Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Relationships
Recently, Justin Taylor linked to a blog by a ministry all about relationships. There is something a little terrifying in the fact that there is a Christian ministry blog dedicated almost solely to relationships. That such a need exists....
One of the phenomena of human existence that has always fascinated me is our response to human density. It seems, the more crowded someplace is, the less civil. Also, in places like amuzement parks it seems like the more crowded, the more we stick to just the group we came with. In precisely those situations that require the greatest amounts of human cooperation, the less likely it is we will communicate with one another and build that cooperation. I can think of no more obvious evidence of our sinful nature than that one.
In the church, we see the anonimity of the mega-church draw people, the size allowing people to avoid actual relationships. A while back, my wife and I needed "a breather" from our church - just someplace we could visit every now and then for a different perspective and to escape the pressure of a church where we were very active. There was one where we really enjoyed the worship service and especially the preaching, but we never went back. It was so small, that we stuck out like a sore thumb. We were looking for someplace where we could sit and enjoy, but the stream of people wanting to shake our hands and encourage us to come back next week made that nearly impossible.
The desire for life in isolation like this is, in the end, just a reflection of selfishness. What would have happened if the apostles had chosen a monastic response to Christ rather than a relational one?
Sometimes all this causes me to wonder about Godblogging. It is so easy to sit at home - alone - and write. But the only time I have ever seen blogging really accomplish something is in the conext of relationship. Meetings, group blogs, telephone conferences. These make blogging useful; otherwise, I wonder if it is not just another form of self-absorption?
Related Tags: relationship, ministry, blogging, church
One of the phenomena of human existence that has always fascinated me is our response to human density. It seems, the more crowded someplace is, the less civil. Also, in places like amuzement parks it seems like the more crowded, the more we stick to just the group we came with. In precisely those situations that require the greatest amounts of human cooperation, the less likely it is we will communicate with one another and build that cooperation. I can think of no more obvious evidence of our sinful nature than that one.
In the church, we see the anonimity of the mega-church draw people, the size allowing people to avoid actual relationships. A while back, my wife and I needed "a breather" from our church - just someplace we could visit every now and then for a different perspective and to escape the pressure of a church where we were very active. There was one where we really enjoyed the worship service and especially the preaching, but we never went back. It was so small, that we stuck out like a sore thumb. We were looking for someplace where we could sit and enjoy, but the stream of people wanting to shake our hands and encourage us to come back next week made that nearly impossible.
The desire for life in isolation like this is, in the end, just a reflection of selfishness. What would have happened if the apostles had chosen a monastic response to Christ rather than a relational one?
Sometimes all this causes me to wonder about Godblogging. It is so easy to sit at home - alone - and write. But the only time I have ever seen blogging really accomplish something is in the conext of relationship. Meetings, group blogs, telephone conferences. These make blogging useful; otherwise, I wonder if it is not just another form of self-absorption?
Related Tags: relationship, ministry, blogging, church
