A Theology of Technology (sort of)

Blogging from my iPad. I'm excited about new gear. Mostly because it is a tool to help me do ministry... And it's cool. Okay, perhaps mostly because it's cool! But I'm working on that motivation even as I blog from my iPad.

1 Corinthians 7:30-31 "those who weep or rejoice or who buy things should not be absorbed by their weeping or their joy or their possessions. Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away." NLT

So I'll purposefully be excited in the ministry uses of my "tools" rather than the coolness factor. The Corinthians must have been dealing with iPads, iPhones or at least iPapyrus' or iPapy's as I'm sure they used to call them. (I bet the "scroll it" app was cool and everybody was addicted to the game "zombie gladiator") okay I'm getting off track. But that must be why Paul wrote those words, because those 1st century words have incredible 21st century application!

I'm blogging, I'm on twitter, I'll begin reading my chord charts from my iPad as well, but my desire is to minister the love of Christ using the language of the culture with the appropriate tools to do the job. However, I'm honestly tempted by the cool stuff available to us to do all this in 2011. Paul, how did you know I would have this temptation? I have no doubt that those words that seem to be about iPads, iPhones, facebook and twitter these days have spoken to all kinds of people and all kinds of possessions for every generation. I'll heed those words and live my life for the future home which will never pass away.

At second glance I would be well served to look beyond iPads and iPhones as the full application of Pauls words of encouragement. He says those who weep or have joy should be absorbed in that weeping or joy. I wonder what I weep over in vain (a perennially loosing baseball team? the government? the presidents' job performance? health care?) or what do I rejoice over in vain (a perennially winning baseball team? the government? the presidents' job performance? health care?) All... ALL those things will pass away. Why do I spend so much of my time frustrated with or boasting in these and other temporal things? ...God forgive me. Help me see and keep my eyes on the lasting joys and concerns of the world beyond.