I read Steve  Knight’s post a few minutes ago,  tweeted it,  and then went back and re-read my post written just after I first saw the video on  the day it was posted at PDF.

I have to add to my post, upon re-reading it, that I believe Jim is certainly in a better, healthier, spiritual place now than he was when he was a "LibertyU alcolyte". The thrust of my post above is really that the church needs messages like Jim gave and to take it to heart re: their own attention and investment in the power of the connectedness that is possible via Online communities and Social Networks.

Several people have posted about this over the past week.  And rightfully so.  It was a powerful message.  I agree with it (all except for the part about “The Internet is My Religion”.  But I simply disagree for myself.  I agree with Jim that it is a very “religious” and,  in my mind,  a very “centering” thing for him (and in many similar ways,  for me as well).  I simply have given the Internet a place (and a very significant place)  in my theology.  Liberty U and the Religious Right consider themselves an enemy of the “theology of Internet” Jim described.  And so Jim rightfully rejects them.

I am planning on attending the Wild Goose Festival in a couple of weeks,  and taking my video camera and microphone along to capture some conversation there.  This is a fully integrated  piece of my own “Internet theology”;  that conversations are distributed and can become “ lifted up” to the place of honor they deserve.  I believe it to be extremely important that we continue to find ways to distribute and share  important conversations.  My Internet alter-ego (really just a different domain name), Communicast.TV is heading for a grand opening June 23-26 when I gather with hundreds (maybe thousands)  in North Carolina (hope it’s not too awful hot)  to explore the movement of the Holy Spirit in our world,  and the many ways in which we are called to express our calling.