Gubment & Powerpoint

This article makes and interesting point concerning Powerpoint in the military. Here are two excerpts from the article.

"Commanders say that behind all the PowerPoint jokes are serious concerns that the program stifles discussion, critical thinking and thoughtful decision-making. Not least, it ties up junior officers — referred to as PowerPoint Rangers — in the daily preparation of slides, be it for a Joint Staff meeting in Washington or for a platoon leader’s pre-mission combat briefing in a remote pocket of Afghanistan."

"In a daytime telephone conversation, he estimated that he spent an hour each day making PowerPoint slides. In an initial e-mail message responding to the request for an interview, he wrote, 'I would be free tonight, but unfortunately, I work kind of late (sadly enough, making PPT slides).'"

Not that I am against the use of Powerpoint in a sermon, but this article got me thinking about the rampant use of Powerpoint in our worship services. I wonder if the church has the same problems. Are we spending much valuable time and resources on diagrams and bullet points...and not enough time with people or in sermon preparation or in evangelism? Would our families be healthier if we dropped the 30 slide presentation and spent more time with them? Can Powerpoint reduce critical thinking or stifle discussion? Can Powerpoint give the mistaken notion that Biblical matters, sin issues and doctrinal issues can be reduced to bullets?

Again, I don't want to dismiss the use of PPT, but surely an overuse can trivialize or pollute or blurr the message of Scripture. On Sunday, will the focus be on Christ or on a slide presentation? If the PPT show towers above Christ then it's time for it to go.