200903071921.jpgTwitter’s exposure in the media has rocketed in the last weeks.. my favourite discovery in the last few weeks (as well as assistance with crosswords and finding out about a geeky form of paintball happening sometime soon in glasgow) is a innovative take on praying the hours – check out twiturgy (or let a little of St. John Chrysostom invade your twitter client of choice – @stjchrysostom.)

The Hebrew vision, which is to say the biblical vision, is that of a Word-Shaped World. Down through the ages, the people of God have been pretty creative with how that actually happens. From writing it on hands, binding it to foreheads, posting it on gates and doorposts and so on, the quest is to create a way of life steeped in the living remembrance of our God. As the psalmist says, “and on his law he meditates day and night.” Christians early on picked up the Hebrew pattern of praying seven times a day. Somewhere along the way these hours of remembrance and prayer took on simple names. Lauds (dawn), Terce (3rd hour, 9am), Sext (sixth hour, noon), None (9th hour, 3pm), Vespers (dusk, evening), Compline (dark, retiring), Vigils (middle of the night). Enter Twitter. We’re calling this particular Common Text Experiment, “Twiturgy.” At each of the seven “hours” everyone who participates in the experiment will receive a “twitter” from “Twiturgy” containing a short phrase of Scripture from the day’s reading. It will be delivered via the internet to your computer account, your cell phone (smart-phones) or through an ordinary text message per your election.