Posts tagged ‘modern church’

Burned out on technology that teaches

By Monica Brand, 30 April, 2009, 9 Comments

It’s Wednesday night – Family Night at church -  and I’m looking for any excuse not to go.

Book of Revelation. Good, meaty theology there. But I still don’t want to go to Bible study tonight and it’s nothing against John or end times prophesy.

It’s the DVDs. Not the message – the method. I’m tired of watching DVDs. Sitting, listening, listening to a lecture. I don’t want a monologue, especially one where the preacher whips it out at a rapid fire pace leaving no room for his audience to breathe.

I don’t want to go. No lecture tonight, no more non-interactive DVDs.

Give me the fellowship and back-and-forth dialog with a real person.

I feel badly for Pastor. It must be easier for him to just pop in a DVD than prepare a lesson each Wednesday. He’s okay, but I suspect he’s content to let Famous Preacher Man share all his Revelation knowledge with us.

Too bad it’s via one dimensional media.

I’d much rather go for a drive tonight; think I will. Maybe I’ll go to the mall and walk around. I can’t bear sitting tonight…

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Postscript:

I journaled this an hour before leaving for church yesterday with all intentions of escaping after dropping off the family. Never happened. Too much guilt: “The kids and Doc are here, so I can’t just leave.” Too much fear of being judged.

Maybe you are judging me now too.

I love being at church, I love the Word, and great teaching and preaching. Being with my second family. But like I wrote above, sometimes those DVDs… I’m home all day with the kids and as much as I love Twitter and social media, I crave human interaction. You don’t get a lot of that with a DVD. No, you don’t get any interaction from a DVD.

I did stay. I listened. I learned a few things I didn’t know before. I’m thankful for all that.

Yet I can’t wait for this DVD series to be over. Maybe I’ll start praying for the player to break. You never know – perhaps the Lord is tired of it too.

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I heard a rumor Lent starts Wednesday

By Monica Brand, 23 February, 2009, 3 Comments

And like a good evangelical, I’m wasn’t sure what to do with it.

Years ago, as a twentysomething and in college, which means I was meeting all sorts of folks, from all walks in church denominations, I attempted to do Lent. When I say attempt I mean I gave up something… can’t remember it now, but I do know I failed. I was a Lenten drop-out. Wasn’t able to go 40 days without that certain whatever it was I felt would be good to sacrifice.

As far as I can tell, evangelicals don’t go in for a proper Lenten season. We go from Christmas to Easter Sunday with maybe a New Year’s Eve midnight service in between.

I haven’t thought about Lent in years, happily approaching my spring with just Good Friday and Easter on my calendar. My deep thought of the approaching holy days would be to wonder if the egg hunt would be rained out.

Scrolling through the High Calling Blog’s RSS feed recently, I found an open invitation by Christine Sine of the Godspace blog to journey toward the Cross by observing Lent.

Journey toward the Cross. I liked that. I love the word picture there. Journey. Cross.

Plus, I love Christine’s blog header. And Christine lives in Seattle. I love Seattle (remind me to write a post about my Seattle lovefest and God-moment at the top of the Space Needle.)

Yeah, it didn’t take me long to decide this challenge would be in my best spiritual interest. I signed up, downloaded the booklet of exactly how this was going to work (which is great  – because don’t forget – I’m an evangelical and I have no idea what I’m doing.)

Lent A journey toward the Cross starts Wednesday. Anyone else in the God blogosphere willing to walk with us? Here is the link at Godspace. Hope you join in!

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Friends, one of the good things about belonging to a community of bloggers is that I’m constantly reading thoughts by people I wouldn’t normally meet as a homeschooling mom in New Jersey who only ventures to the Other Side (Catholic and Episcopal) for weddings and funerals. I (heart) High Calling Blogs.

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Move along, people, there is nothing of significance here (except a really cool picture of Jesus)

By Monica Brand, 8 August, 2008, 3 Comments

This is why I have a love/hate relationship with Vacation Bible School. Love the Bible knowledge my kids get, hate the shuttle service. I’ve gotten nothing accomplished this week due to the fact that my morning routine is out of whack. I need my mornings, mentally and physically.

Thank God it’s Friday. Seriously and Amen.

So I got nothin’ for you guys this week besides pictures. Sorry, I know I disappoint, especially after my slam dunk of a post regarding The Demon. Oh, wait! I do have a link to my latest over at the fabulous Relief Journal. My latest thought-provoking post is up for your amazement (or entertainment, how ever you look at it.) It’s a true little story about the Internet and my pastor.

Yesterday I represented Compassion International at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit held at Christ Church in Montclair. Tons of stained glass, murals of Bible scenes on the walls, ornate architecture. So lovely. I wish my church had stained glass like this:

I love the way the light glows around Jesus’ face, don’t you?

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