","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=837"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/837\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=837"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=837"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/markdroberts\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=837"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}