The Internet as a Blessing and a Curse

This summer, Luke Lindon was the chaplain for the United Church of Christ Society at the Chautauqua Institution. He heard a great talk by Paul Raushenbush entitled, "BEHOLD! I set before you a blessing and a curse; the internet and our spiritual life."

You can watch the full lecture here:


The main thing to lift up from the lecture is “One thing is very clear: The Internet and the technologies involved with it are not going away,” Raushenbush said. According to a poll administered by Pew Research Center in 2011, 79 percent of religiously active Americans use the Internet.

Whether you're looking up a scripture passage, looking for worship materials, or reading the UCC Daily Devotional; the internet is part of your spiritual life.

Yet many view the internet as a hostile place. Raushenbush states “It’s all about the intention. There’s good and bad — it’s what we bring to it.” Raushenbush stated that the internet is a useful tool, perhaps the most remarkable, at delivering information. There are blessings and curses that go with this tool. The trick is being actively engaged in social media and the internet so that we, as Raushenbush stated at the end of the lecture, "how we — all of you — can be a part of the force that bends the Internet away from the curse and towards the blessing."

The hope of the Faith Formation Team in this series is to get your comfort level with the "new media" up so that your church can be a force of blessing on the internet.

What are your thoughts on this talk? Was it helpful in laying out the issues of the internet? Are there lingering doubts or concerns that weren't addressed? Do you have a story of the internet being part of your spiritual life and blessing it?

Getting Your Church Wired

A Digital Church

Introducing our fall project: 

Getting Your Church Wired: A helpful guide to social media, online ethics and your congregation. 

The internet has given our churches new tools to use for evangelism, yet many churches don't know about these tools or fear them. The Faith Formation Team will guide you through the ethical use of these tools, what tools are helpful (and which aren't), and how to create opportunities for connection throughout the week (not just Sunday morning).

If you’re looking for resources, helpful tips, or even how to ethically use the internet then this series is for you. You can send any questions, comments, or requests for topics you want covered to Luke Lindon, lukeATsylvaniauccDOTorg. 

Why did we spell out Luke's email like that? Well, here's your first tip: to avoid spammers who search the internet for email links! Luke doesn't want to be notified of the lottery he has won in Gambia, his long-lost royal relative's inheritance, or his Russian bride. He does want your requests for topics, issues, and questions. So please, send away!

Thanks!