Techno Fast

I don't know about you, but I was really convicted during Pastor Shannon's sermon this week about idols. When she took out that laptop and placed it on the communion table and when she held out her I-Phone, I knew I was in trouble!

Technology. No one really thinks of it as an idol, but when we spend so much time with it, it can take over our lives. Let's ask ourselves the question, "Do I spend more time on Facebook than I do with Jesus?" or "Do I spend more time emailing or texting than I spend reading the Word of God?" Sadly I am convicted by these questions even as I write them.

We might spend a short "quiet time" with God in the morning, but we are online for most of the day. We might say some random prayers throughout the week, but we can't live without our cell phones.

Maybe we can't live without prayer...

Facebook can connect us with others and give us a window into other's lives, but it can also isolate us from the world. It can keep us from going out and actually hanging out with people. It can keep us from calling our friends, because we already know what they are up to.

I don't think the correct response is simply to shut down our Facebook accounts, but to take a look at our use of technology. We need to make sure that we are in control of our lives and that technology is not controlling us. I just read a fascinating book on this subject called "Flickering Pixels," by Shane Hipps. I would highly recommend it for an in-depth look at how technology affects us and our faith.

As Pastor Shannon was talking on Sunday, I thought about how I sometimes try to go without email and often shut off my cell phone on the weekends, trying desperately to rest and withdraw from a demanding world. This is hard to do. Sometimes I don't get emails in time or I miss important phone calls. But I am even more convicted now to do a complete "Techno Fast" on Fridays. Being a person who works on Sundays, Fridays are my Sabbath day. I am convicted to work hard to shut off the technology on Fridays and spend the day in rest and fun activities. I don't want to be tied down to my technologies, but simply to let them be an extension of my personality.

Maybe we can all try out this concept of a "techno fast," even for an hour or so a day. Let's see what happens in those moments of quiet...