My bro was just telling me about how he uses Windows Live Writer as a component in making his increasing popular devotionals and it hit me that this type of integration of a blogging platform with a Bible reader program could help some who would like to get into journaling.

One of the issues with a program/service like Windows Live Writer (WLW) is that its a blogging program ment to publish to a blog. Its not specifically meant to write into as a journal. Then again, one could set up a private blog, and then have an online repository of their journaled writings, and then access that from anyplace (searchable any way).

WLW does have the feature of being usable offline. Meaning, one can view previous posts after they have been published, whether one is online or not.

But back to the Bible integration, how could this work?

Take a program like WordSearch. Excellent study materials, and a solid overall program. Add the capabilities of a solid program like WLW, and you have a Bible reader that has a notes program that links into and out of it personal notes. And gives the added benefit of making some personal commentary available publically.

Then again, our personal thoughts about God’s Word are just that – personal. Leveraging the electronic services such as WLW and WordSearch, one could keep things personal, and gain a bit of digital posterity towards those thoughts.

Cynthia Ware has taken a look look at how Christian missionaries are using new media as parts of their efforts to connect and share news of their connections when away from their “roots.” Here’s a snippet:

…Today’s missionaries are using blogs, facebook, shutterfly and other social media to extend their connectedness, reward their supporters and create archived memories of their unique adventures. Whether missionaries are serving on short term teams or serving in long term posts, they need no longer be disconnected from their points of origin, hometowns, partners, sending churches, extended families, etc. In fact, if they have internet access, there’s virtually (no pun intended) no reason they can’t be very connected…

Read the rest at Digital.Leadnet and also check out Cynthia’s site Digital Sanctuary for more views on ministry, media, and their convergance.

This is one of those cases where I was sent an article and wondered why I didn’t post about it before. Ah well, one cannot think and do everything.

Think Christian has an excellent post talking about those churches that have free hotspots taking that “empty” wireless space and using it to create an environment where web-workers, small groups, and others can come into a relaxed and laid back area and get “life” done. And then how such an environment makes for a simple place for discipliship and evangelism.

My previous church in MD has a setup like this and I know of others that do as well. As a point of rest and refreshing, there’s not many better places than a church. And I can imagine that such an idea – hotspot ministry zones – can be a means for churches and organizations to reach out to those that would not usually enter those facilities.

There is an issue that will come up in terms of financing infrastructure. But what if the church basically made the wifi free, and then provided tech recovery/support services for a cost. Sounds like a nice meeting station in the mist of a tracked life.

~ This conversation was spawned from one at Church Marketing Sucks on the same subject

One can argue that this has probably been the first time since the late ’90s that mobile devices have captured so much attention. In many ways, its flat out been the “year of the mobile” for a lot of areas:

• According to a recent report, over 1/8 of USAmerican households are totally mobile
  What that means is that more often than not, people are choosing accessibility that is not based on a fixed location. Sure, wireless networks in the US are comparatively horrible, but considering the speed of innovation, that won’t be the case for long. Are ministries equipped to roll with this trend
• The iPhone has spurred several innovative approaches to mobile applications and mobile device usage beyond the techie-influencer cross-section of users
  After years of life being stagnant for mobile users, the iPhone has come in to bring a measure of fresh air to several aspects of mobile technology. The really neat part is how the Body has responded to this. The next questions to be answered though are more far reaching, yet if reached have the potential to change a lot more than what’s in our pockets.

There’s always a ton more that can be said, but the point is pretty clear that there is more attention that’s being paid to being mobile, and then making sure that being mobile is no more of an invasion of personal space than any other technology. In an upcoming article, I’ll speak towards this attention to mobile, and what it means for the Body in more detail.

I was reading some more about the new Nokia N810 Internet Tablet today and this editoral at Internettablettalk got me thinking about how kiosks, in concert with the various bits of mobile tech we carry might have a place in various arenas.

For example, instead of printing the weekly announcement, have a laptop setup with the announcement on it, and then a person at the laptop who would facilitate the transfer (SMS, Bluetooth, QR Code) to the digital device. Besides making a conversation piece (people will end up gathering to watch and then it can be a meeting point), its a way to extend the use of digital tech to something that people would otherwise read once and forget.

Then again, if I were in seminary, and needed a book or two, something like this would come in handy if I ever wanted to get something like this on my Treo 🙂

I currently am in a small (less than 100 members) church and this is something that I could see us easily doing given some testing of the system and then a brief trial run. Would something like this promote a better understanding of mobile tech in the various groups you are in as well?

Its taken a while to get my thoughts and heart together enough to address this. Considering the fervor that various mobile devices have caused in the past year though, I think that some accountability is an order, or at least a good bit of checking our motives at the door when it comes to these devices and what we want to do with them.

If you will, think of this as a look at stewardship, ownership, and accountability.

Matthew 22:15-22 ESV

Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his talk. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

This weekend I took some time to read through RSS feeds on my Treo. It had been some time since doing so, and there are several websites that I read there, that I do not anywhere else for various reasons. One of the common themes of the week happened to be the update for the iPhone (Version 1.1.1) that had come out. Several websites reported on this update beforehand of having the possiblity of bricking, or rendering useless, their iPhones. Those that would be effected would be those whose devices were being used on another carrier’s network, or had other functionality exposed that was not in the original design of the iPhone.

The day of the release came, and then came the reports of what worked and what did not work. Suffice to say, there were plenty of disappointed people. Especially those who had unlocked the iPhone to be used on other carriers around the world, or those whose use of special applications enabled functionality that was nor present in the off-the-shelf-version.

A statement from Apple days before the release of the update (from Engadget):

…the company has released an official statement warning users that “unauthorized iPhone unlocking programs” could cause “irreparable damage to the iPhone’s software.” Furthermore, the firm stated that these apps could result in the handset becoming “permanently inoperable when a future Apple-supplied iPhone software update is installed” — you know, like the one coming “later this week” that includes the iTunes WiFi Music Store. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the release also notes that “unauthorized modifications to the iPhone’s software” violates the iPhone software license agreement and “voids the warranty.”

So basically, if you installed software you were not supposed to, then you are not supposed to expect an official update to continue to allow your device to work.

A post that I read at The SmartPDA posted this (thanks):

Nowadays, when you buy gadgets and software, you enter into an agreement with the manufacturer and your service provider, usually outlined in the manual or in the software itself. Quite frankly, nobody (myself included) takes the time to read the agreement, since we’re too busy enjoying our new toys.

Anyone who purchases an iPhone enter[s] into a provider agreement with AT&T, and into an End User License Agreement with Apple over the smartphone’s software.

There are two aspects at play here, one of which is very much a part of how Christians define themselves as relating to the world around us:

Romans 13 ESV (selected quotes)

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer…

There are a few ways of looking at this, but we will will just cover a few of the topmost points, and let discussion merit the rest.

Because of end-user license agreements that a person agrees to when they purchase software or hardware, you agree not to do certain things to the item in return for a specific service. When you pay Apple (Steve Jobs and company) for the iPhone, one part of that agreement is that you make the concession NOT to modify the software of the device in any fashion, nor to manipulate the ability of the radio software to work in any fashion not prescribed by At&T or Apple.

In the US, phone makers and carriers are required by law to allow for a phone to be unlocked to be used on compatable carriers where possible. This law is usually circumvented by carriers by modifying aspects of the hardware or software so that it is harder for the device to work on another carrier. Or, by making exclusivity agreements with carriers that stipulate that a device is to be sold/used on one carrier for a specific amount of time. The latter is the case with the iPhone.

So, is it against the law to modify your iPhone to be used on another carrier? Yes.

Is it against the law to demand that Apple modify the agreement that you signed and agreed to stating that you would not use the device in any way that violates the terms of service or end-user agreement? No. It is not against the law to demand it, but not right to expect it per your timing.

As much as we believe that a device is ours and we should be able to do what we want, the truth is we cannot. As believers, and moreso as law-abiding citizens, we have to hold to standards that speak not towards lawlessness, but towards civility. If you are a believer who has purchased an iPhone and are using it in ways that break the end-user-license agreement or terms of service, you cannot expect your unsantioned use to be officially updated. If what you purchased does not fit how you want to use it, then find a device that does, or admit that your lusts cannot be fulfilled by this temporary thing and wait on the device that does work best for what you’d like to do.

Give Apple their just due for providing a device that has made you excited, but don’t let your lusts for wanting to use it cost Christ’s name.

Its taken a while to get my thoughts and heart together enough to address this. Considering the fervor that various mobile devices have caused in the past year though, I think that some accountability is an order, or at least a good bit of checking our motives at the door when it comes to these devices and what we want to do with them.

If you will, think of this as a look at stewardship, ownership, and accountability.

Matthew 22:15-22 ESV

Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his talk. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

This weekend I took some time to read through RSS feeds on my Treo. It had been some time since doing so, and there are several websites that I read there, that I do not anywhere else for various reasons. One of the common themes of the week happened to be the update for the iPhone (Version 1.1.1) that had come out. Several websites reported on this update beforehand of having the possiblity of bricking, or rendering useless, their iPhones. Those that would be effected would be those whose devices were being used on another carrier’s network, or had other functionality exposed that was not in the original design of the iPhone.

The day of the release came, and then came the reports of what worked and what did not work. Suffice to say, there were plenty of disappointed people. Especially those who had unlocked the iPhone to be used on other carriers around the world, or those whose use of special applications enabled functionality that was nor present in the off-the-shelf-version.

A statement from Apple days before the release of the update (from Engadget):

…the company has released an official statement warning users that “unauthorized iPhone unlocking programs” could cause “irreparable damage to the iPhone’s software.” Furthermore, the firm stated that these apps could result in the handset becoming “permanently inoperable when a future Apple-supplied iPhone software update is installed” — you know, like the one coming “later this week” that includes the iTunes WiFi Music Store. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the release also notes that “unauthorized modifications to the iPhone’s software” violates the iPhone software license agreement and “voids the warranty.”

So basically, if you installed software you were not supposed to, then you are not supposed to expect an official update to continue to allow your device to work.

A post that I read at The SmartPDA posted this (thanks):

Nowadays, when you buy gadgets and software, you enter into an agreement with the manufacturer and your service provider, usually outlined in the manual or in the software itself. Quite frankly, nobody (myself included) takes the time to read the agreement, since we’re too busy enjoying our new toys.

Anyone who purchases an iPhone enter[s] into a provider agreement with AT&T, and into an End User License Agreement with Apple over the smartphone’s software.

There are two aspects at play here, one of which is very much a part of how Christians define themselves as relating to the world around us:

Romans 13 ESV (selected quotes)

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer…

There are a few ways of looking at this, but we will will just cover a few of the topmost points, and let discussion merit the rest.

Because of end-user license agreements that a person agrees to when they purchase software or hardware, you agree not to do certain things to the item in return for a specific service. When you pay Apple (Steve Jobs and company) for the iPhone, one part of that agreement is that you make the concession NOT to modify the software of the device in any fashion, nor to manipulate the ability of the radio software to work in any fashion not prescribed by At&T or Apple.

In the US, phone makers and carriers are required by law to allow for a phone to be unlocked to be used on compatable carriers where possible. This law is usually circumvented by carriers by modifying aspects of the hardware or software so that it is harder for the device to work on another carrier. Or, by making exclusivity agreements with carriers that stipulate that a device is to be sold/used on one carrier for a specific amount of time. The latter is the case with the iPhone.

So, is it against the law to modify your iPhone to be used on another carrier? Yes.

Is it against the law to demand that Apple modify the agreement that you signed and agreed to stating that you would not use the device in any way that violates the terms of service or end-user agreement? No. It is not against the law to demand it, but not right to expect it per your timing.

As much as we believe that a device is ours and we should be able to do what we want, the truth is we cannot. As believers, and moreso as law-abiding citizens, we have to hold to standards that speak not towards lawlessness, but towards civility. If you are a believer who has purchased an iPhone and are using it in ways that break the end-user-license agreement or terms of service, you cannot expect your unsantioned use to be officially updated. If what you purchased does not fit how you want to use it, then find a device that does, or admit that your lusts cannot be fulfilled by this temporary thing and wait on the device that does work best for what you’d like to do.

Give Apple their just due for providing a device that has made you excited, but don’t let your lusts for wanting to use it cost Christ’s name.

Original post with discussion

I was just at the car wash thinking about my slate for the rest of today and had the reflection that mobile technology has done an interesting job in teaching me about evangelism – from a mobile tech standpoint, but just as much if not more so from a spiritual one.

Mobile Lessons

When sitting in a coffeeshop with an Internet Tablet, Bluetooth keyboard, and mobile phone out, one should expect people to ask questions. What I didn’t expect was that people would ask questions and just have comments about so many things. Some people wanted to know about iPhones and phone plans, others wanted to know how my setup worked and if it could work for them. And still others just took my “open platform” as a means to just have a conversation.

In terms of what mobile is, things are still new and people are still looking for a definition that fits how they are mobile, connected and productive. Being a person who is using tools and services so out in the open, I am getting a chance to see exactly how people respond, and if need be, point them to a solution that would work best for them.

Spiritual Lessons

The greater lessons for me have come on the spiritual side of things. Where some people can separate their tech from their spirit, I happen to have a very tight relationship between the two. It was the idea of having multiple Bibles on my PDA that allowed me to minister to various friends and students on my college campus without carrying the intimidation of a large book bag around. I’ve had to learn what affluence is, gluttony from the tech side of things if you will and how that can and does rub people the wrong way. I’ve had to learn how to be a teacher of those things Godly with this tech, sometimes at the cost of cutting off myself from the things others do. Frankly speaking, I’ve learned that there is a holiness to using technology that we really do miss because we are not usually taught that this exists in this medium.

And From Here?

I’ve been working with Brighthand for years, with Nokia and the S60 Ambassadors/Nokia Blogger Relations, worked as a web designer and developer for more than 9 years, and basically played the roll of techie to a lot of people in my life. There’s more to this than devices and my own wares though. Without educating others on how to use this tech correctly, they miss the point of the benefits. Misuse almost always turns into someone speaking against proper use because of that misunderstanding.

The same thing has happened to Christianity on several levels since Jesus (one can even argue since Adam). There’s a responsibility to wield this faith in a manner that represents the breadth of God’s love. Whether that is speaking against inappropriate use, or just teaching someone how to study the Bible, the responsibility is clear…

…go to the ends of the earth and teach people about Jesus. Not just with a Bible and a few nice words, but with the power of the Holy Spirit.

When you think about it like that, mobile tech could really be on to something, couldn’t it 😉