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I was just making a post in another area when this thought hit me, that I feel enslaved by technology. I want to disconnect everything but find I cannot for fear of being isolated. does this make sense? People come to our home when we invite them for dinner or lunch and yet it does not seem that anyone just stops by anymore for the sake of friendship. When we do get together with family and friends no one actually has discussions, references are to funny utube videos, or a movie, or some recent sporting game mostly they just sit around looking at their phone, texting one another while the person they are texting is in the room. In the last two years I have not had more that 3 or 4 meaningful conversations with anyone under 30 years of age unless I am teaching and a question comes up. How is that we can be so "connected" and yet so isolated? I go to church and (I love our church and pastor and our church family) it seems when the last amen is said everyone over 40 disappears we have a large congregation for a city of twenty thousand. I get the feeling something is wrong but I can't put my finger on it. We grow by 20 people per year, we have soul winning and special days, we are often told we are one of the friendliest churches in our area. Our pastor is a tremendous preacher and teacher and yet with all these positives. I do not sense the same corporate power of God today I sensed 40 years ago. I believe that technology is always calling for our attention right now and consequently we never have the time to get alone with God for a couple of hours, to dwell on what God wants to speak to us about one on one, to read the scriptures for an hour instead of reading a couple of verses and a 300 word devotion so we can get back to our friends who never come by to spend an afternoon or evening talking about the Lord. I saw a picture on Facebook a few days ago that kind of summed up todays understanding of God and salvation. The caption stated "yep I am on my way to heaven, I clicked "like" on a picture and typed Amen!" I am not sure if people under 40 truly understand what "true fellowship" is? I am not complaining per se just wondering how old I really am. I realize I cannot go back 40 years but should I have to go back if we are a New Testament church? Acts 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Acts 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

BOOK: Trajectory of the Twenty-first Century, Essays on Theology and Technology by Lawrence J. Terlizzese Excellent insight into much, if not most, of how Satan is using technological progress as a worldly god to further his purposes and entangle the lost. For those who must have it, hort biography of the author: Lawrence J. Terlizzese holds a Ph.D. in Theological Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary and has published three books on the pressing issue of faith and technology: Hope in the Thought of Jacques Ellul, Trajectory of the 21st Century and Into the Void. He has taught and several different schools including his alma mater Dallas Theological Seminary as well as Grand Canyon University, Texas Woman’s University and University of Texas-Dallas It may help us all to pray, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."