“Some may be shut-in mem-
bers, but others are servicemen and women, members of former congregations, or people who just happened to fi nd a word they need to hear,” she said. Many pastors see the digital age
as a giſt for the preacher. Websites like
www.workingpreacher.org and
www.textweek.com off er resources for Bible study. And Facebook gives a window into what parishioners are think- ing about during the course of a week. “I thank God that I get to
preach in the digital age for it allows me to connect with people in a way that I don’t think I’d be able to do oth- erwise,” said Karen Torrez, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Bridgeport, Ohio. “Social media is the map that shows me where people cur- rently are. Facebook gives me an incredible insight into what is ‘trending’ in people’s lives.” Last summer’s TED
Talk-style sermon series at Maple Leaf Lutheran Church, Seattle, had Julie Blum, pastor, saying some- thing similar. Worship- ers “enjoyed a new way to hear and engage the gospel,” she said, as they watched a diff erent video each week, followed by an activity or refl ection. But while the digital
age off ers challenges and possibilities, it may connect us more deeply to our roots than we realize. Paul Lutz, a pas- tor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Lansdale, Pa., said the digital reliance
SHUTTERSTOCK January 2015 35
on storytelling is not so diff erent from the aural culture of Jesus’ day. Stories and the relationship with the listener remain paramount. But preachers in the digital age are
called to be aware of their task more than ever—lest even Grandma pulls out her cellphone and tunes out.
Author bio: Lang of Perkasie, Pa., is an ELCA pastor who serves ecumenically as a leadership retreat facilitator and church
consultant (
www.revwriter.com).
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