My Friends,
Technical difficulties!
I’m old enough to remember when that meant the wind blew the TV antenna off the roof or with dial-up internet you couldn’t be on the telephone and computer at the same time. Yes, we’ve had our technical difficulties as we’ve begun our in person worship and livestreaming.
There’s a ‘hum and a buzz’ in the audio; our closed captioning doesn’t seem to work; and even last week, the computer went out and we lost the picture for a few minutes. Technical difficulties are frustrating, but I count it all joy that we have the technology with which to have some very minor and correctable difficulties.
Many churches don’t have any technology. Many families in our country don’t have the internet access that you and I have. And let’s be honest, that makes life difficult in these days where online connections are so crucial.
But are there technical difficulties that keep you and me from being connected to God and with God’s creatures and creation? Our spiritual antenna gets tossed around by the winds of self-righteousness; we pay more attention to the hum and buzz of hate and fear and deceit than to the gospel message; or our own lifestyle that keeps on asking the technical question, “Who is my neighbor?” as we hear in the story of the Good Samaritan. (Luke 10:25-37)
I would say these difficulties are correctable when we realize that our choices have consequences. As I will say this World Communion Sunday, “Our choices should have communion consequences” that reveal our commitment to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves.
Grace and peace,
Bruce
