tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post5083476785863548051..comments2024-03-27T15:47:46.091-05:00Comments on Pastoral Meanderings: The Tyrrany of the Cell PhonePastor Petershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10653554256101480140noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-14427175980224164682011-01-24T10:01:43.844-06:002011-01-24T10:01:43.844-06:00Don't bring cell phones into churches, auditor...Don't bring cell phones into churches, auditoriums, chapels, and concert halls. If they are on, they interfere with wireless sound systems as the smartphones are constantly communicating, even if muted or silenced. They need to be turned off. These pastors should be reprimanded, as it is very rude and annoying to others. Please, show respect and leave the phone in the car or at home, to honor the worship of God and the speakers who teach us.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-11920292253878700582011-01-23T15:41:24.131-06:002011-01-23T15:41:24.131-06:00Pastor,
A great thing happened this morning. We w...Pastor,<br /> A great thing happened this morning. We went to church and with all the ice scraping and car stuff (it was 11 degrees when we left) I completely forgot my phones; guess what happened??? Nothing at all. Its a tribute to your post.<br /><br />I will admit I always put them on vibrate or leave them in the narthex. I think most of my soldiers know exactly where I am on a Sunday morning.<br /><br />SteveStevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02977465696758179388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-72991641736315870522011-01-23T10:49:47.572-06:002011-01-23T10:49:47.572-06:00I would like to make a public service announcement...I would like to make a public service announcement to all church members: Putting your phone on vibrate does NOT make it okay to have your cell phone on in church. Sheesh!Colleen Oakeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14548749077604704648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-63772775467612345952011-01-23T08:52:18.413-06:002011-01-23T08:52:18.413-06:00The worse cell phone sin is to use
it while drivin...The worse cell phone sin is to use<br />it while driving a car. This has<br />caused tragic accidents. Maybe the<br />high tech world has put man at the<br />center of the universe, but he fails<br />when it comes to common sense.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-38038328838337768292011-01-23T07:29:41.366-06:002011-01-23T07:29:41.366-06:00One more thought. Do most congregations pay for t...One more thought. Do most congregations pay for their pastor's cell phone? I know my wife's congregation pays for her's. It would seem that if this is a ministerial necessity the congregation should pay.<br /><br />I remember an old pastor emeritus who told me that during the depression his council told him they could no longer afford to pay for a telephone, so he would have to pay for it himself. When he went home that night his wife said, "Alvin, you just march right back over there and tell them that "we" don't need a phone."Pastor Jim Wagnernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-85569773696704577572011-01-23T06:52:58.056-06:002011-01-23T06:52:58.056-06:00Well, while I too have a love / hate relationship ...Well, while I too have a love / hate relationship with my cell phone, it has for better or worse become part of the daily equipment like a watch or wallet. While it makes it easier for people to get in touch with me, the real attraction is the convenience for me. I am constantly running all over the place with a seven year old son and a parish that is spread out, especially when they get sick. It is not unusual to have parishioners in hospitals from Rockford to Madison, Freeport, Monroe and even Chicago. I have it set up as my GPS, address book and even my word processor. I also have it set up with my NRSV Bible and some of the basic liturgies and prayers for visitation when I forget my Occasional Services book. It has definitely been a useful tool for my situation; however, it is just a tool. <br /><br />I must admit though that it can be an obtrusive tool that sometimes I forget to put away. During a funeral service, I realized that my phone was in my pocket and it was starting to vibrate, which means a call was coming and it would soon ring with my Alma Mater's fight song, "Bear Down, Arizona!" if I did not address it. The problem was that I was right in the middle of the prayers of the church. As I am saying the words, my hand was under my alb in my pocket trying to flick out the battery on the phone, which I did. The phone now stays on my desk during worship.Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13013921386098199810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329600504016968888.post-3349246766280421292011-01-23T06:34:11.073-06:002011-01-23T06:34:11.073-06:00Although my wife has a cell phone, I do not. As a...Although my wife has a cell phone, I do not. As a pastor I can think of only a couple of times in the past several years when having a cell phone would have made much difference in my schedule or life - and that was convenience, not necessity.<br /><br />At a retreat last fall I was amazed and amused by how many pastors filled each break on their phones. They could hardly wait to get out the door to take or make a call. Some retreat!<br /><br />Although it is impossible to judge any individual, in the main, cell phones seem to have more to do with narcisism than necessity.<br />I say, "Do not submit again to a yoke of slavery."<br /><br />On a lighter level, I usually tell my friends that "I could buy a lot of whisky for that kind of money!"Pastor Jim Wagnernoreply@blogger.com