Today, I began by welcoming everyone to Fleming Island United Methodist Church, expressing the joy of gathering together for worship. I highlighted the nearing end of the school year and our church's first year of service to the Bannerman Education Center. I shared about our Boomers ministry's involvement in a week-long teacher appreciation project, encouraging the congregation to support this initiative through donations.

I led us in prayer, thanking God for the dedication of the teachers at Bannerman Education Center and asking for blessings on our tithes and offerings. I emphasized the importance of supporting our community through such ministries.

As we transitioned into the sermon, I discussed the role of technology in our lives, acknowledging both its benefits and potential drawbacks. I reminisced about the evolution of communication technology from house phones to smartphones, illustrating how these changes have impacted our interactions and accessibility.

I explored the historical perspective of the church's relationship with technology, from the printing press to digital media, and how each phase was initially met with skepticism. I stressed that while technology can enhance our ability to connect and access information, it also presents challenges that require us to maintain a balance.

Delving into the teachings of Proverbs, I drew parallels between ancient wisdom and modern challenges, particularly the need to manage our engagement with technology responsibly. I used the metaphor of honey from Proverbs 25:16 to discuss moderation in all things, including technology.

I shared personal anecdotes about setting boundaries with technology to preserve meaningful interactions with others, such as using a tripod at events to be more present rather than viewing everything through a screen.

Concluding the sermon, I invited the congregation to reflect on their use of technology and consider implementing boundaries that foster rather than hinder relationships. I encouraged everyone to think about how they can use technology to enhance, not detract from, their spiritual and personal connections.

I closed with a prayer for guidance on using technology in ways that strengthen our relationships and deepen our faith, asking for God's help in identifying and managing distractions.

### Key Takeaways

1. **Celebrating Community Involvement**: Our church's engagement with the Bannerman Education Center is a testament to the power of community service in living out our faith. By supporting the teachers who dedicate themselves to shaping young lives, we embody the love and service taught by Christ. This initiative not only impacts the teachers but also strengthens our church's commitment to outreach. [21:14]

2. **The Double-Edged Sword of Technology**: While technology connects us in unprecedented ways, it also poses risks to our spiritual and personal well-being. It's crucial to approach technology with a balanced perspective, recognizing its potential to both enrich and complicate our lives. This balance is necessary for maintaining healthy relationships and a healthy spiritual life. [31:21]

3. **Wisdom from Proverbs on Moderation**: The wisdom of Proverbs 25:16, which warns against overindulgence, is incredibly relevant in the context of modern technology. Just as too much honey can make us sick, excessive use of technology can lead to spiritual and relational malnourishment. We must strive for moderation to ensure technology remains a tool for good. [34:12]

4. **Setting Boundaries for Healthier Relationships**: Implementing practical boundaries around technology use can significantly improve our relationships and quality of life. Whether it's designating tech-free times or using tools to limit app usage, these boundaries help us reclaim our time and attention for more meaningful engagements. [42:27]

5. **Embracing Technology While Preserving Tradition**: As we navigate the digital age, it's essential to embrace technological advancements while also preserving traditional values and practices that have sustained the faith community through the ages. This balance will help us continue to grow spiritually and maintain the core values of our faith. [47:29]

### Chapters

0:00 - Welcome
20:22 - Celebrating Community Service
21:14 - Prayer for Ministry and Offerings
22:30 - Transition to Sermon
23:37 - Reflecting on Technology's Impact
24:44 - Historical Perspective on Church and Technology
25:31 - Proverbs and Modern Challenges
26:33 - Personal Anecdotes on Technology
27:30 - Setting Boundaries with Technology
28:28 - Closing Prayer and Invitation

### Bible Reading

1. **Proverbs 25:16 (NIV)**: "If you find honey, eat just enough—too much of it, and you will vomit."
2. **Proverbs 6:6-11 (NIV)**: "Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man."
3. **Mark 2:27 (NIV)**: "Then he said to them, 'The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.'"

### Observation Questions

1. What does Proverbs 25:16 warn us about, and how does it relate to the use of technology?
2. According to Proverbs 6:6-11, what lesson can we learn from the ants, and how does this apply to our work habits and use of technology?
3. In Mark 2:27, what does Jesus say about the Sabbath, and how might this principle apply to setting boundaries with technology?
4. What personal anecdotes did the pastor share about setting boundaries with technology, and what was the purpose of these anecdotes? [27:30]

### Interpretation Questions

1. How can the wisdom from Proverbs 25:16 about moderation be applied to our daily use of technology? What are some potential consequences of overindulgence in technology? [34:12]
2. What does the passage in Proverbs 6:6-11 suggest about the importance of diligence and balance in our lives? How might this relate to the balance between work and rest in the context of technology use? [35:01]
3. How does Jesus' teaching in Mark 2:27 about the Sabbath inform our understanding of rest and boundaries in the digital age? What might a "Sabbath" from technology look like? [43:23]
4. Reflecting on the pastor's personal anecdotes, how can setting boundaries with technology improve our relationships and quality of life? [27:30]

### Application Questions

1. Reflect on your current use of technology. Are there areas where you feel you might be overindulging? What steps can you take to practice moderation? [34:12]
2. Consider the balance between your work and personal life. How has technology blurred these boundaries for you? What practical steps can you take to create clearer boundaries? [36:55]
3. Jesus taught that the Sabbath was made for man. How can you implement a "Sabbath" from technology in your weekly routine? What specific activities could you do during this time to rejuvenate your spirit and relationships? [43:23]
4. The pastor shared about using a tripod at events to be more present. What are some practical ways you can set boundaries with technology to be more present in your interactions with others? [27:30]
5. Reflect on the idea of using technology to enhance rather than detract from your spiritual and personal connections. What are some ways you can use technology positively in your faith journey and relationships? [28:28]
6. Think about a recent time when technology distracted you from meaningful interactions. How did it affect your relationships? What changes can you make to prevent this from happening in the future? [39:40]
7. The pastor mentioned using built-in technology features to set boundaries, such as limiting app usage. Have you tried any of these features? If not, which ones might you consider using, and how do you think they will help you? [41:27]

Day 1: Celebrating Community Through Service
Community service is a tangible expression of faith, exemplified by the church's involvement with the Bannerman Education Center. This initiative not only supports the dedicated teachers but also strengthens the church's commitment to outreach, embodying the love and service taught by Christ. By participating in projects like the teacher appreciation week, the congregation can actively live out their faith, impacting both the community and their own spiritual growth. This engagement fosters a deeper connection with the community and enriches the church's mission. [21:14]

James 2:14-17 (ESV): "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."

Reflection: How can you contribute to a community service project this month to actively live out your faith?

Day 2: The Double-Edged Sword of Technology
While technology connects us in unprecedented ways, it also poses risks to our spiritual and personal well-being. It's crucial to approach technology with a balanced perspective, recognizing its potential to both enrich and complicate our lives. This balance is necessary for maintaining healthy relationships and a healthy spiritual life. Embracing technology wisely allows us to leverage its benefits while guarding against its potential to distract or detract from meaningful interactions. [31:21]

1 Corinthians 6:12 (ESV): "All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be dominated by anything."

Reflection: What is one way you can modify your technology use this week to enhance, rather than detract from, your spiritual and personal relationships?

Day 3: Wisdom from Proverbs on Moderation
The wisdom of Proverbs 25:16, which warns against overindulgence, is incredibly relevant in the context of modern technology. Just as too much honey can make us sick, excessive use of technology can lead to spiritual and relational malnourishment. We must strive for moderation to ensure technology remains a tool for good, enhancing our lives without overshadowing our real-world interactions and spiritual engagements. [34:12]

Proverbs 25:16 (ESV): "If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it."

Reflection: Identify one aspect of your technology use that feels excessive. What steps can you take this week to bring more moderation to this area?

Day 4: Setting Boundaries for Healthier Relationships
Implementing practical boundaries around technology use can significantly improve our relationships and quality of life. Designating tech-free times or using tools to limit app usage helps reclaim our time and attention for more meaningful engagements. These boundaries allow us to be more present with others, enhancing our relationships and ensuring that technology serves as a tool rather than a barrier. [42:27]

Ephesians 5:15-16 (ESV): "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil."

Reflection: What is one specific boundary you can set this week to prevent technology from interfering with your personal relationships?

Day 5: Embracing Technology While Preserving Tradition
As we navigate the digital age, it's essential to embrace technological advancements while also preserving traditional values and practices that have sustained the faith community through the ages. This balance helps us continue to grow spiritually and maintain the core values of our faith, ensuring that technology enhances rather than replaces the rich traditions that form the foundation of our community. [47:29]

Jeremiah 6:16 (ESV): "Thus says the Lord: 'Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'"

Reflection: How can you use technology to enhance your spiritual practices without letting it replace the valuable traditions of your faith community?

"If you fast too much, you can starve yourself to death. Anything can be used for good or can be used for evil. The scripture even talks about this in Proverbs chapter 25. We've been looking at the Proverbs in this series. Chapter 25, verse 16, here's our fortune cookie for the day. Do you like honey? Don't eat too much. Or it will make you sick. Anyone feel like that? Sometimes. In essence, here you go. Anything can be good, but if you eat too much, do too much, have too much, it becomes bad." [34:12](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)

"Most people today, though, don't have an issue with working hard. The issue that we have is drawing the line between work and not working. Did you know when the computer was invented that they believed that productivity would go up so much from the computer we would have a four-day work week, not a five-day? We could do the same amount of work in less days. So we would all get to work less and always have a three-day work weekend. That's not the reality we live in, is it?" [36:55](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)

"How long will you play on your phone doing nothing? How long before you stop binge-watching TV? An email here, social media there. Do you know what comes next? Just this. You can look forward to a relationship-poor life. Loneliness as your permanent house guest." [38:41](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)

"Anything that can be good for us can also be bad. Anything that connects us to people and to God is helpful. Anything that separates us from people and God is harmful. We see this all throughout Scripture, and we have to ask ourselves, am I using this to help build relationships with me? Others and God? Or is this separating me?" [39:40](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)

"One thing I'm trying to do is I tend to be the one that records things like school activities. The other day I actually brought my tripod so I wasn't watching the whole event through the lens of my phone. Because the last time I did that, I felt like I wasn't even there. And we had it for all of history recorded. But what good was that if I didn't feel like I experienced it?" [42:27](Make clip | Crop for social media | Crop + Caption)

Amen.

Friends, I want to say good morning to you and welcome you once again to worship here at Fleming Island United Methodist. I am Faith Perry, the pastor here, and it is a joy to be in worship. Do you feel like it's a joy to be here? Awesome. I hope God hears all of our praise this morning.

I want to celebrate something with you today, and that is we are almost at the end of the school year. Yeah. All the teachers in the room are going, "yes." All the parents are going, "oh," because you're trying to prepare for summer. I got you. I feel you.

One of the exciting things about school being almost over is that we are about to close our first year of service to the Bannerman Education Center, which is the first year we have served this school. And if you haven't read any of the articles I've written about this mission, I hope you do. This month I wrote one. It's about how our Boomers ministry has been serving and what they're going to do for their final mission project next month, which is a week of teacher appreciation.

They actually worked with community organizations the past couple of months, received donations to help bolster what we're doing. And if you would like to donate items for teacher appreciation, there's a whole list of snacks, food, drinks, and all these things. The whole idea is to just shower the teachers for a whole week's worth of grab-and-go. So just check that out. If you have questions, you can talk to the Boomers.

And Karen is here in the room. She is in the back here on this side, but you'll find her after service. She helps coordinate that. And I don't think Ann is here. She's our other co-leader for that ministry. Oh, Ann is here. Hi, she's waving. Sorry, Ann. I didn't see you before worship.

So I just want to acknowledge it's a wonderful ministry. And this is also one of the things that your gifts to the church help support—ministries like these. So if you'd like to give to the church this morning, you may do so at the time of offering, which is at Communion in these baskets or by giving online. I just want to thank everyone who helps us serve our community in this way and many other incredible ministries.

So would you go to the Lord in prayer with me this morning?

Almighty God, I want to thank you for the hearts of our church who have chosen so many incredible ways to serve those around us who are in need, like Bannerman. Father, the teachers at this school have a special calling on their heart to serve our young people and help them get their lives back on track. And they do that in incredible and powerful ways. Whether it be helping them graduate high school, helping teen moms finish and learn about life skills in addition to school, or just helping those who need behavior help and get back to school. Whatever the resources, this school does amazing work with very little.

And I thank you for the hearts of our Boomers to support these teachers. God, I ask you to bless the tithes and offerings that we're going to give today here in this space and online. And that you continue to use them for incredible ministries like these. I also ask, Lord, for all the prayer requests, whether they be given here or online, that you know every prayer of our heart. You know our needs. You know the things spoken. And that you send your spirit upon each and every one of us so that we may do the work of the church, which is to love each other and support each other and to do the things necessary to bring our brothers and sisters closer to you.

Now, as we go to study your word, I pray that you help us to draw deeper into relationship with you in this space and in our children's. As we honor you in the study of your holy scripture. We pray this in your holy name. Amen.

All right, friends to kids club, if you're going to join Miss Katie, now is your time. They've been looking at the gospel teachings of Jesus. You'll have fun. Katie and I had a moment today. They're talking about stuff from the 80s. We found stuff from the 80s. We didn't have to go hunt it down. We just existed as products of the 80s. Made us feel old.

Y'all didn't find that funny. It's okay. Ophelia. Ophelia. Okay. Thank you, Nancy, for acknowledging that my 80s joke was not funny because me acknowledging the 80s makes me feel old, acknowledged all the fact that y'all still see me as a young little child and that makes you all feel old. So thank you. Thank you very much.

Well, we'll move on from the 80s. All right. Okay. We are talking about holy boundaries. And we've been talking about how we want to use our relationship to draw us closer to Jesus. If you want to follow along with sermon notes and scriptures so that you can take those with you, you'll find that inside the worship section of the church app. I also have added it on the website. If you're going on the website looking for it, whether it's now or later, you can find that just underneath the message section. You don't have to go digging in the e-mag for that.

So when we started on Easter, we were talking about how Jesus set up his church. He set us free with his death and resurrection. And then we went on to talk about how our relationships—friendships and romantic and family—can either draw us closer to Jesus or, if we're not careful, they can draw us away from Jesus. And we have to be intentional about the people we bring into our life, and our very, very closest relationships need to help us. And if there are people that don't help us, then maybe we need to set some boundaries about how they come into our life.

Now, today we're going to talk about how technology can either help us build those important relationships even more or how they can impact those important relationships in a positive or negative way.

Now, I just want to start by saying that technology is a gift. Now, I want to state that positively because I'm going to talk about how technology can help us build those relationships in a positive or negative way. And I want to say a lot of things about technology, and it may sound like that I don't like technology, which is not true.

And the funny thing about being a product of the 80s is I am what they call this bridge generation. You see, I grew up in an analog world. We walked Abigail through Best Buy this weekend, and I tried to explain to her what a house phone was and caller ID on the house phone and how we grew up with phones on the wall with the really long cords so we could try to go into a bedroom and no one hear our phone call. And how excited we got when cordless house phones came out. Y'all remember, right?

Yeah, but then you had to keep up with the house phone and make sure it got back on the charger, and then the battery in the charged house phone would go dead, and that was a big ordeal. You had to buy a new one, and it all became a thing. But you had to be careful about the house phone too, right? Because somebody else could pick up the other one and listen in. And as a parent, you got real good about picking it up when you were suspicious about who your child was talking to, right? Y'all never did that. You never spied on your children's conversations, did you?

So as a product of my generation, I grew up with all the analog phone and running home to check the caller ID to see who called me while I was gone and pushing the button on the answering machine. And then I experienced the rise of cell phones, starting with the bag phone, and then we got the actual little bitty phone. We had so many cell phones, and our Nokias that only one per family had because they were so expensive, and you only used it in case of emergencies. And then eventually we all got them.

Well, if the flip phones arrived, man, those razors, they were hot stuff, weren't they? If you could afford a razor, and they looked so sleek, and we thought we were so fancy. And to this day, we still do things like, "hello," when we pretend to answer the phone. And people don't know what we're doing when we go like this, do we? We go hang up, and those little young ones there said, "they go, why do you go like that when you hang up the phone?"

And you had—we had a thing, right? When we were really mad, we hung up that phone fast with a boom, because then it made the ding sound when you hung it up. They didn't know on the other end, but it made you feel better when you're angry. You hung up with somebody, and we didn't have Google. And so we had to call time and temperature to find out the weather, right?

So I tell you all of this so you understand that there's a piece of me that loves to be disconnected from technology. See, this is one thing I love the most about riding my motorcycle. You know what you can't do while you're riding a motorcycle? Talk on the phone or look at my phone. That's right. I need two hands. That's it right there. And I can't sit there like I'm in my car and have my car talking to me. I don't have it.

There are some times I'll be on the bike all day long, and I get to where I'm going, and I take it off Do Not Disturb. And I've had eight missed calls and 20 text messages, and I'm like, "oh, look, I was oblivious." It's a joy, but there's a reality sometimes that technology can help us, and technology can hurt us.

You see, there's a gift. We have things like live stream, which we are using right now to help us connect in worship to people who can't be here physically. And that's a gift. We have the ability to connect with family members who live far away. That's a gift. We have the ability of accessing things all over the world. And that's a gift.

But see, the church, believe it or not, throughout all of its history has always viewed technology, when it rolled out, as a threat. When the printing press was released, the church viewed it as a threat. The printing press is a form of technology. And pastors and priests preached the evil of the printing press because they believed that if everyone had a Bible in their home, then they would no longer need the church.

And then radio came out, and they preached the evil of the radio because if people could hear sermons on the radio in their home, they would no longer need the church. And then television—oh, the evangelistic preaching. The preachers came out all over TV, and then people preached against that because if people could watch TV from their home, they'd no longer need the church.

Now, is not evil. Where would we be if people didn't have Bibles? Out of curiosity, who is thankful that we have a Bible in our home? I am. I'm also thankful that it's not the size of the Gutenberg Bible that you had to use two hands to carry it, that we made it smaller. We are now a church. We are now working to get the Bible translated into every language in the world so that every remote tribe can read the Bible in their native language. Is that not amazing?

But what if we never accepted the printing press? And all those years ago, the church never believed the printing press was good, and the only way you got the word of God was showing up in church. The information age, friends, we can get information right now from anywhere in the world by pulling up our phone and Googling. Does that threaten the church? I believe these things don't threaten us. They may make life easier, but they also make life more complicated.

Just because we have information everywhere does not mean we as the church have to be threatened. Too much of a good thing can be bad. You see, exercise, they tell me, is really good for you. They keep telling me that one of these days I'm going to try it. It's just confession. Okay. So you can exercise, and it's really good. You can exercise too much and cause harm. Fasting is biblical. If you fast too much, you can starve yourself to death. Anything can be used for good or can be used for evil.

The scripture even talks about this in Proverbs chapter 25. We've been looking at the Proverbs in this series. Chapter 25, verse 16, here's our fortune cookie for the day. Do you like honey? Don't eat too much, or it will make you sick. Anyone feel like that sometimes?

In essence, here you go. Anything can be good, but if you eat too much, do too much, have too much, it becomes bad. So the reality is that sometimes things good, like technology, can become something that is harmful. We use our phones to fill our time. Play games. Read. Check social. Email people.

It was a day in time when you sat in a lobby, and you didn't have anything to do but to talk to the stranger next to you. Now you sit in an elevator, and everybody's on their phone. The introverts love it. Us extroverts are so distracted by all the other things, we're extroverted to other places, and we don't talk to other people anymore.

But at the same time, we also carry our office. We carry our office in our pocket. Now, is carrying our office in our pocket a bad thing? That's what we're going to look at today.

So let's go back to the book of Proverbs. We're going to be in chapter six, verse six. Take a lesson from the ants, you lazy bones. Learn from their ways and become wise. Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter. But you, lazy bones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, and folding of the hands to rest. Then poverty will produce, will pounce on you like a bandit. Scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.

Well, whoever wrote this proverb for somebody was trying to tell them they needed to get up off their butt and get moving to get some work done, doesn't it? Whoever it is is obviously very sloth-like. Don't you think? You all know what else to say there. It means it's very easy to say that we need to work hard. Most people today, though, don't have an issue with working hard. The issue that we have is drawing the line between work and not working.

Did you know when the computer was invented that they believed that productivity would go up so much from the computer we would have a four-day work week, not a five-day? We could do the same amount of work in less days, so we would all get to work less and always have a three-day work weekend. That's not the reality we live in, is it? The more productive we become, the more work gets put on us. The more technology that is given, the more ways we find to get more stuff done. The to-do list just gets bigger.

And now we have even more ways to get things done, like AI technology and all these things, where we can get more and more and more done. And what happens is the line between work and not work is gone. It's very blurred. It used to be when you left the office, you were done. And you couldn't even be contacted unless you were at home because you didn't have a phone in your pocket.

And unless you were a really special person with a pager. Only special, important people had pagers. Y'all know what I'm talking about. Like you saw people with a pager, and like, ooh, they do something important. But nowadays, we get our email to our phone. We get text messages to our phone. We get everything to our phone. So there's no separation. We have to force when we are working and not working.

And for those of you who are retired, you can apply this to even the things you do for fun. There has to be boundaries. So I just want to reread that proverb I read just a second ago, but I've remodified it, okay? Some of the verses I've changed to apply to technology, which tends to be now what overtakes our life.

So just hear this. Hear this in the words of technology. How long will you play on your phone doing nothing? How long before you stop binge-watching TV? An email here, social media there. Do you know what comes next? Just this. You can look forward to a relationship-poor life. Loneliness as your permanent house guest.

See, anything that can be good for us can also be bad. Anything that connects us to people and to God is helpful. Anything that separates us from people and God is harmful. We see this all throughout Scripture, and we have to ask ourselves, am I using this to help build relationships with me, others, and God? Or is this separating me?

And there's no hard, fast rule. Everything can be helpful or harmful. And you each have to make that decision for yourself. But you also have to think about it in a way that kind of safeguards it. Protecting ourselves from things that break relationships is a constant task. But sometimes we have to create boundaries for ourselves so that we don't break relationships, like the relationships of those we love.

Henry Cloud says this about technology. He says, this is what boundaries are for: to keep the good in your life in and the bad of your life out. He goes on the next page to say this: If it's intruding on your life and relationships, just make a rule to protect yourself. Sounds simple, right?

How many of you, one of the first things you do when you get up in the morning is you look at your phone? Yeah? My phone's my alarm clock. That's not my fault. I mean, I got to turn it off, right? And as soon as I turn it off, there's usually a notification on my phone that came in during the night. So, I mean, I got to see the notification. It could be important. Sometimes it's really important, like somebody has a prayer request or, you know, I'm the pastor. Heaven forbid someone died. It could happen. I got to check them first.

That's insane. Y'all see the logic? Y'all think if there's a major emergency someone's going to actually call me on the phone? Probably. Our technology is actually designed these days to help us with boundaries, is it not? If you find that you're doing things that are keeping you from being safe with it, you can use the built-in technology to set a boundary.

Like saying I'm only going to be on this app for X amount of time a day and tell it to shut it off. It's super annoying when it happens. I've done it, and then it goes away, and I'm like, wait, what happened? I'm like, oh, I have to do it on TikTok. Next thing I know, five hours are gone, and I've just been on TikTok. I have to put the screen alerts so I don't waste my whole day.

But see, cell phones can cause disconnection unintentionally. So when we can make rules to unplug, to turn off apps, to do these things, then we can help guard our relationships. Whether it be being intentional when we're sleeping, whether we're spending time with family or friends or at the dinner table or we're going out to social events.

One thing I'm trying to do is I tend to be the one that records things like school activities. The other day I actually brought my tripod so I wasn't watching the whole event through the lens of my phone. Because the last time I did that, I felt like I wasn't even there. And we had it for all of history recorded. But what good was that if I didn't feel like I experienced it?

What's interesting about all this is that it kind of falls in line with one of David's and Jesus' teachings. Ironic how that happens, right? In Mark 2, Jesus talks about the idea of Sabbath. Because Jesus got in trouble a lot for doing things on Sabbath. The religious leaders were always telling him he was breaking the Sabbath laws. And he says this in Mark 2. He says to them, the Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, not people to meet the requirements of Sabbath. Right?

See, there's something to it. If we think back to working hard from the Proverb, God talked a lot about working hard but intentionally taking rest. Have any of us maybe made a practice of saying, I'm going to take a Sabbath from the things that distract me from people? I'm going to take a Sabbath from technology or TV or this or that. What would it look like?

One Lent, I gave up watching television. It was the hardest thing. It was the hardest 40 days of my life. I fasted from all sorts of things. I have never done that one before. I didn't know what to do with my time. And it reminded me so much of how important it is to be aware of my time. I also got really behind on my TV shows and had a lot of TV watching to watch after Lent. That was a joke, by the way, a bad one.

But when we think about this practice of taking Sabbath, Sabbath is not just about showing up to worship. It's about doing things that nurture the soul and bring us closer to Jesus. See, Jesus is trying to explain that God is strong about not just keeping the Sabbath for the sake of physical rest, but emotional rest and emotional and spiritual and bringing people together, which means where do we need to think about our boundaries when it comes to work and technology and the things that can steal our time?

We can't work all the time. We can't volunteer all the time. We can't do all those things all the time. Anything that is good can become harmful. We need the time to rejuvenate with the people that are bringing us closer to Jesus, the relationships we've been talking about the past couple of days.

So I encourage you to think, what are the boundaries that I need to set to help me spend time with the people that are working for me? Are helping me become more like Jesus? What's separating me from them? What's filling up my schedule? What's distracting me? And is there something I can do to help me spend more time?

And for you, it may have nothing to do with technology. You may be like others that hate all of it, but it may be something else. I encourage you to pray about it. Would you pray with me now?

Almighty God, I am thankful for the gift of technology. I say these things about the ways that it can be harmful to us, but in the end, it is still a gift because we are able to connect and to learn and to worship and to be a part of the body of Christ in ways that we can't do just in this space. Thankful for technology giving us books and knowledge and history.

But Lord, today as we come before you and your table, I ask that you show us what it is we need to know so that we can better live into these vital relationships you've been showing us. We can remove the distractions and be present and take those steps closer to the people you want us to be. Lord, we don't want to get to the end and realize that we could have done more to build up connections.

So help us be aware and make the steps we need to help in these ways in our lives. We pray this in your holy name. Amen.

This is the opportunity you have now to come before the Lord and ask him to speak to you, to show you whatever it is you need to work on. And I pray that you do that. The only requirement is that we confess our sins with each other and before God. And he invites all who wish to receive holy communion to come forward.

The only requirement is that we confess our sins with each other and before God. And I pray that you do that. They were from different vocations and even different economic classes. But yet Jesus brought them all together because of connection and friendship.

So as we think about what could separate us and what can bring us closer to our people, I hope you'll be praying about the people that God wants you to draw closer into. As he sat with his friends right before his arrest, he took the bread and he prayed.

And I pray that you do that. And I pray that you do that. And I pray that you do that. And I pray that you do that. And I pray that you do that. And I pray that you do that. He said, this is my body which has been given for you. Eat in remembrance of me. He also took the cup and said, this is the blood of the new covenant. Drink just as you eat in remembrance of me.

Friends, if you would say this confession with me. You have shown yourself to us, oh God, by word and spirit with signs and wonders and flesh and blood. Yet we still struggle to live and believe the good news of Jesus Christ. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. Forgive us. Enter into our lives and cast out our fear so that we may come to trust in you and have life in Jesus' name.

Take a moment and confess anything you need to confess to God in your heart.

Almighty God, thank you for hearing the confessions that we lift to you now and that we ask, Lord, you receive them as your beloved children. We also ask, Father, that you send your spirit upon this bread and this juice and transform it into the body and the blood of Christ. We pray these things in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Friends, hear this word of forgiveness. In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Would you join me? In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Amen.

If those who would help me with communion would come forward now, as they come, just a word of instruction. You'll receive a small piece of bread to dip into the cup. If you would like pre-packaged communion so that no one would touch it, you'll be here in the center along with gluten-free. I'll serve my helpers, and then we'll invite everyone forward.

You are welcome and invited to come forward to the Lord's table as you wish. We'll start in the back and work our way up the center and out the outsides. The rails are open for prayer as well as the prayer room. If you'd like to be served in your seat, if you would just wave at one of our servers, we'll bring it to you.

Amen.

I want to just tell you one thing. So the parents' night out is coming up. It is this Saturday. Okay. Everybody say this Saturday. Fantastic. You all know about it. Two things to know. If you want your child to be there, you have to register by tomorrow. Okay. We don't care what you do with your time.

To yourself. I just said this whole thing about technology. I don't care if you binge-watch TV for three hours, right? This is your time to do what you want. You can do laundry. You can go on a date night, whatever, but this is your time. The other thing is this: right now, our current registered kids, about half of them are from our community. Is that not wonderful? I know. Amen.

We need four more volunteers to help us run the event. Isn't that great? Yeah, I know because the community is coming, and they have a need for this. So if you're available and you're especially already one of our screened adults and you're here on Saturday and can come, it's very easy. You just play games with the kids. Okay. Katie plans it all. You just show up.

So if you can help on your connect card, which is on your seat, which also has a place for prayer requests, there's a place to mark that you want to help. There's also a place to mark if you want to register. You can put those in the baskets. Everybody got it? Awesome.

All right. Let's pray.

Father God, send us from this place ready to go and to do all the things that you want us to do to live nice, balanced lives. Cause we want to be fully the people you want us to be, but most important to live into freedom, to not allow things to hold us back. Cause we want to be in good relationship with the people you put in our lives to help us be our best selves.

So show us this week anything holding us back so that we may be fully present in the places that you put us and the people that we are with. We pray this in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.