There is a growing movement among “Generation Z” – people born between 1997 and 2012 – toward “analog” experiences.
Now, the word “analog” can be defined in several ways, but for our purposes, it means a connection does not involve the use of computer technology. An analog device, for example, has a continuous (oftentimes mechanical hardware) path through which something travels as opposed to a digital device, which uses software.
I am part of Generation X – the generation that was born into an analog world but saw the rise of the digital world. Unlike someone from Gen Z, I am not a “digital native.” When I was growing up, though, there seemed to be a mindset among many people that “digital” was always better – faster, easier to build, more reliable, able to do more things, etc. But, in the intervening years, this has not always been borne out in reality. The ubiquity of so-called “smart” phones and social media has led us all to be more anxious, more insular, and less productive. With the rise of Artificial Intelligence, there are some people who have created friendships with A.I. chatbots that are run by computers. Imagine finding more in common with a computer than with another person! Digital technology just might not provide the absolute answer to absolutely everything – especially human relationships.
So, for “Gen Z” folks, there is a growing awareness that all of the digital stuff that they grew up with can be helpful, but is not the end-all-be-all. Hence their desire for experiences that are Analog, Real, and Communal – or A.R.C. Basically, people are going places, doing things, and meeting others without the use of their smartphones or other digital devices – book clubs, concerts, face-to-face conversations, experiences with real people in-person as opposed to people who are connected via some kind of digital device.
Now, let me be clear. I am currently writing this on a computer and you might just be reading this on a computer or smartphone or other digital device. This technology can be so helpful and convenient. BUT, the digital experience is not the same as an in-person experience.
This coming Saturday, BPC will be hosting a meeting of the Presbytery of Northern New England. When the COVID-19 pandemic happened, many of our Presbytery’s meetings were held on Zoom or other videoconference sites. It was helpful and handy to be able to safely join a meeting that was not in-person without leaving one’s home. But, over the past six years, it has become clear to many people (not just people in the church) that an online experience is not the same as an in-person experience. This is so much the case that, at a previous in-person meeting of the Presbytery – at which I had a lot of fun seeing friends and meeting new people that I publicly declared, “In-Person Presbytery meetings rule! Zoom Presbytery meetings drool!” Ah, your eloquent pastor at his finest. . .
I am pleased to say that church is one of the oldest and longest-running A.R.C. experiences – seeking to foster real in-person community for two thousand years. This is one reason why Gen Z is leading a quiet revival in churches across the country. In our own congregation, I am finding people who are so thankful to be in the same room with others who are on similar spiritual journeys. As Presbyterians, we believe that Jesus Christ has called the church into being and that the Holy Spirit draws (and holds) us together in very real and authentic ways.
In your life, what are the experiences that are A.R.C. – Analog, Real, and Communal? In what ways are A.R.C. experiences leading to deeper and more profound connections with other people and even with the Holy?
Is it Analog? Is it Real? Is it Communal?
With the Spirit’s help, church can be – and is – all three of these things. . . You can, too!
See you in church!
Grace and Peace,
John
Prepare for Worship
This Week: “Out or In” (The Good News is. . . Alive in the World)
Read Psalm 34
Read 1 Peter 1:17-23
Read Luke 24:13-35
Read or sing Hymn # 252 – “Day of Arising”
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Preview YouTube video Day of Arising – ELW 374Preview YouTube video Day of Arising – ELW 374