The Next Story

The Next Story, Tim Challies

As I mentioned a month ago, I have been listening to a audio book by Tim Challies called The Next Story. Subtitled Life and Faith after the Digital Explosion, he explains how and why our society has become reliant on digital technology, what it means for our lives, and how it impacts on Christian faith.

It has been a fascinating read (or listen!).

So much so that I am going to dedicate a series of posts to it, to raise some issues and think about them. If you read this blog, you are an online person who probably uses much of the digital technology that is available today from Facebook & Twitter to iPods, iPhones and iPads; from eBay to blogger; from mobile phones to laptops to xBox. But do you think about the role of technology at all from a Christian perspective? Do you even know how to do so?

What does theology have to do with technology? More than you might think... We are looking for that sweet spot where our use of technology is not just thoughtful and informed, but it is informed by the bible, by an understanding of God’s purpose for technology. In that place of thoughtful technological discernment we live in light of what we know to be true about technology, what we know to be true about ourselves and what we know to be true about the God who made us. (Introduction, 16:30*).

There are a number of ways Christians can deal with technology:

1. Embrace it – enthusiastically and unthinkingly. Yet this lacks discernment.
2. Strict separation – see all digital as dangerous enemy. Yet this is not realistic.
3. Be a discerning Christian

A Christian looks carefully at the new realities, ways and evaluates them and educates himself, thinking deeply about the potential consequences and effects of using a particular technology. Through it all, even as he is using a specific technology, he disciplines himself to be discerning, to embrace what can be embraced and to reject what needs to be rejected… he relies on the Holy Spirit who speaks his wisdom through the bible to learn how he can live with virtue in this new digital world. (19:30)

The rest of the book provides a history of technology, how it has changed the world and how as Christians we can think about and evaluate the benefits and risks for our Christian growth and maturity in technology.


Some things to think about:

• Do you embrace technological advances? Are you one of the first to get the new latest gadget? What risks do you face with this?
• Do you shun technology? Avoid it wherever possible? What are the risks with this?
• Do you stop to think about what a new technology might do both to advance the kingdom of God and to stifle it?

* Sorry, can’t tell you page numbers, just time on the audio chapter!

The Hiding Place

The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom with John and Elizabeth Sherill

This audiobook has accompanied me through 9.5 hours of exercise over the last few weeks. I loved every minute of it.

Many have already read The Hiding Place, but if you haven't - I highly recommend it. It is an autobiography by Corrie Ten Boom of her childhood and family life in Holland in the early 20th century, and then of the invasion of Holland by Germany in WWII. She and her family led the resistance movement in their town, including hiding many Jews in their home. Eventually, she and her sister (in their 50s) and her father (in his 80s) were arrested and imprisoned. She was later transferred to a German concentration camp.

It's a story with devastating power, about how humankind can be so sinful, and also so gracious. So cruel and so kind. But much more than that, it tells of a family's dependent reliance on God for all things, and their trust in him no matter what.

It's not an easy read (in terms of content), but one that all Christians should read, especially those who think history isn't worth bothering with.

A man's got to have a hobby

A man's got to have a hobby: Long summers with my Dad, William McInnes (audiobook)

As I have been trying to run lately, I find myself needing something to listen to as I go along - mainly to take my mind off the running.

Some of you will recall I have become a fan of the free downloads on christianaudio.com and in so doing I have listened to Pilgrim's Progress and more recently, Stuff Christians Like. The latter made me realise that a bit of humour is an enjoyable thing while exercising.

So off I went to the local library to see if I could find something else. I stumbled onto this treasure by William McInnes (of whom I already a fan, thanks to SeaChange & East West 101).

The highlight for me was that William McInnes himself was reading it, and because of that I suspect I enjoyed listening to the audiobook much more than I would have done reading the book.

He accounts his childhood, with a special focus on his dad and it was so funny to listen to him imitate his father than I often found myself laughing as I ran along. The first third of the book was a thoroughly enjoyable listen to his memories of the past. The middle section was a bit harsher as he reflected on some other aspects of life. The final third was a moving account of the death of his aunt and then the slow decline & eventual death of his father with Alzheimers, which was so emotional I was moved to tears.

I also liked the insight it gave me of growing up in Australia in the 50s and 60s. It was enjoyable.

The Pilgrim's Progress (audio book)

You might start to think that I am being sponsored by christianaudio.com! No, not at all - however I am becoming a big fan of their free monthly downloads. They have just put out another free download for March.

I have always wanted to read Pilgrim's Progress, and even tried a few times. This version is abridged and updated for the modern reader, so I have no idea how much it has been changed.

I have been listening to it on my walks, and it's great. It's a story of the Christian life told in an allegory, Graceless starts on a journey carrying a burden of sin. He is shown the way to the Celestial City. His burden is lost at the cross, he continues on the way to the City and is renamed Christian. He meets characters such as Evangelist, Worldy Wiseman, Mr Legality, Sloth, Charity and Watchman.

When he is relieved of his burden, he says these words:

Thus far did I come with my burden of sin
And nothing could ease the grief I was in
But when I came hither the burden I lost
And I found peace and joy at the foot of the cross (Chapter 7)

I am only about a third of the way through it, so I don't really know what is yet to come (although I have heard enough about it over time to guess!) I suspect the children could also listen to it in a few years - it's all in modern English and very comprehensible (the very things I struggled with when trying to read it years ago!)

Fifty Reasons - audiobook

In the lead up to Easter, you might be after some reading material, or perhaps, some listening material.

This month, christianaudio.com are giving away free downloads of the audio version of John Piper's Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die. I read this last year around Easter and found it really helpful to think afresh about all the reasons Jesus came to die for us.

My guess is as an audiobook, each reason would take less than 10 mins to listen to - an easy bite-size chunk when on the bus, in the car or going for a walk.

Religion Saves - part 2 of 2

Well, I can't imagine anyone was waiting with bated breath for the second part of this post (first one here), but for completeness I include it!

Also, I will only include minor comments, because it was so long ago that I finished listening to them, I can't remember much!

Talk 6 - Faith & Works - a good one, helpfully explained the difference between Calvinism and Armenianism at the beginning, and then the application was great - just about the gospel.

Talk 7 - Dating - this one was excellent, similar to talk 1. He laid an appropriate framework for Christian dating, both for singles living at home, still under the care of parents (especially Christian parents) and a framework for older singles who have moved out and are more in charge of their own lives. A lot of what he said here resonated and made sense.

Talk 8 - Emerging Church & Talk 9 - Regulative Principle - both interesting, but I think had more relevance to the American Christian scene than the Australian one.

HOWEVER, the real reason I have included this post, is that my monthly email from christianaudio.com tells me that their free download of this month is the book that came from this sermon series - Religion Saves. Driscoll himself is the narrator - which I think would add to its 'ease of listening'! So, if you feel like listening to the book instead of the sermons, that's another option.