Council Grove Christian Church

9/2/26
Servants of God,
We are living on the cusp of a great technological change. This has happened before. Only God knows what the Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution will bring. We can be sure it will not all be good. Christians need to be prepared to think clearly about how the truth of scripture should be applied to the new world that is coming. We must think biblically and act righteously.
The world prior to the industrial revolution was largely dominated by agriculture. When machines and mass production became a reality in England, it brought cheaper goods, an eventual path to a higher standard of living and a boatload of confusing social problems. When machines began to replace human workers, many of those people began to migrate to the great cities where the work was. Massive social issues followed—overcrowding, hunger and disease to name two.
One terrible issue was that children were often forced to labor in mills, factories and mines. They were smaller, cheaper and more easily controlled than adults. Because many families needed every source of income possible just to be able to eat, children as young as four or five worked six days a week. Sunday, their only day off, they often ran amuck on city streets.
In Glouster, a Christian publisher named Robert Raikes began to organize a school for the working children based on the Bible and the protestant catechisms. He was not the first person to form such schools, but because of his influence the concept caught on quickly. Christians, largely women answered Raikes’ plea for teachers. First boys then eventually girls also were taught the basics of reading and writing from the Bible. The children were taught the gospel and were instructed in moral behavior. Our current concept of Sunday School finds its roots in the work of those English Christians who lived out their faith during a time of serious upheaval.
As you might imagine, the scoffers ridiculed Raikes’ efforts. They derided his attempts to educate the children, calling them “Ragged Schools.” Raikes and his army of volunteers did not quit. History documents the hope and opportunities that the efforts of ordinary Christians brought to tens of thousands of needy children.
Regardless of what the AI revolution brings, we can be certain that God will be advancing the good news through his faithful people. Whether or not data centers become a terror or whether spy cameras proliferate, God will still be the sovereign Lord of the universe. Jesus will still be King of kings and the church will still be the greatest human endeavor in the universe.
Blessings,
Pastor John
Coram Deo