Digital or Printed

Paper or plastic? How many of you remember going to grocery stores hearing that question? Granted there are still quote a few number of stores that still have sackers to work for them and take your groceries out to your car. With the increasing advances in techonolgy, we have access to electronic books (e-books), which can be downloaded on a computer or an e-reader such as Amazon's Kindle.

You can get book downloaded on an e-reader for a good price and sometimes for free. Sometimes people are asked if they prefered the digital copy of a book over a printed one. When it comes to the Bible, most Christians love to have a printed copy of the scriptures yet I know quite a few people that bring their Kindles to church as well as their smart phones if they have a Bible app on it.

Some pastors have got to say, when telling his congregation what scripture he is going to, "If you have your Bible or your app, turn to..." I have notice a growing trend in my church of people using their Bible app on their Kindles. Sometimes I see them with a printed Bible and a Kindle.

I know many people like the e-readers because it is easier to carry than books. I remember Steve McCoy on Twitter saying as he was in Starbucks, people were staring at his Bible as if their faces were starting to melt. I know I had a similar look when I left one of our local high schools carrying my Bible after speaking their FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes).

My pastor and I were talking about our people using Kindles instead of a printed Bible, we both agree that we have no problem with it. I still love using my printed Bible. I have read the Bible on the Kindle, but (this is my opinion) it's not the same as reading a printed Bible in your hands you can underline and look at with reverence. If you are tech savy and love reading the Bible, or a book, on an e-reader, then glory to God.

Now the question is, should we read our Bibles on a Kindle and/or Bible app on a smart phone? I know some churches will allow it. Others simply frown upon it. I personally do not have a problem with it. I know our local RA/GA (Royal Ambassadors/Girls in Action) camp have banned Bibles on e-readers because they want kids to use printed Bibles. To help answer this question, Justin Childers has a good post on why is it a good idea to bring a printed copy of the scriptures to worship.

Do you still bring a physical, "ink and paper" Bible to church on Sundays? With the popularity of the iPhone and iPad, many people are leaving their bonded leather at home in favor of their Bible app. It is very convenient to have the whole Bible in your pocket and not have to keep track of a heavy physical Bible. But, I've got a few concerns about this growing trend.

One concern is that iPhones and iPads carry an irresistible temptation to do something other than concentrate on the Bible. You can listen AND see what others are doing on Facebook or Twitter. You can listen AND shoot a text to a friend. Which of course, seriously reduces one's ability to actually listen and concentrate on God's Word.

However, my main concern is another subtle temptation: The temptation to turn the device off during the sermon. For example, I preach for about 45 minutes and I usually refer to particular words, phrases, and verses all the way through the sermon. Each and every point I make is hopefully tied to the passage I'm preaching from. I don't want people to assume I'm saying true things, I want them to see it in the text itself. I do not just read a text and then tell unrelated stories for 40 minutes (if this were the case, I'd encourage you to bring your iPhone and read a good expository sermon instead).

Check the entire post here.