Is Android Un-Lutheran?

by Brian Yamabe on August 24, 2010

The answer is, of course, no? I won’t bring up the “A” word, but the choice of handset operating system is neither commanded nor prohibited in Scripture. In fact, at the LCMS National Convention I ran into plenty of pastors with Android phones. And, yes, even I, a qualified “Apple Fanboy” have an Android phone (HTC Hero).

So why aren’t Concordia Publishing House (CPH) and others (myself included) writing apps for the Android? I’ve seen plenty of requests on FaceBook and Twitter asking for apps to be written for Android. So there is most certainly a need to be filled. Well, I won’t presume to speak for CPH, but I think I can shed some light on their thought processes as I explain my rationales.

Allocation of Resources

Every developer has a limited number of resources so has to decide what platform(s) to develop for. In the case of iOS vs Android the installed base of iOS devices more than doubles Android devices in the US and is almost 4x the number worldwide (intomobile). In addition to that, amount people spend on iOS apps dwarfs what people spend on Android apps (GigaOm). Based on these simple numbers it’s quite easy to choose what platform to develop for.

Ease of Development

I’ve done some cursory research into Android development and it is not very developer friendly at this point. UI layout is done in XML (text) files. Just think of trying to arrange your living room furniture by writing down the coordinates of your sofa, TV, etc. Also the number of widgets available for free is rather limited. Think wood crate furniture with anything more sophisticated needing to be hand crafted. The current state of Android development is like stuff I was doing 10+ years ago.

Things are Changing

But Android has some positives. It is gaining is popularity and had greater unit shipments than the iPhone in Q2 2010 (ZDNet) and App Inventor and Google’s developer friendliness will surely make the development situation better.

Somethings Won’t

That being said, Google is unlikely to do anything that would improve the market for apps. Why? Because Google isn’t in the business of selling apps, Google is in the business of selling ads. They want apps to embed ads as the mechanism for monetization. Additionally, Google hasn’t been able to address piracy on Android devices (AndroidHeadlines). They actually don’t have any incentives to put much effort in anti-piracy. If piracy is rampant, then the only way for developers to make money is to embed ads.

Like I said, I won’t presume to speak for CPH, but it is quite clear to me that now and into the near future developing for the iOS is the platform to develop for if you have limited resources and want to try to make money by selling your apps.

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Overture to Floor Committee on Theology and Church Relations

by Brian Yamabe on July 30, 2010

I’ve seen enough oddball services held at various LCMS gatherings. Many people have been offended by these cooked up orders of service. Sure some are offended as a matter of personal preference, but some truly take theological issue with the services. As we all know there is no order of service commanded in Holy Scripture, but it is quite clear from them and our confessions that worship should be orderly and peaceful. To that end I am going to submit the following overture to my district and the national conventions; You know “bubbling up from the grassroots” and all. If you have any suggestions to strengthen the wording, please feel free to leave a comment. I know we’ve go a couple of years, but this kind of stuff will drift out of my mind by then if I don’t put it down now.

To Use Lutheran Service Book at Services During Official District and National Gatherings

WHEREAS, God, in His 3rd Commandment, places an expectation upon us to worship Him; and

WHEREAS, God calls us to the Divine Service such that He might distribute His gifts to us; and

WHEREAS, AC XXVIII.55 states, “… that all things be done in the churches in order, and without confusion”; and

WHEREAS, Article III.7 of the Constitution states, “Encourage congregations to strive for uniformity in church practice, but also to develop an appreciation of a variety of responsible practices and customs which are in harmony with our common profession of faith;”

WHEREAS, 1998 Resolution 2-12 commissioned a new hymnal to be produced, 2004 Resolution 2-03A approved Lutheran Service Book, and 2007 Resolution 2-03A thanked the Commission on Worship for its work on Lutheran Service Book; and

WHEREAS, Nearly 70 percent of all LCMS congregations have adopted Lutheran Service Book (2010 Convention Workbook pg. 46); therefore; be it

RESOLVED, That for the sake of “love and tranquility” (AC XXVIII.55) all services during official District and Synodical gatherings use an order of service out of and as it is outlined in Lutheran Service Book.

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For Aspiring iPhone App Developers

July 29, 2010

I would like to see a lot more iPhone apps that entertain, encourage, and educate from a confessional perspective. To that end, I would like to encourage anyone who’s interested to start developing some apps and I’d be willing to help to the best of my abilities. One book I can recommend on the subject [...]

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Top 10 Memorable Moments from the 2010 LCMS National Convention

July 28, 2010

A week and a half has gone by since I got back from the convention and I haven’t felt the urge to do a recap. There’s lots of other madness going on with my wife out of town. Instead I have a list of things that still stand out in my mind. Meeting Pastor and [...]

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Redesign and Refocus

July 26, 2010

I was getting more and more dissatisfied with my blog theme, so I modified the header and went to a cleaner theme. I’m also dissatisfied with the content of the blog. This blog was meant to be about all my vocations not just the vocation of LCMS layman. I’m planning to blog more about my [...]

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Where Was I

July 23, 2010

Last week, Issues, Etc. asked the question, “Where were you when Matt Harrison was Elected President of the LCMS?” Here’s my answer as best as I can recall. My head was slumped. I had just pushed #3 and the send button on my voting machine. What hope was there that Pr. Harrison would win? We [...]

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We Need to Clean Up Our Language

July 17, 2010

One thing that was really driven home by this convention is that the terms and language we use need to be clearly defined. Bylaws and resolutions were amended and re-amended to clarify terms and languages. Some of the language that was passed is unclear and leaves room for much mischief. In promoting one viewpoint or [...]

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LCMS Convention Worship Service

July 15, 2010

I’ve seen many comments and posts about the Divine Service that was held on Saturday at the LCMS National Convention. Most focus on the eclectic nature of the music and some of the “contemporary” influences on the service. I want to focus on one item that made the thing a complete train wreck for me. [...]

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Second Day at the Convention

July 12, 2010

I hadn’t decided on what floor committee hearing to checkout so I just was sitting around when one of the regulars from Steadfast Lutherans, Jim Claybourn, came up and introduced himself. I decided to join him at the FC1 (Missions) hearing. It wasn’t one of the ones I was targeting, but turned out to be [...]

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First Day at the Convention

July 10, 2010

Travel to the Convention was uneventful. I watched some of the new Luther movie on the iPad during the flight. Much more personal experience than watching it on a big screen. The shuttle service was inefficient, but we got to the hotel. After a quick bite to eat (convention center food prices are depressing) I [...]

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