http://www.palmpower.com/issues/issue200102/ppcoolsite0201001.html

PALMPOWER SITE OF THE MONTH
Web site provides go-anywhere access 
to God's Word
By Steve Niles

February 1, 2001

Just as our new president is attempting to blur the line between church and state, the good folks behind February's PalmPower Site of the Month are attempting to bridge the gap between church and technology. The Daily Reflections Web site at http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html is the work of the Collaborative Ministry Office at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. The University is pictured in Figure A.

FIGURE A

Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska is the home of Daily Reflections. 

Creighton University is one of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States. The Daily Reflection page of the university's Web site is written by fifty ordinary people from around the campus. The page contains a calendar with a unique reflection for every day of the year. The reflections are read by people all over the world, and according to Andy Alexander, S.J., Vice President for Univeristy Ministry, many readers wrote to ask the Collaborative Ministry Office to make the Daily Reflection site "palm-able."

In order to meet that request, they created an AvantGo channel, and now anyone anywhere can receive the Daily Reflections, as well as Scripture readings, right on his or her Palm device. Two week's worth of reflections and readings are available at any one time.

The reflections can be quite fascinating to read, even for non-Jesuits. I was very interested to learn, for example, that February 2 is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, which is the last feast of the Christmas Season, a fact that will only enhance my usual Groundhog Day celebrations.

An example of a Daily Reflection as it appears on a Palm device is pictured in Figure B.

FIGURE B

Every Daily Reflection starts with links to appropriate Bible passages.

Each entry includes biographical information on the author, links to appropriate Bible passages (which can also be read on your PDA), and the day's reflection. Alexander considers this achievement "a wonderful blend of technology and spirituality." It also serves as a good example, to other organizations, of an exciting new way to reach out to members and prospective members.
 

      Steve Niles is a staff editor for ZATZ:Pure Internet Publishing.