Again, an article that I would not have seen had I not purchased my local Sunday paper, The Tulsa World, yesterday, “Technology: Finding a Voice for Eva.” This story about a young person and her disability has an interesting ending that I’m going to give away trusting that you will go read the entire, short, story.
“This is, in part, the response she got. “Eva, we hired you because of your ability, not your disability. Everyone’s disabled in some way. I think you will find this environment supportive and welcoming.”
That kind of pushed the cynical mood out of me for a bit about business, politics, and religion. I think about this today as I prepare to do a “Show & Tell” for the faculty at Phillips Theological Seminary about the tech my peers [nPartnership] and I are using to teach a class about Youth Ministry at PTS this fall. It is a class that most of the students are participating in by live video feed from their home or office for 75 minuts each week.
Technology is not “the great savior,” for institutions seeking more students, but in the case of Eva, and many others, it has saving qualities that connect her to the world in ways she could not without it. She uses it to connect beyond her isolation. Much of the tech we interact with in daily life “uses” the user through to connect and isolate through advertising and marketing. We’ve evolved from a “make it to last” economy to a “make it disposable or quickly obsolete” economy. Technology has helped drive the culture of consumption and innovation. It’s a balance that takes intentionality on the part of the user. I may have to start buying the local paper again, at least on Sunday.
I don’t often buy a Sunday paper any more. I’ve got RSS news feeds from digital news outlets and services all over the world that provide more than enough reading each week. But, yesterday I bought our local paper, The Tulsa World, and enjoyed getting newsprint on my fingers. I suspect many continue to enjoy the touch of the paper each and make time to read the daily or weekly in their community. In the business section this headline caught my attention, “Generosity Breeds Success.” The columnists, Harvey Mackay, was writing about the author of a new book and how he has “made it” in the sports marketing and memorabilia. Two things caught my attention about the author other than the title of the book, You Gotta Have Balls. Click here to read the article.
First, the author’s favorite saying, “If you want more money, don’t pay attention to the money. Pay attention to the thing that makes the money.” I wonder how that applies to the Church and to ministry with children, youth, and young adults. And the second is like it, “focus on relationships, not transactions.” That’s pretty much what Jesus did. He focused on the people that wandered into his life or that he called because they were important rather than focusing on a salvation that may occur after death. Too much of Christendom is about the transaction of salvation, confession of faith, or baptism. Too much of ministry with children, youth, and young adults has been based on a relational model that is based on that transaction. What would a congregation look like that thought about that first saying? If you want more members, do more outreach, more children and youth, don’t pay attention to those things. Pay attention to the things, stuff, relationships, that invite members, more outreach, more children, youth, and young adults. And, for my denominations seminaries that are seeking students the same is true. Why does the Church require a well educated clergy? Because of a well educated laity. That is what reforms the Church and Christendom. I think that is what the Emergent movement may be trying to do.