Electricurrent Blog

Yeah, your right on with understanding where I'm coming from. I think the immutability of God and the work of the Spirit could make the whole concept of the medium being the message moot in the evangelistic context.

And I like where you've gone with your adjusted statement where the medium becomes the dominant message. I think that's true in many cases - although I'm still unconvinced it happens in all cases...

Still ruminating on it all :)

Yeah, your right on with understanding where I'm coming from. I think the immutability of God and the work of the Spirit could make the whole concept of the medium being the message moot in the evangelistic context.

And I like where you've gone with your adjusted statement where the medium becomes the dominant message. I think that's true in many cases - although I'm still unconvinced it happens in all cases...

Still ruminating on it all :)

Why yes, ploeger, i believe i am; though it is a constant theme throughout his works. He is a very easy read as well, something I really appreciated about him.

Interesting idea how you tweaked McLuhan's statement. Perhaps it is most accurate to say that the medium becomes the dominant message.

If I understand what you are saying here, the Father's medium is His Spirit, because He quickens our spirit, so in essence the medium never changes (if I can so casually refer to the Holy Spirit as that) despite the different "triggers" man comes into contact with.

Why yes, ploeger, i believe i am; though it is a constant theme throughout his works. He is a very easy read as well, something I really appreciated about him.

Interesting idea how you tweaked McLuhan's statement. Perhaps it is most accurate to say that the medium becomes the dominant message.

If I understand what you are saying here, the Father's medium is His Spirit, because He quickens our spirit, so in essence the medium never changes (if I can so casually refer to the Holy Spirit as that) despite the different "triggers" man comes into contact with.

Are you referring to "Amusing Ourselves to Death", Eagles? If so, I've been wanting to read that...but your recommendation bumps it up the list :)

I guess I'm struggling with how much of a broad brush that statement is. Can the medium affect messages? Undoubtedly it can and does when it comes to certain messages and certain mediums. I don't argue that. But I just can't get from there all the way to it completely changing the message or becoming the message itself. Perhaps if it were stated that the medium becomes part of the message, I could engage it better...

Then there's the whole consideration of God's immutability...can our methods of communication really change that? I'm guessing McLuhan wasn't taking that into consideration.

Are you referring to "Amusing Ourselves to Death", Eagles? If so, I've been wanting to read that...but your recommendation bumps it up the list :)

I guess I'm struggling with how much of a broad brush that statement is. Can the medium affect messages? Undoubtedly it can and does when it comes to certain messages and certain mediums. I don't argue that. But I just can't get from there all the way to it completely changing the message or becoming the message itself. Perhaps if it were stated that the medium becomes part of the message, I could engage it better...

Then there's the whole consideration of God's immutability...can our methods of communication really change that? I'm guessing McLuhan wasn't taking that into consideration.

I would have to say yes, the medium is the message. For starters, each medium engages the brain differently. Neil Postman is a good read for this view.

I would have to say yes, the medium is the message. For starters, each medium engages the brain differently. Neil Postman is a good read for this view.

I loved this video because there has been such a huge trend in our post-modern church to "keep up with the times" in technology in order to ensure that people are attracted to the message we have via an attractive medium. Perhaps it's possible to have a good balance but I fear a paradigm shift of Believers' focus from the truth of the message to the means of how it gets to the world. The Bible is clear about the power of the mind and how it is influenced in Romans 12:2 when it explains that one is transformed by the renewing of the mind. In other passages God exorts us to fill our minds with what is good and pure. Media today fills our brains with whatever it pleases while we sit by passively and allow our minds to be transformed by who knows what. And I kind of got on a side topic there, but ultimately I think what I'm trying to say is that there is really no substitution for face to face dialoging and communicating. I firmly believe that what will attract people to the Gospel and to the church is realness: genuine compassion and love and time commitment in relationships. This is where we should really focus our time and energy! We are the best medium for God's message, as Shane said. Meanwhile, we should be spending more time feeding our minds with God's truth than intaking media.

I loved this video because there has been such a huge trend in our post-modern church to "keep up with the times" in technology in order to ensure that people are attracted to the message we have via an attractive medium. Perhaps it's possible to have a good balance but I fear a paradigm shift of Believers' focus from the truth of the message to the means of how it gets to the world. The Bible is clear about the power of the mind and how it is influenced in Romans 12:2 when it explains that one is transformed by the renewing of the mind. In other passages God exorts us to fill our minds with what is good and pure. Media today fills our brains with whatever it pleases while we sit by passively and allow our minds to be transformed by who knows what. And I kind of got on a side topic there, but ultimately I think what I'm trying to say is that there is really no substitution for face to face dialoging and communicating. I firmly believe that what will attract people to the Gospel and to the church is realness: genuine compassion and love and time commitment in relationships. This is where we should really focus our time and energy! We are the best medium for God's message, as Shane said. Meanwhile, we should be spending more time feeding our minds with God's truth than intaking media.

Yeah, your right on with understanding where I'm coming from. I think the immutability of God and the work of the Spirit could make the whole concept of the medium being the message moot in the evangelistic context.

And I like where you've gone with your adjusted statement where the medium becomes the dominant message. I think that's true in many cases - although I'm still unconvinced it happens in all cases...

Still ruminating on it all :)

Yeah, your right on with understanding where I'm coming from. I think the immutability of God and the work of the Spirit could make the whole concept of the medium being the message moot in the evangelistic context.

And I like where you've gone with your adjusted statement where the medium becomes the dominant message. I think that's true in many cases - although I'm still unconvinced it happens in all cases...

Still ruminating on it all :)

Why yes, ploeger, i believe i am; though it is a constant theme throughout his works. He is a very easy read as well, something I really appreciated about him.

Interesting idea how you tweaked McLuhan's statement. Perhaps it is most accurate to say that the medium becomes the dominant message.

If I understand what you are saying here, the Father's medium is His Spirit, because He quickens our spirit, so in essence the medium never changes (if I can so casually refer to the Holy Spirit as that) despite the different "triggers" man comes into contact with.

Why yes, ploeger, i believe i am; though it is a constant theme throughout his works. He is a very easy read as well, something I really appreciated about him.

Interesting idea how you tweaked McLuhan's statement. Perhaps it is most accurate to say that the medium becomes the dominant message.

If I understand what you are saying here, the Father's medium is His Spirit, because He quickens our spirit, so in essence the medium never changes (if I can so casually refer to the Holy Spirit as that) despite the different "triggers" man comes into contact with.

Are you referring to "Amusing Ourselves to Death", Eagles? If so, I've been wanting to read that...but your recommendation bumps it up the list :)

I guess I'm struggling with how much of a broad brush that statement is. Can the medium affect messages? Undoubtedly it can and does when it comes to certain messages and certain mediums. I don't argue that. But I just can't get from there all the way to it completely changing the message or becoming the message itself. Perhaps if it were stated that the medium becomes part of the message, I could engage it better...

Then there's the whole consideration of God's immutability...can our methods of communication really change that? I'm guessing McLuhan wasn't taking that into consideration.

Are you referring to "Amusing Ourselves to Death", Eagles? If so, I've been wanting to read that...but your recommendation bumps it up the list :)

I guess I'm struggling with how much of a broad brush that statement is. Can the medium affect messages? Undoubtedly it can and does when it comes to certain messages and certain mediums. I don't argue that. But I just can't get from there all the way to it completely changing the message or becoming the message itself. Perhaps if it were stated that the medium becomes part of the message, I could engage it better...

Then there's the whole consideration of God's immutability...can our methods of communication really change that? I'm guessing McLuhan wasn't taking that into consideration.

I would have to say yes, the medium is the message. For starters, each medium engages the brain differently. Neil Postman is a good read for this view.

I would have to say yes, the medium is the message. For starters, each medium engages the brain differently. Neil Postman is a good read for this view.

I loved this video because there has been such a huge trend in our post-modern church to "keep up with the times" in technology in order to ensure that people are attracted to the message we have via an attractive medium. Perhaps it's possible to have a good balance but I fear a paradigm shift of Believers' focus from the truth of the message to the means of how it gets to the world. The Bible is clear about the power of the mind and how it is influenced in Romans 12:2 when it explains that one is transformed by the renewing of the mind. In other passages God exorts us to fill our minds with what is good and pure. Media today fills our brains with whatever it pleases while we sit by passively and allow our minds to be transformed by who knows what. And I kind of got on a side topic there, but ultimately I think what I'm trying to say is that there is really no substitution for face to face dialoging and communicating. I firmly believe that what will attract people to the Gospel and to the church is realness: genuine compassion and love and time commitment in relationships. This is where we should really focus our time and energy! We are the best medium for God's message, as Shane said. Meanwhile, we should be spending more time feeding our minds with God's truth than intaking media.

I loved this video because there has been such a huge trend in our post-modern church to "keep up with the times" in technology in order to ensure that people are attracted to the message we have via an attractive medium. Perhaps it's possible to have a good balance but I fear a paradigm shift of Believers' focus from the truth of the message to the means of how it gets to the world. The Bible is clear about the power of the mind and how it is influenced in Romans 12:2 when it explains that one is transformed by the renewing of the mind. In other passages God exorts us to fill our minds with what is good and pure. Media today fills our brains with whatever it pleases while we sit by passively and allow our minds to be transformed by who knows what. And I kind of got on a side topic there, but ultimately I think what I'm trying to say is that there is really no substitution for face to face dialoging and communicating. I firmly believe that what will attract people to the Gospel and to the church is realness: genuine compassion and love and time commitment in relationships. This is where we should really focus our time and energy! We are the best medium for God's message, as Shane said. Meanwhile, we should be spending more time feeding our minds with God's truth than intaking media.