Technology has changed, shaped, and effected every corner of our lives. It has made things redundant, increased our access to information, allowed us to instantly communicate with one another and so much more. I am from the generation where I can’t imagine a life without a mobile phone. How would I tell my friends I’m running late? How could I ask my husband to pick up some things on the way home? What would I do if my car broke down? How did we function?
The Church world is far from immune from the effects of technology. The Bible is available to anyone with a smart phone or computer, along with an endless catalogue of Bible teaching and worship songs. Every element of a typical church service is replicable online in some way which is an amazing thing! However, the question must arise, with all this available on the internet, has in person Church become redundant too?
There is one thing of course, that technology cannot replicate. This is, meeting with likeminded people who are called to encourage, motivate and support one another.
The author of Hebrews 10: 24-25 explains it this way:
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
If you were around Church circles during the lockdown periods, this verse was quoted constantly as an encouragement to watch and participate in Church online. However, now we can meet again, do our meetings look like those outlines in Hebrews 10. We are called to be together as God knows how important it is. However, if all we do it go to church to listen to a message, we aren’t fulfilling what is being asked of us.
God calls us to encourage one another. To support each other and spur one another on. This doesn’t have to just happen within the walls of a church building either. When we become people of encouragement, we also become leaders within our community. Sometimes a simple word of encouragement can be the difference between someone having a good or a bad day. Who can you encourage today?
Mrs Sam McNeil / Chaplain
