I remember my first taste of the internet as a senior in high school. It was fascinating: email, chat rooms, and crazy information at the tip of my fingers. After years of internet surfing, I still love the internet. After years of email, situating contacts, inbox clutter, and junk mail, I still am a fan of the internet. Most notably, I love the recent phenomonan of the blogosphere.
Here's one of the problems with the internet and email - Forwards and daily emails. This may seem as a surprise to many of you since you receive a new weekly mass email I started - "Question of the Week." I have always loved surveys, but my aunt Tanya suggested this as a fun and quick alternative to the long surveys. Needless to say, I like it. I hope you enjoy the interaction you have with friends and family through this email.
There are overwhelming amounts of forwards that promise luck or the spiritualized version promising a blessing. Things like these waste everyone's time including the people that type in the subject line, "This is great! Read this!" Superficial and shallow emails waste time.
The bottom line is that people are turning to para-church alternatives for spiritual nourishment. These alternatives often differ in doctrine and are simply weak. Rather than driving ourselves to such measures, let's turn to our local church. The church is responsible to build up the saints to maturity. Ask your church for opportunities to study the Bible and hear what history has to say about doctrine, controversy, and the Kingdom of God. Let's dig into some biographies of great missionaries, preachers, and others that gave their life to the advancement of the Kingdom.
We have to study to show ourselves approved. Even as John Calvin said on his death bed when others urged him to stop working, "Should my Lord return and find my hands idle?"
For now I'll continue to delete junk emails and weak forwards. And this disembodied voice will carry on . . . blogging.
1 comment:
Yes! Yes! Yes! The "Send this to 5 of your friends and you'll be..." whatever...are just one more piece of guiltmail I don't need. It feels so good to simply open up to someone who will listen, (thanks JM)or to have someone open up to you. Not so that one can fix the issue or even suggest the "Here's what you do" list, but just to soak it in and place yourself into the tellers shoes and feel with them. I think that perhaps the survey is a way to get past the superficial. When we see the question in a survey, on paper, or on a screen we are intrigued by it to the point of thought. Honest thought. Reflective and perhaps spiritual thought. So, feel free to join a group, a bible study, a blog, a class, or a survey, but do it in person first...one question at a time...real questions. Hard questions. Questions God might ask..."Who told you that you were naked?", or have you...today? I want to be held accountable by folks that want to be held accountable as well. Thanks for the insight JM and enjoy the Lord! Al
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