Sometimes I Write

O.K. Here are my thoughts on the article featuring my friend Chris. If you skipped over reading that post, go read it now, then come back here.

I don’t know why Chris started blogging. I hope it was the pressure Adam, Brock and I put on him at camp last year! (jk) He has some great things to say and he has such a passion for teens and other people God puts in his life. I was excited that someone thought enough of him (and blogging) to do an article on him and his blog. This is one of those rare occasions you’ll hear me applauding a newspaper for their work.

I raise my glass to anyone who is blogging to better mankind by uplifting and encouraging others. I applaud the courage it takes to post your thoughts for the world to read knowing there will be many who disagree with you or just don’t understand. I give mad props to my friends that are working out their Christian walk whether it be by struggling through the tough questions we are faced with, or trying to leap out of the status quo of churchianity.

That being said, I was disappointed to read of ministers implying that blogging is a waste of precious soul-winning time, It’s just a place for “brain dumps”, and not a way to draw people to Christ. I totally get not having much time to blog – I have a husband to dote on, three small children – which I homeschool, our Dry Bones ministry, the worship team, and two other ministries I’m involved in. I cook, clean, do laundry, run errands, lead a Bible Study for women, have regular chiropractic appointments, blah blah blah. EVERYONE is busy – welcome to our world. I acknowledge that blogging is not for everyone – just like homeschooling and tattoos aren’t for everyone. (Welcome to MY world!)

Here’s my problem with Mr. Davis, Mr. Jeffress and Mr. Counterman’s comments – in order. But first I have this one little disclaimer – I don’t know these men and had to take their comments at face value. That’s where my distrust of the media comes into play. I can’t know for sure if these things were meant to sound as they did. I assume they were, since I know people that would say similar things about blogging and bloggers.

Mr. Davis assumes that Chris and his counterparts are blogging “on church time” with his comment about “must have a good staff that allows them to sit and do that”. He is right to say some bloggers are all about debating and not truth. Not all of us are. His efforts are spent “studying and drawing people into the church environment to reveal truth to them in a systematic way”. Oh boy – I could have another whole post just about that comment alone. Here’s the condensed version. TRUTH IS NOT REVEALED IN THE CHURCH ENVIRONMENT ALONE! Systematic way? IT’S ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS. We are not called to bring people into the church to teach them truth. We are called to GO to the people – read the book of Matthew – or better yet – look at Jesus’ example throughout his life. He didn’t start the “First Church of Jesus” and invite everyone to join him there. He went to the people and eventually they went where he went. Moving on…

Mr. Jeffress raised the question of time. I already addressed that. He said, “I think people are more interested in hearing what God’s Word says about a subject than to read my musings”. (Rabbit trail – that’s the title of one of my other friend’s blogs –MUSINGS ;)) I think he’s mostly wrong. First of all, it may not be all Christians reading the blog. Those who aren’t don’t know or care what God’s word says. A blog could be the place they are introduced to Christ…who knows? Secondly, My preacher friend Bill uses scripture and his own musings about life and faith to reach the masses. Again, Jesus led the way when He used stories to explain and teach biblical truths. I want to read about how God is working in, stretching, and growing faith in other people’s lives. It beats some of the excrement lining our library and bookstore bookshelves! He also said he’d “question any attempt by one of his associate pastors to blog regularly”. Wow. Tough boss. Maybe he too was thinking about the guys blogging during office hours. I have found that it’s a great way to reach out to people…including those in my church. And I know for many of my blogging youth minister friends it’s a way to reach out to the teens in their youth groups. What are all those office hours for anyway?

On to Mr. Counterman. Again with the time thing. He is rightly concerned with the dangers of blogging – people stumbling onto your blog not knowing you and where your comments are coming from. As far as retraction statements – say what you mean and mean what you say and you shouldn’t have to worry about that. His “brain dumps” comment made me laugh. You’re reading my brain dump right now. That’s what blogs are my friend – you putting your thoughts into written words and throwing them out there hoping they are read by someone who needs them. Or just throwing them out there because you want to without expecting a response. It’s my need to be heard that keeps me writing and my being a lexiphiliac (lover of words) that keeps me reading other people works. I like that my blog doesn’t have to be well thought out all the time. Sometimes this is the place I work through my thoughts. I’m never concise – sounds like a guy thing to say – Mr. Counterman would hate my blog. I can deal with that. I’m sorry he’s missing out on all those bloggers who aren’t bitter, criticizing people. With 75,000 new blogs being created everyday (according to the article) you’d think maybe some of them would be used for good and not evil. 😉

Back to the heros of the story (hehe). Kudos to Mr. Stanford for using the web to connect with others and leave his mark. And Chris…he says he doesn’t know why he has a blog. I think he does know. He says he doesn’t share anything profound – yet he points the way to Christ in several of his posts. Even if he only posts periodically, he’s worthy of your time because he’s doing his best to be the man God created him to be. That’s good enough for me!