Thought and Prayer of the Day
by Arleane Ralph
May 22, 2025
In a few weeks we’ll be celebrating Pentecost, a Christian holiday that commemorates the moment the Holy Spirit inspired the followers of Jesus Christ to dare to share the gospel with the world. It marks the beginning of the Church’s mission.
Each year at Pentecost, we are reminded that the gospel was never meant to stay confined inside four walls or within a select group, or even to a one-hour Sunday service. Following the example of Jesus’ own methods, the apostles and the growing number of disciples began to meet people where they were: in the streets, at dinner tables, on hillsides, in distant lands.
Social media platforms are the latest extension of that apostolic ministry. Today, people are spending hours every day scrolling on their phones. Why shouldn’t the church show up there, too? When All Saints posts a sermon tweet, shares news about group activities, or marks significant holy days or national observances, we’re planting seeds of truth and hope into the media landscape, and into people’s everyday digital lives, even when days are dark and the presence of God seems lost to people.
As with the ministry of early Christians, this kind of digital approach is not just about reach. It’s about relationship. Many people consider social media as a threat to relationship. But a church’s online communication can help build a sense of connection throughout the week. Those summaries of the Sunday’s sermon, pictures from our children’s ministry, or invitations to upcoming events keep followers engaged and informed, and it helps position All Saints in the wider community as something that is living and growing and relevant, even for those who aren’t local or don’t attend regularly.
That’s why I believe it’s important for members and friends of All Saints to follow, like, and repost our church’s content. It may seem like a small gesture, but it actually carries spiritual and missional significance. Every time you like or share a post, you’re helping to amplify the message. You’re saying, “This matters to me, and it might matter to you, too.” So, kudos to all of you that are already doing that. I don’t doubt that there are individuals who have come to church (perhaps not at All Saints but elsewhere in the Anglican communion) because they saw a repost from someone they followed and trusted that resonated with them and made them want to come and see for themselves. A simple click on a device opens a door through which seekers might enter in to meet God on their own terms.
If you think about it, when you engage with church online, you’re not just consuming content—you’re participating in the life of the church, building momentum, helping generate algorithms that push uplifting content into people’s feeds, creating bright spots that hopefully stand out amidst the doom scrolling and negativity. Often, I hear from people who don’t follow their church because they say it feels awkward or doesn’t “fit the vibe of their feed” (insert eyeroll emoji) or even because they want to keep their church life separate from their digital pastimes. I don’t have an answer for those qualms, because I don’t understand them. Following your church’s social media is one of the ways you can witness to your faith, and in theory, it’s one of the easiest. It’s not like you’re being asked to go door-to-door or preach on street corner. If we truly believe in the message of love we proclaim on a Sunday or in the safety of the “upper room,” then why wouldn’t we want the world to see it—everywhere else, including online?
So, yes, I follow All Saints. I like and share—not out of obligation—but out of excitement for what God is doing through our community. It’s a small but powerful way I can live out my calling to be salt and light in a digital world that desperately needs both. And I invite you to do the same. #daretoshare
And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation”
– Mark 16:15
A Prayer for Social Media
Gracious God,
In a world connected by screens and signals,
help me use social media as a tool for grace,
not gossip; for truth, not division;
for encouragement, not envy.
Guard my heart from comparison,
my mind from distraction,
and my words from harm.
Let what I post reflect Your love,
and what I consume feed my spirit, not my ego.
Teach me to pause before I type,
to listen before I respond,
and to always see the humanity behind every profile.
May my online presence bring light,
build peace, and point others to You.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.
Prayer by ChatGPT 😉
