My Internet New Year’s Resolutions
1) Pay far less attention to toxic web discussions and groups. I have wasted too much time reading, and at times, attempting to respond, to Internet discussions that accomplish nothing. I will be ignoring a host of Internet sites and blogs in the new year that contribute nothing, in my opinion, other than incessant squabbling and obsessive-compulsive focus on majoring in minors.
2) Pay far less attention to the incessant and pointless chatter on the Internet about social media. I am dropping a number of social media blog sites that do nothing but blog about blogging, or tweet about twittering. These sites confuse style with substance. Substance always loses. It strikes me that with most of these kinds of activities on the Internet, those who can, do. Those who can’t, blog about how to do it.
3) Focus more on positive outreach with the revolutionary good news, as it is most beautifully articulated by confessional Lutheranism.
Have you considered changing any of your Internet habits and practices? If so, care to share?
I’m using LeechBlock (Firefox add-on) to limit time spent on various websites (facebook, twitter, hulu, youtube, etc). Note that I said limit. If you only allow yourself a few minutes per hour (or day or week, it’s up to you), you become much more efficient in your time spent on websites that can become black holes of your time.
Mine is to spend less time on Facebook and more time in the Word, the BOC, and the Greek
Mine is to find a better way to integrate Twitter and our Blog.
You read my mind when you posted this.
(1) My internet resolution is to limit my time in cyberspace to the following websites: Issues, Etc., Law & Gospel, and, of course, Cyberbrethren. These websites are always uplifting, informative, and thought-provoking.
(2) My reading resolution is to put away all of the books I bought last year written by seminary professors to other seminary professors. Nearly all of these tomes succeed only in making the Bible more and more opaque to laymen like me. (Why can’t seminary professors write like Luther? — I always understand him, but not so for those who try to explain him or his theology). I plan to limit my reading to the Bible and the Book of Concord. All of the other books in my library will now become just reference books when I need to do more in-depth study on something.
(3) My third resolution is not to feel guilty when I fail at (1) or (2) above!
(4) Finally, I resolved not to resolve to do anything about diet and exercise.
Pastor,
You struck a chord with me as well.
1) Major on Majors (Treasury, Lutheran Study Bible, BOC, Luther’s Works)
2) Read the good blogs (Cyber, Cranach, Pastoral Meanderings, Weedon’s Blog, Issues, Etc.)
3) Be a true servant to my family, church, and pastor
4) Pray for Congress, President O, world affairs and not get caught up in them
Mine is to spend less time on news sites. I can easily fall into the bad habit of checking out news sites every 30 minutes or so. I need to accept that I don’t need to be that informed, and that there is very little I can do about the state of the world.
@Mike
I came to the conclusion many years ago that the only religion books I need are the Bible, the Book of Concord, and Luther’s works. Whenever I spend money on a current book of theology, I am inevitably disappointed by the writing, the poor thinking behind the writing, and the poor theology behind the thinking! In contrast, Luther always writes beautifully and passionately, his thinking is brilliant, and his theology is scriptural.
I forgot to include the New Reformation Press (Rod and Ted Rosenbladt’s website) with the three websites I posted in (1) above. Everything a Lutheran layman needs to know is either in or referenced in one of these four websites, in my opinion. Rod Rosenbladt is the reason I became a Lutheran six years ago. I also don’t include Prof Rosenbladt with the other professors I was referring to in (2) above. If any professor writes or speaks like Luther in today’s world it is Prof Rosenbladt.
We don’t have a tv, so I’ve been getting all my news from the internet. When the Tiger Woods thing hit awhile back, I realized that I had become disgusted with the amount of celebrity gossip that parades itself as news on the major sites. I did a little searching and found worthynews.com. It compiles actual news from the major news sites, but leaves out the salacious gossip. It also has news of interest to Christians (stories about our persecuted brethren, for example). The site is not particularly attractive or easy to navigate, and the site-owner cares more about news from Israel than I do, but I’ve found it helpful nonetheless. My resolution (which I actually started a few weeks ago) is to stay off the major media news sites, and stick with Worthy News instead. I’ve found that my mind is a lot less filled with junk since I made the switch.
A post-script to the above – if you decide to check out Worthy News, don’t be mislead into thinking it doesn’t cover US or world news by reading only what’s on their homepage. On that page, you will see mostly Christian news. If you click on the tabs along the top, you can see U.S. or world news.
@jmark
Good advice and right on assessment of most, if not all, current books on theology. I think I will expand my previous thoughts on my reading plan for 2010 to TELL, which I bought from CPH last year on Paul McCain’s advice, PLUS Luther’s Works, which I haven’t bought yet but wish to buy now upon your and Steve’s recommendations. Any idea where I can buy Luther’s Works at a reasonable price?
@jmark
You’re in agreement with C.S. Lewis about this. Here’s what he said about reading original authors:
“I have found as a tutor in English Literature that if the average student wants to find out something about Platonism, the very last thing he thinks of doing is to take a translation of Plato off the library shelf and read the Symposium. He would rather read some dreary modern book ten times as long all about “isms” and influences and only once in twelve pages telling him what Plato actually said. The error is rather an amiable one, for it springs from humility. The student is half afraid to meet one of the great philosophers face to face. He feels himself inadequate and thinks he will not understand him. But if he only knew, the great man, just because of his greatness, is much more intelligible than his modern commentator. The simplest student will be able to understand, if not all, yet a very great deal of what Plato said; but hardly anyone can understand some modern books on Platonism. It has always therefore been one of my main endeavors as a teacher to persuade the young that first-hand knowledge is not only more worth acquiring than second-hand knowledge, but is usually much easier and more delightful to acquire.”
I agree with you both. I definitely prefer reading Luther to reading his commentators!
I’m confident you’ll won’t miss the online whiners and pit bulls any more than you would miss a toothache or hives. I know I don’t miss them.
Personally, I have a couple of web-related projects I’m working on that I hope will benefit my congregation and others. Since our little congregation has grown some, I also plan to devoting more time to face-to-face ministry. That will mean less news and blog reading.
Pr. McCain said, “Pay far less attention to toxic web discussions and groups.”
Well shoot, that cuts out most confessional Lutheran websites & blogs.
But I’ve been trying to do the same thing too. And I’ve surprised myself by actually doing it somewhat. Now I just spend most of my time on Harry Potter sites. 