There is nothing wrong:
With Powerpoint in and of itself
With a clear Lexan pulpit in and of itself
With technology and cordless microphones in and of itself
With a automatic projector screen
I get sick and tired of all the “Liturgical Luddites” that believe that because a church uses Powerpoint, has a clear plastic podium, and uses cordless technologies, etc. that ‘the great heretical falling away’ will overtake the church. Powerpoint, Lexan, cordless technologies, etc. have been wrongly blamed for the great heresy compromise rather than pastors turned politicians and prophets turned pop-culture psychoanalysts along with the elders who refused to deal with these people.
Why?
Because the churches pastored by the pastors turned politicians and prophets turned pop-culture psychoanalysts were the first ones to use these technologies. Therefore, it was equated that since the pastors turned politicians and prophets turned pop-culture psychoanalysts were bad people in the eyes of God; then the technologies they embraced were bad and evil inventions in God’s eyes.
This same mentality happened in the deep South many many years ago in Pentecostalism or the back woods independent fundamentalist churches where the advent of the padded pews, and the air conditioner were blamed for the decline in evangelism. Since the windows of the church never went up due to air conditioning and obsoleted the paper fanfold fans imprinted with Bible verses provided courtesy of the local funeral home, the message was never heard by the winos who walked down the dusty road half-drunk from the Saturday night carousing. Since the padded pews made people more comfortable on Sunday morning, it was atributed to laziness of creating the ‘ya’ll come in’ mentality and eliminating the ‘Go ye therefore…’ commandment.
What happened then, churches with pastors and elders of questionable moral scruples were the first churches to install the air conditioner and the padded pews.
I agree with you here….the use of the technology does not mean it is a downhill slide. It’s living the gospel message that is important.
Good post..:)
Awwww WOW!
I’m having flashbacks of the evangelists in the 1970’s walking around with that two-foot lavalier microphone, and the hundred-foot cord trailing behind !!!! :O)
Anyway, I think it behooves the church to be as updated and current as possible, to show excellence up against the way “the world” does things.
When the magicians turned their rods into serpents, Aaron’s rod turned into a serpent and ate their rods. The church needs to exceed what the world does, in excellence.
People who think that being out of date equals holiness, they need to remember that the palace where Solomon dwelled was the finest building of its day.
Thank God for churches who are not afraid of progress, who don’t believe the following:
… that your church building must be a cubic lime-green cinderblock building with a trashy gravel parking lot and a 1-BTU air conditioning window unit propped up by a two-by-four. Your church yard must be overgrown with shrubbery that obscures the church walls. Your church building must have those tiny little square, opaque windows [1 foot X 1 foot in dimension]. There must be an ever-present puddle of water immediately behind the building. Your car must be no newer that fifteen years old. That your pews must have the stuffing coming out and be stained by communion juice. That your sound system must sound like you’re broadcasting from a Folgers’ coffee can. Your bathrooms must contain at least one always-overflowing toilet and have no stall door but a curtain and that your hymnbooks have all the covers broken or ripped off.