Trevin Wax recently linked to a recent article on The Death of the Phone Call, examining the tendency of younger people to communicate more, but in other ways. The article focuses on social media and texting as methods of communication that are particularly replacing phone calls, but to expand to a wider range of human communication, I think it’s worth adding face-to-face interaction.

News like this causes the introverted souls in the world to rejoice. But there remains the massive interactive space of the business world. Until I can conduct business electronically without ever having to speak to another person, even the rise of this kind of communication looks like a utopian dream (or a nightmare, if you’re of the extroverted persuasion).

But consider this: texting is the best means of rapid q&a or info sharing between people willing to share contact info. Social media is the best means of keeping up with larger groups of people without having to wade through all the “nice weather we’re having” pleasantries. Calls are the best means of talking with people you aren’t able to see in person. Face to face interaction is best for those close by who you enjoy being around. Business functions are a necessity of completing work, and email or online forms should be sufficient. (And if those charged with monitoring those channels actually do the work of repsonding promptly, there’s no excuse for needing to call for some perceived “emergency”.) Sales calls are nothing more than a pimple on the butt of human communication.

That’s the rant for the week. Feel free to fire off your rebuttals…

Some would humiliate. Some would take an easy win. Others choose to have some class, like this team. JV Girl’s Softball powerhouse Roncalli met up with a program that was just trying to get off the ground, and had no experience or resources. They chose to forfeit the game and spend the rest of the time showing the school the fundamentals of the game. The opposing team wasn’t looking for a hand-out, and Roncalli didn’t approach the offer like one. They just wanted the other team to be able to enjoy the game. The experience snowballed from there, with people raising some cash to get resources, and others donating time and equipment.

This is how it’s supposed to be, people. This shouldn’t be the exception, it should be the norm.

(HT: Leo LaPorte for the link)

For too long we have read scripture with nineteenth-century eyes and sixteenth-century questions. It’s time to get back to reading with first-century eyes and twenty-first century questions. — N.T. Wright

(HT: JR Woodward)

This is one of the best and most challenging books on Christian discipleship I have read. If you have (or have nearly) burned out on “church,” or if you have suffered emotional or spiritual abuse at the hands of those who put church before Jesus, this is for you. If you have walked out on the church, but still look for some connection to Jesus, this is for you. Michael Spencer gives no pretense, no bull, and no judging people as second class citizens to a perceived spiritual in-crowd. He simply offers Jesus and his invitation to life and fellowship.

While some time is spent calling out the problems with institutional Christianity, especially his own American Evangelicalism, that is far from the focus of the book. Nor does Michael hold himself out as some kind of guru making empty promises. Instead, he calls all to stop looking to the circuses and power plays used to guide or coerce people into loyalty to man-made institutions, and points them to Jesus. Mere Churchianity expands what Michael Spencer meant when he said, “If you are going to think about God, go to Jesus and start there, stay there and end there.”

Though Michael died in April 2010, his first and only book serves to share the message he was getting at through ten years of writing at internetmonk.com. I recommend it without reservation to anyone who has even a passing interest in Jesus or Christianity.

The book’s that good, friends. Go get it today, or pre-order the paper version. You won’t regret it.

Eulogy for the Internet Monk- Michael Spencer: An Honest Life for Jesus

My friend and mentor Michael Spencer entered his eternal rest today. I rejoice in God that Michael’s suffering has come to an end, and that he is in the loving presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. And I mourn the loss of a truly great voice. Michael pointed us to Jesus. Michael made me love Jesus more. Until the resurrection, my friend. Rest well.

Seriously.

(HT: @kootenayrev via Twitter)

It seems my life has become busy. I am blessed to work full-time as a network systems admin for a small pediatric home care provider. I volunteer at my church, where I have served as an elder, play for the orchestra and other worship music teams, teach and provide leadership for young adult ministries, and do whatever else I can to help. I am studying full-time in seminary for an MDiv. I take, and occasionally teach, taekwondo (though not as much as I would like). I’m the guitarist for an 80s cover band. And most important, I’m the husband of an amazing woman and father to two little girls we adopted last fall. In other words, I’m a Renaissance-man wannabe. I’m a Christian, Husband, Father, Theologian, Musician, Martial Artist, and Geek.

I do not say this to brag. If you ask me if I’m crazy to juggle all this, I’d say YES! What I want to share with you is HOW to do this without going completely mental. (In reality, this schedule is far too busy, and I don’t believe it’s sustainable for long-term health. Lord willing, it will only be this nuts until I complete my graduate studies.) What’s the secret?

TURN OFF  YOUR TELEVISION

That’s it. Don’t believe me? Then listen to someone with more cred: Seth Godin knows this, too. Not only that, he gives a nice starter list of things you can do that are far more valuable than putting yourself in a coma in front of the TV for another night. Here’s what he offers:

Now, though, you could:

• Run a little store on eBay
• Write a daily blog
• Write a novel
• Start an online community about your favorite passion
• Go to meetups in your town
• Volunteer to tutor a kid, in person or online
• Learn a new language, verbal or programming
• Write hand written thank you notes each evening to people who helped you out or did a good job
• Produce small films and publish them online
• Listen to the one thousand most important operas
• Read a book or two every evening
• Play a game of Scrabble with your family

None of them are perfect. Each of them are better than TV.