Christians in American have largely uncritically accepted any advance in technology.  In this we are more American than Christian.  I find in my own work that the devices I use also use me. There is no remedy for this save that I use these devices to gather people to practice the anti-device wisdom of the faith.

 It is useful to use the communication technology to set meetings, organize the life of the community. But never ever should we think that some new technology is the community. In truth the best we can do is use the tech to gather the community in order to de-tox from the tech.

The spiritual practices of Christianity, prayer, meditation, chant, reading, and writing inhabit silence.  The means of opening to God are not improved by technology.  A new and improved Pentium chip adds nothing to the divine presence.  In fact these devices and their demands can keep renewal from happening.  Busyness in order to justify our existence is symptomatic of alienation from ourselves, others and God.

The most controversial thing I have ever done as Rector of Saint John’s was to pause for silence after the sermon (as the Book of Common Prayer allows).  You would have thought I denied the divinity of Christ to hear the whispers of frustration.  We were pausing for perhaps 30 seconds!