J.R. Briggs
Attempting to behold the miracle long enough without falling asleep
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What Bible format to use in church: paper or digital?
What Bible format do you use at church – a traditional leather-and-paper Bible or a digital version on your iPad or smartphone?
Or, more importantly, what Bible should you use at church?
This debate is garnering attention and gaining steam – and it ain’t going away any time soon. Some argue adamantly that old-fashioned paperbound Bibles are best to bring to church. Others, with e-readers and smartphones being so commonplace now, argue with equal amounts of passion that its most convenient to use digital Bibles, since there are many good apps available – many for free – the most popular being YouVersion.
As a pastor, I’m not so sure. I’m torn, in fact. I see both sides of the issue, but for me, it’s an emotional and mental one. And it gets more complicated because I preach from my iPad.
I study in a paper Bible and underline, circle and write notes in the margin. I love hearing a roomful of onion skin pages of dozens of Bibles being turned in unison in a church service. I love seeing people with their Bibles open on their laps.
And yet, I do understand the convenience of using an app on your phone. It allows for easy carrying (bring you phone, you’ve got your Bible – simple as that). It allows for multiple translations, word searches and other features – all right in your hand. However, it brings with it temptations and distractions. Two taps and I can check my email. Two more taps and I can check Facebook, Instagram and my Twitter account. Within seconds, I can completely zone out from attempting to engage the Bible and tune out what is being said up front.
As I mentioned, I preach from my iPad. I assure this is not for status reasons, but for pure practical purposes of ease and organization. And yet, I get incredibly uneasy when I see a white electronic glow illuminating people’s faces as they look to their lap.
As I look around as I’m teaching I have this incredibly loud thought in my head:
Are they reading the passage, studying further what it has to say? Are they tracking with me? …or have they zoned out and they are reading Facebook updates, tweeting or checking to see what time the Eagles’ game starts this afternoon? I need to be more engaging with my teaching!
It’s a strange experience to have all this running through your head as you are attempting to communicate the truth of Scripture to the congregation. And these thoughts never enter my head when people have their Bibles open on their laps. Maybe I am just insecure or am an over-analytic preacher who needs to chill out. But I think it. It’s hard not to. (The other thought I have when I am teaching is: do any other pastors feel this way or am I the only one?)
What about you? What are your thoughts on the issue?
What do you use at church?
And if you read your Bible from your smartphone or e-reader device, do you also look at other apps, websites and social media sites? And, if you do, how many times would you estimate you do that during church?
And should churches institute a policy or position regarding this issue or leave it in the hands (quite literally) of the congregation?
What would be some additional questions that might help people and congregations work through this issue with prayerful discernment?
Michael kaspar said...
1From the “in the pew” perspective, I appreciate my pastor, Gary Franklin offers enough questions to keep me engaged. In a year of taking notes on the iPad, I have double clicked away once or twice total. Gary in fact has so many questions peppered through the talk that I feel I miss them when I cannot type them. I have found it helpful to sit in the front row, but of course these seats are limited
. . . . And I am with you, really enjoying the hard-copy.
Thanks for bringing out the discussion.
10/14/12 7:38 PM | Comment Link
Brian said...
2I have felt this too. I personally use my iPad in church. When I am listening to the sermon I have my Olive Tree app which allows me to split screen with multiple versions, study notes, Greek, etc. Then I also have Evernote for typing my personal notes. I can type more than I could ever write, I can actually read it later, and it syncs with my laptop automatically.
There is enough peer pressure to keep me from opening apps that don’t relate to the task at hand. First, my wife is sitting next to me. Second, as an elder/youth leader it could really cause problems if I was found to be updating my facebook during the sermon.
When I preach I do preach from my iPad. There are just no pages to fumble with, get mixed up, etc.
As for policy, I would think that would be a hard issue. Just a few years ago it would be common for a church to have something in the bulletin or screen reminding people to turn “off” their devices. This would ensure (hopefully) no noise related interruptions during the service. Granted most people (me) never turned them “off” just to “silent”. But now more people actually have devices out in front of them. Some using them wisely, others less so. Instituting policy would be hard and seems legalistic.
I think this gets sticky as a generational issue as well. We don’t have too many seniors whipping out their iPhones to turn to the sermon passage. It tends to be the younger individuals. As a youth leader I am kinda stocked that they took the time to download a Bible app and I’d love to encourage them to use it. I also know that more of them have Facebook, twitter, and generally know how to distract themselves with the internet than those older generations do.
I just read your airport post…Perhaps if we are helping people make their connections then the temptation to turn away will be minimized. The internet has nothing to offer in comparison if people are connecting with Christ, the Spirit and communing with the Saints in the heavenly worship of the King.
10/17/12 10:45 AM | Comment Link
Melissa Mora said...
3I assisted church this past Sunday. I hadn’t been to church for a long while. As my family and I were getting ready for church, we got our Bibles and my kids did too. It was nice being at church but so many things just confused me. First of all, I didn’t see any lady wearing a dress. I guess I was taught that it’s more respectful to wear a dress. Most if not all the woman there were wearing jeans and boots. But that’s not the only thing that bothered me…I can’t remember seeing anyone with a Bible in their hands. Everytime the Pastor said a passage, my husband and I immediately opened the Bible to that book to look it up. One other brother stepped up to the front to speak and was holding his cell phone in his hands while he was speaking. After a while he read a passage from there. That bothered me in some way. I really feel that even with the technology so advance, we should continue to use our bibles so that we do not forget how to search books in the bible or atleast teach our children how to use the Holy Bible. I would hate for my kids to be handed the Bible one day and not know how to look up a passage. The other way I see this is :How will others know we are Christians if we no longer carry the shield of God in our hands?
Anyway, I am glad that I am not the only one to feel confused on this topic. I will not judge anyone, it’s just an odd feeling I had when i left the church and everyone there were happy as any other Christian after praising God. Maybe I should relax and do with my family what I think is best. Have a great day!
01/21/13 2:15 PM | Comment Link