Ever heard of RoadRunner, Blue Gene, or petaflop? If not, you’re out of touch with the latest in technology. Sure, everyone is making a fuss about the new touchscreen Palm phone, the lastest Macbook, or the continual battle between Mac and PC…but they have missed the real industry giant that is driving change in the computer industry. Call me an idealist, but I find the things happening through one of the world’s veteran computer companies far more exciting that the latest gadget to hit the market.

IBM has dominated the computer market for as long as I can remember, and the new millenium has only seen an endless run of the same record. Their latest release (that I can find) is the Road Runner machine, doubling the speed of its predecessor and essentially doing the combined work of 100,000 laptops.

What do you do with all that computing power? According to IBM’s projects of the past, you map complex organic systems, calculate nuclear reactions, and search for the cure for HIV.

Is it safe to say that IBM is enabling us to change the course of human history??? It’s a hard question to answer, but I bet they have more influence that Windows 7, Second Life, or the newest Mac device, don’t you think?

Loved, I repeat, LOVED the unconference last week. I can think of nothing better than the time I spent there, hearing the discussion between 50+ people over their use of technology for the gospel. What was gained from the time? Here are a few thoughts and links.

First and foremost, I added a host of twitter contacts, so that I can keep track of relevant blog posts and updates in the lives of those who are like-minded in their use of technology.

Secondly, I surfed through and began using a number of new internet applications, integrating Twitter with by blog, utilizing the Twitter search features to expand my network, and finding ample connection to ministry-minded individuals via ROOV.com.

Finally, I had a number of key concepts strike me during our discussions over the use of the internet. Here are the footnotes:

• People share their lives/thoughts/experiences like never before–but they are doing it in the online arena. Where else can you learn about people’s favorite books, see pictures of their adventures, and hear their laments over the toils of life. Sure, they don’t share marriage issues, or personal vices, but following the details of their lives for years can open the door to knowing them well enough to engage them in those more intimate conversations.
• People can connect with others nationally and internationally in ways that are not physically possible, especially in closed countries, and in forming these connections, can facilitate things like Community groups, one-on-one discipleship, Theological Education, and sustaining missions partnerships.
• People in today’s society are intensely mobile (travel a LOT). How do we encourage a depth of discipleship in a world that by default leans toward surface meetings? It seems to necessitate the use of technology.
• We need to look at the portal of the internet through the lens of people’s spiritual gifts and passions. The gift of evangelism can find special expression via the internet…and we need to help guide people with that gift to the right tools.
• How do we define church? We need to come to a conclusion on this issue, then use the definition of church to help us frame what we are doing online.

I have an ever-growing list of books that I read, month by month, but there are only two dozen such books that have made a truly lasting impression upon me. I hope that the following list will be treasured by the few who stumble upon it, as it represents much of the values that make up my existence:

The Bible (try YouVersion.com)
Spiritual Leadership by Oswald Sanders
Green Letters by Miles Stanford
Wild at Heart by John Eldridge
Too Busy Not to Pray by Bill Hybels
The Life You’ve Always Wanted by Ortberg
Your God is Too Safe by Marcus Buchnan
Fall in Love, Stay in Love by Harvey
Money, Possessions & Eternity by Alcorn
20 Questions (Creation/Evolution) Ken Ham
The Incredible Patience of God – Lane Adams

The 21 Laws of Leadership
& The 21 Qualities of a Leader by John Maxwell

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
by Stephen Covey

Personality Plus by Florence Littauer
& Now Discover Your Strengths

Tipping Point & Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

Financial Peace by Dave Ramsey
& Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

I am currently having my mind and concept of the internet enlarged by a conversation regarding online church…

This conference is very open to discussion and has an online video broadcast. if you are out there, join us.

Here are a few thoughts so far:
How does our perception of the internet today compare to the church’s perception of rock music one generation ago? Didn’t God allow us to create the internet for his purposes?

What advantages does it present?
Here’s one: Discipleship and Community Building in places that are closed to church gatherings and seminaries.

In Disney’s latest release of the Chronicles of Narnia, the writers and directors take a large departure from the storyline of the original author, and in doing so, destroy the reason he wrote the story.

C.S. Lewis is well-known and criticized for writing clear allegories to the spiritual lessons of the Bible, especially in reference to his popular Chronicles of Narnia. His engaging stories teach people, young and old, just as parables in ancient times hoped to do.

Unfortunately the God of the Chronicles of Narnia movies is not the God that C.S. Lewis portrayed. Gone from both movies is the Emperor across the sea and the majestically sovereign Lion. Instead we find a Lion who works more as the magical king of the region of Narnia, than as the creator of the world in which Narnia resides. Instead of hearing of power of God, we are told of “deep magic”, which appears to be more reflective of George Lucas’s Force, from Star Wars.

In the lastest addition, Prince Capian, we are met not with the Lion who brings the four Pevancys into Narnia and leads them to Aslan’s How in correlation with Prince Caspian’s blight, but we find them struggling to it’s location on their own, aided by a dream and a momentary vision, rather than by the walk of faith that Lewis portrayed.

In a greater departure from the original story, we find the characters of the Chronicles to be very different from Lewis’ intent. We find the children raiding the castle of the Talmarines at the bequest of a prideful King Peter, rather than defending Aslan’s How at a humble and sacrificial Peter’s request. We further see a King Peter tempted by the White Witch, rather than destroyed by Him. And we fail to see King Peter humbly raising up Narnia’s new king through an understanding and submission to the plans of the true king…Aslan.

Finally…and saddest of all, We miss C.S. Lewis’ glorious conclusion to the story of Prince Caspian, and the greatest spiritual metaphor of the book. For after the battle of Aslan’s How, we read through the liberation of the faithful Narnian people and lands(including human men and women) and the judgment of the unfaithful. We see the sovereign Aslan lead more than the kingdom to a new ruler, we see him reward those with faith in Him.

For a similar opinion, read the following article:
http://www.anglicanjournal.com/100/article/narnia-film-long-on-action-short-on-faith/