29 May 2009 – Rockstanding

Josh Harris posted some good thoughts about how his church recommends that worshippers not to use Twitter during services. John Piper agrees. Harris brings six points, which I think are helpful. This one is particularly good:

The most important thing I can do while I’m sitting under the preaching of God’s word is to listen to what God is saying to me. I need to actively engage my heart and mind to receive. Twitter, takes the focus off of hearing and receiving and and makes it broadcasting and sharing. So instead of my mind being engaged with thoughts of “What is the Word of God saying to me?” when I start “tweeting” my focus becomes, “What do I want to say? What do Iwant to express? What am I thinking?”

Along those lines, Piper adds these thoughts:

There is an assumption that Josh and I share, which is not understood or embraced by all. Preaching and hearing preaching are worship. Preaching is expository exultation. The preacher is explaining the Bible and applying the Bible and EXULTING over the truth in the Bible. The listener is understanding, and applying, and joining in the exultation. Hearing preaching is heart-felt engagement in the exposition and exultation of the Word of God.

This is a fragile bond. The fact that an electric cord is easily cut, does not mean that the power flowing through it is small. It produces bright and wonderful effects. So it is with preaching. Great power flows through fragile wires of spiritual focus.

The point is, we already need to battle the temptation for distraction when we are worshipping. It isn’t just twittering. Before Twitter ever came along there were myriads of things that come before us to break the focus on what God is revealing to us through worship. Don’t add another one.

And, finally, when it is over both men make clear that then yes, by all means twitter. Tell people what you have heard. Share it. Exult in it. But get the message first, that’s all.

Reuters recently profiled 20-year-old Lila Rose, who has gone undercover to expose how Planned Parenthood is working in several states to cover up abuse suffered by young women and push abortions. From the story:

Rose stages her own sting operations at Planned Parenthood clinics, posing as a pregnant teenage girl to shine a light on what she says is the taxpayer-subsidized organization’s cover-up of sexual abuse.

She claims Planned Parenthood counselors routinely ignore their duty to report statutory rape when dealing with young girls impregnated by older men and often tell them to lie about their age or the identity of their sex partners rather than alert authorities.

Planned Parenthood declined to discuss specifics for the story, but maintained that they have strict guidelines for dealing with mandatory reporting. The organization also says that corrective measure have been taken in instances where employees violated policy. Still, the fact that the same thing has occurred time after time leaves one with the impression that Planned Parenthood is talking out of both sides of its mouth, so to speak. Because Planned Parenthood is a taxpayer-funded organization, there are ramifications for this kind of blatant disregard. From the Reuters article:

Because minors cannot legally consent to sex with an adult, health providers are required to alert authorities when an underage girl has been impregnated by an older man.

A grand jury in Marion County, Indiana, is investigating Planned Parenthood based on Rose’s videotapes and authorities in Tennessee and Arizona say they are reviewing the matter.

Officials in Tennessee and Orange County, California, have considered suspending public funds to the organization.

For people who care about abuse and torture, please note that Planned Parenthood gets $320 million each year from U.S. taxpayers so they can send children back to abusive situations for the sake of keeping abortions under cover. If protecting women’s rights is the big deal in this country that it’s supposed to be, more people should be made aware of this.