Faith in technology

More and more houses of worship are incorporating technology -- large television screens, audio-visual devices, podcasts and other modern marvel -- into services. Have you done so? Would you? How do you think it alters the experience of your congregations?

I pose a question to my religious school students: If, God forbid, our Sanctuary was on fire and you could only save one object, what would you choose to rescue?

Invariably, the answer is “the Torah Scroll from the Ark.” I then ask why they would not rush in to save a Bible from the pews? After all, the Bible and the Torah Scroll contain exactly the same words, the Five Books of Moses. What is the difference between the Scroll and a book?

The message I hope to instill is that the Scroll is handmade, a labor of love, painstakingly crafted according to ancient regulations governing the preparation of the parchment, composition of ink and calligraphic styling. It is written by a pious scribe who strives for a state of holiness as he conscientiously transcribes God’s message, and whose pen is an extension of his heart.

A book is the result of a mindless, soulless machine. It is quickly assembled and of inferior material. It is produced, rather than created!

The technology that assembles the book is a marvel that enables multitudes to own the sacred text. But no manufactured volume can compare to the time-honored fashioning of a Torah. Technology has its place in God’s scheme, but one must be wary lest it overwhelm the old, personal way of doing things. Technology, like all of God’s gifts, is open to use or susceptible to abuse. In a worship setting, its application requires a balance between focus and distraction, to avoid trampling on the purity of the message.

I take the word “sanctuary” seriously and wonder if that sacred space should be assaulted by razzle-dazzle gadgetry and pop culture wizardry. I question whether the house of worship should reflect the faddish, the novel, the “new and improved.”

I enjoy a respite from things electronic and our daily world of lights, camera, action! Slick and glossy may captivate the eye, but it does not capture my heart. Just because something is modern does not make it more appealing or effectual.

Through limited usage, technology provides a tool for dramatizing a message. But a quiet sanctuary wherein we may commune with our inmost being, a sanctuary resounding with soaring choral music wherein we are uplifted, or a sanctuary in which the Word resounds from the lips of a person of faith and echoes in our souls, is, to this worshipper, preferable to the intrusion of mechanical devices that bombard the senses.

It is a matter of taste. I like my religious experience the simpler the better. Often, when presentations are full of sound and fury, they signify nothing.

Jumbotrons are fine for the ballpark, and I have done some of my best praying in stadiums. But in a sanctuary, as Bob Seger used to sing, “Call me a relic, call me what you will. Say I’m old fashioned, say I’m over the hill. Today’s Bible ain’t got the same soul. I like that old-time Torah Scroll.”

RABBI MARK S. MILLER

Temple Bat Yahm

Newport Beach

Joseph Campbell, famous for his work on the power of myth, was noted for saying that people were not seeking the meaning of life as much as they were seeking an experience of being alive. Many ministers have taken advantage of modern technology to give people the experience of what it means to be alive.

But this is not new, if you look at most religious architecture, ceremony and music it’s all designed to enhance the spiritual experience. Even our ancient ancestors used the modern technology of the day in cave paintings, idol making, and ceremony. So why wouldn’t modern day ministers and shamans use whatever was available to accomplish this end?

At our center, we are big on music. Each Sunday we have six of the best jazz musicians in Orange County giving people the experience of being alive. Our center band and guest and staff singers perform just before I talk. This is done specifically to open the hearts and minds of my congregants to receive a life affirming message of inspiration and faith.

Occasionally we use computer-generated pictures to show people our outreach to youth and the community. But you must be cautious in using technology because too much or poorly prepared presentations can defeat the aim. This is why whoever is in charge of technology must have the mentality of an artist who understands timing, taste and the minister’s style.

Technology still requires talent.

SENIOR PASTOR

JAMES TURRELL

Center for Spiritual Discovery

Costa Mesa

What helps people faithfully pursue their relationships with God is good! Our life together in this Episcopal church is blessed by technology: Electricity adds light to candles, and we have a not-so-modern heating system in our sanctuary; automobiles enable beloveds to get here and home. We often use audio and video tapes with speakers and screens in education programs. I am writing this response to an e-mailed question in WordPerfect on a personal computer!

Technology can enrich worship. What is possible depends on architecture and style as well as on attitude and willingness.

Our beautiful sanctuary was built to be contemporary and still evoke images of great traditional churches. It is difficult for me to imagine Evensong in Canterbury Cathedral with music and texts moving along a 10th Century wall, or words for the mass in many languages being projected onto a cinema-sized screen in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.