Pastor Paul Ellis

I’ll have to admit that when it comes to the latest technology and cutting edge media, I feel a bit out of place. I do, however, feel like I am beginning to catch on to some of these new ways to communicate. One of the latest and greatest (I guess the jury is still out on whether or not it’s the greatest) is Twitter. Twitter, according to Wikipedia (the internet’s encyclopedia), is a social networking or micro-blogging service. The unique aspect of Twitter is that it allows you to receive short message updates about those to whom you have become a “follower”. In other words if I chose to follow our youth pastor, Tom Foisy, then I would receive an update on him whenever he posted any new news. It’s really quite interesting to listen to the conversations of those who use Twitter. One of the first questions they will ask one another is – “Who are you ‘following’?”

This whole concept begs the question, “What does it look like to be a “follower” of Christ in our culture?” The good news is that it doesn’t look much different than it always has.

I was privileged to hear our General Superintendent, Dr. Jesse Middendorf, speak at a denominational meeting this past week. In a challenging message to the pastors of our region he reminded us of our Core Values (those values to which we hold unswervingly). In case you’re wondering those values are; that we are a Christian Church, we are a Holiness Church and we are a Missional Church. He went on to speak of the Nazarene Articles of Faith – sixteen statements of belief which hold us firm when new doctrines try to knock us off course.

Jesus himself warned us in His sermon on the mount, Matthew 7:15-16a (NIV) “Watch out for false prophets, They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them.” There are literally millions of voices calling out to us, asking us to listen to them, to become a “follower” of them. So who are you “following”?

Pastor Paul