Christian Ethics and the New Media: Introduction and Media Defined

Christian Ethics and the New Media: Scripture and Communication

Christian Ethics and the New Media: The Christian and the New Media

The Local  Church and the New Media

Just as the individual Christian has responsibility for right, ethical living in the realm of social networking and the New Media, local churches also play pivotal roles of responsibility in such a plethora of media.

Over her history, the Church has been fairly consistent in her adoption of various new technologies and media.  Whether it was the use of scrolls, codexes, books, magazines, newspapers, radio or television, the Church has generally done a fair job of keeping up with societal and technological changes and paradigm shifts in the forms and mediums of communication.

According to the Barna Group,

“People within the Christian community are just as immersed in (and dependent upon) digital technologies and social networks as are those outside of it. Both evangelical Christians and other born again Christians emerged as statistically on par with national norms when it came to each of the 15 different areas that were studied. In other words, matters of faith played very little role in differentiating people’s technological habits.”[1]

In a world that is increasingly connected and compartmentalized, the Church is left with a pressing problem.  On the one hand, according to David Kinnaman, “Church leaders have to strike the delicate balance between the spiritual and cultural potential of tech tools without surrendering to the false promise of these tools. Having the means of reaching the masses – for instance, through podcasting – is a good thing.”[2] The New Media, as a paradigm-shifting, conversation changing form of information communication, is precisely poised to be used in powerfully productive ways.  “Yet, nothing matches the potency of life-on-life discipleship. In this respect, social networking and blogs can be effective tools to intimately connect with a small, natural network of relationships. The key is using the technology in a way that is consistent with your calling and purpose, not just an addictive self-indulgence.” [3]

This statement by Kinnaman reveals both the weakness and the power of the New Media.  On the one hand, for its ability to quickly, effectively, efficiently and economically communicate information, the New Media is unmatched and unparalleled in human history.  Yet, this strength is also the New Media’s greatest weakness, for in providing such volumes of information, facades of familiarity and community can be erected and these facades can in fact impede any real attempts at valid, human relationship-building interaction.  For the Church, this means quite simply that there is no replacement for face-to-face, human, organic relationship growth.  Humans are communal creatures.[4] The New Media does not, and cannot satisfy this basic need.

Furthermore, the Church has a moral and ethical responsibility to work through the issues that these New Media present.  Kinnaman goes on to say

“One recent study we completed among teenagers showed that just 9% of church-going teens had learned something helpful about technology in their church during the past year. As each new generation becomes increasingly enmeshed with technology, these discussions and choices cannot be left to chance. Control, image, relevance, immediacy, transparency, purity, truth, stewardship, and escapism are some of the many issues that technology brings to the surface, not always with benign consequences.”[5]

Finally, the Church must understand and engage with the reality of the New Media, namely that it is a two-way conversation:

“Young people, for instance, think of themselves as creators of content, not merely consumers of it. Technology, in essence, gives them a voice and fuels their search for calling. Whether or not you welcome it, technology creates an entirely new calculus of influence and independence. The stewardship of technology as a force for good in culture is an important role for technologists, entrepreneurs, educators, and Christian leaders.”[6]

Local Churches must be equipped to deal with the ethical issues that the New Media bring.  While Media are amoral, they do not exist in a vacuum.  The medium, the agent of transference, not only conveys the message, but it works to shape it.  Ideas are nameless, substance less notions until they are given shape and definition by language.  Language in some sense is modified by the medium through which it is expressed.  The Church, as Christ’s Bride and Witness must be wary of her message being unnecessarily warped by the media she uses to express it.  Just because media are amoral does not mean that they are always necessarily right to use.  Likewise, just because various media are used in terrible, awful and sinful ways does not mean it is wrong to use those same media in right ways.  But one thing is certain: the Church is most assuredly called to remove herself from any naïveté regarding the New Media.  She is called by Her Lord to communicate in a way that honors Him and brings Him renown.  Her use (or misuse) of media will directly affect her ability to do that.

Conclusion

In the world of the Information Age, where communication and the New Media are kings, ethical issues abound.  Questions of privacy, idolatry, predation, stewardship, slander and libel are daily conundrums for millions of bloggers, Facebookers and Twitterers every day.  In a world of rapid change, where a massive paradigm shift has occurred in the way people communicate with one another and process information, confusion and fear can often rule the day.

Yet, God has not left the Christian in the dark.  The light of Scriptural truth shines and the Christian is provided with clear teachings and encouragements for how to rightly, morally and ethically communicate to other Christians and to the world around.  Whether it’s in the local church or on in the world of tweets and posts, blogs and vlogs, the Christian is called to rightly live and communicate, making the best use of the time, for the good of all men and for the glory of God.

[1] Barna Group, May 26, 2008, “Barna Technology Study: Social Networking, Online Entertainment And Church Podcasts,” http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/14-media/36-barna-technology-study-social-networking-online-entertainment-and-church-podcasts/ (accessed April 27, 2010).

[2] Barna Group, May 26, 2008, “Barna Technology Study: Social Networking, Online Entertainment And Church Podcasts,” http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/14-media/36-barna-technology-study-social-networking-online-entertainment-and-church-podcasts/ (accessed April 27, 2010).

[3] Barna Group, May 26, 2008, “Barna Technology Study: Social Networking, Online Entertainment And Church Podcasts,” http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/14-media/36-barna-technology-study-social-networking-online-entertainment-and-church-podcasts/ (accessed April 27, 2010).

[4] M.K. Smith, “Community,” in the encyclopedia of informal education,  ed, http://www.infed.org/community/community.htm. (accessed April 27, 2010).

[5] Barna Group, May 26, 2008, “Barna Technology Study: Social Networking, Online Entertainment And Church Podcasts,” http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/14-media/36-barna-technology-study-social-networking-online-entertainment-and-church-podcasts/ (accessed April 27, 2010).

[6] Barna Group, May 26, 2008, “Barna Technology Study: Social Networking, Online Entertainment And Church Podcasts,” http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/14-media/36-barna-technology-study-social-networking-online-entertainment-and-church-podcasts/ (accessed April 27, 2010).

Christian Ethics and the New Media: Introduction and Media Defined

Scripture and Communication

“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.  Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” (Colossians 4:5-6)

A primary, driving force behind any Christian’s ethic is going to be Christ’s dual command, to love God with all the faculties of one’s being and to love one’s neighbor as oneself (Matthew 22:37-40).  Furthermore, this command is given flesh for the Christian be remembering what Christ did for him on the Cross.  He shows His children much love and much patience.  As such, He expects their ethics to follow that same, Grace-driven trajectory.  The Christian is called in Colossians by Paul to be gracious in her speech.  His communication is to be seasoned with salt.  Her actions are to be wise and time-redemptive.

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:29-32)

Secondly, the Christian is called to communicate in such a way that grace is given to those being communicated to.  Christ-followers are not to be causes of unbiblical division and strife.  They are called to be “kind”, “tenderhearted” and forgiving.  Blog Battles and Flame Wars[1] are to be “put away”.  Meanness and a harsh spirit have no place within the Christian community.  Christians have been redeemed by the Holy Spirit, in Christ and by God’s kind Grace.  To use the New Media to communicate in such an evil, wicked way is to grieve the Spirit.

“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.  But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.  Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:13-17)

Finally, the New Media is not wicked in and of itself.  Media of all types can be used for much good.  When Johann Gutenberg created his printing press, it created untold (and at that time, unparalleled) possibilities for spreading the Word of God to men and women all over the world.[2] Yet, that same technology has also been used for much evil over the centuries.  Likewise, the New Media, those vessels of that ever culturally-precious commodity, information, can be used for much good and much evil.  The rightness is not in the thing itself, but in the use of it.  It’s not the medium in which the ethical question lies but in the use of the media.  Such abilities to spread information should be viewed as gifts from God.  The problem lies within the human heart and its propensity towards evil and unethical actions.

[1] Stephen Leahy, “The Secret Cause of Flame Wars,” Wired, February 13, 2006,, Blog Post, http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2006/02/70179.

[2] Heinrich Wallau, “Johann Gutenburg,” in The Catholic Encyclopedia, 7th ed, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07090a.htm. (accessed April 26, 2010).

Sermon Poetry – “Salvation’s Found Alone in Christ”
Preacher – Dr. Tom Ascol

Come look what God has done in Christ
He sent His Son to live and die
He died for us, so you and I,
Can praise His Holy Name

Salvation’s found alone in Christ
The Bleeding Savior from on High
Be covered by His sacrifice
And love the Son of God

Because of Christ I strive to be
A vessel so that men might see
How Jesus Christ has love for me
Sweet Jesus, give me strength!

The Doctrines that I hold as true
Are false without my Savior who
Came to this earth for me and you
I praise His Holy Name

I come before You honestly with shaking and temerity
I do not seek You faithfully, I do not love Your Word
The devil roars and roams about, so with my quaking voice I shout
“Lord Jesus come and save Your son, equip me with Your Sword!”

Your Word’s a Lamp unto my feet, a shining Light unto my path
By it I know Your Holy Will, by it I know of Christ
Protect me from my wickedness, and make me like my Savior blessed
To fear Your frightful holiness, and love Your tender Grace

Make me receptive to Your Word, to treasure Your Commands and Laws
So wisdom will be near and dear, I glorify Your Name
From You comes Truth and Knowledge sweet, and love from Christ, my Mercy Seat
I read Your Word, so You I’ll meet, and then Your fame proclaim

Incline my heart unto Your Truth, the Knowledge of my Savior God
By it I know I’m lost without the work and death of Christ
I am a sinner lost and frail, I need the Cross, the Thorns and Nails
Without Your Love I’m lost to Hell, but now in Christ I’m saved

By Jesus’ blood I’m justified, the Spirit works to sanctify
So I’ll in God be glorified and live eternally
A sinner lost who now is found, adopted urchin with a crown
Once sinner dead, now Glory bound, all praise to Christ I’m free!

(These are written thoughts taken from my journal.  Straight from my head to you, uncut, un-edited and totally random)

I am thankful for God’s Standard. In this age especially there are so many ideas and so many beliefs and so many ideologues it gets very confusing. So many people want you to see things their way and attempt with all their ingenuity to get you to do so. There is such a comfort in knowing that God has revealed Himself to us in His Word and through His Son. How gracious of Him to do this for us!

Arminianism
Responsibility => Ability

Calvinism
Responsibility ≠> Ability
No Ability ≠> No Responsibility

My previous posts in this series are below: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 I finished Part 3 in this series with a basic question: how is this missions model incarnational? To explain, the normal and traditional way of doing missions (at least according to this model) is shown below: Usually, the missionary is trained and mentored in the sending context and sent out into the rest of the world to evangelize, and for the church-planter, to plant churches. But, what if the model took on this shape: Notice in what context the whole model exists. Within this model the missionaries leave their home churches, go to their mission field and serve, are trained, are sent and plant planting churches within the indigenous context.

As many have noted, the number of “unreached” people groups have been dropping precipitously. This is a wonderful development and we should thank God for it. But, we dare not forget the scores of lost men who remain in groups that have been “reached”. We are called by God to make disciples among all the nations and all of the people groups, not just among those who are unreached. A direct (and obvious) corollary of the reality of there being fewer unreached people groups is the reality of there being more reached people groups. Because of this reality, there are more indigenous churches to serve in, to be trained in, and to be sent by to plant more indigenous, Bible believing, Gospel-Saturated planting churches.

Consider what a profound example of incarnational humility this can be. If you are a man called of God to someday pastor, it will be a great statement of trust in Christ and submission to others to, in faith, immerse yourself in another culture and serve in a local church in that culture. You then are trained by “indigenous” pastors and are sent by indigenous churches to plant indigenous churches that themselves plant indigenous churches that plant indigenous (or glory be to God, foreign) churches. You’ll more fully learn how to live with people of another culture. You’ll more fully learn how they think, how they live, how they worship and how they serve. You’ll be trained by men who know their culture, to serve others in that culture. You allow and encourage the indigenous church to take ownership and responsibility to plant indigenous churches that otherwise would have been planted by your home-culture church. Is this not a wonderful example of Christian unity? Is this not a wonderful example of the Biblical diversity that is found in the love of Christ? Is this not a profound declaration of the priority of our Heavenly Citizenship over the citizenship of our native land?

What are the full implication and ramifications of this model? Honestly, I have no way of knowing. I would pray that it would foster a passion for the glory of Christ in our unity as children of the Father. I pray it would encourage humility and discourage the arrogance that is found all too often in the saints. I pray that it would encourage us to preach Christ to all peoples. We must remember that every generation presents us with a new crop of souls to be harvested. May we ever submit to the Will of God and seek his glory, by the Son’s Grace and through the sanctifying work of the Spirit.

In review, here is the suggested model for living and serving incarnationally in missionary church planting.

In Scripture (1 Peter 3:8-9, Ephesians 4:1-6) Christians are called to submit to and live in deference one to another. In Hebrews 13:17 Christians are called to submit to their leadership (within Christian mutual submission). Being a churchman can and should be a very humbling experience. As much as the human being desires absolute autonomy, the simple truth is that in Christ we are unified to each other. In Christ we are to submit to one another with humble selflessness, giving deference to each other. If a man cannot do this in a local church, how can he have any reasonable expectation of asking men and women to follow his leadership as an undershepherd? How can a pastor hope to lead like Christ unless he can first be led? There is so much emphasis in evangelicalism on being a good leader that many people forget that in order to be a Christ-like servant-leader you must be a Christ-like servant-follower. Pastors are servants, under-shepherds, slaves and messenger boys, called of God to minister to Christ’s Body.

It is within this context that certain men are called out of the body of believers into roles of leadership. Yet, this does not necessarily happen instantaneously. In the examples of Barnabus and his protégé Paul, and then in Paul and his protégés Timothy and Titus, there is a very strong element of pastoral mentoring that occurs.  In this modern era of Christianity, most of the heart of pastoral training is expected to be completed at a seminary. There is on the job training that happens, as with any job, but usually, to be a pastor means that one must go to seminary, get a degree of some kind, and then wait for one’s resume to be picked up by a church somewhere who will then call the candidate in question and examine him. Where is the ownership in the local church for a man’s training and development in such a system?  Seminaries are not bad institutions. There is a lot of good that come out of seminaries, as well as bad. The problem comes when the local church abdicates her responsibility and ability to train her own pastors, missionaries and missionary church planters by farming out the work to the plethora of available para-church organizations and denominational institutions.

Once the pastors or missionaries or missionary church planters are trained and ready, who sends them? Should the local church rely solely on Missions agencies and church planting networks to send their men and women to the field? I think the example of the Holy Spirit through the Church in Antioch is a hearty no! It was the local church in Antioch that sent Barnabas and Paul. The local church must send out her own! This duty, calling and privilege is not the purview of the missions agency or the denomination. Are missions agencies or denominational missions wings bad? Again, not necessarily. Problems arise when local churches renege on their responsibilities. The church must train her people and she must take ownership of her calling before God to send them out among the nations.

Finally, as men and women are sent around the world to spread the good news of the Gospel, it must be done within the realm of planting churches that plant churches. Thus we see the organic nature of the Church: by God’s Grace, in Christ and through the Spirit’s power, churches reproduce. Interestingly enough, the three previous elements of this model happen at this point. One the one hand serving, teaching/learning and sending comes into play with this fourth element; but at the same time, the planted church is learning how to serve, teach/learn and send. In order for a church to be able to plant churches there should be a corporately similar trajectory of growth for the church as their should have been for the missionary church planter.

There are two additional aspects of this model that should be explained.

First, each subsequent element of the model is within the context of the previous element. Every Christian should be a part of a local church, that’s the large context of the model. Yet not everyone will be mentored to be a pastor/church planter. Even fewer will actually become pastors and even fewer will actually become church planters. Of the church planters and the churches that will be planted, even fewer churches will be planted that actually go out themselves to plant churches.

Secondly, every subsequent element of the model envelopes a larger and larger focus. For the first element, the focus is within the local church. As mentorship progresses to being sent the focus grows, finally culminating with an ever-expanding reality of planted churches planting churches for the purpose of worshiping God and evangelizing and discipling of all the peoples in all the lands throughout all the world.

A potentially obvious question is perhaps apparent. How is this incarnational?  I’ll answer that with the last and final post.

There are scores of ideas in our contemporary milieu of evangelical thought on how to best accomplish our Christ-given Great Commission Responsibility. There are many various and sundry models, concepts and strategies that are used to bring the message of Jesus to a lost and dying world in ways that are missional, confrontational, contextual, relevant and incarnational.

All of these ideas and means can be well and good, so long as they are within the realm of biblical thought, principles and orthodoxy. Is that not the rub? Are we biblical in our methodologies or do we evangelize according to our own abilities and devices? Our evangelical strategies and missiological frameworks must be examined in light of and submitted to the Truth of God’s Written Will and Word. As such, please permit me to submit to you a biblical model of incarnational missionary church planting, based on the example of the early Church as led by the Holy Spirit.

As much as we read and hear about the epistle writer Paul, it is very enlightening to understand how Paul became the Missionary Church Planter we read about in the book of Acts and in his letters. After his Damascus Road Experience, Paul does not automatically seek to become a missionary church planter.  After a time of learning from the Lord in Arabia, he sought to be with the disciples, in Damascus and Jerusalem. He recognized the need for the community and accountability that a group of like-minded believers can provide for each other. Then, when the need arose, Barnabas went to Tarsus (where Paul had been sent by the disciples in Jerusalem, because he had severely angered the Hellenists with his bold and biblical preaching), found Paul, brought him back to Antioch and together they ministered to the saints. The Scripture then says that in those days a prophecy was made concerning a famine in Jerusalem, so that the church in Antioch, taking responsibility to help their brothers in Jerusalem, sends Barnabas and Paul to Jerusalem with relief. We’re then told in Acts 13:1-3 that while the disciples in Antioch were worshipping and fasting that the Holy Spirit sets Barnabas and Paul apart for the work that was prepared for them to do. And, in obedience, the local church in Antioch sends Barnabas and Paul on God’s mission.

It is in the middle of Acts 13 that we see a major shift in Paul’s Ministry. He takes the lead. The student had concluded that stage of his education and training and took the leadership responsibility of the missionary team. From that point on in Acts, we see Paul planting churches in Ephesus, Corinth, Galatia, Thessalonica, and Philippi. It is important to note that Paul planted churches in major cities. It is from these urban centers that the indigenous churches were planted and from the urban areas that these planting churches planted.

In addition to Paul, we see this same example of serving/submitting, teaching/learning, sending and planting in Timothy and Titus. Both were men discipled under the ministry of Paul, both were trained in some measure by Paul and both then had the responsibility of discipling, mentoring and leading other men and churches.

Based off of the examples of Barnabas, Paul, Timothy and Titus, I would submit to you the following model for Biblical Missionary Church Planting:

In the next post in this series, I’ll explain what each element of the model means and why it matters.

Very good message on Biblical Church Membership by Brother Tom.  Below are some highlights. (followed by the usual video and photographs)

The Church is a priority in God’s application of the Redemptive Work of His Son until Christ returns.

Excuses normally used to leave churches are not excuses to leave, they’re excuses to grow!

Church Membership IS Biblical.  And, because it is Biblical, it is vitally important.
-    It is created and planned by God

7 Lines of Reasoning in Support of Church Membership

1.) Because of the Example we have in the N.T. of Believers
2.) Church Membership is a necessary presupposition of Church Discipline
3.) The Metaphors of the Church in the N.T. require individuals to be definitely connected to the Whole of the Assembly
4.) The Relationship in the NT that exist between the Pastors and the People they serve
5.) A Biblical distinction between “insiders” and “outsiders”
6.) The existence of lists using in the Early Church
7.) The Exhortations we find in N.T. letters to Believers to mutually edify each other

We are called to follow Christ together with our Brothers and Sisters in Christ.  We are to be in Covenanted Community with our Family Members in Christ.

Church Membership is a means of Grace God gives to His children

Jesus Christ loves the Church

• If He loves the church, how can we Love Him but not Love what He loves?

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