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DRESCHER & ANDERSON

Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It's about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen. There are people who consciously practice being authentic, there are people who don't, and there are the rest of us who are authentic on some days and so authentic on other days. (D&A, 34)

I thought this was an interesting passage. I’m not sure I agree with all of it. I think I would frame authenticity as a necessary element of our every choice as opposed to “a collection of choices.” Also --- “some days authentic and some days not” is odd phrasing to me. I recognize the point they were attempting to make but I don’t think we can address the topic with one big paintbrush making one large stroke across a community canvas.

Sometimes I think authenticity has a great deal to do with safety. If one feels safe to share their authentic self then they will do so. If one grew up in an environment where it was not safe to be authentic --- a great deal of training & repetition will need to occur prior to them being able to transition into a more authentic communication style.

Sometimes I suspect I am too authentic. Not a great deal of energetic shift in the way I engage a professor, classmate, friend or new acquaintance. Is this a good thing or could it be labeling me as someone who does not possess a professional veneer necessary to thrive in the business world. I am under no illusions that churches are businesses as well as communities of faith . . .

I am going to have to give the semantics of authenticity some more thought. As I stated in class I am INFP and highly intuitive --- so I access in my gut and don’t really “think” about authenticity.

Soooo . . . this is me authentically sharing that I have to STOP doing Homework for the class that ended Friday and begin focusing on homework for the class that starts tomorrow J!

PEACE BE WITH YOU ALL!!!

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RELIGION ONLINE & OFFLINE

CAMPBELL

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RELIGION ONLINE & OFFLINE

The nature of computer-networked society means conventional forms of connection, hierarchy and identity management must adapt or be reconfigured as they are transported online. Researchers have carefully explored how involvement in online communities may inform members understanding of what it means to be part of a religious community or church and how this may alter expectations of how community should live offline. The result of much of this research has been a transformation in how religious communities are conceived of online, seeing as they function quite differently than traditional religious institutions and structures (Campbell, 5).

I think individuals are adapting in terms of recognizing religious communities now extend online. Campbell’s suggestion that what we think of as a religious community has to change as technology alters the worship space has already been proven by my Gospel & Global Media class this week. 

My classmates brought up interesting points surrounding religious communities and social media . . .

John mentioned the concept of participation in Eucharist via social media. I was initially bothered by this idea. Upon further reflection I thought about the value this practice could bring to someone who was not physically able to leave their home.

Marshan mentioned the concept of an ONLINE PRAYER REQUEST site that allows his congregation to feel held by their faith community when they are in need of prayer and cannot make it to church.

Dr. Mary mentioned the gift of being able to say goodbye to a loved one because of the advent of media and the connectivity it provides.

“Researchers have suggested that bringing religion online encourages religious experimentation in ways that may lead to alternative, highly personalized narratives of faith (Campbell, 8).” This particular quote rang true for me on a personal level. I am someone who supports the LGBTQ community. I attempt to bring awareness to religious communities regarding the need for equality and acceptance of those who have been historically marginalized by organized religion. I have found the concept that personalized narratives of faith online shifting social and religious views to be a realistic and achievable goal. In the cyber world many topics previously unaddressed in religious establishments can now be discussed.

Perhaps it is the anonymity associated with online narratives that frees people to explore/challenge conventional thinking or established church doctrine. My first creative endeavor (or self narrative) surrounding social media and religion was generated prior to the last presidential election. Washington State was voting whether or not to approve Referendum 74, an initiative that would provide the right of legal marriage to same sex couples.

Having the ability to respond in a creative way that offered a different perspective while simultaneously remaining in community with my classmates, instructors and church leaders was a gift of spiritual balance for me. Additionally, I now have the gift of knowing that someone (I may never meet) could possibly have a shift in perspective because my very personal narrative lives in the cyber world.

HERE COMES EVERYBODY

HERE COMES EVERYBODY

CLAY SHIRKY

Here comes everybody! You bet -- that is exactly what is happening! Well OK not EVERYBODY. Not everybody has the economic privilege of having access to social media. But certainly the access to global events (as they occur) has changed dramatically in the last two decades. The video clip we watched in class that stated **people read about an earthquake in their area 30 seconds before they felt it** illustrates this point as does Shirky's book. I was particularly enthralled by the story about the earthquake in China. The earthquake hit China's Sichuan province in May of 2008. The big lesson from the Sichuan quake is that there is never just one big lesson. “Truly complex events have complex causes and complex ramifications (Shirky, 298). In this instance social media created the possibility of global assistance in terms of providing medical aid and spiritual support.

The fact that everybody can be connected via media and those who are in the midst of tremendous devastation can be assisted by their fellow man is remarkable. In this instance (and many like it) social media was literally life saving.

Another part of this story that resonated with me was the illustration that social media can dramatically shift the POWER balance in governing bodies. In many countries people are shut off nearly entirely from freedom of choice in terms of sources of information. As much as we (as Americans) complain about media bias --- we have so many options in how we receive NEWS. The MEDIA being in the hands of the citizens not the government in the instance of this natural disaster in China changed the cultural and political landscape of a country that had been strictly regulated.

I agree with Shirky’s statement ---- “As always social tools don't create motivations so much as amplify existing ones (294).” Information is POWER and I don’t think it should be limited to an elite few in ANY country. This story made me recognize that education (in small and large ways) can now reach masses of people who were previously “in the dark.”

I guess HERE COMES EVERYBODY now includes me . . .

NET SMART

NET SMART
HOWARD RHEINGOLD

Rheingold's book on the NET demonstrates many of the complexities involved in the corporate owned service we refer to as THE NET. One of the most intriguing portions of the book was Rheingold's assertion that a small portion of the population provides the wealth of information on the web while the masses are the “consumers” of that information. This concept is disturbing but not as alarming as the reality that our information (like it or not) is utilized by corporations. The details of our lives are bought and sold to increase the viability of a product or promote a corporate agenda.

“Only a small fraction of the more than one billion INTERNET users create and add videos, photos, and blog posts. The rest pay attention. They leave behind innumerable traces that speak to their interests, affiliations, likes and dislikes, and desires. Large corporations then profit from this interaction by collecting and selling this data. Social participation is the oil of the digital economy (Rheingold,137).”

If social participation is the oil of the digital economy --- what happens to the people who cannot afford (or have access) to the internet? They suffer, they get left behind and sadly they have no voice in a world that greatly affects them. Which is more problematic ---- the idea that those of us who have the privilege to engage social media are being bought and sold OR that those who don't have access are being marginalized in yet another manner (one that has global implications)?

BOTH seem to be crucial issues that need to be addressed. Once again I recognize the expediency with which technology advances and shifts far surpassing the rate at which we can manage legalities and questions regarding human ethics.

So here is my “small portion” of commodity distributed on the WEB to the larger information “consumer.” Who reads it and what they chose to do with it is beyond my control . . .

GOD HAPPENS WHEN HUMANITY IS CONNECTED

I enjoyed the four videos we watched this morning. I applaud the creativity and freedom of expression displayed in all. The video I found the most provocative was the one by the gentlemen who proclaimed his religion to be the internet. If I had heard that phrase, “The internet is my religion” out of context I would have found it t be both alarming and disturbing. Having heard it in conjunction with “God is what happens when humanity is connected” – I found the phrase to be full of Christian unity. I thought the speakers suggestion that “we all have the same cross to bear because we all owe our lives to countless people we will never meet” to be significant. It was a concept that resonated with me, especially when the speaker mentioned the military as an example. We owe our lives to those who serve in the military ---- who protect our country and the freedoms it promises.

Yet again I find myself thinking about global media in a new way. The idea that the speaker was alive today because his surgeon responded to a slew of emails was remarkable. The use of the worldwide web for medical advancements is something I had not previously considered. It is possible that cancer could be cured by a team of scientists who live on different continents but can now work collaboratively. AMAZING when you begin to consider the possibilities.

I have not been able to fully process the entirety of the content presented in the 4 videos we viewed this morning. But I am profoundly aware that we are all in debt to each other, we are all connected and media is an avenue of connection that I will continue to journey on . . .

ANIMOTO

Today was a day of experiential learning. Not being a tech savvy person I struggled with ANIMOTO and was not able to finish my GOSPEL video project. I was amazed by the expediency with which I was able to learn and utilize the ANIMOTO product. Additionally I was impressed with the final products my classmates were able to create in such a short amount of time.

I was immediately present to the reality that I am profoundly moved by music. This element of each production altered how I responded to each short film. For me the soundtrack was just as significant as the images.

Although each video was unique, I noticed common themes in them centered on community, relationship, and nature. Whether it was a turtle swimming (Linda), a group of rowers working in collaboration (Mel K.) or folks dancing in the church aisles (Marshan) --- there was a grand sense of interconnectedness. These images embodied the Gospel to me in new ways. I appreciated seeing the gospel in a contemporary context. I think it would be valuable to see the Scripture narratives filmed in a modern way. Perhaps this will be my next creative endeavor.

Thank you for being in community with me today . . .

HERE IS THE LINK TO MY VIDEO

http://animoto.com/play/qRxnQtWoPpzmceFZY2XXHA

YouTube

Michael Wesch's video An Anthropological Introduction to YouTube was intriguing. I was struck the message of human connectivity. The platform of YouTube was described as a celebration of a new form of community. This was illustrated by Gary B. as the “first person on the global dance floor” of a video that inspired millions of viewers to create variations on the theme and join the world party. This was a fun and whimsical demonstration of how far reaching this new form of media travels. But it was the stories of connectivity on a very personal level of human vulnerability that struck me as significant.

The gentleman at the end of the video who lost his son to SIDS said he used YouTube not as a means of “changing the world but as a tool that helped him to live in the world.” His inability to connect (one on one) in human engagement was supplemented by the catharsis he found in becoming different characters and remaining connected to the world through media. He described himself as living in a mediascape that helped bring life to him again.

As a person who is seeking ordination and will likely enter into a leadership role in a faith community I cannot ignore the healing properties that social media are bringing to individuals and communities. The IT GETS BETTER social media campaign demonstrated the same healing principle. It was a message of inclusivity and HOPE to young people who may feel disenfranchised from their small community because they are members of the LGBTQ community but do not have a culture that supports them.

If a message from an artist, athlete, songwriter or rock-star can give hope to an individual who feels hopeless --- then social media has a healing power that should not be ignored. Those of us who seek to deliver God's message of LOVE, HOPE and PEACE to humanity should not ignore the changing landscape of how to connect with our fellow man.

This video by Michael Wesch challenged my bias that YouTube is simply a new form of mindless entertainment. I have experienced a shift in my perspective and am looking forward to learning new ways I can connect with my current faith community . . .