Blog, for Christ’s sake.

Note: I will be returning to a series (I am now calling) "Bono, Neo and G.K.: Welcoming the Adventurers" by saying more on the idea that the first emphasis of the church should be helping people experience belonging, even before believing.  But, now, one more post on Hugh Hewitt’s book, Blog: Understanding the Information Reformation that’s changing the world.  (This will be a bit long, because I want to move back to my other series with my next post, but I think encouraging pastor-bloggers is important for the Kingdom.)

In my last post I argued that pastors, of all people, should blog because we have a vested interest in something that the blogosphere makes more readily available: To more effectively, cheaply and regularly communicate the elements of Christian faith to a wider number of people.  This will also, I argued, encourage our long-term pastorates and presence in our home churches (and families) by making it easier to reach larger numbers of people each week without leaving home.

Today I want to also add that blogging allows us to be far more effective at communicating Christian truth in depth, and responding to challenges to the faith effectively, broadly and without delay.  Let me highlight both briefly by focusing on two terms that Blog helps us better understand.

In Blog, Hugh Hewitt uses a number of political examples to demonstrate the way in which bloggers can give attention to crucial issues that are often overlooked by the “mainstream media”.  Very often TV news, magazines and such are not only victims of the biases (aren’t we all), but are handcuffed by the perception of the public’s “short attention span.”  So, complicated news stories are quickly eclipsed by the sound bite.

We pastors fall into this trap also.  When our congregants expect us to deliver sermons filled with strong exegesis, relevant examples and a joke or two all in 25 minutes or less (ok, I’m a Presbyterian…some of you get a lot more time than that.) It is easy to develop the habit of reducing everything to the ridiculous.  Pretty soon our theology is nothing more than slogans or acronyms or representative stories.  And communicating the depths of crucial issues and doctrine go by the way side.  (By the way, publishers are doing the same thing with books.  Unless you are NT Wright, it’s pretty hard to publish something that is long, in-depth and requiring serious study.  So most books are necessarily short (and often shallow).

With a web log, I don’t have to worry about “sales” and “numbers,” I can offer a “serial” of teachings that can go as far or as deep as I need to go.  I don’t worry about running out of time or getting the service over before the childcare team is pulling their hair out, instead I just pick up the discussion in the next post.  Long deep conversations are more readily available to more people who are eager to go deeper, and those who aren’t can move on and check back in later. 

As a guy with a Ph.D. in the “ecclesiastical and transformative implications of the doctrine of the Trinity,” it’s nice to have a place to actually write about the Trinity without fearing that 500 people will skip church next week.  When I want to probe a subject, I can linger as I long as I like.

In the few weeks that I been doing this blog thing, I have been really blessed to read and link to a number of incredibly thoughtful, easily accessible posts by pastors and theologians that have strengthened and inspired me.

If we pastors are going to blog, then let’s fulfill our calling and equip the saints and teach the church.  Let’s not limit this blogging thing to just “promotion” of our “stuff”, but instead allow it to be a true extension of our ministries to mature the faithful.

The second and most dramatic example of the power of blogging, is demonstrated in Hugh’s discussion of the speed of the blogosphere, “swarming” and the “long tail”.  Speed is just the reality of how information can be linked instantly around the globe.  Swarming is the way in which a number of people from a number of different positions “swarm” a challenge or opportunity and maximize the effectiveness of their position.  The “long tail” refers to the huge, cumulative effect of a number of small opinion makers to make a difference over a long term.

If you followed the blogs immediately after the annual “let’s demythologize and debunk Christianity just in time for the holiday editions” of Time and Newsweek, then you saw the overwhelming and rapid effectiveness of literally hundreds of pastors who posted thoughtful, cogent, articulate responses to the unscholarly and, in some instances, irresponsible articles published by the newsmagazines.  The blogosphere allowed even those who would never be quoted by the LA Times an opportunity to respond and then be linked and disseminated across the world in minutes.

No longer do we have to our faith-affirming responses relegated to the “letters to editor” pages a week after the fact while the front pages are filled with long-debunked scandals that might sell a few papers.  Instead by writing and linking and writing and linking, we can respond to the challenges posed by skeptics, not with the hue and cry of the hurt, but with the rapid, clear and sober answers that reveal the truth.

(I have already been thinking of how powerful the blogosphere will be next year when the movie version of “The Da Vinci Code” is released.  We can now address the questions that film will inevitably raise by bringing people solid accessible teaching right to their home computers.)

Another example of how blogs help us respond to challenges, now oft-cited has been the history-making response of internet donations to relief efforts in the wake of the Tsunami disaster.  While I needed to wait until Sunday to encourage my congregation to give generously, I (along with virtually every other pastor-blogger I know) posted a link on my blog to World Vision as soon as I could and within hours of the disaster, money was pouring in.

My friends, the blogosphere offers us opportunities to faithful put forth clear witness for Christ in large and influential numbers. So perhaps the final word is appropriately a warning. Like any technology, it can be used for good or evil.  In his book Hugh reminds us, “The blogosphere is about trust.”  Let’s pray for each other, dedicate ourselves to be worthy of the trust that our readers give us.  Let’s hold each other accountable and pray that our postings will only encourage more and more people to trust both the messengers—and more importantly, the message that we bring.

Blog on.

Comments

[Chip Anderson]

A friend shared your site with me and its a great find...yes indeed, Blogging is an opportunity for getting the Christian mind into various subject matters overlooked by "mainstream" media. They fear us! But seriously, Bloggers should have been Time's choice for person of the year! Bloggers--from Deaniac-bloggers to Moveon-bloggers to Rathergate-bloggers to bloggers who passed on the Swiftboat message--proved to be those that had the most "impact" on the news this year. Shame on Time Mag for overlooking them...I will return...peace...

[Jozef Imrich]

Life is a great mystery. Is everybody a different person when they are with somebody else?
Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy

As the late, great A.J. Liebling pointed out, "Freedom of the press belongs to the man who owns one." Blogging and online discussion has given new meaning to this. As they used to say in the old Czechoslovakia, you take your two index fingers, and one and one equals the power of 11. That sums up the opportunity and the threat the interactive web ...

The dream of Jan Amos Komensky is here as illustrated by the Chinese saying: Tell me and I forget. Show me and I remember. Involve me and I understand.

If I had any epitaph that I would rather have more than any other, it would be to say that I had disturbed the sleep of my generation.
-Adlai Stevenson

[Louie Marsh]

Very good thoughts on blogging and Pastors. I've only been reading blogs for about 3 weeks now, and am already mightily tempted to start one myself!
I'm waiting for Hugh's book to arrive from Amazon (hasn't shipped yet) and will read it carefully, and then I'm think I'll probably take the plunge - dispite my many reservations about this.
Thanks for your thoughtful imput on the issue, very well done!
- Louie

[brad]

My first visit. I have been missiing a lot. Love the blog. We are of the same mind here. I just got a link from Hugh that references this post. I am also a Community first yet reformed pastor in Artesia CA. I will blog roll you and make sure I visit regularly.
I posted on blogging and the new reformation today after I got the link from Hugh. My point is the need for critical mass to accomplish a reformation that brings back to the church the winsome witness of a Morally beautiful community.
Mega God Bless,
brad

[Terry]

My pastor has been blogging for a while. He introduced me to it and I have my own blog. When he started talking one of our friends said that it was an increadible waste of time. I think many people see it that way, or perhaps at best a distraction. Instead of a distraction, I beleive it IS ministry. By itself, at this point, there is no financial model for a pastor of blogging, but that is not where we need to go. Instead, blogging is a part of communication from the regular pastors of regular churches. By the way, I enjoyed reading your posts.

[David M. Smith]

Just as Pastors should write and publish daily journals, those of us who are not Pastors, and probably never will be Pastors, should read and respond to Pastor-blogs.

Blogging is leap forward in the education side of disciple development. Interactive blogs overcome many of the weaknesses of traditional methods without giving up many of the strengths of other methods.

Blogging has now allowed Pastors to target their audience by narrowing each single posting, reach more followers, and keep their message contemporary. It also allows readers to absorb a month’s worth of sermons in a single day. However, the greatest advantage of Pastor-Blogs is the opportunity for dialogue between the Pastor-Bloggers and their readers.

There are many churches where the senior pastor is only surrounded by church leaders. This has the effect of insulating the pastor from the people in the pews. Pastor-Bloggers who are open to comments from readers and who use the comments to either reconsidering their beliefs, or modify the ways they present their beliefs will be the Christian leaders of the 21st century.

[Choicemaker]

Since submitting to God is not simply an act of the will but is the natural result of recognizing superiority and worthiness, it is required of us to lift Him up everywhere and declare His worthiness in all ways. Blog, yes!

One additional thought:
When I was a combat Marine in WWII and the Korean War, it was normal to carry ammo for my weapon into the assault.

How many Christians do you know who always carry A Word (tract, article, etc.) with them when they are out in the world?
Always Faithful? Psalm 25:12

[Universal Life Church Seminary]

It seems to me that any way you can get the word out there about what you believe in, is a ministry. If you remind people about things that bring them closer to God, how can it be a waste of time?

[Church Directory]

I agree.

[impossibless]

i wish my pastor would blog too.

[GNAHORE VINCENT DEPAUL]

i'm an african pastor from foursquare. I'm from ivorycoast i want to create a real blog,because i want to communicate my faith in Jesus-christ. And to make know my ministry. Can you help me?

[Tracey in MI]

Authentic Christianity - is what draws others to Christ- the mainline media refuses "airtime" for "normal" Christians---- Blogging is an excellant way to live out my life in Christ, the good the baad and the ugly----in an authentic way that honors Christ- and give His body a voice. (besides- it's free- and not many opportunities to impact people- ARE! So I say- HAVE AT)

[stuart taylor]

i realy like this: "Let’s not limit this blogging thing to just “promotion” of our “stuff”," i couldnt have put it any better myself.

Stuart

[James]

I am on the fence about this. At first look, blogging seems so, well, self-serving and conceited. But when you consider the unbridled dialog that it creates, it actually can play a role in todays society...

[Michael Williams]

I absolutely agree, getting onto the web in a form that allows dialogue is the best part about having a blog. Our church did a blog site on its recent mission trip and it made such a difference in the way that people were able to stay in touch with the team.

[Bud Githens]

I would like to find some blog's on mission, (foreign and local)missions ideas and/or theory. In other words who's thinking out side the box regarding missions.
Bud

[Steve Cornell]

How to revitalize the Church
By Steve Cornell

One of the most effective means for ensuring Christian accountability (i.e. helping people keep their commitments to God) is local church membership. In the New Testament, commitment to a local church and submission to its leadership is not treated as optional. Yet, after surveying present trends today, one author concluded that, “the meaninglessness of church membership is a widespread and disheartening reality.” The core of the problem was “the customary procedure of adding new members without the slightest bit of real challenge to commitment.”
It is becoming increasingly clear that many professing Christians do not want the integrity of their commitment to the Lord to be tested. They do not want an accountable relationship with other believers unless they get to define and, when desired, to re-define the nature of their commitment. These people resent a church that makes membership a serious (and even difficult) process. Yet, as another observes, “the refusal to grapple with the issues of entrance into the Christian church is not toleration; it is betrayal of the gospel which we preach ... surrender to Christ is surrender to His people - total involvement in the life of the church. Commitment in a community environment means participants can no longer commit themselves to the Lord in the abstract. Nor can they commit themselves to one another on a superficial plane. Community always tests the integrity of commitment.”
“It is scandalous,” another wrote, “that so many believers today have such a low view of the church. They see their Christian lives as a solitary exercise - Jesus and me - or they treat the church as a building or a social center. That the Church is held in such low esteem reflects not only the depths of our biblical ignorance, but the alarming extent to which we have succumbed to obsessive individualism of modern culture ... for any Christian who has a choice in the matter, failure to cleave to a particular Church is failure to obey Christ.”

Perhaps the greater scandal is that church leaders allow people to get away with casual attachment to the church. We who lead must ask if we have allowed people to enjoy the benefits of the Church without sharing the responsibilities. Would we allow our children to do this in our homes? It would be good to remember that a man’s management of his home is the test for his qualification for church leadership (see: I Timothy 3:4-5).
If we take seriously Jesus’ demand for fully committed discipleship, we will treat membership in the church with greater integrity. Yet we will only see matters this way if we view the attitudes and actions of people toward the visible church as directed toward Jesus himself (see: Acts 9:4;Hebrews 6:10). A membership process serves a gate keeper for a local congregation. It protects the purity of the body and serves as a vehicle for discipleship. What process do you use for membership? What do you require? Why would someone be “turned down”? A more careful and thorough approach to church membership could help bring true renewal to our churches. It could also serve to identify true Christians.

Steve Cornell
www.millersvillebiblechurch.org
s.cornell@millersvillebiblechurch.org

[Andrew Sturt]

Thank you for this article. I'm speaking at a middle school winter camp in a couple of weeks time, and I was talking to the youth pastor earlier today about keeping a blog.

I perform the NIV text of Ephesians from memory and started a blog (http://movablenu.blogspot.com) a couple of months ago as a way of keeping track of my thoughts as I studied the book. But it occured to me that someone with a regular preaching ministry would REALLY be able to make good use of a blog.

Thank you for this article. I'm going to send a link to it to my friend as I think he needs to seriously consider the things you say here.

Andrew Sturt
andrewsturt@hotmail.com
http://movablenu.blogspot.com

[Lance Ehrhardt]

Hi, thanks for the post. I have a Christian/personal blog at "http://Lanceeh.blogspot.com". I hope to be able to reach out and help people (just need to get some traffic there first). Thanks for your site. Blog on soldier.

[Dominion of Hatred]

This Christianity crap needs to come to a stop. You all are killing this planet with your unconscious belief that your false god will right all the wrong. You follow in "his" will blindly in what you call faith. History in your bible shows his will towards man, a real warrior would fight against such a tyrant of creation. Cannot believe you'd follow the path of this dead and imaginary creator.

[Economic and Culture Observer (Lenno Cornish)]

If you look at blogosphere as the communication tool for christian missionaries - then they need to be even more careful with the words.

[Tucson Christian Church]

You say "...it’s nice to have a place to actually write about the Trinity without fearing that 500 people will skip church next week".

Interesting. I guess some do not what to be fed.

I love the Lord and enjoy hearing the truth.

Yes Pastors should blog!

[Ai~]

Wonderful post. May the Holy Spirit ignite us all to write for the Lord. :) God bless!

[Miko]

Issues I have with the American Church Today, and Solutions

Pastors in the American Church (from here on I will refer to the American Church as “the church”) today focus on paying the bills of the church and keeping on the lights. From a personal stand-point they focus on paying their own mortgage or rent, car-payment etc…. It is very difficult to focus on helping people and doing the work of the Lord when your focus is on these things. The model being used today forces a pastor to choose who he will give his time and energy to based on money. Jesus did not decide who he would take under his wings or who he would heal based on how much money they made. He was never beholden to anyone based on money. The disciples were mostly fishermen and common people. He never focused on buildings and making rooms big enough to hold large crowds. Jesus created a movement that was not held in large buildings. He spoke on hill tops, in public areas of the synagogues. Anywhere he could speak. When he was done, the crowd would disperse and hopefully, put into practice what He was preaching.
The buildings are not the problem it’s the focus on them and the necessity to grab as many people as possible that have money to fund the buildings. Then the pastor becomes shackled by the views and agendas of those with money and the sick and the poor as a focus is lost as an afterthought. It’s like the bills need to be paid before what the Lord viewed as the most important thing, attending to the poor and needy, ever happen. It becomes clouded. Of course, getting together to sing psalms and praises, and to hear the word and be encouraged is extremely important. Worship of our Lord and savior is utmost. What the Church has forgotten is that helping the sick and poor IS worship to God. Not just singing hymns. So the church gets together in their comfortable buildings to “worship” God through singing and prayer but forget these other extremely important forms of worship because they’re so focused on making the building where all those people come, comfortable and entertaining for the observer. There is such a focus on big buildings filled with lights and cameras and musical instruments. Big stages etc… All this requires exorbitant amounts of money and energy. Jesus healed the sick fed the hungry etc…and later did these same things through His disciples using very few resources other than the power of His Father. He created and started this movement with very little in the area of money and other amenities. Just a whole lot of prayer and fasting. His disciples and the apostles did the same things with the same means.
The Church today has become like a large corporation doing the same things that corporations in the world do. Borrowing money from banks, getting investors and really, running church like a business. There has become very little need for God. There is no need to ask God for help in areas like finance because we have the bank at our disposal, we can always borrow more money. Maybe this credit crisis is a good thing. With the ability to solve our own problems, God rarely ever gets asked to help and the great miracles of the bible are seldom seen in this country. Lack of faith is fostered and this false teaching, working hard and trusting in ourselves to fix our problems, gets perpetuated. This is the world we now live in.
I’m not saying that it is wrong for pastors to receive a salary from parishioners. I just think it’s become too rampant and that those following the Paul model for his life have become extremely rare. Pastors on the most part have fallen into the money trap. The focus has become turning people into “bubble Christians” meaning, those who will come to the building at least every Sunday, will pay their tithe, and will do everything “Christian”, listen to “Christian” music, go to “Christian” meeting clubs etc… in order to keep the building, the pastor, and the programs funded. It takes Christians out of the world, and turns them into scared paranoid robot-like people who close themselves off from the world and become ineffective at reaching the hurting and lost because most people in the world are looking for something real. They are not looking for brainless cookie cutter answers for life, nor are they interested in funding an organization which focuses on paying off mortgages for buildings it can’t afford or helping line the pockets of preachers who don‘t really seem to care about them, as much as they say they do. They don’t want to be a number in an agenda to become “the biggest church on the block”. They know that Jesus came to help the sick and hurting, something they don’t see the church at large doing as much as they talk about it. They want to be part of something that will help them on a tangible level. The Lord called us to be in the world meaning to be salt in the world, not to retreat to our buildings and become ineffective at helping real people with real problems. If more pastors chose the Paul model, I think it would help curb some of these issues. We would start to see more miracles because there would be more reliance on God.
My biggest issue with the Church, and I believe all the aforementioned points all propagate this very large problem, is it’s seemingly watered down effectiveness at influencing the world. The church is no longer the kind of force in America that it once was. We have retreated to our buildings and have started focusing on all the things that I discussed. This needs to change in order to see our society influenced powerfully once again by God through the church, God will do what He has to do to accomplish this. There is a coming judgment for us if we do not get in line with the Lord’s plan. Persecution is a great way to separate the wheat from the chaff. Foreign missionaries will start to influence us. People from countries like China and places in Asia and Africa, where people still rely on the power of God and believe in His miracles and ability to solve people’s problems, will start to challenge American Christianity. We must heed the voice of the Lord, He’s calling and He wants to dine with us. He wants to show us His power. He wants to heal our sick and dieing. He wants to destroy the misnomer that miracles are not for today. He wants us to break free from the chains of religiosity and our agenda for the church so we can see His power and glory come down. He wants to blow our minds. Will we allow Him to work through us or will we continue to live in the dark?