What's a fax machine?

I was doing some research into the dynamics of recent technology trends not long ago. My investigations turned up a fascinating New York Times article from 1989 by technology writer John Markoff.

The article - entitled "Computer Mail Gaining a Market" - comments on the way that an emerging form of communication called "electronic mail" was starting to challenge the fax machine as the way people in business communicated with one another. No joke.

I couldn't help from smiling as I read Markoff's twenty-two year old article. And the thought also struck me that a teenager today who picked it up to read might ask, "What's a fax machine?"

My new column in the United Methodist Reporter looks at how rapid shifts in technology pose a challenge to the Christian faith. One of the chief ways this happens is technology's impact on how we go about being the church.

As we move more and more into a virtual existence in the day-to-day of our lives, we've got to remember that the body of Christ we've been baptized into is a real thing. Human relationships can be difficult to form and sustain. There is an ever-present temptation today to allow our digital interfacing to replace those relationships simply because it seems like an easier way to live.

Anyone who doesn't understand the danger of falling prey to that temptation simply hasn't thought about the consequences long enough. Technology needs to be engaged carefully and critically. Just because we can do something doesn't mean we should.

Don't get me wrong; I'm no luddite. I am typing these thoughts on a laptop and posting them on the Internet, after all. Here's the column link if you want to read more about Markoff's thoughts on "computer mail."

I love my daughter...

... and these photos made me think of that.  Enjoy.

Review of Generation Rising

A quick update on our book that will be coming out later this spring, Generation Rising: A Future with Hope for the United Methodist Church.

Patricia Farris in Circuit Rider Magazine has written a review of the book, which you can find here.

She begins, "The twelve Generation X theologians, pastors, academics, and writers who collaborated on this marvelous and very helpful new book have set out to shape a theological vision that is for the church and by the church. Deeply Wesleyan, they have embarked on what they call a kind of 'holy conferencing' to sketch out a future for the UMC, a future full of hope if the church will understand both its purpose as well as how to live for and into that purpose."

I think that's a great summary of what the book is - at least hopefully - intended to be about. I also think Farris hits the nail on the head when she writes, "Rather than excluding those of other generations in the church, their approach invites the whole church to understand their particular life experience in a way that will assist greatly in the work of church renewal as well as reacquaint the church with the wisdom and practical theology of Wesleyan ways."

Check out the full review for yourself. But I can't help pointing to Farris' closing comments:

"Everyone—clergy, laity, and seminarians alike—who truly cares about church renewal and the future of The UMC should read and discuss this book. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter make that process easily accessible. This is not a book about gimmicks, techniques, or quick-growth schemes. It is a book about ecclesiology, about theology, about Scripture studies, about proclamation, about spiritual formation, about sacraments, about prayer, about evangelism, about small groups, about mission. It is a book about heart and soul that reclaims the Wesleyan means of grace in ways that renew the church by going to the root of belief and practice, in the context of lived experience. It has the potential to reform worship, to empower ministry with youth and young adults, to shed light on virtual and incarnational forms of ministry. Most importantly, it is a word of hope, real and compelling, with the power to open eyes and ears, hearts and minds. If you’re going to read one book on church renewal this year, read this one."

My fellow writers and I could not have asked for such a positive review, but we certainly appreciate it! I hope other readers will get as much out of Generation Rising as she did.

Exciting new chapter in life

I thought it might be worth sharing with my readers some news about a new chapter my family and I are going to embark upon later this year.

Beginning in August, I will join the faculty of Memphis Theological Seminary in Memphis, Tennessee. I'll teach in the area of historical theology and Wesleyan studies, and a part of my position will include guiding the seminary's United Methodist students through the required courses in the history, doctrine, & polity of the UMC.

This is a wonderful opportunity for my family and me. In terms of my sense of vocation, it is a dream come true: I will be able to combine my love of the church and the Wesleyan tradition with the opportunity to teach in a seminary environment where preparation for Christian ministry is highly valued. My wife Emily and I are both excited at the prospect of moving to the Memphis area (which is close to where both of us grew up), and we're happy that little Alice Elizabeth is going to be close to her grandparents. I also think the MTS faculty is going to be a great group of scholars and pastors with whom to work in the coming years.

(Arkansas United Methodist, 4-Feb-11)

The past five years in Durham, North Carolina, have been wonderful for us. We love Duke and the friends we've made here. The two years I spent as the pastor of Mt. Carmel UMC in nearby Henderson during my doctoral studies were a tremendous blessing, and that community continues to be a means of grace in my life. But the time to move on to the next chapter in our lives is finally here, and I think the MTS community is going to be an ideal place for us to plant roots and engage in the work of ministry. We sense the guidance of the Holy Spirit at work in all of this, trusting that "all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).

There's still the little matter of a dissertation to finish, of course, but I'm keeping my nose to the grindstone and trusting in God's grace to lead me through to the end!

Memphis Theological Seminary is a seminary of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. It is located in the heart of Memphis and truly embodies the best of the ecumenical tradition in its approach to theological education, its embrace of many denominations within the Christian family in its faculty and student body, and its engagement with the ministries of churches in the city of Memphis. Here's a link to the history of MTS on the seminary's website.

New feature for Gen-X Rising

You may have noticed a new feature on my blog over the past few days. If you look over to the right-hand sidebar, there's a new widget with the heading of "Faith & Leadership." It's a helpful resource for people who are interested in reading about issues of the Christian church and ministry, so I wanted to let my readers know a little bit about it.

Faith & Leadership is the web magazine published by Leadership Education at Duke Divinity (LEADD), a center affiliated with Duke Divinity School that - in its own words - "cultivates thriving communities that are signs, foretastes, and instruments of the reign of God." LEADD has been created in the years since I've been studying and working at Duke, and it has been fascinating to see what the center has been attempting to do. From its online publishing efforts to a variety of conferences it has held here in Durham, LEADD is seeking to be at the forefront of coordinating Christian leadership in an ecumenical vision.

More specifically, Faith & Leadership is an online effort by LEADD to provide resources for Christian leaders in the church everywhere. The widget I've installed on my blog links to Faith & Leadership's blog, called Call & Response. The blog posts daily links to story headlines in addition to its own original commentary by a variety of authors.

Feel free to use the new feature on my site to check out Faith & Leadership's material. And feel free to leave any comments about what you think about it -- either here or on the Call & Response blog itself. I am not affiliated with Faith & Leadership in anyway, although I did write a freelance article on Generation X's views of the institutional church for them awhile back which you can access at this link.