“…the church should show this generation of text and web addicts where real friendship and community lie, not with some bunch of self-created avatars on Facebook but with the person next to them in the pew on Sunday, with the person next door, with the person they can see, hear, touch and, of course, to whom they can talk, and who is created not in webworld but by the mighty Creator.”
Ouch. The ever honest Carl Trueman.
Tony Reinke 
Ouch!! Does he see any good in Facebook? I know lots of pastors find it helpful to stay in touch with people that will then enable them to better engage them when they see them. Tough issue! Christians should know where to reject, redeem, or receive culture. I think Facebook falls under the ‘receive’ section. We can receive it and use it for Gods glory.
GB
I agree GB….the same “argument” could be made against blogs….which is kind of ironic….
Yes, yes and yes. Good words and more good food for thought.
Oh, to live in godly balance of all good things.
God graciously let me “run into” a sister-in-Christ yesterday while doing an errand. We embraced in a holy hug that can never be shared in cyberspace and shared a few moments of face-to-face fellowship, complete with tears of joy in God’s goodness, love and sovereignty over some current amazing trials, and in those moments I was struck again in the blessing of fellowship so sweet via human contact. Earlier that day my daughter and I had a long overdue lunch with our blind sister-in-Christ. Oh the sweet fellowship. To live with all good things in balance is a good endeavor, indeed. I love the curch universal and my local meeting. I confess however, that I’ve been lonely after we’ve met with the chuch sometimes which I take as an idictment on me, not His body. Oh, to love my brothers and sisters in Christ, those I see each Sunday morning, more and with open arms and in the bond of Christ.
I can shut up! I continue to ramble, though! You could not have known when you posted this short excerpt, that it would speak so loudly … and though maybe I should feel embarrassment for going on in webworld instead of face-to-face, He uses your gifting in communication and your posting on other saint’s communication very often. This for me is one of the beauties of blogosphere. I don’t really “get” facebook, but I admit to have being bitten by the blog bug and though surely it csn be abused and can never replace face-to-face, there is value as we learn to live in the godly balance of this good thing. Sorry I rambled some or rambled a bunch!
Thank you again for your thoughtful and often well timed posts. “I thank my God in every remembrance of you.” Phil. 1:3 (Well, okay, I’m not as disciplined or godly to thank Him every time, but I would if I were more sanctified!)
Thanks for the comments. I agree with Greg here. Although I think I would agree with Carl to the extent that Christians attempting to accomplish all their “friendships” via Facebook will likely be unsuccessful in fellowship, I don’t agree that you must select either/or. I think the next generation of pastors will find ways to incorporate the wonders and ease of online social networking with real face-to-face fellowship. The City, developed by Mars Hill church in Seattle is one excellent example of this.
I don’t agree that you must select either/or.
Well, I don’t agree that a person must select both/and. Now, you may not be saying that, but it’s a message that I’m pretty sure I’m hearing, and loudly, from a number of directions.
Why aren’t you blogging? Why aren’t you on Myspa–err, I mean, Facebook? Why aren’t you Twittering? Why aren’t you ?
Good grief. There aren’t enough hours in the day to “receive culture” in all the various ways that I’m supposedly obliged to. It’s ridiculous. It’s become its own form of tyranny.
And if you’re now thinking “Luddite,” I make my living doing Enterprise-level IT Architecture, and have been for almost 25 years. My natural inclination is to be enthusiastic about new technology.
[forehead slap]
The last question in my second paragraph should read: Why aren’t you [insert next big thing here]?
The question that came to my mind was “Who exactly is he talking to?” The vast majority of Christians that I know who are in their 20s like me use facebook, twitter, and\or blogs AND are very turned off my just “going to church” and are instead being very intentional about forming physical community.
I assume he is either disconnected from the younger folks and so doesn’t know what he is talking about OR he just knows some different folks then I do. :)