Technology

I read on a blog somewhere a few weeks ago, that the role of "personal" technology tools (my own term) was being debated for the upcoming General Conferences. Should cell phones, laptops, and PDA's be allowed into the sessions? The person who was writing the blog post expressed an opinion that older people might feel that these objects were distractions from ministry, while younger delegates would see them as tools for ministry.

A friend at church, who does not have a very close relationship with her computer, asked me once if I feel "chained to my computer." I send out a ton of emails each day, write a blog entry every day, and use the computer for an endless number of functions at work in the lab and within the work I do at the church. No, I don't feel chained to it; I feel freed by it.

I don't mean to discount the idea that technology can get between us and God -- that sometimes there are situations in which is can be a distraction or a priority above and beyond working for or attempting to communicate with God.

How do I use technology for ministry?

• Email -- Email is one of my most used technological tools for ministry. It enables me to do so much more than I would otherwise be able to do. For example, Jeff the Methodist and I teach a class together on Wednesday nights. We plan the lesson ahead of time -- through email. We would never be able to find time to meet in person each week to do the planning that we do, but because of email, we are able to send our thoughts and comments to each other. The result is a lesson unified in content and purpose, but team taught. Another example -- in a few moments, when I am finished writing this post, I'll log onto email, and send out our church's Lenten devotion for tomorrow to over 140 people. Our church would never be able to reach that many people in that large of a geographic region -- daily.
• Internet -- Once I'm finished sending out the devotion, I'll post it on a blog. It will be available for anyone in the world to read. Who knows who God will touch with it? When I write Sunday school lessons, I can check the internet for ideas; I can copy and paste Bible verses to a handout without taking the time to type them.
• Cell phone -- I am always a phone call away. I am close to my children when I am somewhere else. Steve and JtM were shopping for food to break the fast at the youth famine on Saturday. MT and I were at church. Do we have eggs? They just called us to find out, and ministry was enabled.

Technology has its place. For me it enables much of my ministry. Just like God took my bread baking and turned it into spiritual food, he can take technology and put it to his own use. Does it ever get between us and God? Certainly, and we need to be careful with it, but I, for one, am grateful for these gifts.

Image: Sunrise on Friday as I drove to Panera for breakfast with my husband.