Blogging has become something of a cultural phenomenon. It has apparently moved from a fad to more of a mainstay for movements, forums, teenagers, college students, radicals, families and the church (both universal and local). As we begin interacting with blogs, let me communicate a few things about what Blogs should and should not accomplish.

What Blogs SHOULD accomplish…
Blogs have the opportunity to communicate important information to those who choose to view and participate. With that we must understand that the entire church does not observe blogs. Therefore, although Blogs help us communicate, they do not communicate to everyone, just more. Besides communicating information, Blogs exist to help others feel “connected.” Now, community is a very precarious thing and in our culture we have many false forms. For instance, many feel that they go to Starbucks to experience community, yet as you may have already observed, so many go to a coffee shop, plug headphones into iPods or laptops, work on their computers, essentially isolating themselves from others. Now, first of all, I do this myself and rather enjoy it, but I do not claim that this is a communal experience for me, although many wonderful “chance” meetings occur. Blogs can enhance the communal experience, but it can never emulate it or replace it…in PERSON.

What Blogs SHOULD NOT accomplish…
As eluded to above, Blogs should not replace interpersonal community that we experience only when we are together. So, although we can communicate much information via Blogs, we will never communicate all of the information. This means that Blogs will serve to connect the local body of Christ between times of regular weekly gatherings in Worship and special church conferences and meetings. Too often people have a false sense of connecting with the “universal” church by listening to podcasts or watching TV preachers. However, their spiritual gifts are not being exercised and they are not experiencing the accountability of close contact. Certainly those that are physically unable to attend are not really included in this discussion. The problem with community in our contemporary churches is that we create false forms all the time. Blogs cannot do this, or even hint at it.

Certainly the interaction that will take place on this site will be helpful. I will do my best to post relevant, thought-provoking comments, distill information appropriately and foster a greater connectivity with the local body of Christ known as University Baptist Church. As in all things, I seek to see God glorified and the body of Christ edified in my writing and in our interaction so that whether viewed by other believers or even those without Christ, there is honor brought to the name of Christ.

May God richly bless you all in the knowledge of His Word.