We are living in world of apps. Apps for this and apps for that; dating apps, discipleship apps, church apps, behavioral apps, therapy apps, expense apps, leadership apps, self-control apps, the list is endless. These are just a few apps that replace Biblical teaching. Fruit of the Spirit…get the app. Preaching, get the app. Small groups, get the app. Why go to church? Stay home and get the app; the worship app, the prayer app, the preaching app not to mention the loving relationship app. Kids ministry, stay home and get the app. Oh, did I mention the giving app? (Note: The Repentance app is currently in development and will soon be ready for Beta testing.)
The old saying, ‘He has his head in the clouds’ meant that ‘he’ was a dreamer not to be taken seriously. Today, however, we are invited, by both the world and the Church to ‘live in the cloud’. Ecclesiastes offers a guide…
For everything there is an app, and a time for every matter under the sun.
a time for a birth app, a time for a death app;
a time for a planting app, and a time for a plucking up app;
a time for a killing app, and time for a healing app;
a time for a breaking down app, and a time for a building up app;
a time for a weeping app, and a time for a laughing app;
a time for mourning app, and a time for a dancing app;
a time for cast away of stones app, and a time for a gathering of stones together app;
a time to embrace app, and a time to refrain from embracing app;
a time to seek app, and a time to lose app;
a time to keep app, and a time to cast away app;
a time to tear app, and a time to sew app;
a time to keep silence app, and a time to speak app;
a time to love app, and a time to hate app;
a time for war app, and a time for peace app.
The new ‘Fishers of Men’ and ‘Self Baptism’ apps now include file and photo sharing as well as group chat and AI chatbot features.
After re-reading this I am left without app-etite. I’m thinking that if I need an app for any aspect of my Discipleship/Church engagement journey I may be missing the most important apps ever developed; The Holy Spirit and the Fruit of the Spirit (Developed by YAHWEH). That’s the real deal. Earthly apps are for wannabes and are soul sullying.
I guess I have been searching in all the wrong places! Perhaps you have been as well!
Andy retired early in order to serve in ministry. For ten years he coordinated Messy Church Canada with his wife Sue, training clergy and lay volunteers across Canada in Messy Church praxis. Messy Church is a family friendly, intergenerational, monthly program for unchurched and dechurched families that acts as a pathway into church. Presently Andy leads a mature adults ministry at West Highland Baptist Church in Hamilton ON with a focus on Gospel teaching, worship, prayer and fellowship. Andy is completing his Heritage Ministry Certificate (Heritage Seminary, Cambridge ON) and is presently working to develop intergenerational ministry opportunities.
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