Sunday, June 1st, 2008...11:31 am
Twitter as a Spiritual Discipline
The more I use Twitter, the more I like it. I don’t like it for the sake of new technology, rather I have come to believe it is a tool that can deeply enhance relationships. Some balk at the idea of telling or knowing what others are doing and thinking, but aren’t these key components to relationship?
Twitter Encourages Intimacy and Deeper Relationship with One Another
I recently visited NW Oregon, where I grew up, and I had the opportunity to share Twitter with nearly my entire family, and several long lost friends. I am happy to say that my grandparents in their 70’s joined and are now regular users. I also introduced my church community group to twitter.
I am learning VALUABLE details about my family and friends that I would have never learned (unless I were living with them). This has given me the opportunity to pray specifically for them and given me cues when I should reach out and make a direct connection.
Twitter Combats Self-centered Thinking
I get so wrapped up in my own world. My wife and I are in the midst of making some pretty large life decisions and I often get lost thinking of myself, my plans, my designs and my life. Twitter reminds me that its not about me and that there are more important things to be thinking of than myself.
Twitter Helps Us to Open our Lives to Family and Friends in Tiny Digestible Chunks.
The problem with other tools for connecting is they require two way communication, which adds all sorts of social rules to the picture. With Twitter we can simply state what we are doing, how we are doing or what we are thinking without getting bogged down in pleasantries. I am not saying that two way communication is bad, its just not optimal if you want consistent regular updates from folks.
My grandma LOVES knowing what we are up to, but phone conversations are short because she doesn’t want to interrupt or burden us. The truth is I would love to tell her and I would also love to know what is going on in their lives as well. Twitter has given us way to connect better.
By opening up and sharing our lives with one another through Twitter we are fulfilling God’s call to love one another. I have a deeper more intimate connection with my family and friends because of Twitter.
Aaron Marshall is a technology strategist, social entrepreneur and newbie kitesurfer. He founded 
Writer. Performer. Social Media Nut. Quilter. 
18 Comments
June 1st, 2008 at 12:08 pm
it could be, just as blogging can be, the act of introspection & journaling can reveal to us God’s movement. plus the ties that bind.
but just as everything good trades for a good. it can also take away something that might be more important or in line with God’s will for yours or my life.
June 1st, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Good point Gavin, as we “log our lives” it does give us some interesting insight.
What do you mean by “take away something that might be more important or in line with God’s will for yours or my life.”?
I think I understand but not sure.
June 1st, 2008 at 1:32 pm
it could be a real thin line, but if you allow twitter/blogging/podcasting/facebook/myspace/etc to be at the forefront of your mind and action then you might be leaving at the table something God has planned.
June 1st, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Most definitely. Many great things have the ability to be “fierce devils” or “strong angels”.
I also think we shouldn’t be afraid to dive into things because we might “idolize” whatever it is.
If we find something that deepens our relationship with Christ and one another, I am going to be all about it!
June 1st, 2008 at 4:09 pm
I have suggested to some that Twitter could be used for accountability with a Christian brother or sister. A Twitter direct message to me is much more likely to get my attention than an IM or maybe even email!
June 1st, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Thats a tough one… I can just see accidentally posting something supremely personal to 400 people.
At one point I did have a hyper private Twitter account. I don’t mess with it anymore though. For fear that I may post something accidentally on another account or that somehow it would get broken into.
June 3rd, 2008 at 6:55 am
When I started using Twitter I connected with a lot of other like-minded people and it has been amazing. We quickly formed a network of people that were involved in each other’s lives through Twitter.
It was this group dynamic that inspired http://WeTheChurch.org
June 3rd, 2008 at 7:43 am
Society as a whole is slowly moving from the physical to the cyber. Twitter is just another step along the way. I believe that in the same way that encouraging or other-focused conversations work in the physical world, twitter will in cyberspace.
My frustration with Twitter at the moment is that so few people are on board. It is a great concept, but it does me no good if no one that I know is on it. I think it will catch with the mainstream in time, but that time is not today. Hopefully when that time comes, Twitter will have more server space.
June 3rd, 2008 at 7:56 am
Chad Wright, http://WeTheChurch.org is one of the simplest, coolest things I have seen put out in awhile! I can see this being a cool feature for a church website too! Any way I can get you to share it with our church? I’ll do a nice write up!
Ray Deck III, the most important people I follow on twitter is my family and close friends. I am very deliberate about carefully “selling” the idea of twitter to them.
Sometimes I don’t even call it Twitter. I just describe it as a way to keep up to date with each other on a regular basis.
June 3rd, 2008 at 10:23 am
We are working on a way for organizations to have their on group page on WeTheChurch.org.
June 3rd, 2008 at 10:25 am
OK, everyone is probably going to think this is really weird — but I recently discovered another way that Twitter really helps me enforce a spiritual discipline in my life.
I have a full life and one of my challenges (I’m sure no one can relate to this!) is finding the time and discipline to spend consistently daily time and reflection in the Word. It’s so valuable when I do it — but I need help, I need reasons, to keep doing it consistently.
Recently (during the phase when I was falling in love with Twitter) it occurred to me that Twitter might be able to help. I was just starting a study focus on a new book (1 Samuel) so I decided to tweet any key new learnings/thoughts/insights etc. from my study and reflection.
Twitter forced me to keep these short and bite-sized (as you can tell by this response I have the tendency to go on at great length). It also gave me an audience of followers, who help hold me accountable to keep it up. A reason to keep the displine up, as it were.
Anyway, take a look at my site and tell me what you think. I write it “as unto the Lord” so I don’t market it per se, but I have developed a few followers (in the Twitter sense, not in the discipleship sense!) and mostly it has been good for me.
http://twitter.com/LarryShort
June 3rd, 2008 at 4:49 pm
When I first started twittering, I used tweetscan.com to find others that worked in church media and video production; it was a great way to network and swap ideas… what surprised me was the friendships that have developed from that networking! I have several new friends that I would have never been in contact with if not for twitter. I believe that God is connecting people through this cool tool!
June 4th, 2008 at 6:17 am
Interesting post, Aaron, and I’ve enjoyed reading the responses.
I’m just starting an MA Dissertation on Web 2.0 and mission, and as part of that I’ve been experimenting with various Web 2.0 apps (see my blog if interested) and today I’ve written about Twitter.
I’m a little unconvinced about Twitter. I can see that it is fun and easy to use - although its going to need a lot more of my real life contacts to be on Twitter for it to be *really* interesting. My concern is that the 140 character limit is going to lead to the same sort of superficiality that I see with texting. But if Twitter can be used to alert people to quick prayer needs, and lead on to more meaningful contact, then fair enough
Great blog by the way, I’ll definitely be following this one as my MA develops
June 4th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Larry Short, I don’t highlight things as much as I used to in books. Now I will just post them on Twitter. Whats interesting is that it will often spark a later conversation with one of my friends.
I like what you are doing with your Twitter account, I appreciate folks who are posting engaging, thought provoking or contemplative tweets.
Steve Murphy, Whats interesting is that I am would rather you give me a Twitter user name then a business card when I am networking. Texting “follow username” when I am with them is better than taking a business card and doing the whole scanner thing or manual entry.
Paul, I’ve been following your work. You are the man for doing it! There are some gems being uncovered that I hope someone will eventually present in an academic format. I simply share from my own time limited experiences, for now.
Here is something I have observed to respond to your comment about superficiality on Twitter.
Sometimes I am transparent and sometimes I am superficial. Same as when I am in public, it all depends on circumstances and especially who is listening.
I am trying to be more transparent. Its painful sometimes. Its one thing to open up to a small group of folks and a totally another thing to open up to 450 followers.
I am a bit of a twitter power user. I have accounts that I network with and an account that I make private and only allow people I trust follow me.
June 18th, 2008 at 5:38 am
pretty interesting post… something on which to think…
July 3rd, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Twitter is a powerful tool that helps us stay connected to people. I am glad to see more people using it. I love what Larry wrote about how he used Twitter to quote insights, comments and thoughts.
Melissa
August 7th, 2008 at 1:06 am
At Internet Evangelism Day, we have done a page about Twitter here:
InternetEvangelismDay.com/twitter.php
Our hope with new innovations like this is to see if there is any way they can be used for evangelism. Any such examples or thoughts will be gratefully received.
Blessings
Tony
September 7th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Several months ago I recognized the potential for Twitter to help keep me disciplined and accountable in my own journey of daily discovery of God. I have been a Jesus follower for the last 43 of my 51 years, but like many others (particularly those with mild ADD!) I struggle with the discipline necessary for a consistent daily time of Scripture reading and reflection.
When I do invest the way I am supposed to, I feel very blessed with a shower of insights and resources for personal spiritual growth. I realized Twitter would be a great way for me to share these insights and be held accountable. So I began http://twitter.com/LarryShort.
I don’t know if anyone reads it consistently or not. I’ve had good feedback, and dozens of followers. Knowing this keeps driving me back to a more strategic time of discovery and sharing.
So, as you can see, it’s all about me.
Enriching my walk with the Lord. But, hopefully, it occasionally blesses others as well.
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