Technology is moving at the speed of light. The common thumb-drive that fits in your pocket can potentially hold more information than the original NASA computers that were involved in the moon landing. Yes a thumb-drive!!
Your cell phone is way, way beyond that!!!
Technology is a great tool, it can be used in so many ways and the applications are virtually endless. Technology is very useful.
But I am going to raise an issue here that will sound very “Old School” and in fact it is, “Old School”.
The issue stems from a strong conviction that was ingrained into me during my Theological Schooling and in particular my Preaching (elocution) classes.
It was taught to us, that when you are going to preach, you must enter the pulpit “Carrying your Bible” and then you are to place that bible deliberately on the pulpit in an attitude and gesture of reverence. Then you were to pray over it then read from its pages.
To that picture, let me add the words of a Pastor whose ministry I sat under for some time. This pastor told me, “When you preach, STAND BEHIND THE WORD”.
“When you read the passage …”, I was told, “ …pick it up off the pulpit, hold it in your hands and show where it comes from” ( Thus teaching them how to read it)
In other words, this is not about you, it is about God, His word and what He has to say to “US” today.
So what does this have to do with tech?
When that Bible is placed on the pulpit everyone knows its function, its power, its purpose and if we are “standing behind it” as a teacher or preacher we will know its application too and will be able to convey it.
If I carry my laptop, tablet or whatever into the pulpit, it is a common thing in my hand, often used for common purposes. It just cannot convey the same singularity of focus and expectation required for a very uncommon and eternal message.
Oh sure you can preach a fine sermon, a very biblical sermon in fact from a tech screen.
But…
The value of a bible in your hand is beyond measure, not only for preaching but for your personal time with the Lord.
The only “call” that you will receive or “text” you will be presented with will come from God Himself, with a Bible in your hand.
Don’t get me wrong I have a bible app on my phone and top notch Bible study software on my lap-top. But oh… there is nothing like a bible in your hand!!!
Oh, the feel of it when opening it up; the deliberate turning off of distractions to focus on it. The turning of the pages , back and forth. It catches your tears when they fall on the page, the pages crease when you grip it in frustration over passages you struggle over or in times of coming to grips with conviction.
There is nothing like the value of a Bible in your hand.
culture2truth 