"Of one thing we can be certain: The range of our choices in life will be on the rise. With wealth and knowledge growing exponentially, life has begun to resemble a smorgasbord, where the appetizers are laid before us in an alluring array, making us ever more gluttonous but with proportionately diminishing satisfaction. We need to be reminded that imbibing and disgorging are not just physical problems; they ultimately cut deeply into the very spirit of our human experience. And if recognized too late, the symptoms of the bulimic spirit are destructive of more than the flesh." - Ravi Zacharias, Deliver Us From Evil
I was recently introduced to this quote and it spoke directly to a concern I've had over recent months. While I am fairly certain that Zacharias did not have this in mind when he wrote this, his words capture what I feel is a potential downside of podcasting.
You may be saying, "Huh? Podcasting? What in the world?"
Hear me out.
In the Christian world, podcasting has made it easy for us to hear messages from people around the world. Like the internet in general, it has made distance and geography non-issues when it comes to learning from people we admire and trust. It provides us with a seemingly endless smorgasbord of messages from which to choose and grow.
Now, let me be upfront and say that in my role at HFBC, I am involved in the process of promoting our own podcast. What a blessing it is to receive feedback from people around the world who have tuned in to hear what Pastor Gregg has to say each week! I'm glad to be a part of extending HFBC's ministry beyond our walls and borders.
However, I am seeing signs of podcasting going too far on the side of the listeners, approaching "gluttonous" levels in some cases. How so? Let me explain.
I will frequently find myself in conversations with people who ask if I've listened to so-and-so's latest sermon. Or, I'll receive an e-mail from someone sharing what another so-and-so had to say in his most recent podcast. And sometimes, I'll be left out of a conversation because I was the only one who had not heard that week's message from yet another so-and-so.
But my concerns go beyond simply feeling left out. My concerns are for a new manifestation of consumerism in the American church (or perhaps the internet-enabled church, however far it may extend around the globe).
With access to the best-and-brightest and latest-and-greatest teaching in all of Christendom, a podcast listener's standards and expectations rise and may become unsatisfied by the preacher at the church down the street. And to the extent that we all have limited time and mental capacity to "take it all in" each week before we reach saturation, something has to give in order to make room for the messages we just downloaded.
Unfortunately, the victim may be the local church.
I would like to think that I am not an alarmist on this, but I've heard comments from people lately that back up my concerns -- comments from people in my life and comments I've read online. I've witnessed people who listen to several podcasts each week somewhat withdraw from the church body.
Rather than seeing the local church as a place where they can serve with others, worship with others, minister to others, fellowship with others, rejoice with others, and grieve with others they see it as just one of many sources in the "alluring array" of places to be fed. And if they don't like what's being served they just keep on driving until they find what they like, seeking a source that is just the way they like it and forsaking the commitment and relationships that go with being in a local church.
You know, I would love to have a Mercedes-Benz, but my Ford works just as well at getting me from Point A to Point B (even with a mirror held on with duct tape). It's not my ideal preference, but it's what I have, it works, and I'm grateful for it.
As I type this, I'm reminded of stories from when church services were first broadcast on television decades ago. Church members around the nation were convinced that people would never again fill their pews if they could "go to church" in the comfort of their living rooms. While I do not have all of the data at my fingertips, I'm pretty sure the local church did not die with the onset of broadcast worship services. But did many Americans forsake connecting with the Body as a result. I feel confident in saying that yes, they did.
I would hate to discover that there was somebody in the world listening to HFBC's podcast in lieu of going to a local church simply because he or she liked our preaching better. Just think of what that person would be missing out on in his or her spiritual growth!
Let's pray against podcasting having the same impact. Rather than allowing downloads from people around the world to take the place of connecting with a local church, let's pray that they simply add to what God does in our lives. Nothing can take the place of what God can do through the Body.
3 comments:
I understand your fears, although they are perhaps a little extreme. What I do think this will contribute to is further growth of megachurches (I'm not a fan even though I attend one) at the expense of smaller churches, especially in urban areas.
There are many things a megachurch can do that a smaller church cannot just because of its size. But there are many things the small church can do that a megachurch cannot. But as consumeristic Americans, bigger must be better, right? Not always.
My other fear is that churches will become preaching-centric stages instead communities of faith. The congregation will become an audience rather than active worshippers. The raised platform at the front may not be an altar, but it certainly isn't a stage where we are entertained.
I'm all in favor of more information being available online. It's great that other sermons are available to be listened to. But if we are listening to other sermons during the week in lieu of serving God by applying the principles gathered in our churches, large or small, we are not being good Christians.
Saul of Tarsus studied and studied, even spending time under the tutelage of Gamaliel, the foremost Pharisaic scholar of the day. But it wasn't until he began doing the work of the church after his conversion that he experienced God. Experiencing sermons is one thing, and there is a place and time for that. We all have seasons of rest and study. But Christianity must be applied and lived out. Persoanlly, I'd rather see folks spend an hour working in miniistry, no matter the cause, than spend an hour listening to an extra sermon each week.
Maybe we need to be more concerned about the Nelly & Office episode downloads and less concerned about the Matte podcast epidemic.
My biggest concern is that I have iPod envy!! I know it's a sin. :( All the cool kids have them.
I don't think the fears are too extreme. Listening to Podcasts, absorbing Scripture, praying for yourself and asking God to do a work in your life are all, in most ways, akin to eating. They are things that give us the strength to do the things we want to do, but they are not necessarily all of life. There is more to life than eating.
On the other hand, telling others about Christ, praying for other people, investing and sacrificing time and money for the purpose of glorifying God's great name are all akin to exercise. Again, though, there is more to life than exercising.
We can exercise and never eat, and we will grow tired and sore.
We can eat and never exercise, and we will grow fat and lazy (and we'll still be tired).
The Greek concept of belief is whatever you mentally agree with. The Hebrew concept of belief is whatever you act upon. (Words versus action). Most of us in the U.S. tend to approach things from the Greek concept, but we would do well to start approaching things from the Hebrew perspective as well without forgetting about the Greek perspective.
You would think that information overflow when it comes to preaching would be a good thing, but I would have to disagree. If you restrict yourself to learning one viewpoint on Scripture, you usually have time left over to search the Scriptures, as the Bereans did, to see if the things that are being said are true. If you're being fed 50 slightly differing viewpoints, you will generally come away with a conglomeration of both, but since you probably didn't have much time, or the organization, to search the Scriptures, you end up running your spiritual life off of consensus rather than Scripture. This is a dangerous place to be, regardless of whether you find your sample in the church or out. It's like trying to be an umpire where every player believes in a different set of rules, and there's so much noise that you can't focus to read the rulebook.
Podcasts are good. I like them. But I'm afraid their creators are still depraved and fallen people. The Bible is better.
If you haven't questioned something on a podcast lately, give it a shot. Search the Scriptures.
I agree with you.
And I look forward to meeting you sometime. I started going to HFBC last week.
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