Cell Phones, windows to our souls

The Washington Post reports on how media-savvy ministries adapting their message for a new generation of phones, which have memories capable of holding entire books and playing videos and music.

''The result: missionaries in Asia beaming testimonials onto a two-inch screen; a three-day, 100,000-person crusade boiled down to a two-minute video sermon; a Christian punk ring tone.''

... Using a phone for spiritual purposes raises unique questions: Is it rude to watch your phone in church-- if that's where you've downloaded your Bible? Can text-message blessings be spiritually enriching? Is therea sense of religious community on a cellular phone?

ellphones actually might be well suited for spiritual communication. Carried everywhere by their owners, they are the most intimate piece of technology many people own. They are emblazoned with personalized ''wallpaper,'' have ring tones meant to advertise their owners' very essence and are loaded with personal information.

These palm-size gadgets ''can take on a mystical significance,'' said James Katz, who studies the cultural and social impact of cellphones at Rutgers University, where he is the director of the Center for Mobile Communication Studies.''

... Since launching in September, The MobileWorld has gained thousands of subscribers who can watch on their phones two- to three-minute video sermons by Greg Laurie, pastor at the country's eighth-largest church, Harvest Christian Fellowship, or snippets of Christian comics and hip-hop artists.
11/6/2006 2:38:14 PM
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