*****WARNING! This is a rant off the top of my soap box so for those with weak stomachs, take a pass.*****
Recently I heard someone make the point that we as Christians today & churches today seem to DEPEND on technology to spread the Gospel. I really thought that through & started to agree the more I thought about it. That we (not all, but some) are getting lazy & soft in our "duty call" as Christians. We are depending too much on technology & the ease it gives us in spreading the Word. If we have a website for our church with instructions on how to believe & be baptized, that's less contact on our part. Do we KNOW the person really understands? We haven't been there to study with them to see their growth & understanding. Or instead of a prayer request phone chain in the church, e-mails. What about an automated phone call cancelling services? What if the overhead projector is down? Can the preacher give his lesson? If the flat screen televisions aren't working, how will we read the scriptures or get the song numbers to turn to??
I personally finding it VERY distracting when someone is having "technical trouble" and so servies are haltingly interupted to fix the issue like we don't know how to go on. PLUEEEZE!!!!
The internet & information age has helped the churches of today there is no doubt or question there. Technology has furthered some of the churches progress & ability to minister. I have seen several people baptized through the English Bible courses through e-mail in Japan. It's a way to reach people through teaching them English using the Bible. Use their curiosity in the Word as well as their ability to communicate through international e-mails. But where is the line? Why bother to bring your Bible to church anymore? They'll have the scriptures & songs up on the screen for everyone to see. During the sermon there's no need to turn to the scriptures because it's all typed out for you. And it IS bigger print than my Bible has. Shoot! Who needs a Bible? I have my PalmPilot with a scripture program loaded into it! I can point & click and bring up any scripture I need to. That's not distracting at ALL! Just to kids in a 12 pew radius.
My fear is anymore it's getting more unique to have human contact with our souls we're trying to win. Hurricane Katrina helped us get back in touch with gathering physical supplies & taking them to those in need. Physically getting up & doing something. Taking things to shut-ins & widows. Does anyone remember the verse in James where we are called to look after the widows & orphans? How about their groceries, medicines, lawns mowed? Making sure your flock & those in need, have their needs physically met. Or are we more concerned about the youth group or young marrieds? Everyone has needs & it is important to not neglect our youth as they are the church of tomorrow. But are we leading by example? Showing them WHO is important in the congregation? That each one is important & has their place to fullfill?
Churches with the loudest bands/choirs/instruments, worship services & most charasmatic preaching, are the ones winning the prizes for most pews filled. Do you think there's some award waiting for you somewhere? "I Entertained the Masses & All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt". Pews are packed with people now a days waiting to be "moved" during their worship service. Waiting to FEEL "saved" & "born again". Wanting to attend a church where it's like watching an interactive television program rather than being there to learn & lift one another up in encouragement so we can face our week "in the world". Are you there to learn from the Word of God, or be kept awake by the happiest, loudest service?
We might find it old fashioned to door-knock anymore, and I have no doubt many would be scared to open their doors very wide in this day & age. But I hope that when we go & preach the Gospel, as Jesus instructed his disciples in Mark 16, we really will GO & not just wear a t-shirt with the name & location of our church building hoping that brings some curious people in on Sunday. We'll actually SEE the person or really get out an old worn copy of the Word to show the scriptures that tell us as sinners to repent & be baptized, rather than present our case like it was a board room full of CEO's impressed with the latest techno gadgets we're using. It wasn't THAT long ago many Christians gathered in homes to worship in secret & it was all done by lamp or candlelight. We're called in Mark to "go out into all the world & preach the Gospel". Matthew says to let our lights shine and I don't think he means laser pointers people. Technology should be an asset to our ministry, not the sole means of winning souls.
****stepping down from soapbox now*****
Friday, January 26, 2007
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Adventures In Babysitting
Well as you've probably all heard or know from being here yourselves, we are iced in. Some with power, some without. It's pretty bad. It started last Friday & didn't stop until wave #4 hit Sunday afternoon. Our home lost power Sunday afternoon from 3pm-4am. I won't lie, it got cold people. We were saved by a neighborly neighbor who retreated to her mother's home (that had power & a working fireplace) & left us a halogen latern. I dug up some latern flashlights, and a few candles. And after 30 long minutes of whinning from son #1 about how he'd "never get to play my computer game again!" I dug out the TV/weather radio we had stashed. The halogen latern & tv radio were a God send! Seriously! You never know how quiet is TOO quiet until you're alone in a dark house with three children by yourself. Around 9:30pm we saw the electric company arrive & start to repair the transformer that my neighbor saw blow up. We mistakenly thought power would "soon" be restored. Ha! My neighbor's husband works for our electric company & he was working 12 hr shifts & sleeping a few hours in between. He let us know that they'd have to send tree trimmer crews out. They came at some point & begin trimming. It took awhile, I can't imagine how cold THEY were & if the people slept who's yard they were working in. But at least we can say it's stayed on & we're warm.
After the heat & electricity returned Monday we all were home. (the kids anyway for MLK Jr's birthday and hubbo because he couldn't get to work) It was a fun day of laying around doing nothing in our PJ's. Oh & giving GREAT thanks we weren't like some of my family who lived north of us that still didn't have power. (half have power now as I write this) I figured the kids wouldn't have school Tuesday & with great plans of sleeping in, I didn't mind. #2 son put a kabosh on that plan around 7:45am Tuesday bright & early. Hubbo did make it into work, although his normal 25 minute commute turned into one hour.
Wednesday rolled around, still no school, no sand or salt trucks for the streets. It was near impossible for anyone to get out. My hubbo said that our residential street is by far the worst he's been on. Sigh! More "quality time" with the kids I guess.
Thursday-No school. I've given in & admitted I obviously can't wait to clean until the kids go back to school because at this rate, we'll all run out of clean underwear! I did get to sleep in until 9:15am & felt I could clean the house while the baby napped so there was at least one less child to "help" me. I had to be creative & fix them lunch & bolt, er...I mean fasten them into their high chairs to eat while I swept & vacuumed. Then after wiping their dirty little faces I stuck #2 son in the tub to soak & laid #3 son down for a nap. Then I attacked the mountian of dishes in my sink. Although they had sort of spilled out onto the countertops. This COULD be why I couldn't find a spoon for #1 son's yogurt at lunch. But I figure a spit & shine to a used spoon won't hurt him badly enough to make him too sick. And if it does, well he won't be missing any school due to the illness, right?
I think my sanity will hold until the weekend when Hubbo can take over as main parental unit & I can hide in my room. I think. I don't know though. Today I was thinking I had an idea for an emergency kit for parents to send for in these "extreme conditions". And I ain't talking about the ice people. It could arrive in the mail (assuming you can get to your mailbox-I haven't seen mine in 7 days) and will contain: a shot of vodka, one cigarette & a gun with one bullet. **** Sound too extreme? Come to my house where kids are bored & annoying you for fun. Let's see how long YOU last buster! And the cherry on top is there are 4-12 inches of snow forecast for this weekend.
In close, I'd like to think we'll all survive this ordeal....but should some of us not, please remember I did clean the house, it just may not LOOK like I did when the CSI people get here.
Things I Learned While Iced/Snowed In:
*you CAN loose brain cells due to hearing the Boomba toy sing too much
*when hungry enough, kids WILL eat macaroni & cheese three times in a row
*you can never have enough candles even if it's just to set the house on fire to cover the scene of your crimes
*you don't get NEAR the projects done that you THINK you will with all that time on your hands
*time passes much more slowly when there are children in the house with nowhere else to go
*you CAN acquire asthma from "shhh-ing" your children too much
*a fork will work for eating yogurt if you haven't done your dishes in oh, days-you just have to be very very fast getting it to your mouth
*something equivalent to hibernation starts to take place the longer you are trapped in-doors
*children will NOT sleep in on days there is no school-some internal clock rouses them with the sun
*children can NOT be quiet doing ANYTHING when up earlier than a parent...there is NO way this is possible
*and the number one thing I've learned while stuck in-doors is: I don't MIND being snowed/iced in....it's all these other yahoo's in here with me that are making it not so fun.
*************this was a joke, please don't report me to the authorities or I'll just have to come to your house with the one bullet, and I hate to drive on ice.*******************
After the heat & electricity returned Monday we all were home. (the kids anyway for MLK Jr's birthday and hubbo because he couldn't get to work) It was a fun day of laying around doing nothing in our PJ's. Oh & giving GREAT thanks we weren't like some of my family who lived north of us that still didn't have power. (half have power now as I write this) I figured the kids wouldn't have school Tuesday & with great plans of sleeping in, I didn't mind. #2 son put a kabosh on that plan around 7:45am Tuesday bright & early. Hubbo did make it into work, although his normal 25 minute commute turned into one hour.
Wednesday rolled around, still no school, no sand or salt trucks for the streets. It was near impossible for anyone to get out. My hubbo said that our residential street is by far the worst he's been on. Sigh! More "quality time" with the kids I guess.
Thursday-No school. I've given in & admitted I obviously can't wait to clean until the kids go back to school because at this rate, we'll all run out of clean underwear! I did get to sleep in until 9:15am & felt I could clean the house while the baby napped so there was at least one less child to "help" me. I had to be creative & fix them lunch & bolt, er...I mean fasten them into their high chairs to eat while I swept & vacuumed. Then after wiping their dirty little faces I stuck #2 son in the tub to soak & laid #3 son down for a nap. Then I attacked the mountian of dishes in my sink. Although they had sort of spilled out onto the countertops. This COULD be why I couldn't find a spoon for #1 son's yogurt at lunch. But I figure a spit & shine to a used spoon won't hurt him badly enough to make him too sick. And if it does, well he won't be missing any school due to the illness, right?
I think my sanity will hold until the weekend when Hubbo can take over as main parental unit & I can hide in my room. I think. I don't know though. Today I was thinking I had an idea for an emergency kit for parents to send for in these "extreme conditions". And I ain't talking about the ice people. It could arrive in the mail (assuming you can get to your mailbox-I haven't seen mine in 7 days) and will contain: a shot of vodka, one cigarette & a gun with one bullet. **** Sound too extreme? Come to my house where kids are bored & annoying you for fun. Let's see how long YOU last buster! And the cherry on top is there are 4-12 inches of snow forecast for this weekend.
In close, I'd like to think we'll all survive this ordeal....but should some of us not, please remember I did clean the house, it just may not LOOK like I did when the CSI people get here.
Things I Learned While Iced/Snowed In:
*you CAN loose brain cells due to hearing the Boomba toy sing too much
*when hungry enough, kids WILL eat macaroni & cheese three times in a row
*you can never have enough candles even if it's just to set the house on fire to cover the scene of your crimes
*you don't get NEAR the projects done that you THINK you will with all that time on your hands
*time passes much more slowly when there are children in the house with nowhere else to go
*you CAN acquire asthma from "shhh-ing" your children too much
*a fork will work for eating yogurt if you haven't done your dishes in oh, days-you just have to be very very fast getting it to your mouth
*something equivalent to hibernation starts to take place the longer you are trapped in-doors
*children will NOT sleep in on days there is no school-some internal clock rouses them with the sun
*children can NOT be quiet doing ANYTHING when up earlier than a parent...there is NO way this is possible
*and the number one thing I've learned while stuck in-doors is: I don't MIND being snowed/iced in....it's all these other yahoo's in here with me that are making it not so fun.
*************this was a joke, please don't report me to the authorities or I'll just have to come to your house with the one bullet, and I hate to drive on ice.*******************
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)