I remember the first time I saw someone have their mobile phone out at a church service. A teen was playing a game in the middle of the sermon. Since then, mobile phones have invaded every aspect of life. How do you handle cell phones in church?
That question inspired my cartoon for this month. This pastor has had enough of divided attention in his pews. Practically, the pastor’s idea isn’t going to work. Alas, it’s illegal to jam cell phone signals in the United States.
When I first saw the game-playing teen, I wondered if there would come a day that, like the cartoon’s pastor, there would soon be jamming technology coming to a church near you!
Instead, many churches today have wifi. And it’s not hard to find a pastor encouraging his congregation to tweet a sermon quote or text him with a question. While there will always be Luddites who wish to ban the devices outright, others will endorse it and find ways to take advantage of this new technology.
Good Cell Phone Use
There are ways to use a cell phone properly, even during a sermon. I have used my tablet or mobile phone to look up a Bible verse. However, I have also found it distracting if notifications come through. I also find that a problem with a watch. I’ve been getting in the habit of silencing notifications like we’ve all had to do with silencing our phones.
I have also found it good to take notes on an electronic device. Yet, something is satisfying about writing sermon notes on paper.
Perhaps I would feel differently about it if I had a tablet advanced enough to take notes. I’m not there yet. But when that day comes, I’m sure I’ll write a blog post about it!
Pastors, how do you handle cell phones in church? Have you accepted it? Fight it? Or have you found a way to make them a valuable part of a sermon?
I drew this cartoon for the November 2022 CHOGNews.
