Mobile Ministry Magazine

This post is simply a reflective question. But, its something that has been sitting on my mind and heart for sometime, and a recent post at GigaOm concerning President Obama pretty much lead to this point.

Here's the piece in the article which sparked things:

So what does it mean to have a U.S. president who is comfortable (or even familiar) with that new multi-directional, distributed reality, who seeks out his own sources of information wherever they might be, and makes connections directly and in real time, rather than always waiting for a report to be delivered or for a chief of staff to smooth the way?

And here's the question that has permenated my thoughts daily/hourly for the past months:

So what does it mean to have believers who have instant access to multiple resource and communities, who seek answers to the questions of faith and life, evaluating sources in real-time through online and offline relationships, instead of waiting for a sermon or preacher to smooth the message

Have we adjusted to the change in how we live this Gospel?

Labels: devotion

Apologies for the post out of sync with the usual posting schedule, but after reading the Washington Posts' views on the Pope's message, I figured that a response from MMM would be most appropriate.

To those who have been following Mobile Ministry Magazine, you know that we've always advocated the use of technology (mobile and web computing) when it intersects with the daily interactions that we have with life around us. Whether that daily interaction is person-to-person, person(s)-to-community, or personal devotions, there's a response to the intersection of faith and technology that's demanded as part of the context of the times that we live in. There doesn't need to be an official statement from anyone on it - this is the DNA of walking in this Christian faith.

That being said, the challenge is to walk not in the ways of others when it comes to the use of this technology. We are defined by our intense love for God and one another - therefore we model our use of this technology after that, not in light of what others are doing.

Personally, I think that its great that others in the Body are coming around to understanding mobile and web technology. However, to just understand it now, and then dive in without understanding of its implications is foolhardy. There's nothing worse than when the Body of Christ puts on something and it looks like a bad copy of what someone else has already done. And then cannot account for the consequences of that display or presentation. We've got to model not just contextual use, but continual maturity.

I'd like to believe that pastors/layleaders have the shared spiritual and technical understanding to use this tech - but history present and past dictates that not being the case. Those are who enabled in the Body to teach spiritual truths need to come up beside those who are technically able to use the tools of this age and together build on our faith. Sorry, we can't wait for a generation of pastors to come forth who have this shared knowledge - it will be too late.

The voice of Christ will remain constant and truthful in every generation that earnestly seeks Him and His Kingdom. On this site, we've espoused this in our asking of you to take a look at your lives at the intersections of faith and mobile technology. We've already responded to the call and demonstrated the ability He's endowed us with. The next steps are to enable others to preach, teach, and live this Gospel. Anything short of that is just a bad attempt at secular marketing.

Note:
This post is based on the message recently shared by Pope Benedict XVI at the 44th World Communications Day event and the resulting article at the Washington Post (via Smart Mobs).

Labels: devotion, discipliship, faith, innovation, mobility, tech, Web

This was something that I started reflecting on today as I was in between venues. I feel that its a very important question to reflect towards, not just because of this site's mobile focus, but even in the sense of as the Body of Christ, are we really change agents, or posts from change gone by:

What happens to the church when the building is removed and the real distance between our hearts for one another becomes realized?

Labels: devotion

Some months ago, we posted about the subject of contentment in Christ being a key area to understand and grow into as we engage our lives with digital devices and connected services. To that end I want to just open the conversation on this item again and ask how you've been doing in this area, and if there's something that you'd like to see MMM do more of to encourage you towards contentment in this area?

Labels: accountability, contentment, devotion, Devotions

With most folks and websites taking the last bits of reflection towards 2008, I just want to encourage folks to continue on the paths of following the Lord and His heart for others as the year turns.

Here at MMM, I honestly have no clue of what 2009 will expect. Personally, I don't live on the calendar year-to-year kind of goals. My goals go from May of one year to May/June of the next (13months). This past May the goal has been to have a life that "walks off the pages." To that end, its been more than just observing and writing, but making sure that I walk out those things that are sound and profitable to the Body.

Where that leads with MMM in 2009 I don't know. We will be at BibleTech 2009, there will most probably a lot more mobile devices and services talked about, and there will (finally) be the addition of a consistent 2^nd writer. I really cannot say what else will happen. Nor do I want to. The future is God's to open as the present to us when we get there.

So I'll just point you to the bottom right side of all of the pages to the Archives for all that was posted last year. From the MMM Mobile Experiment, to the iPhone and BlackBerry posts, to just the intentional posting on spiritually-relevant ethical items such as stewardship, we will just keep rolling a life that walks off the pages when our use of mobile technology intersects with faith. What that looks like to you might be a different device or service, but as long as it begins and ends with Christ being on the throne, let's continue to innovate where others haven't.

Labels: commentary, community, devotion, innovation

As many of you celebrate the holiday season, in good or favorable standing, I'd like to put in your minds and hearts that being on either side of the gift is a good thing, but on both sides - giving and receiving - that we have to first be on the side of showing love to one another.

One of those aspects of perspective that we don't want to forget in this highly digital age is that these tools are just a means to display and execute God's love to those around us. Whether it is something that allows us to connect to family and friends, or something that enables someone to get out of the jobless funk, we have a responsibility with all of the gifts at our disposal to present the side of Christ that is comforter (John 14:26-27).

I don't say this to mean that we are not to be truthful either. These tools allow us to also confront and be confronted with our sinfulness in ways that sometimes we don't want to be reminded of. We have a responsibility to present this whole Gospel to all people.

These gifts are very much temporary. To look at them in any other way would be idolatry. Let us be sure that whether we were just able to give people a word or a wrapping, that we give them the love that has been shed for us by Jesus himself. And then with this love, let us use our gifts to elevate God the Father, making His light show to generations now and in the future.

Labels: devotion, gifts

One of the more difficult conversations to have with people about MMM follows along the tagline:

To educate and edify at the intersection of faith and technology

Within addressing that tag line, I'll get questions from people from several walks of life about how to best integrate mobile technology into ministry and life. And while I don't sit in the areas that many of these people sit in, there are some general aspects towards integrating this technology that can be shared in all areas:

• Christ has to be the center of your use: not meaning that you have to have a Bible trinket or cross on it, but that you are modeling your use after Christ in the same way you would your car, business, or lifestyle.
• The technology has to meet a need, not an itch: easier said that done with the focus of marketing being so pointed at purchasing this or that; but this is another area where once you make a purchase, seek to be content and get the most value out of that piece of hardware/software or service.
• Do not be afraid to challenge yourself: you will be surprised at what you are able to do with many devices and services that might be directly stated in the marketing materials and user manual; refine your basic usage, and then see where aspects of using mobile tech might be a benefit to other areas of your life.
• Finally, be honest about your limitations: if your need says something other than your budget does, walk with your needs; if your use says only 10% of what that device or service does, step down with the device or service to something more fitting. Be aware that many times, 3rd party software, or competing services might offer something simpler and at a better targeted need, even if they aren't what you just read about in a major publication.

The key at integrating anything into one's life is to understand contentment. Sure, its hard to know when to want and when to step back, but this is what we as believers are encouraged to do (Phil 4:11-13). It is by this example that we show that even with the changing technological and economic landscape, that Christ is Lord over this. Then, as in at all intersections, having seeing all the traffic coming and going around us, we can move forward and take others with us.

Labels: contentment, devotion, education, mobile, mobility

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. (Romans 13:1)

Labels: devotion

I started to post this as an IM to a friend, but its something that probably should be discussed in the open and rock from there:

I feel like I am becoming that IT person that's blasting the ignorant (unknowledgable) decsions of folks, instead of helping them see and be empowered to do more

In many cases, I feel as if what I know, the small and basic stuff, should already be living knowledge for others. For example, hitting Reply All for all email replies when only one person required a reply is something that bugs me to no end. However, when I (not the Holy Spirit in me) sees that, I just want to rouse up all kinds of indignation against the issue.

Its like I take this understanding of those things tech so far that its no longer that I am giving people a glimpse of Jesus as He would be using this for His glory, but I am giving them me in the hopes that their ignorance would end and they would figure out how to use this for His glory.

I know, this is one of those really personal-type rants that many can agree with but most of us never want to talk about. I agree. I could have kept this on IM, and let my bro keep slap me silly in the Word. But in the IT side, ego is a major thing. And its something we don't acknowledge much - or probably understand much at all.

We have this basteon of knowledge and skills, and it feels like we are not even cracking the shell of what can be, yet it seems there are others who wallow in ignorance. They aren't though. Its just us. We cannot see our own inadequecies clearly enough (Matthew 7:1-4) to give them Jesus instead of our critiques.

Today, this has been something of a hard battle. I've had a lot hit me over the weekend, and "God's rule being right, and His actions trustworthy" just makes this battle with ego all that much harder.

I hope that you can take something of value from this. Its rough to carry something that others know is valuable, and not give them anything but Jesus. But that's what we are to do. Because anything more would be in effect giving a false gospel. And the consequences of that no one wants to bear.

Labels: devotion

Since I first learned about PDAs in 2000, I've been a big advocate of using technonlogy in ways that push the status quo. Especially back then, doing so put me in a position where I was not just misunderstood, but caused a resentment to the adoptions of technology in ways that would have been a huge help to many.

I've since grown from that zealousness (to a degree). And with the starting of MMM in Oct 2004 (we went web in April 2005), the idea that expectations and understanding have to have a common meeting place (Romans 15:1-7) became more real than ever.

To that end, I want to extend a bit of an olive branch to users, developers, marketers, and believers alike. When it comes to finding a suitable place for technology, there are indeed different needs and expectations that we have for our corner of things. We are unique in our lives and what we experince, this will happen. What we lose though is that ability to move forward together when one part of the Body slants their approach or view towards another. These are not the times to go at it as the only keepers of secret knowledge.

Hence I find myself at the four year mark with MMM. I'm constantly trying new things; pushing my own preconceptions in various areas; seeing the connections at times, and missing the obvious markers in others. There's indeed a lot that can layer this life, and on the side of MMM, we've sought to leverage a healthy understanding of mobile technology as a tool within the solution of corporate/communal empowerment.

I'm not sure if MMM has been totally successful in making those bridges though. Just speaking as a leader, there's much we could have done here to pull together publishers and developers better; things we could have done in the parterships we have in terms of enabling more people towards a digital understanding. We've made some successes and failures. Its been something to behold.

That all being said, and reflected upon. Reading this article at Ars Technica just shows me that MMM has a niche towards understanding this tech that others might not. Nah, we aren't flashy (I kinda refuse to be). And though we reach - person to person, website to website - with this goal of just slowly increasing the understanding that this ground - the internet - is useful for ministry and community engagement; we don't want to stop there. The possiblities to better steward all that we have, and present a view of Christ that is unquestionably Him remains our focus.

I've got no clue of how to move forward. I only know that we keep doing so. Through courses, elections, jobs, illness, and whatever else, we just move forward. Hoping that at some point we understand what God meant by allowing us to connect like this, hoping that we'll me Him because we didn't slack in taking the time to connect like this.

Welcome to 4 years of MMM, seeing life at the place where faith and technology intersect. We've got some more understanding and wisdom to grasp if you've got the time to learn with us.

Labels: commentary, community, devotion, education, faith, mobility

I just said something in an IM conversation and it begs to be repeated here just so that we all are sitting in accountability and on the same accord:

...every ounce of energy [towards IT as ministry] you have should already be focsed on the King(dom): Deut 6:3-5

I know its easy to have this mindset that ministry and work are seperate. To a large degree they are. There are boundaries in the workplace that might not be present in a setting where you are ministering to someone. But the idea that ministry and occupation should be divorced from one another to the degree that we have to work for the Church/Body for it to be minsitry is something of a failed mindset.

Every ounce of our being should be dedicated to living for God in every moment. We should be tired in our pursuit in focusing for the King and the presence of His Kingdom in the hearts and lives of all those around us.

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being and with all your might. (Deut 6:5)

There is nothing that we should divorce from the action of giving God, and then others, the fruit of all of our being. To focus on the Kingdom means that this is an every moment, an every person, and every place direction.

Labels: devotion, Devotions

I am in the mist of a IM conversation with a close brother as I write this, so please pardon the roughness of thought.

When you are involved in some area of authority, whether that is writing gadget or music reviews, preaching, governments, etc. there is this matter of integrity that sometimes consumes the bulk of how you do what you do. For example, as a mobile device reviewer/analyst for Brighthand, I am constantly checking to ensure that I am speaking honestly about a trend or product in such a way that doesn't cast (too much of a) biased light to it. If you will, to talk about it is good, but to make it an idol isn't.

But what happens when by the very nature of speaking about an item that people who are simply observers of your craft become those who want it. If you will, people who also want the latest and greatest thing but they aren't reviewers, they don't have access to those things that you do yet they see it and want it too - mainly because you said its something worth getting.

I won't speak for others, because integrity on this wise is a very touchy thing. I will say this - we must do everything that we can to keep people walking honestly so that they don't compromise the faith for something temporal.

And that's hard. We can do reviews, have partners, give the ability to listen to music via podcasts, and all kinds of things. But that still means at the end of the day that we have to present these items in such a way that gives those who are our audience a chance to exercise integrity while getting the benefit of seeing that there is something new and possibly worthwhile out there.

Until my friend and I started talking, I took this as a smaller, almost internal issue. I realize now - getting to the end of this post - that its probably bigger than anything I've written here in a while. Looking back even, MMM hasn't done things like device reviews or even talked about new devices except in smaller bulk articles unless there was something specific about using the tech that was demonstrated. Its almost as if I'm learning this lesson and didn't even know that it was something that was so important to grasp.

This is probably something that's worth talking about in earnest. And it takes a significant level of boldness on my part to admit this - but sometimes I think MMM contributes to covetousness under the guise of "what can we do for God with our tools." And that's the dangerous thing. Because we should be giving all of our talents and abilities to God as a part of our daily worship. But in such a time as this, devoting even a music review to God can be taken as "I wish I had that album" and can make another's walk harder than it needs to be. Should I be a part of pushing that; or just pull completly back from this and just allow people to find mobile-anything for themselves?

For myself and others, we definitely need to give integrity a chance not only for ourselves, but for those who are eating from our trees.

Related Articles:

• Giving People an Option Not to Steal

Labels: community, devotion, tech

I was just at the car wash thinking about my slate for the rest of today and had the reflection that mobile technology has done an interesting job in teaching me about evangelism - from a mobile tech standpoint, but just as much if not more so from a spiritual one.

Mobile Lessons

When sitting in a coffeeshop with an Internet Tablet, Bluetooth keyboard, and mobile phone out, one should expect people to ask questions. What I didn't expect was that people would ask questions and just have comments about so many things. Some people wanted to know about iPhones and phone plans, others wanted to know how my setup worked and if it could work for them. And still others just took my "open platform" as a means to just have a conversation.

In terms of what mobile is, things are still new and people are still looking for a definition that fits how they are mobile, connected and productive. Being a person who is using tools and services so out in the open, I am getting a chance to see exactly how people respond, and if need be, point them to a solution that would work best for them.

Spiritual Lessons

The greater lessons for me have come on the spiritual side of things. Where some people can separate their tech from their spirit, I happen to have a very tight relationship between the two. It was the idea of having multiple Bibles on my PDA that allowed me to minister to various friends and students on my college campus without carrying the intimidation of a large book bag around. I've had to learn what affluence is, gluttony from the tech side of things if you will and how that can and does rub people the wrong way. I've had to learn how to be a teacher of those things Godly with this tech, sometimes at the cost of cutting off myself from the things others do. Frankly speaking, I've learned that there is a holiness to using technology that we really do miss because we are not usually taught that this exists in this medium.

And From Here?

I've been working with Brighthand for years, with Nokia and the S60 Ambassadors/Nokia Blogger Relations, worked as a web designer and developer for more than 9 years, and basically played the roll of techie to a lot of people in my life. There's more to this than devices and my own wares though. Without educating others on how to use this tech correctly, they miss the point of the benefits. Misuse almost always turns into someone speaking against proper use because of that misunderstanding.

The same thing has happened to Christianity on several levels since Jesus (one can even argue since Adam). There's a responsibility to wield this faith in a manner that represents the breadth of God's love. Whether that is speaking against inappropriate use, or just teaching someone how to study the Bible, the responsibility is clear...

...go to the ends of the earth and teach people about Jesus. Not just with a Bible and a few nice words, but with the power of the Holy Spirit.

When you think about it like that, mobile tech could really be on to something, couldn't it ;)

Labels: accessiblity, Bible, community, devotion, education, gospel, mission, mobility, stewardship, tech

I unintentionally tend to sit on some news stories. Hoping to speak about some things when there is an open slot or the chatter on the interwebs isn't so loud about it that it would get lost in the shuffle; some things just get pushed to the back a bit. Here's some of those items that aren't too flaccid in terms of timing, but definitely useful for various applications.

• Logos post address Spanish-oriented resources.
• The latest GMPSoft newsletter has several deals on various electronic resources for your PDA or smartphone including a Bible Bundle which includes the Greek UBS4 module.
• Something to make you think on how to approach little ones with the subject of hearing God and prayer even when its something that the Bible may/may not talk about ;)
• Palm Addict has a random giveaway of a 15 inch Mac PowerBook going on right now. The rules are to send in a post relevant to how you are using mobile tech. If not something that you need, definitely enter for someone in your circle who could use a computer but may not have the means to attain one.
• Swerve, a ministry of Lifechurch.tv, has two post titled 10 Things.... The first deals with Introspection and the second Ministry. Hands down, a very solid read and meditation piece for the weekend.
• And finally, the Carnival of the Mobilists at Mobilestance has plenty of readings from the past week in mobile tech.
• Forgot this one: YouVersion has done some updates that have improved performance and added a few new versions to the fray. Unless you are on an Internet Tablet like me, it really should work very well in connected settings as both a journaling and group Bible study tool.

Don't forget that we published MMM Issue 5 earlier this week. Several articles and insights there as well for your own mental scratchpad.

Labels: accessiblity, Apple, Bible, Carnival of the Mobilists, community, devotion, family, issue 5, mobile accessories, mobility, Spanish, stewardship, study, tech, worship

This was quite interesting to see in my inbox yesterday considering the recent post on being a good steward. Splash Money for Windows Mobile has been released. It was previously available for Palm OS handhelds, but now can be used for those with Windows Mobile devices.

Here are some of the features:

• use stand-alone or sync with desktop edition
• ability to categorize individual or batch items
• 256bit Blowfish encryption
• support for several account types (checking, savings, money market, etc.)
• And more.

I really like Spash Money (and am waiting for the Symbian S60 version). Using this along with doing the Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University course with my church really helped me to better mind my manners when it came to spending. The integration with the desktop, along with the wireless syncing on one (unfortunately not all) of my back accounts made keeping track of things pretty much a breeze. Also, being able to create and print out a report of what I've been doing has been helpful as well.

Splash Money for Windows Mobile is available now as a trial version or can be purchased for $29.95. For more information and to download, visit the Splash Money website.

Labels: devotion, software, stewardship, tech, Windows Moible

One of the most involved questions that comes this way is how to attain a solid mobile device or service, and do so without breaking the bank. And while one can easily find devices and services on any kind of search, what kinds of principles are in place that help guide these purchases?

God's Ownership Policy

The overall policy that one should understand that finances of any kind are the Lord's. What we do with those things are a part of how we honor and respect those things that He's given us to steward. While the allure of modern devices and services is strong, we have to first establish and understand that God's best is not always that we get the thing that we want - especially if in what we have we are not serving Him well.

The What and Why

After that, we look at our usage. Many people see my setup and say that they have no need for a smartphone, or the use of a bluetooth keyboard. I say that I have a vested interest in having the immediacy of solid calendaring and contact options (and the immediacy of turning them off [wink]); that I have a vested interest in an ergonomic solution when typing (rather than relying on that ole health care system to fix my wrists). If the technology can in the short and long term prove its usability, then its a solid purchase.

Addressing the Cost

After that, its a matter of setting a budget, and not running towards the most expensive thing. For example, Nokia recently announced a model called the 6220 Classic. This model has all of the same features of the N95, but will cost less once it is introduced. So instead of getting the high end now, when it is most expensive, one can wait until later until it, or another better version, comes out that is cheaper.

Consider that You Are A Steward, Not Just A Consumer

Part of being a good steward over newly acquired mobile tech is knowing how to place boundaries on its use. For example, I used to be a big fan of showing everyone that I have something new to play with. Unfortunately, this is pride and causes strife and envy amongst the brethren. If what I am doing is to be a reflection of God, then I have to allow God room to exhalt Himself and not the new device. This is difficult for many of us because we are accustomed to "showing off the shiny." But just as we are called to humble ourselves, we should also be willing to just use the device, and allow its use to make God more evident than its new gleam.

Meditate and Consider

So as you can see, there is more to making a new purchase than just having the funds for it. As a believer, we have to consider that our actions will have an effect on the Body and people around us in areas more than just getting something new. Being a good steward means evaluating all those things, and then responding to God with obedience and wisdom towards Him in it.

Labels: community, devotion, mobile accessories, mobiles

Following on yesterday's post on writing notes while reading/studying, how are your mobile devices and services enabling you to keep towards your resolutions of reading the Word more consistently?

To those of you having trouble keeping pace with those resolutions, what do you need from the community of believers around you (online and offline) to help you continue your reading goals?

Labels: Bible, community, devotion

My bro was just telling me about how he uses Windows Live Writer as a component in making his increasing popular devotionals and it hit me that this type of integration of a blogging platform with a Bible reader program could help some who would like to get into journaling.

One of the issues with a program/service like Windows Live Writer (WLW) is that its a blogging program ment to publish to a blog. Its not specifically meant to write into as a journal. Then again, one could set up a private blog, and then have an online repository of their journaled writings, and then access that from anyplace (searchable any way).

WLW does have the feature of being usable offline. Meaning, one can view previous posts after they have been published, whether one is online or not.

But back to the Bible integration, how could this work?

Take a program like WordSearch. Excellent study materials, and a solid overall program. Add the capabilities of a solid program like WLW, and you have a Bible reader that has a notes program that links into and out of it personal notes. And gives the added benefit of making some personal commentary available publically.

Then again, our personal thoughts about God's Word are just that - personal. Leveraging the electronic services such as WLW and WordSearch, one could keep things personal, and gain a bit of digital posterity towards those thoughts.

Labels: accessiblity, Bible, devotion, software, tech

Caught this post over at Swerve. As soon as I read it, I was moved to just stop.

...For years, older and wiser pastors offered advice to make sure I didn't burn out. In my mind, they were just old and lazy. Because of my defensiveness and unwillingness to listen, I had to learn too many lessons the hard way...

Read the entire post at Swerve; then go rest.

Labels: devotion, Devotions

Recently a great new study has gone up at Trailblazin Minisries entitled Bible Study Tutorial.

Knowing how to study the Bible is one of the most important things that you can learn to do as a Christian. As believers, the Bible is our foundation for truth and it is how we come to know the mind of the Lord and how to worship Him. For many Christians, this is something that is never taught to them. After teaching a study on having a heart for God's Word, I felt that it was necessary to take the next step and show you how to study the Bible.

Now that we live in the 21st Century where computers are all around us, it would be wise for us to take advantage of these tools and allow them to help us study the Word of God better and more efficiently. Over the years, a number of Bible software companies have arisen that are aimed at helping you to study the Word of God more accurately and faster than you ever could before. No longer do you need bookshelves full of commentaries and dictionaries; you can now have it all at your fingertips and with a few clicks of the mouse.

It is with this in mind that we are going to show you how to study the Bible using a Bible study software application. Not only will these principles show you the basics of studying the Bible, but also give you a glimpse at the power Bible study software can offer you. In this tutorial, we use WORDsearch 8 Bible study software, but these principles can be used with any application, such as Logos, PC Study Bible, or e-Sword.

View the entire study here.

Labels: community, devotion, software

An excellent study on prayer has been posted at Trailblazin Ministries called Prayer God's Way: The Disciple's Prayer. This is a two-part study looking at prayer and specifically a breakdown of Matthew 6. Here is a snippet:

...Now that we know why and when we pray, we now reach the greatest question we will face during this study on the subject. The question is this: how do we pray? To answer this question, we will again turn to Jesus Christ and follow His example. In two instances recorded in Scripture, Jesus taught His disciples a model to be used for prayer. The first instance is recorded in Matthew 6 during Jesus' Galilean ministry while teaching His Sermon on the Mount, and the second is found in Luke 11 during His Judean and Perean ministry after being approached by His disciples about how to properly pray. This model is important for us to have a proper understanding of how to pray...

Read both Part 1 and Part 2. I encourage you to share this as well (I've bugged TM for a PDF downloadable version of this). Prayer is more essential than anything techie, so please, get an understand and talk to our Lord.

UPDATE
Download the PDF version

Labels: Bible, devotion, Devotions

I was forwarded a link to this post at the Lampmode Records blog and just wanted to share it here. While the context of this is towards those doing holy-hip-hop (HHH), the principals spoken here are vital and sound for nearly anyone in any field where they are calling themselves doing a ministry. Reading it has me doing several inward looks and will cause some more changes on my end. I hope it too is edifying for you as well. Here's a snippet:

...This is by far the most important distinction in the phrase Aspiring Christian Artist. If you need to focus on one of the three, let it be this one. Many aspiring artists end up in hell. Does your Christianity scream as loudly if not louder than your aspirations and your artistry? Can Christians who know nothing about your hip-hop music easily identify you as belonging to the household of faith? Before anything else, we are Christians. That is, we have been born again into a new relationship with God through faith in the life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (Titus 3:4-6, 1 Peter 1:3). As a result of this new relationship, we have turned from our old life of sin and embraced a new life characterized by increasing holiness and love for the people of God, or the church (Romans 6:17-18, 1 John 3:10). This may seem obvious to some, but it must be said...

Read the rest of this posting.

Labels: devotion, Devotions, mission, reading, worship

This weekend I visited a Hispanic-American church in Kannapolis, MD. Besides the fun of sitting in a service, feeling like a complete stranger and ailen because I didn't wear a tie and speak very little Spanish. I found myself wanting more than anything to use my Treo as an aide in my second visit to this fellowship.

This time, unlike the last, I pulled out my Treo in order to (try to) keep up with the verses that the pastor was mentioning. Besides amazing my translator (a nine year-old boy and his sister), it was interesting to note that while most that saw my Treo were familiar with electronic Bibles, most had no clue that it was something that could be applied to a mobile phone.

This line of thinking went along with my mind's thought last week that it seems that despite all that is happening in the realm of Bible software, it just doesn't get enough attention from the pulpit (so to speak) so that those who might come into a situation without a Bible handy, might be able to at least catch up.

With solutions like this one that was highlighted on the BBC last week, I would hope that something can change considering all the pastors and "influencing personalities" that are believers on the 'Net.
---
That being said, I'm really impressed at the amount of development that Laridian has put into their iPocketBible product. I know that I personally called them (and other Bible software developers) to task for not making Bible software that's not just "search and retreive" but really extends the paradigm of a Bible on a mobile device. It's really good to see this development happening. I personally wish for more from other developers, and someone to really push that envelope further still to something not yet seen.

Labels: Bible, devotion, Devotions, iPhone, Laridian, mission, mobile, tech

Just a few things at this point in the day.

- Darla Mack has posted that the October Edition of Our Daily Bread is now available. Mobile friendly, and good to eat on.

- DB (The Foolish Galatian) sent in a note that another conference is going on called GodBlogCon. Occuring November 8-9 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, this is a conference designed to equip with a working knowledge of new media technologies and its impact on society and empower your ministries to employ new media technologies quickly and easily.

- Digital.Leadnet has a great post and discussion on cyberspace as a mission field; I've got thoughts on this that I'm wrapping into a later post here, but the discussion is great so far.

I hope that you all appreciate the effort at a more consistent aspect of posting. I've pretty much limited myself to doing no more than one post a day (4-5 per week) and keeping at least one or two posts a week towards the editorial/reflective style. In this way I hope that things stay fresh not only for you as a reader, but for myself as a writer. I am learning a bit of balance with this. And hopefully consistency and discipline here can help in other areas of my life as well.

Labels: devotion, mission, tech

I hope that you have had had a good week. Mine is going well, and this week I've probably had a lot of mental fun just going between my Treo and the N95 on loan from Nokia Blogger Relations trying to see which device works best for me, and where are some areas of applying and doing mobile tech/ministry can be. I'll admit, its kind rough as most of this I am just experimenting with, and from there making accounts and recommendations of what can or could work.

When I think about where we are in terms of the Body though, mobile tech seems to be the perfect intersection towards where we are. Between using social networks, mobile phones, and even IT summits; the ability to be a support or communication aspect to ministry is exciting.

I even get excited when I read about where mobiles are going. Just knowing that a "phone" device can serve as a computer, or creating a system were people can use their mobiles for communication and finacial services, its exciting.

Being in a new area of the US though, I am looking for ways where living by mobile can assist in the mobile outreach side of things. Whether that is something as simple as a bible study, or as needed as a mentor/mentee relationship, I'm looking for those ways were I can live in ministry, and what I do on a mobile device can really foster that healthly.

I think that items such as the Internet Ministry Conference and Church IT RoundTable are great because they really give some boundaries to where things are and where things can go. I'd really like to know more of what is happening around the world in this respect so that more "Body encoruagement" can happen in this world of tech.

So as you can tell, I'm one part loving the move, another part just watching and learning this new place. There's bound to be many areas where we move to or move from where some aspect of mobile tech has helped us to stay in touch with life around us. But when that mobile tech intersects with our faith, how we respond to the call will determine if we are really being challenged to live as vessils. I'm choosing that my mobile tech use should make me into a vessil of His glory. How that will effect the world around me, I can only hope it will be something that leads others to growing in their relationship with Our Lord.

Labels: ChurchIT RoundTable, devotion, Internet Ministry Conference, mobile, N95, Nokia, Treo 680

From Palm Addict:

I recently discovered a program to read the Bible in 90 days. At first I thought it was nuts!

After all, I know a lot of people who try to read the Bible in a year and give up. 90 days seemed impossible!

But the more I looked at the program, the more I realized that it was entirely possible.

The website explains that the amount you have to read per day is about 3.5 pages of The Wall Street Journal or 4 pages of USA Today. For me, I looked at the amount of text and realized it was far less than what I might read via email or RSS. (If you buy their Bible they say it’s merely 12 pages a day, but you can follow the plan using any Bible.)

It just looks like a lot because it’s all in one place. But to me, this was something important enough that I wanted to do it.

I started to think about where I do most of my reading. I realized that I read a lot more than I think about either on my laptop or Treo, or listening to audio books in the car. So I wanted to come up with a way to do all those things either on my laptop, or on my Treo, or in the car.

The good news (no pun intended!) is that you can do this for exactly $0 if you want. I have put together a free list of the Bible in 90 Days (aka “BIND”) readings, linked to an online copy of the NIV Bible. Feel free to bookmark that page or save it to your Treo or computer. You can use that to read your daily readings. (If you just want a plain list of the readings you can also get that in PDB, PDF, or MS Word format).

Read the rest of this post at Palm Addict, and get to reading :)

Labels: Bible, community, devotion, mobile, reading

One of the things that I've liked about the N95 is that its let me get back into just browsing the Net, not just reading info. Granted, browsing is fun when there is nothing to do of dire importance and there is just loose time. So what did my rabbit hole bring tonite...

- I started at Jaiku. I wanted to see what some of my contacts were up to. I still think that an Opera widget and a mobile client for every other phone would make this an awesome application for a lot of folks.

- I peeked in on Darla Mack's blog via her Jaiku channel when I saw a post about Nokia's mobile web server. Now this got me thinking that I should move to a Symbian device, and then host MMM on the device. Besides accessible as all get out, it would really kick the mobile notch up a good bit.

- Continued on Jaiku and saw that there is a TUAW channel (for the Apple fans, they should know that site).

- Clicked there and read Robert Scoble talk about giving up the N95 and appreciating the iPhone.

- had another tab open stil to TUAW's Jaiku and got the idea via ijustine and The Remix of Children's Ministry (found via Robert Scoble's site) that its not the tech nor the availabilty that is the issue, just how we want to imagine using it to reach an audience and just going there.

- I managed to come out of the hole though to reinitate the full posts in RSS feeds, and at take a bit more of a thought to moving MMM completly mobile. If the right Nokia device were to come along (the N95's battery and memory issues are the only real hold up for this one), I'd probably do it; which would make that whole planning for MMM to be reinvented in MT4 go to waste a bit...sorry LJ.

- There's not much else that I can say other that since moving to Charlotte God's been heavy. God's been just moving a whole lot, from temporary residency to a job to a possible apartment. God's been extremely gracious and hence my heart being heavy for doing well with MMM. There's a whole lot out there, and God's saw fit to lead me this far - lead YOU this far. It's not like we deserve this, but He's so, so gracious. A few friends can testify to the fact that today I've never been more in awe, thankful, gracious of God's hands in my life. He says, "I know the plans I have for you." I've been walking towards Charlotte and more for 8+ years... there's just a whole lot that just browsing doesn't capture....things that God hands and flow just happen to roll with. I am so not ready for this IMO, but God has saw fit to just dump some grace notes on me. Heavy stuff.

Labels: accessiblity, children, devotion, iPhone, Jaiku, mobiles, N95, usability

I saw this at Mobile Daily Devotions and thought it a good idea to post it here too.
Here are all the July 2007 mobile devotions for your cell phone in one list. Enjoy!

Our Daily Bread
Daily in Christ
Global Prayer Digest
Streams in the Desert
Prayer, Praise and Promises
Santapan Rohani – Our Daily Bread – Bahasa Indonesia
GEMA – Bahasa Indonesia
Nuestro Pan Diario – Our Daily Bread – Spanish

All of these are Java downloads, so you will at least need Java on your set-top or mobile device to read them.

Labels: Bible, devotion, Devotions, mobile, Our Daily Bread

I am involved in a small group at my church and one of the things that we do is have a book of the Bible that we read every week. We then get together to talk about it and how that reading has impacted us. However, there are times when due to life and life's issues that reading doesn't happen as easily. It's in those times that I am looking for something, anything that could jog my run to the Scripts and then find a measure of peace.

That's why I really liked this posting at the ESV Blog about a Bible widget for OSX. Sure, its something that would clutter one's desktop (and if you are like me, there are NO icons on the desktop); but, it would really work as that simple reminder to just get into the word, or have something that would be simple to keep for reflection's sake.

Not all of us are so gifted that we can pull off a devotion off the Spirit's cuff ;) so a little push is always good.

Now, if I could get something like this to show up on the home screen of my Treo and other phones, that would really rock.

Labels: Bible, devotion, ESV

No, not from MMM. At least I don't think so. But I am moving. Taking a chance to follow a long time dream and vision that I've had to go to Charlotte and start that what will probably be the legacy of my family.

I'll be going with mobiles in hand (thanks Brighthand and Nokia's Blogger Relations). But more than that, I'm going with all that I've been learning for a long time (saved nearly 10 years). Going with a love of kids; a love of meeting people where they are and just living the Gospel beside them; a love of connecting churches and ignoring the divisions that sadden our Lord.

I've wrestled a lot with writing this on here. No, not because I didn't want to share it, but because I don't know how to share it. I'll be going with no job, not sure of where to live, and just enough faith for something to happen.

When I go there I feel at home. When I last visited there (last weekend), my heart was burdened with the attitude of the west side of the city. There were rich and poor, ethnicities of all kinds...and division. It's not me to want division. It's just my heart that we'd be on earth, as it is in heaven - united under God.

So I'm posting this now, in the mist of a service at my church where the former young adult pastor is speaking on a church planting vision. It burns in my heart. And I don't know how MMM will be effected. I don't even know if I will have the gumption to go. Yes, in two weeks I'm slated to move. In two weeks, I'm slated to meet a dream I've had for a long time, and further more of what God's talked to me about for years.

I ask for your prayers. I don't want to ask for much else. I don't really know what more to ask for except that I can walk with God in Charlotte. That I can be a light for my family now, and the family I wish to have. This move has been a bug for a long time, God said so at too many other times, and now I'm primed to move on.

Mobile ministry ...more than just a magazine to me; hence I'm moving on.

Labels: Brighthand, devotion, mission, mobile, Nokia

One of those things very easy to fall into when you have gotten online (email, blogs, etc.) is developing a personality aspect where you live for the attention you get online rather than just letting those web/tech things be a matter of fruitfulness.

I read an article at Lifehacker that pointed to a negative aspect of being unsearchable @ Google. While we can all agree that being searchable is a good thing. Making that attention-grabbing/getting as a reason to be online is unhealthy.

One recent tech consultation spoke to a parent on how understanding the web and what it does to our ego is key to understanding both the dangers and benefits of tech. Anytime it becomes less about God and productivity and more about us, we have made the tech an idol and it needs to be cast down.

Let your legacy online ALSO speak towards being Christ like.

Labels: devotion, family, mobile, usability

A friend of mine recently went on a mission trip to encourage Christians in Israel/Palestine. The letter below is his follow-up letter that he has allowed me to post. I ask that you consider his words, and his call towards unity in the Body.

I'd like to thank you once again for your time, participation and support for our mission trip to Israel and Palestine. The trip came and went without any life threatening or seriously harmful situations and each of the 10 members of our team has both grown and learned a great deal thanks to our experiences in this area. As I promised, I would like to take this opportunity to follow up with you and share the experiences and insights learned during the trip.

After I got back from Israel, people would obviously pose the question, "How was your trip?" I can't help but think that that question is laughably simple. I say that because of the sheer volume of incredible people and experiences that we were exposed to. It's difficult to figure out where to start. But to answer the original question, the trip was great!

I'll start with a quick summary of our group's mission statement. We did not go to evangelize, or build a school, or to administer medical supplies as some might expect. 1 Corinthians 12:25b-26 says regarding the church, "...there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." As a group, we wanted to go into the Palestinian territories and stand with the Palestinian Christians there, to try to experience the sufferings that they are going through, and to do what we can to encourage them in the face of hardship or persecution.

The first day and a half that we were in the country was spent seeing the tourist spots in Jerusalem. Some of our members, including myself, were upset about this. We came to get down to business! We are not here to see the sights! However, in retrospect, those moments were invaluable in teaching us an overview of the culture and people in the land.

Specifically in these moments while we were traveling from church to church, we saw how the "body of Christ" interacted with one another. Most noticeably, we saw the distrust between denominations. Each denomination insists on having a presence at each of the holy spots. Sometimes a church was partitioned into different areas operated by the different denominations. Each time a ritual was performed by one group, it was repeated by the others. This seems to me to bear the assumption that they believe that God doesn't recognize rituals from other denominations. If He did recognize them, then there wouldn't be any need to repeat them. Once we had opportunities to speak with them, we were repeatedly told by them that people from other denominations were wrong, that they were not Christians or that they were condemned to hell.. If they couldn't share the same building-which was often-they would build another church and claim that this church was the true holy spot.

This wholesale judgment bothered me to the point where I began to think about this more. And upon thinking about it more, I realized that this is not as foreign a concept as had originally struck me. These kinds of statements are all over the Western church, not just limited to the Middle East. They can be heard from the Roman Catholic Church, Protestant churches, the Church Of Christ, and others. It took a trip to the Israel for me to be able to look back and recognize this situation in my own culture. Since much of the New Testament, and because of that our trip, was focused on unity among Christians, theses divisions seemed much more visible. It was humbling for me to come to these realizations since I was so quick to see the shortcomings in others what I was ignoring at home.

After we finished our tour and meetings in Jerusalem, we began to move in and out of the West Bank nearly every day. As the trip was approaching, I was personally concerned about these transitions and the time we would spend in the territories. The impression is that the territories are very violent and personal safety is at a premium! We found this to be completely untrue. At no point during the entire trip did I feel threatened. In spite of the Palestinian people officially being in a state of uprising, at no point did I see any people acting in such a way.

Quite the opposite, we were constantly in the company of very friendly, very hospitable people. During our stay in the Bethlehem Bible College, we were asked to break into groups of two and accompany a student home for dinner with his or her family. We had a few very intimate and personal interactions like this and I found them to be the highlights of the entire trip. Another team member and I went with a student named Nader. I am typically known to be a picky eater but I can say honestly that his mother makes really tasty food! They would not let us tell them no! They repeatedly piled on food to our plates, served us two deserts along with coffee and tea. When it came time to leave they tried to make us promise to come back and have dinner with them again over the next few days, which unfortunately we couldn't since our days and nights were already booked. When Nader returned us to the College, I told him how great his family was and how much we enjoyed ourselves. He was so pleased that we had a good time that his face was beaming with a joy! It was an enthusiasm that I don't really see very often.

Another such instance was also when we were in Bethlehem and we met with Pastor Nehad and Jamal from the Immanuel Church. These two men spoke for several hours with only an occasional pause or interruption by our group. Their stories are truly amazing and awe-inspiring! After they were done talking, they took us to the church's book store where we had a chance to buy some gifts. I approached Pastor Nehad, thanked him for taking time out of his schedule to come and talk to us and gave him my thirty second summary of our trip's purpose and I saw his face fill with happiness and relief. He told me how genuinely thankful he was that we came and listened to him speak. But in his eyes there was fatigue and I felt that he wanted rest.

He told us how he and other Palestinian Christians feel alone. As I have already said, the denominations do not find solace in one another. The Israeli government is openly unconcerned or even hostile. The Palestinian government is ineffective. The response from other non-Christians is uncertain. Relations with some are great while others resent them for being nonviolent.

Then when they turn to the Western church for solace, they often get shunned in the name Zionism. Some people tell the Palestinian Christians that they have no right to live there and that their presence in the Holy Land is delaying the second coming of Christ. We heard stories of Western churches holding fund raisers to buy tanks and helicopters for the Israeli military for use against the Palestinian people!

I don't want to make a politically loaded statement and I'm not picking a side about whether Israel should be there or not. However, our group got to see firsthand the effects that our churches are having on the Palestinians by asserting these views. Palestinian Christians have very few people to turn to for support. Numerous times throughout the trip we were told that they feel alone with no one to turn to. Some, like Pastor Nehad, are weary from the daily struggle and yet still working. Others told us that they have given up hope in a better life. I like to think that the Western church has everything all right. Yet as part of a group of people that are supposed to be known by their love and support of each other, I am absolutely humbled by the fact that these things come so unnaturally to us.

I believe that is why people like Pastor Nehad were so encouraged by our presence. To me, it seemed like we were doing nothing. Many times before and during the trip I was concerned with our effectiveness since we didn't have concrete goals. We weren't there to convert X number of people or heal Y number of diseases. Success could not be measured in traditional ways. We were just going to go, humble ourselves and learn from these people. And it really was an encouragement to them! Just the fact that we cared about them and listened to their stories visibly raised their hopes and spirits before our very eyes. It was an encouragement to them and it was a blessing for us to be able to do this service for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Each of the groups that we talked to expressed hope that God was working in the land and that was gaining traction. People are experiencing miracles. Non-Christians are coming to Christ. Muslims are seeing dreams and visions of Jesus and are coming to Christians to learn more about him. Opportunities are arising that put the bible and Jesus in the spotlight.

I hope I do not sound like I think that everyone needs to drop everything and run to support the Palestinian people. Neither do I think that people need to abandon their support of Israel. Yet just like every other situation in life, there are two sides to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict that many people don't acknowledge. The great majority of the people we met in the West Bank were just regular people. They don't want war. They don't want Islamic extremism to take over the world. They just want justice, peace and to give their children a better life. As one of our hosts told us, "When people think of us, we don't want people to think of terrorism. When people think of Palestinians, we want them to think of Jesus!"

See the photos of this trip.

Labels: Bible, church, community, devotion, family, Israel, mission, Palestine

I was just talking to a brother and he was telling me that he wanted to do a few more things from his smartphone in an effort to create more time for his family and stay off the computer. And while I am well convinced that can be a very positive move, what does concern me is that sometimes we try to use tech to solve an issue that is more than just a issue of tech. Sure, we might be spending more time playing "home admin" or browsing when we could be studying and fellowshipping. But just changing the tech cannot be the resolving item, we really do have to get down to the core of what it is that we are using tech to substitute for, and then (if then) use the tech as a facilitator of growing with God and our families. As much as these tools can really help, sometimes they just have to take a backseat to relationship and study; and only when those are in the right place can we bring them into a place where they are really aids to ministry.

That all being said, how have you used tech to improve your relationship with God or friends/family? And when you saw that improvement, was it the tech, or something deeper that was the item changed?

Labels: community, devotion, family, mobile, worship