Just had a telephone call which asked me about blogging from someone who has realised that they have something to say that the Church needs to hear. They quoted several of the 'authoritative' sites which provide a focus (and public stage) for those ever so important bloggers out there. Having read some of those quoted I recognised the names as being people who were legends in their own lunchtimes and that some even managed to be THE finger on the pulse and THE first, last and absolute word on the issue (especially if it was a very narrow issue!).
This person had stumbled across and read my blog and wondered whether it was as popular as I'd like and whether I needed to be more 'out there' regarding some of the 'big issues'!!!
I had to ask what they meant by that and was told that the big league of quoted, feted and refered to blogs were taking on the big issues and not merely commenting but leading the people into awareness and shaping their thinking and attitudes. Well, I do discuss the big issues, which for me is being a credible witness, taking the Gospel out there and living it and helping others to do the same. For me the big issues are persistent sin in the lives of those around me and in my life in particular.
The big issues for me are to try and avoid spin, to make sure that the blog is me and not some façade or soapbox that places me on a pedestal as an expert or authority because I am not (obviously!). The blog represents the workings of my addled brain and is often a scratchpad for my own internal dialogue or the extension of a discussion and some ideas for those with whom I engage in the areas of missoner, vocations or other work within theChurch.
Having explained all this, I was asked what I thought of a couple of the more aggressive blogs out there. I took a quick look and realised that some people must spend more time on their blogs than they do ministry! I know that preaching training often tells us to leave our listeners mad, glad or sad but a number of the blogs I looked at displayed the author to either be mad, sad, mean or totally unChristian.
So here's a five tips for blogging as I see it:
1. If you're going to blog, do so for yourself and not to become a source!
2. If you want to be famous then go and discover the cure for cancer, I don't think that blogging will do it for you.
3. If your blogging isn't fun to do, then don't do it.
4. If you find yourself looking at everything as potential blog material, if you find every conversation you have being examined for its blogability, then you shouldn't be blogging!
5. If what you write isn't at least one of the following - fun, challenging, eye-raising, amusing, provocative, compelling, personal - and ALWAYS YOU, then I don't think blogging is the right place for you to be.
I found a wonderful blog of teaching from someone who obviously thinks they are an authority and yet clearly demonstrated that they are merely able to plagiarise (at best) and and are in dire need of some good theological education (and perhaps some proper shepherding or pastoral care too!). There are so many experts and authorities out there, so unless you really are, don't pretend to be one.
Honesty, weaknesses recognised, limitations never denied and humility (and the ability to laugh at yourself) are the essentials - for every part of the Christian walk.
I hope this helps (now back to sleep for a bit - thanks for the 'get well' comments by the way).
Pax
3 comments:
Interesting post. I read loads of bogs, many by Christians and some by Priests and Bishops.
I had not noticed them as being in competition, although I know that there ratings for both blogs and twitter.
If writing your blog is to get yourself into the ratings - then, you lose the personal aspect of it.
I blog and have got about 7 followers - but my blog is a personal on my journey in the Christian faith and vocation.
I follow yours for a number of reasons one of which is that your posts tend to be original and to make me think - which it seems to me to be one purpose of a blog.
As a person who produces a Christian website (mine's not a blog - there is a difference) I found your comments very interesting.
"some people must spend more time on their blogs than they do ministry!" - for some of us, it IS our ministry, we don't have any other.
"If you're going to blog, do so for yourself" - above all I don't do it for myself; that's like writing for yourself and no one else, a kind of self-therapy/pleasuring/abuse.
"If you want to be famous then go and discover the cure for cancer, I don't think that blogging will do it for you." - absolutely right!
"If your blogging isn't fun to do, then don't do it." - is Christian ministry/truth fun, or supposed to be?
"I found a wonderful blog of teaching from someone who obviously thinks they are an authority ..." - The problem is, if you don't have confidence in your ideas/words/beliefs, and their source, you'd never write/do anything. I knew an orthodox Christian, once, who grimly accepted that "the vicar knew best"; the vicar was a very "Liberal" person, and I considered that the orthodox Christian had a duty (not just a right) to prefer his "own" ideas (the Bible's) before those of the vicar).
Yes, being awake in the early hours - plagued by bad thoughts - is grim; I know it.
I have noticed that some are most obviously seeking to occupy the number one spot and there is a bit of a rush from some to be the first word on the subject, which is a little sad I guess.
The 'some people' to whom I refer are people who I find are often too busy for some of the more mundane parish life and yet manage to spend what must be a fair amount of time on their blogosphere lives.
For those for whom blogging their only ministry, this a very different matter of course.
The same goes for the comment about doing it for yourself and being fun. I think that those who write to please, attract or do something to others miss the point because I find myself to be the greatest beneficiary of my blogging and even though tough,ministry and following a calling has a degree of satisfaction and an element of fun that makes it even betterer!!
I understand about confidence in our words as well, but the confidence needs to be founded in a reason for that confidence, and often there is little or none it seems! We need to come from our position of weakness if we don't know much - the many bits of paper I have in a folder tell me that I have looked at lots but perhaps still know little - we all have that (with or without bits of paper) and we have to make our stands - but if we do, we do it for ourselves and so I guess that meets my main criterion.
thanks for the dialogue - I like to be challenged, makes me realise ho myopic I might be and how other people's worlds are exactly the same as mine.
Pax
Post a Comment