Moses and Social Media

In the early 80s my pastor had informed our church leadership team, of which I was a member, that in his opinion the Lord was directing him to join the Vineyard International Ministries organization based in Orange County. Furthermore, he felt the whole church should leave our then current denomination to become a Vineyard Christian Fellowship. The leadership team embarked on a process to learn all we could about Vineyard Ministries in order to arrive at an informed decision. Fortunately for us, Anaheim – headquarters of Vineyard Ministries International, at the time, and the fellowship led by John Wimber – was just 30 miles away from our little church in Lomita, Ca. So, we attended conferences that were held at Anaheim Vineyard and frequently attended their Sunday evening services. That’s how I was introduced to the ministry of John Wimber.

Maybe 9 months into our familiarization campaign, the leadership team voted unanimously to become a Vineyard Christian Fellowship, if Vineyard would have us. Most people introduced to John Wimber quickly recognized the spiritual authority he carried, his honesty, delightful candor and humor, godly wisdom, loving demeanor, teaching skills and passion to equip Christians to do the ministry of Jesus. Our church members were no different than everyone else; we loved Pastor Wimber right off. Vineyard preferred to “date before getting married” they told us, so we agreed to undergo a two-year “dating” process. John had said, “If we don’t hate each other after two years of hanging out together, we’ll probably love each other.” Classic John Wimber. Like thousands of others, I became a student of John Wimber.

John had strong opinions about church life and Christian ministry that ran counter to traditional church culture at times. (“If you don’t have a strong opinions, you shouldn’t be preaching.”) For example, he would not allow photographic equipment in worship services. His opinion was that worship is sacred and intimate. Filming worshipers while they’re emotionally engaged with God seemed intrusive and undesirable to John, so he wouldn’t have it. The only exception that I’m aware of was the occasion when a nationally famous television news presenter, a Canadian gentleman, asked to film a typical Vineyard service. For reasons I’m unaware of, John agreed. In a letter afterward, thanking John for the unprecedented opportunity to film Vineyard services and advising him of when the documentary was expected to be broadcast, the newscaster wrote, “Your worship makes me weep.”

Only that broadcaster knows what it was about Vineyard worship that caused him to weep – the presence of Jesus is what got most of us. I’m convinced that, at least in part, the reason Vineyard worship was filled with the presence, richness, love, and power of God was due to John Wimber refusing to allow the world, its’ commercialism, curiosity, vanity, and a thousand other things to invade worshipers during their interaction with the Lord in worship. John even discouraged church leaders from interrupting worshipers! He felt that teaching, preaching, interceding, and encouraging the Body were all good things to do in church… but not during worship. Johns’ sensibilities made a better worshiper of me because he helped me understand the sanctity of worship and the value of intimacy with God. The privilege is to be treasured, explored, and protected.

John was completely, and without exception, opposed to self-promotion. He felt that promoting oneself could elevate an individual to a position beyond their ability to function well, or even properly. His sentiments were similar in the corporate context with the added caveat; anyone attracted to your promotion (advertising) would be just as easily attracted to a more attractive promotion presented elsewhere. Instead, He encouraged Christians and churches to do the things that Jesus did so that people will be attracted to you the same as they were attracted to Jesus.

So, why write about the sensibilities of a Christian leader long since promoted to Heaven? Besides the fact that wisdom from the past is still wise today… social media and cyberspace in general is the reason. They are impacting everything that has to do with business, culture, and how we practice Christianity. I wonder if Johns’ sensibilities would be the same today. I think they would. Let me explain how the two seemingly different subjects, John Wimber and social media, connect.

Facebook, Instagram, even the worldwide web did not exist in its current form 35 years ago. Mobile phones didn’t have cameras. WiFi didn’t exist. Culture was much different than it is today – secular and Christian. We typically find ourselves surrounded by cameras, monitors, televisions, public broadcasting systems, microphones and advertising 24/7 – even at church.

It seems the current generation will be known for its’ passion to take selfies. The destination for most selfies? Social media. Motives for posting selfies to social media run the gambit. Could be showing off a wonderful meal, a special friend, a new haircut, a new boy or girlfriend, vacation in the Bahamas. Some selfies are used to promote independent business platforms like those of bloggers, podcasters, and other “influencers.” Some photos are used to promote merchandise and services for sale, musical groups, current events, educational opportunities, self-improvement opportunities, social and entertainment clubs, and churches.

The thing about commercial promotion is that it creates a constant, unrelenting demand to produce new content. A published podcast older than ten days doesn’t draw much attention. New photos, videos, written content, recorded content are needed continually to draw clicks, likes, subscriptions, and purchases.  New content is produced and distributed perpetually, or so it seems. And not just by large commercial enterprises. A great deal of our daily exposure to promotional media is generated by men and women often working a first or second job from home. Sometimes a first and second job from home. The volume of promotion producing entities has exploded in our lifetime. Oh yeah, and now bots are adding massive volume to the already present and growing volume of human beings promoting themselves. It’s an undeniable fact of life. This is our world. So, how are we managing our near total immersion in media and promotional advertising? How does it effect our practice of Christianity?

The first thing to acknowledge is that social media and all-things cyberspace present tradeoffs to we the people. A primary benefit we receive is the ability to communicate with thousands, even hundreds of thousands more people than we could have hoped to communicate with thirty years ago. And there are a multitude of new digital tools at our disposal at a relatively small expense. Drawbacks? We the people are constantly bombarded with a plethora of promotional media bursts; some good, some awesome, some stupid, some outright immoral. You’ve seen them all, and many more, I’m sure. Secondly, we’ve lost a lot of our privacy. I heard a man say that giving your child a phone presents the world to your child. It also presents your child to the world.

In addition to these serious drawbacks, there’s another drawback that I hope to draw your attention to here. Scripture speaks of it this way:

For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. (2 Corinthians 12:20 NIV) (emphasis added)

It’s included in a list of  “works of the flesh” in Galatians:

“…idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions. (Galatians 5:20 NIV) (emphasis added)

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, (Philippians 2:3 NIV)(emphasis added)

 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. (James 3:16 NIV) (emphasis added)

 Let me acknowledge straightaway that not all cyber-promoters are motivated by selfish ambition and not all ambition is selfish. In fact, I have several personal friends who promote their ministries or businesses motivated by healthy, holy, ambition to see God glorified. Still, the merchandising of the message – by the messenger – can easily place the messenger on a tightrope stretched over a minefield. Some great men and women of God, after seeing fantastic success in their ministries have succumbed to selfish ambition, some at tremendous cost to themselves and the organizations they represented. If it can happen to them, it can happen to us.

(Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.) (Numbers 12:3 NKJV) (Emphasis added)

 Imagine how Moses’ website would look. Imagine Moses attempting to promote his YouTube channel! If Moses and Aaron had a podcast, what would it look like?

We’ll never know. But the idea is hilarious!

In a world where hundreds of thousands of people are blowing their own horns at full volume simultaneously, how will the humble prosper? How does humility survive?

Give it some thought. Guard your heart. Know the danger. Monitor your motives.

Our Heavenly Father loves and honors humility and resists the proud (James 4:6). This world knows very little about humility and seldom rewards it.

My advice, though not requested, is to stay far away from self-promotion, if you can. If you can’t – be careful. And, if you can, do as Jesus did so that people will be attracted to you just as they were attracted to Jesus.

I’m posting this at the risk of appearing to promote myself ambitiously. If you ever visit my humble website, you will not find a method or request to donate. I’m genuinely concerned about the spiritual welfare of all people, especially the house of God. That fact doesn’t make me a perfect voice, but it does protect me from troubles I don’t need.

Peace on the Path