Most Christian mission trips have Jesus' example as a point of reference. Jesus took very little with him. When he sent out his disciples on a mission trip (Matt. 10), he told them to take nothing, raise the dead, heal the sick, and expect a lot of blowback from family and society.

We are not quite ready for that. We take backpacks and technology. Instead of leaving everything, we tether to our comfort zones in a hundred different ways. And if anyone suggests that we voluntarily restrict our freedom, we feel controlled.

What would Jesus say about smart phones on mission trips? What do you suppose he intended when he said "don't take money or shoes?" It stands to reason that he had a spiritual reason in mind. What he wanted them to see is that when you are on God's mission, you can trust him to provide for you. 

He wanted them to practice dependence on God as opposed to themselves.

Smart phones have the potential to interrupt this dependence, even for those who are not addicted to them. Consider just a few:

• They connect you to the very people you may need to be apart from as you allow God to define your identity.
• They can distract you when you want to stay focused.
• They are a portable comfort zone for those struggling.
• They can keep you from staying present.
• They connect you to amusement, a word that literally means "no thinking" (a-muse).
• They redefine the way you interact with your friends - virtually and superficially as opposed to with depth.
• They teach you addictive behavior.

Yes, smart phones are a useful Swiss army knife of tools. But how many of us have achieved balance in breaking its addictive powers? We don't go on mission trips as some kind of spiritual tour. We do so to follow Jesus' example and to build his kingdom.

Just as Jesus gave us the tool of the mission trip, so smart phones can be a wonderful tool if we have mastered them in advance and can practice self-governance on the mission trip. But if we can't get there on our own, doesn't it stand to reason that those organizing a given mission trip need to help?

Here's what I propose. If you are going on a mission trip, describe what your strategy for staying present will be. Then report back to us if it worked and what we can learn from it.