Tag Archive - Los Angeles

Why Twitter? How About California Earthquake To Name One Reason

July 29, 2008 in Marriage-Family, Technology-Social Media with 9 Comments

There are many reasons to Twitter which I have chronicled on this blog.

But today was a perfect example. When the Southern California earthquake hit today at approximately 11:41 (Twitter) or 11:42 (CNN) Twitter was buzzing like crazy. I had numerous reports from numerous sources of the quake almost before it ended.

And when the phone lines wouldn’t work, it was Twitter that allowed my wife and I, as well as other family members and friends connect to make sure everyone was okay.

Great tool. And no matter what complaints people levy against Twitter’s latest technical problems, it’s days like these that make you thankful for Twitter.

UPDATE:

Twitter beats the AP and other new sources by 4-9 minutes. Gees…how slow is the MSM.

Sort of reminds me of churches, church staffs and denominations that put out “official” news days, weeks and months after everyone else knows about it.

Why aren’t you on Twitter?

Downward Mobility is not Cool

May 28, 2008 in Ministry-Theology with 6 Comments

The way of the Christian leader is not the way of upward mobility in which our world has invested so much, but the way of downward mobility ending on the cross.
Henri Nouwen, In The Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership, 62.

Just yesterday I was in two conversations on topics related to discipleship, coolness and downward mobility.

Bottom line: We tend to live in a culture where we all want to be cool. So much so, that the Church often tries to find cool ways to bring people to Jesus and into the Church.

And let’s admit it, we all want to be cool, there are just sometimes varying degrees of it. People in Los Angeles really want to be cool, and try very, very hard at it….and yep I live in Los Angeles.

We try to wear cool clothes, hang out at cool places, attend cool churches and be in small groups with cool people.

But I’m left here scratching my head thinking to myself: “I can’t think of anything cool about following Jesus. Giving your life away, carrying your cross and following Jesus to the cross is just not cool.”

So what are we doing then by trying to make Jesus and Church cool? Takes us nowhere and leaves us empty.