Determining Values: The Great Commission

Here we are in our final instalment on determining values.  This week, we take a look at the invitation that our Certificate Authority, the person of Jesus Christ, has given to His followers: to take the obligation of the Great Commandment and turn it into the invitation of the Great Commission.  In a way, this was the start of Web 1.0; Jesus invited His disciples to start nodes around the entire planet that would tie together every culture, language, and people group into a universal bank of shared experience, empowered and filtered by and through Him.  Wow!  Jesus told His disciples, and those who would follow them,

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

As we build our final sections of a foundation for further studies, we can summarise this commandment in this way: "Regarding the tools that I use, technological or otherwise: are they being used to not only edify myself and others, but to specifically present the Gospel in a clear and understandable fashion that includes an honest presentation of what it will cost to truly follow Jesus' example, and then are they being used to help in that training process?"

This site, in a sense, is one attempt by me to use the technology of blogging to share the gospel and to encourage thoughtful growth in myself and others who seek to follow the path of the Nazarene.  In what ways are you using technology to answer the Great Question, fulfill the Great Commandment, and live the Great Commission?

Here are some ways that I use technology to these ends:

• I use YouVersion to help me stay accountable to daily time in the word.
• I use the Notes on my iPad to constantly take down prayer requests from people and I use it every day for the people to whom I have committed to pray.
• I use OpenDNS, Flashblocker, and AdBlock Plus to set boundaries as to where I can go online.
• I use a cellphone to call my accountability partners on a weekly basis.
• I text and email friends with my prayer requests.
• I use my computer and instruments to write and record songs that I use in ministry contexts.
• I lead worship with my family using my keyboard and Powerpoint.

These are just a few simple ways that technology is being intentionally used in my life to try to live in a Christlike way.  I'd love to hear of any successes or struggles that you have to share.  Next time, we'll start a series of posts on how we can apply these values to our consumption and production of data. We'll start with looking at the diet of the mind.