The iPad Effect

Ok, I might be mentioning the iPad just because it's big news right now. But why is it big news right now? Partly because it's from Apple and they do a great job of generating a lot of buzz around their products. But a huge reason that the iPad is so noteworthy right now is because it's different.

Our brains are designed to ignore the familiar. This is a defense mechanism that allows us to spot the tiger in the grass and avoid being eaten and to spot the crack our door-frame and avoid being attacked by burglars in our house. If we had to process every piece of information that comes through our senses we would be overwhelmed with data. So, our brain offloads things that are too familiar - the sound of the florescent lights, the smell of the paper mill, the billboards on the way to work - they all fade into the background noise so you can survive.

What happens when church becomes so much background noise? We do the same thing every week. We have the same order (two songs and a prayer anyone?), the same tone, the same people. Sure, the sermon is different and some of the songs are different, but so much is the same.

Is your church just background noise?