The Pastor’s Piece – Pastor Kevin Cernek, FCFI Chaplain

FCFI

July 12, 2026

This past week was an exercise in patience for me. Our cell phone carrier was bought out by another company, and we were assured the transition would be “seamless.” By now I’ve learned that “seamless” is a marketing term that means, “You’ll eventually calm down.”

Early on Monday morning I received several text messages congratulating me on being an all new customer to T-Mobile. I understand that simply mentioning that company name can cause a twinge of instant stress to cross your mind. I didn’t think anything of the announcement since, in the tech world, they take care of things such as phone data and cell phone towers. All I need to worry about is whether or not my battery is charged.

We happened to be traveling last week and on that particular day we were on our way to the airport. I know most of the way by heart, but since the advent of GPS I don’t really memorize travel routes like I used to. And the road atlas is simply a mold collector on a shelf in the basement. I just depend on technology to get me there. As we were getting closer, I realized I was uncertain of a couple of turns so I accessed my phone only to discover it was in SOS mode, which means all I can do is call 9-1-1 in the case of an emergency. I asked my wife to bring up a map on her phone so she could navigate the course. Unfortunately, we are on the same data plan and she too was out of commission.

At the time, I didn’t think anything of the situation because, as you know, from time to time we all encounter dead spots in cell phone coverage. Later that day when we arrived at our destination some 1500 miles away, I found that we still had no data and our phones were not working. It still didn’t click with me that something was wrong and I just planned to figure it out the next day. Well, finally, two days later I realized the problem was with the mother company, not my phone. So I found a place where I could connect to the Internet and called the phone company. The lady on the other end was nice enough and she patiently walked me through one procedure after another. After each one she’d cheerfully announce, “Okay. Perfect.” The only problem was that nothing was perfect. My phone remained just as dead as when we started.

In my frustration, my wife gently reminded me that there was a time when people lived perfectly happy lives without cell phones. I pointed out that people also lived without indoor plumbing, but I’m not anxious to revisit that chapter either. But I also must note that they had their own stresses to deal with back then too. Maybe they wouldn’t cause stress today, but they did then. Stress has always been a constant with mankind.

I came back home later in the week and immediately went to the T-Mobile store. After a couple hours of fiddling around, the nice man behind the counter finally was able to activate my text messages. Instantly my phone began to ding and it loaded 68 text messages. I left the store somewhat jubilant only to realize a few minutes later I still had no Internet or email access. So, when I got home I called the store. The man connected me with the national tech support team (as they call themselves) and the lady there began walking me through more processes in order to bring up my data. Finally, she sent me a barcode to download and when I did, my phone was back to 100%. Technology is wonderful – right up until the moment it decides to remind you who’s really in charge.

It’s funny how digital technology has overtaken our lives. I’ve read where the average American spends seven hours a day on the screen of any given personal device. I’m not that bad, but I do a lot of computer screen time for work.

Speaking of screen time – Remember dial-up Internet? It took half a minute just to connect, during which your computer sounded like two robots arguing through a kazoo. Back then we considered that impressive. Then we got high-speed WiFi and it was a whole new world. Now, my desktop computer is about 14 years old, which is considered ancient by today’s standards. It has to slow down and think all the time, at which time I sit and stare at a beach ball spinning round and round on the screen. This causes more frustration and impatience. It keeps losing the ability to do things I need it to do, so I am about to the place where I am going to have to replace it. It is no longer capable of upgrading to the newest software and many functions are no longer optional for me. I hate learning a new system. They say you’re never too old to learn new technology. I believe that’s true. The only difference is that when I was younger learning something new was exciting. Now, after about twenty minutes, I need a nap and a snack before tackling the next screen.

“God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it,’” (Genesis 1:28).

Kevin Cernek is Lead Pastor of Martintown Community Church in Martintown, Wisconsin.