Analog Church

1. The Digital Age's Values Can Become Vicious

Moments of more may leave us with lives of less.

Speed, choices, and individualism. The digital age touts speed, choices, and individualism as improvements to human experience. However, these values, when unchecked, can lead to impatience, shallowness, and isolation. The constant connectivity and endless options of the digital world can erode our ability to focus, cultivate deep relationships, and find contentment.

Impatient, shallow, and isolated. The speed of the digital age fosters impatience, diminishing our capacity for long-term perspective. The abundance of choices leads to shallowness, hindering our ability to engage in deep work and meaningful relationships. The emphasis on individualism results in isolation, as digital connections often mask a lack of genuine human interaction.

The church is not immune. The church, in its attempt to remain relevant, has often adopted these digital values, sometimes at the expense of its core mission. The pursuit of relevance can lead to a superficial engagement with faith, prioritizing entertainment over genuine transformation and connection.

2. Worship Should Engage, Not Just Entertain

Worship is no longer worship when it reflects the culture around us more than the Christ within us.

Whole-body participation. Biblical worship involves whole-body participation, a reverent response to God that engages our hearts, minds, and bodies. It's more than just singing songs or listening to sermons; it's offering our entire lives as a living sacrifice.

Digital distractions. The digital age has introduced distractions into worship, such as dynamic lyric projections and flashy lighting, that can turn gatherings into performances rather than participatory experiences. These elements, intended to enhance worship, can inadvertently create a divide between those on stage and those in the seats.

Seeking transcendence. People, especially younger generations, are searching for transcendence, something beyond the superficiality of the digital world. Churches that prioritize relevance over transcendence risk repelling those who are seeking a genuine encounter with the divine.

3. Analog Worship: A Countervailing Thrust

Worship reminds us of the shape of true life.

Digital informs, analog transforms. Digital tools can inform and disseminate information, but they often fall short in fostering genuine transformation. Analog experiences, on the other hand, engage our senses and emotions in ways that can lead to lasting change.

Engage, don't entertain. In the singing life of the church, the goal should be to engage people in participatory worship, not simply entertain them with a performance. This involves thoughtful song choices, appropriate volume levels, and lighting that fosters a sense of togetherness.

Witness, don't watch. In the preaching life of the church, the aim should be to invite people to witness the transformative power of the gospel, not just watch a presentation. This requires a personal connection between the communicator and the community, as well as a willingness to address the specific needs and context of the audience.

4. Community Requires Presence, Not Just Connection

To be everywhere is to be nowhere.

Rebuilding Babel. The digital age, like the Tower of Babel, has created a global village where people are more connected than ever before. However, this connection often comes at the expense of genuine community, as individuals become scattered, babbling, and unwise.

Scattered, babbling, and unwise. The digital age has led to a decline in church attendance and engagement, as people prioritize individual needs and desires over communal life. Online interactions often lack the depth and nuance of face-to-face conversations, leading to superficial connections and a loss of empathy.

Church online or an online church? Many churches have embraced online platforms in an attempt to reach a wider audience. However, an "online church" can easily become a product to be consumed rather than a community to be joined. True community requires physical presence and shared experiences.

5. The Church as Family: Commitment Over Compatibility

Commitment matters more than compatibility.

Salvation is a community-creating event. The Christian faith is not just an individual experience; it's an invitation into the family of God. This new kinship disrupts our lives, calling us to prioritize commitment over compatibility and to show up for one another in real and tangible ways.

A tax collector and a zealot. The story of Matthew and Simon, two unlikely apostles with opposing viewpoints, illustrates the transformative power of Christian community. Despite their differences, they were united by their shared commitment to Jesus.

The art of gathering. Churches should create gathering spaces and opportunities that invite people to put down their screens and show up with their whole selves. This involves fostering presence in pain, creating opportunities for confession, and prioritizing shared meals.

6. Scripture: Transformation, Not Just Information

In the choices we have made, consciously or not, about how we use our computers, we have rejected the intellectual tradition of solitary, single-minded concentration, the ethic that the book bestowed on us. We have cast our lot with the juggler.

A bookish faith. Christianity has always been a "bookish" faith, centered on the reading and hearing of Scripture. However, the digital age has led to a decline in reading and a shift toward engaging the Bible in short, bite-sized bits.

Filtering the Bible. The filtering of Scripture, often through social media posts and truncated devotionals, can lead to a superficial understanding of its message. It's important to engage the Bible as a whole, diving deeply into its long story and complex themes.

Reading for the jackpot. Many people approach the Bible as a slot machine, hoping to hit the jackpot with a quick answer or a comforting verse. However, the Bible is not a self-help guide; it's a transformative story that requires slow, deliberate engagement.

7. Read Scripture Slowly and Communally

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.

Learning to read slowly. The digital age has trained us to read quickly and efficiently, but this comes at the expense of deep comprehension. To truly engage with Scripture, we must learn to read slowly and carefully, allowing the words to linger in our minds.

How to read a book. Mortimer Adler's "How to Read a Book" offers a framework for engaging with any text, including the Bible. This involves asking four key questions: What is the book about as a whole? What is being said in detail, and how? Is the book true, in whole or part? What of it?

Reading transformationally. The ultimate goal of reading Scripture is transformation. This involves not only gaining knowledge and understanding but also allowing the Bible to shape our hearts, minds, and wills. It's about being mastered by the text, not mastering it.

8. Communion: The Tangible Center of Christian Life

We need more than talk, more than words on a page; we need a touch, a smell, a taste. . . . The sacrament is more than a medium of communication; it is a medium of action, God’s action.

Physical and sensory reminders. As physical, sensory creatures, we need tangible reminders of our faith. Communion, the meal Jesus shared with his disciples, provides a physical and sensory confirmation of our new relationship with God in Jesus Christ.

Eating and drinking our way into community. Communion is not just an individual act; it's a communal experience that binds us together as the body of Christ. It's an invitation to feast with family, dining among a people to whom we eternally belong.

The meal at the center of history. Communion connects us to the past, present, and future. It reminds us of Jesus' death and resurrection, as well as the promise of his return. In the midst of a hurried and frenzied world, it offers us a moment to pause and remember the meal at the center of history.

Last updated: February 8, 2025