David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Nova Scotia church to bless BlackBerrys
Globe and Mail
September 1, 2010
Wired Anglican reverend to extend traditional Plough Monday blessing of work tools to cover gadgets
Rev. Lisa Vaughan wants to say a prayer for your BlackBerry.
Or maybe your laptop or any other communication gadget you use.
Rev. Vaughan plans to hold the decidedly contemporary blessing service this Sunday at St. Timothy's Anglican Church in Hatchet Lake, outside Halifax.
?I think they traditionally used to call it Plough Monday, where people used to bring their farming equipment and tools to the church to be blessed,? said Rev. Vaughan.
?Most of us live with our cellphones and laptops and BlackBerrys and all that kind of stuff. I mean, those are just daily tools for us.?
Rev. Vaughan recently read about a church in London, England, that expanded its blessings to modern workday devices. It struck a chord with her, mainly because she's quite wired herself.
?We have three laptops and three tabletop computers in our house,? she said. ?I'm about to buy some kind of smart phone. I just haven't decided what it's going to be!?
Rev. Vaughan also uses Facebook to connect with friends and her congregation and plans to open a Twitter account for St. Timothy's.
The gadgetry blessing isn't a big leap for the church, where the Sunday night service often features a rock band, PowerPoint presentations and videos.
She acknowledged the Internet has its share of problems and presents a side of the world that might seem incompatible with the church.
?But I think it's a wonderful tool,? she said. ?I think God is blessing it in all kinds of ways and we shouldn't be afraid of it as Christians. We need to embrace it. That's where a lot of our folks are. They're e-mailing, they're texting. And if that's where they are, that's where we should be.?
The blessing itself will include the hope that people are patient and kind in communications with each other during the often hectic workday, Rev. Vaughn said. ?And, as well, that it's productive, that it's life-giving, that it's supportive to the community as a whole.?
Blessings will take place at all three worship services on Sunday at St. Timothy's but the night service will be the main event. People will be asked to turn on their devices in the darkened church and bring them forward to be blessed.
While the services are meant to be a fun way to celebrate Labour Day, there's a serious spiritual point to be made, she said.
?It's also a reminder for people that God is present, not just one hour per week on a Sunday morning or evening. We make decisions every day about our work and our words, and in that we're not alone.?
Globe and Mail
September 1, 2010
Wired Anglican reverend to extend traditional Plough Monday blessing of work tools to cover gadgets
Rev. Lisa Vaughan wants to say a prayer for your BlackBerry.
Or maybe your laptop or any other communication gadget you use.
Rev. Vaughan plans to hold the decidedly contemporary blessing service this Sunday at St. Timothy's Anglican Church in Hatchet Lake, outside Halifax.
?I think they traditionally used to call it Plough Monday, where people used to bring their farming equipment and tools to the church to be blessed,? said Rev. Vaughan.
?Most of us live with our cellphones and laptops and BlackBerrys and all that kind of stuff. I mean, those are just daily tools for us.?
Rev. Vaughan recently read about a church in London, England, that expanded its blessings to modern workday devices. It struck a chord with her, mainly because she's quite wired herself.
?We have three laptops and three tabletop computers in our house,? she said. ?I'm about to buy some kind of smart phone. I just haven't decided what it's going to be!?
Rev. Vaughan also uses Facebook to connect with friends and her congregation and plans to open a Twitter account for St. Timothy's.
The gadgetry blessing isn't a big leap for the church, where the Sunday night service often features a rock band, PowerPoint presentations and videos.
She acknowledged the Internet has its share of problems and presents a side of the world that might seem incompatible with the church.
?But I think it's a wonderful tool,? she said. ?I think God is blessing it in all kinds of ways and we shouldn't be afraid of it as Christians. We need to embrace it. That's where a lot of our folks are. They're e-mailing, they're texting. And if that's where they are, that's where we should be.?
The blessing itself will include the hope that people are patient and kind in communications with each other during the often hectic workday, Rev. Vaughn said. ?And, as well, that it's productive, that it's life-giving, that it's supportive to the community as a whole.?
Blessings will take place at all three worship services on Sunday at St. Timothy's but the night service will be the main event. People will be asked to turn on their devices in the darkened church and bring them forward to be blessed.
While the services are meant to be a fun way to celebrate Labour Day, there's a serious spiritual point to be made, she said.
?It's also a reminder for people that God is present, not just one hour per week on a Sunday morning or evening. We make decisions every day about our work and our words, and in that we're not alone.?
