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It was so much better than nothing: we saw the names of our church family members in the comments thread, we heard the Word of God preached, and it was com- forting. It was also easier in many ways than taking four kids to church. Yet to me, it felt wrong, disembodied, and sad. As our children experience life in a world different from their parents and grandparents, it can be easy for us to fall into one of two camps. We can be tempted to ignore the impact of technology, going with the flow and hoping that the changes happening in our society as a result of technology are good or minimally neutral. Or we can be tempted to wring our hands with despair, feeling inadequate to speak into what we see as nega- tive and dangerous social shifts. Rather than succumb- ing to this temptation, we have an opportunity to teach our children discernment in this area. With each new technological choice—watching a ser- vice online or attending church in person, giving a child a smartphone, allowing children to play video games with people on the internet, permitting social media accounts, etc.—we want to come alongside our chil- dren and help them evaluate these options with godly wisdom. We can teach them to ask these questions: • What does God's Word say about this technologi- cal activity? • What is helpful about this technology? • What bad things might happen as a result of this technology? • What opportunities might this give me to love and serve my neighbor? • What opportunities to love and serve my neighbor might I miss if I engage in the world through this technology? • Would my goal in using this technology be better achieved in a face-to-face setting? Lutheran Life 11

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