What Aritificial Intellengence Can't Do for a Pastor

I heard in a recent interview on the Decoder with Nilay Patel podcast about students letting AI write all their code in a computer class. If a computer can write all your code, then you won't be needed. 

I look at my to-do list on occasion to see if AI could replace the things that I'm doing. If an AI chatbot could do the work that I am doing as a pastor, then I should stop doing those things and figure out what and how to pastor in a way that computers cannot replace.

Computers cannot 

  • Look people in the eyes.
  • Know the stories of the people that you preach to.
  • Customize the sermon to the people in your congregation and their temptations and worries.
  • Pray alone or with the deacons.
  • Put a hand on someone's shoulder and pray for their specific need.
  • Be transformed by the Bible passage that you will preach.
  • Preach with the Holy Spirit's power.
  • Follow-up the sermon with a handshake and personal greeting.
  • Sit on the porch and listen to stories.
  • Bring homegrown tomatoes to a widow and listen to stories of the first TV she ever saw. Then read her from a J.C. Ryle book
  • Wave at the kids riding bikes in your town.
  • Counsel by helping people see the blind spots where their lives connect with the Bible.
  • Recruit, train, and develop volunteers.
  • Figure out creative outreaches that fit your community and church.
Kevin Roose wrote a book called Futureproof on this topic. He said AI can replace the artist who draws caricatures at the beach. AI can't replace the person who uses art therapy to help Autistic students learn. Be the person who brings a lot of creativity and personality to pastoring.

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