Lenten Thought of the Week: Artificial Intelligence
Tony’s Lenten Thoughts are responsive to Pastor Will’s Sunday sermons. Linked here, you’ll find the corresponding sermon for this week’s Lenten Thought. Linked here, you’ll find Pastor Will’s Field Guide to AI.
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Dear Friends,
Yesterday, Rev. Will spoke about something that feels especially timely, as well as deeply personal to me: how we engage with artificial intelligence. This is not just a technological issue; it is a profoundly theological one.
There are two points I want to leave with you. The first: AI reveals the spiritual significance of questioning. In many ways, AI reminds us that our questions matter. Wisdom is often less about generating something new or finding the “right” answers, and more about grappling with, revising, and revisiting good questions. Questions were central to Jesus: scholars tell us he was asked around 150–200 questions in the Gospels, and he himself asked nearly 300. Questions were part of how he taught, healed, and revealed truth.
The second point comes from Rev. Will's sermon. He noted that AI can amplify both the best and the worst in us, so let us be intentional about what we input. Let us feed it with language, values, and hope that reflect who we are becoming in Christ. (“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new” [2 Corinthians 5:17].) We can resist AI, but resistance alone may only delay the inevitable. The more fruitful question is not should we use AI, but how can we use it in ways that are life-giving, just, and faithful?
As we continue through this Lenten journey, consider:
1) What am I curious about that feels connected to my faith, my relationships, my growth?
2) What is one meaningful or difficult question I can bring to AI this week?
3) What happens when I revise the question, press deeper, and stay open to the process—not for perfect answers, but for clarity and discernment? (Try this week and let us know!)
As you consider these things, here's a prayer to ground you:
God of wisdom, guide my questions. Let my seeking be shaped by Your truth and love. May every tool I use—including AI—draw me closer to the life You are forming in me. Amen.
If you have a thought to share or questions to ask for all of us, I encourage you to post a reflection.
Blessings on your journey,
Tony
PS: If you missed any of Rev. Will's sermons, you can check them out on our YouTube Channel or on Apple Podcasts.
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