Christianity Today ran “A Manifesto for Phone-Free Church,” and it convicted me a little.
The writer’s point is simple. Faith comes from hearing (Romans 10:17), and church is where we gather to listen. But when a phone buzzes during worship or the sermon, the stillness we came for is gone. We bring our everyday screen habits right into the sanctuary.
What stuck with me
- Church isn’t “alone time” with God. It’s family. Crying babies are a good distraction. A group chat is not.
- Worship is waiting on the Lord. You can’t wait on Him while you’re scrolling.
- “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10) is hard to pray with a screen lit up in your hand.
My take
I’m a tech guy and I love my gear. But some of the strongest moves of the Spirit I’ve seen came when a room went quiet and people actually waited on God. You can’t get that while half your mind is in your pocket.
So here’s my challenge for this Sunday: put the phone in the car, or at least on airplane mode. Bring a paper Bible. Expect God to speak, and be ready to hear Him.
God Bless, and Happy hacking!
