Spiritual Connections in the Digital Age

God wants to direct us by His Spirit according to His Word - the Bible contains the truth we need each day to living the Christian life. These questions are posed in Jeremiah 23:
23 "Am I a God near at hand," says the Lord, "And not a God afar off?
24 Can anyone hide himself in secret places, So I shall not see him?" says the Lord; "Do I not fill heaven and earth?" says the Lord.

And, then in verse 29, we read:
29 "Is not My word like a fire?" says the Lord, "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?

God's Word is strong - it is likened to a fire, that can burn within our hearts and ignite a passion to follow in the ways of God and to draw nearer to Him.  The fire of God's Spirit can cleanse us from intents and actions that are not pleasing to God and we can be purified as we allow His truth to renew our minds.  We can totally rely on the Word of God and engage with it in any number of ways which the Lord has provided for us.

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In James 1, we are challenged to go beyond mere exposure to God's Word, but to allow His truth to control our lives:
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;
24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

When you go to the movie theater, before the main feature begins, you are treated to a variety of types of content, including a litany of previews (which I generally like), perhaps a commercial for a concession product, and the request to what - silence your cell phones.

A recent Pew survey says that 5% of those surveyed do not believe a cell phone should be used in a theater.  Or a meeting.  And, an overwhelming 96% say a cell phone should not be used - in church!

But, what is the definition of "use"?  A religion reporter quoted on the Christianity Today website took the researchers to task for being vague on that matter. The article referred to another survey, this time by AT&T, which asked whether people had “ever used a mobile device/internet to connect with faith or inspiration during worship services.” A full quarter of Americans who attend worship services regularly (defined by AT&T as more than once a month) said yes, including nearly one-third of African Americans.

In that survey, 11 percent of all worshippers affirm that mobile devices and Internet technology "absolutely" have a place in worship services.   Half of Americans who use their mobile device during worship services find their phones are an easy way to look up scriptures and songs.

Still, 49% of respondents do not see a place for such technology in the church setting.  The CT article suggests that mobile devices can be distracting, both to nearby worshipers and the users themselves.

About 15 percent of those who attend worship services regularly have texted a friend during the service. About half that number have posted to social media (8%) or watched a video (7%) during a service, and 4 percent have played a game.

Outside of worship services, about 4 in 10 Americans (41%) use mobile devices to support their faith. The number is highest for blacks, with 57%, followed by Hispanics, at 46%, Asians at 38%, and whites at 37.

42% of this group using mobile devices to support their faith will listen to inspirational music, 38% will watch worship services or inspirational speakers, and just over 3-in-10 will do faith-based or inspirational research and study online.

29% of those who use technology to connect to faith-based or inspirational sites do so to access electronic holy books or song books. Some of them may use YouVersion, which recently reported that the number of users that prefer to listen to the Bible instead of read it is up 200 percent from last year, and now composes almost half (48%) of its users.

By the way, I went to the YouVersion website, which shows a running total of the number of installs of its Bible software - so far, over 192 million!

So, when you consider that almost half of respondents still don't see a place for mobile devices in the worship setting, you realize that the jury is still out on how effective that this technology can be in enhancing the on-site worship experience.   There is still something very appealing about doing Bible reading in a Bible rather than on a computer or smartphone screen.  But no matter where or how it is read, the fact remains, that the Bible is God's Word, applicable for our lives today - we have to find the way to use it and engage with it that produces the best results in our lives.

We can also think about the availability of the Word of God to our culture - not only can the Bible be accessed and studied on a screen, but you can listen to God's Word and inspiring music based on Scripture.  Faith Radio is an excellent platform through which you can hear solid, quality teaching of God's Word, combined with music that is designed in order to enhance your worship experience.

But, no matter how you experience it, we have to approach the Word of God with the right attitude. We come to God seeking to know Him better, for Him to do His sovereign work in our lives as we yield to the direction of the Holy Spirit.   Scripture memory is important, but the Lord wants to take us further - beyond mere reading or even studying of the Word, so that we become more than hearers, but people who "do" the Word, allowing His truth to shape our actions.