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August 02, 2005

To repair or get a new one? That is the question.

The New York Times recently published an article entitled “Corrupted PCs find new home: Trash Bins” The article stated that many today rather than repair broken or slow computers will throw them away and purchase a new PC. In the face of spy ware, viruses, and other Internet-borne infections many will trash their computers. The number of viruses has more than doubled in the last six months and spy ware has more than quadrupled. However, it appears that the anti-virus industry is having a hard time trying to keep up with the destructive worms and viruses being let loose on our computers. So, rather than have their computers repaired especially with the cost of computers going down more and more, people are opting to buy new computers.

It is amazing to me that an instrument that is so needed in today's world is becoming so cheap that when they are broken we ditch them. In only a few years a commodity that was so costly and so complex has become financially feasible and simple to operate. And this is so typical of the world you and I live in. We are experiencing such rapid change that many of us and especially our churches and our leadership in the church are finding it difficult to keep up.

It is my opinion that it is not in purchasing new equipment or better technology that is our challenge. It is changing our mindset in such a way that we become open to the new possibilities, shapes and forms of offering Christ to an ever-changing world. And maybe it is more cost effective and less stressful to create new churches than it is to repair the infected ones we already have.

Posted by Bishop at August 2, 2005 01:28 PM

Comments

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Posted by: chris [TypeKey Profile Page] at January 7, 2006 04:07 PM

I believe that the problem with much of my old equipment is not that it does not work but that it does not work in the current environment. There is a sad reality that many of our churches are operating under an ineffective operating system that rewards the powerful and ignores those who hunger for deeper understanding of their faith. The operating system is the part of the software that allows all of the other software to communicate and work together. With out an effective operating system when you install new programs they will often not be able to communicate with your computer. Imagine coming into a church and needing to install your life into the community in such a way that you need your voice heard and you need your faith to grow, and the church is not set up to either hear your voice or to provide what you need for your faith to grow. Sometimes we need to start over so that the operating system of the church is better able to deliver the message in the place where God calls us to.
Remember an operating system is more of a system of administration than a system of guiding principles. Those go much deeper into the computer's machine language and architecture. If established congregations are going to find ways to reach the people the we close out of the Kingdom then we must be willing to let go of our need for power and control and let God truly have the power and control of our churches. Change for change sake is not always good but you know sometimes my mother changed the furniture "just because" and some new life was brought to a stale room. The purpose of change is growth. We don't need change in the Church where it matters (our values and beliefs) but we do need change in the delivery of the message.

Posted by: Billy Kurtz [TypeKey Profile Page] at November 9, 2005 05:16 PM

In an ever changing world the church can be a steadying force. It is nice to know that I have a place where I feel safe and secure when the world around me is going crazy.

God's word is as valid today as it has always been. Change for change sake is not a great idea.

Posted by: rouxdsla [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 12, 2005 02:19 PM

As someone who works in an IT department, it is common to hear someone remark that changes happen so quickly in computer hardware that on the day a new computer goes on a store shelf, it has been obsolete for 6 months. What a wonderful thing to realize that the gift of salvation that we have been given is not obsolete after 2000 years and won't be obsolete in another 2000 years if the Lord waits that long. I pastor a church that is approaching its 150th anniversary. The programs may need the occasional upgrade but the core operating system ("For God so loved the world") is as strong as the day it was installed if we'll just use it instead of trying to work around it.

Posted by: Mike Roberts [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 10, 2005 05:39 PM