Henry Mintzberg of the University of McGill has asked an interesting question of those who believe they are living in community because of their social networks. “If you want to understand the difference between a network and a community,” he…
Are social media “thoughts and prayers” helpful anymore?
By Alan Rudnick In the wake of tragedy it has become an automatic response for many Christians: “Our thoughts and prayers are with…” I know, I said it on Facebook and Twitter after the shootings in San Bernardino, Sandy Hook, and…
Are Bible apps sapping the life from our faith?
By Jeff Brumley The Bible at your fingertips. A worship service in the palm of your hand and prayers and devotions streaming into your ears. The advent of the app has made all of that possible for any Christian with…
Is social media trending or transforming?
Editor’s note: Faith & Leadership offers sermons that shed light on issues of Christian leadership. A version of this sermon was preached at St Martin-in-the-Fields in London on Sept. 13, 2015. Genesis 11:1-9; John 16:7-15 I’m going to start with…
7 habits of highly annoying clergy on social media
Clergy and social media. They go together like, well, selfie sticks and tourists. They might look ridiculous but that’s not going to stop them. And occasionally they produce something breathtaking.My Facebook timeline and Twitter feed are littered with posts by…
Does God hate our sympathy? The AME massacre and social media
In the wake of the AME massacre in Charleston, S.C., I’m beginning to wonder if sympathy is a sin. Everywhere I turn I hear sympathy: “Our hearts go out to the victims and their families” or “Lord, have mercy!”
Can we still look at one another and talk?
Most Sundays, I make my way to a local shop and pick up the Sunday edition of The New York Times. Admittedly, the Sunday Times is a paperweight in comparison to most newspapers. This past Sunday’s edition was no different,…
Analog bravery
Recently, I had my internet bona-fides as an internet Christian professional called into internet question. Meaning: folks started blowin’ up my Facebook wall with paragraph length responses heavy on Biblical citations and light on punctuation BECAUSE SOMEONE HAS TO TAKE…
Why I’m NOT quitting Facebook in 2015: A response
Gary Taylor recently posted his full-page ad Don Draper style: this is the year he’s quitting Facebook. I want to persuade him to stay. Don’t go Gary! Gary worries that social media is putting us in a virtual world that…
Survey seeks to educate parents, youth ministers on teen texting
By Jeff Brumley Trying to figure out what teens are saying to each other in acronym-heavy text messages can drive parents and youth ministers batty. The lexicon has gone far beyond LOL and ROFL to what often looks like more…
Social media, Sabbath and silence: Three ways to counter misshaping cultural currents
The community group that I co-lead in our church has recently been talking about and experimenting with how to better spend our time and money on what matters most in God’s economy.[1] At this point, we’re not very ambitious, but…
More Americans exploring, sharing faith online
By Jeff Brumley A Pew Research study released last week found that one out of every five Americans share their faith online on a weekly basis. It seems like a lot more than that to Chris Canary, a minister at…