Friday, December 15, 2006
The Gospel And Blogging
Live from ETS (though it's old now) Roger Overton from from A-Team Blog looks at blogging and spreading the gospel. It contains what has become the near cliche' notion that the "new media" represents transformational qualities parallel to the the spread of literacy, the rise of the prinitng press, and translation of the Bible. I mean that notion has been around for several years now - it did not even start with Hugh Hewitt, though he sure did capitalize on it.
My question, frankly, is why, given several years with this notion, are we still fiddling with the analogy, and more importantly why aren't we seeing results? Two reasons I think. Firstly, we Godbloggers are more interested in our community than in spreading our message. Secondly, the analogy is flawed because the understanding of the Reformation is incomplete.
I will not belabor the point on bloggers and their motivations, I have done that again and again. There is room in the world for bloggers that desire self-expression, that are simply seeking to be part of an on-line community, but much as a church can be too focused on its fellowship to remember its call to evangelism, so I think Godblogging can.
The second point is more informative. There was much more to the Reformation than simply "new media" - there were new ideas, liberating ideas. You will note that the new media of the age did not help the old ideas (the Roman church) much. Where are our new ideas? So far, we are just recycling the old ones in new ways.
More too was the willingness to organize and transmit those new messages in all available ways, not just through the new media, but the key word there is organize. It was not about Martin Luther or John Calvin, it was about the thousands that picked up their ideas and built something of them. What is it in Godblogging we seek to build?
Which brings me to the genuine heart of this matter. Political blogging has been highly effective, why? Simple, blogging is a tool of politics - something used by the greater organizations of politics to further their cause. The same holds for Godblogging, that which has been most effective has been that which has been affiliated with some organization and been used to further the aims of that organization.
There is a lesson in that. If you want to be a part of the blogging comunity, then by all means, come in, the water's warm and there are some nice people around. But, if you are serious about using blogging to accomplish some end, you need to be serious about more than just blogging. Attach yourself to some organization with which you sympathize and make your blogging a tool of that effort. Or, do the really hard work of organizing yourself. But it's not gonna happen here in cyberspace unless it is also happening out there in three dimensions.
Blogging is not a ministry, it is a tool of ministry.
Related Tags: blogging, Godblogging, ministry, organization, effectiveness
My question, frankly, is why, given several years with this notion, are we still fiddling with the analogy, and more importantly why aren't we seeing results? Two reasons I think. Firstly, we Godbloggers are more interested in our community than in spreading our message. Secondly, the analogy is flawed because the understanding of the Reformation is incomplete.
I will not belabor the point on bloggers and their motivations, I have done that again and again. There is room in the world for bloggers that desire self-expression, that are simply seeking to be part of an on-line community, but much as a church can be too focused on its fellowship to remember its call to evangelism, so I think Godblogging can.
The second point is more informative. There was much more to the Reformation than simply "new media" - there were new ideas, liberating ideas. You will note that the new media of the age did not help the old ideas (the Roman church) much. Where are our new ideas? So far, we are just recycling the old ones in new ways.
More too was the willingness to organize and transmit those new messages in all available ways, not just through the new media, but the key word there is organize. It was not about Martin Luther or John Calvin, it was about the thousands that picked up their ideas and built something of them. What is it in Godblogging we seek to build?
Which brings me to the genuine heart of this matter. Political blogging has been highly effective, why? Simple, blogging is a tool of politics - something used by the greater organizations of politics to further their cause. The same holds for Godblogging, that which has been most effective has been that which has been affiliated with some organization and been used to further the aims of that organization.
There is a lesson in that. If you want to be a part of the blogging comunity, then by all means, come in, the water's warm and there are some nice people around. But, if you are serious about using blogging to accomplish some end, you need to be serious about more than just blogging. Attach yourself to some organization with which you sympathize and make your blogging a tool of that effort. Or, do the really hard work of organizing yourself. But it's not gonna happen here in cyberspace unless it is also happening out there in three dimensions.
Blogging is not a ministry, it is a tool of ministry.
Related Tags: blogging, Godblogging, ministry, organization, effectiveness
