With the invention of Twitter and Facebook taking off, it was only a matter of time until the debate happened. Should those technologies be used inside the church?
Several churches have created accounts on Twitter and Facebook. Recently, my own church took it a step further by creating a service for adults in their twenties and thirties in which Twittering is allowed. It is the same service as the morning and Saturday night services, but it allows those in attendance to tweet during the service with questions and observations.
It offers an interactive approach to church. As our pastor teaches, he is able to address more by answering questions from the audience or addressing aspects he originally did not think about that someone might bring up.
This past Sunday, our church was featured on the front page of Houston Chronicle because of this new service. I have to admit I was shocked at how many people have such strong opinions about this service.
There were comments about how the people in our church were going to hell to comments about classism and the church only wanting to make money. People even commented that the church should spend less time spending money on technology and more time helping the poor.
I was shocked. One of the main reasons we chose this church was because of the amount of work they do in the community as well as internationally. We also chose the church because of the creativity they believe should be unleashed in the worship of God.
A lot of the comments accused the church of being unbiblical just because of their use of Twitter. This was upsetting to me. Church during New Testament times was interactive. The church we know today is very opposite. It was more of groups meeting together to worship and learn the word of God.
I think today too much emphasis is placed on one pastor and his take of the gospel. Then if you question his take, you better be ready to move to the next church. Hence, the reason we have 50 churches of differing denominations in a ten block radius.
I admit technology can be used in bad ways. I don't think spreading the gospel or offering members a more in-depth opportunity into the message is bad. Even the use of television, has been both good and bad in spreading the gospel. I mean we all know the impression we have of some so-called Christians who parade on tv every week. But then there are those ones that are reaching people that never would have been reached.
I guess my point is that just because a church is more traditional, does not mean they are more Godly. How church is done does not have bearing on Christianity. The use of technology does not mean you are going to hell.
That being said, I admit that technology can be a distraction. I don't see twittering as such for this generation who is used to multi-tasking. After all, I usually write down questions during services to my husband. This way, it would just be out loud. I also have written questions in the margins as notes. I don't really see this as a distraction.
I do however see how this would not work in the catholic church or other churches that are conditioned to a more traditional service. There services could be called interactive as well, though with set readings, kneeling, etc.
This is not meant to be a piece on how great our church is either. If you want to know more about the church I attend, feel free to visit online and watch a service or two at
www.woodlandschurch.tv You are perfectly capable of making up your own mind.
As for the article and comments in the Houston Chronicle, visit
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6662287.html to read the article and responses.
I did want to ask your opinion. Would you consider attending a church in which Twittering was part of the service process? What are your thoughts of technology in the church? Is it too worldly to be included? Is it wrong for churches to use technology to reach people in the community? Leave your responses in the comment section below. I am opening up the debate.
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