Blog Church
I’ve “reard” (read and heard) lately how Blogs are slowly going away and how people are turning to Twitter and the likes. Sure blogs may go away and so may Twitter eventually but there is something else that is really special about what is happening in these social networks that I think is here to stay.
The other day, I overheard someone taking a shot at the idea of Twitter explaining how “self absorbed” people are these days to think that others want to know that “so and so, is drinking coffee” or has now “decided to go to the bathroom.” It was kind of humorous and all but most of all a total ill informed comment about what is also happening on Twitter and Blogs. I wanted to look at him and say “dude, you obviously don’t get it.”
Twitter, Facebook, blogs and the likes are not only a kind of “play by play” of a person’s life, howbeit stale and exciting as life can be at times, but also a place where community can and is happening. In an interview with Collide Magazine, Carlos Whittaker of Ragamuffinsoul.com said:
I honestly get about two or three emails a day from people thanking me for the community–and not for anything I’m saying anymore, because now people are just talking to each other on [my blog]. It’s like they don’t even care what I have to say, they just want to get in the comments section and find out who’s saying what so they can talk to each other. It’s almost like a church.
There is more community happening in the comment section of some people’s blogs than there are in the homes of some Christians. Maybe that was a low blow, but it’s true. What’s special about social technologies is not the technology itself but what’s happening and can happen within it. There is a “Blog Church” movement happening almost accidentally. It’s a small movement but people are finding friendships, accountability, healing and connection through blogs. In regards to Ragamuffinsoul’s online community, LifeChurch’s Terry Storch commented that
“Your blog is actually like an Internet campus, but it’s not like a campus of another church. It’s its own church, and there’s healing that takes place there. There’s community that takes place there.”
I find this extremely interesting and cool but can’t ignore the burning curiosity of what church goers and some pastors would think about the idea of a kind of “Blog Church.” So, I am going to email this post to some of my closest pastor friends and ask them about what they think about this. I’ll then, with their permission, post their thoughts and we can go from there…
As usual, feel free to comment!!!
Apple’s Mactini
You were expecting a Tablet Macintosh but this is so much better. Check out the Mactini.
Merry Christmas
The Christmas season is especially busy for me and my team. We construct sets, create content, program services, rehearse, coordinate marketing and sleep very little. All in all we totally love the outcomes. So with all that being said, I won’t be blogging much until the new year. Feel free to check back later…Thanks for visiting my little blog and Merry Christmas!
What’s the worst gift you have ever received?
The worst part about getting socks or underwear for Christmas is that there is that awkward moment when you’ve discovered that you just got a package of underwear and you really don’t want to finish unwrapping it and just about the moment you start to tuck it into your little pile of opened gifts someone yells “Hey what did you get?!”
What’s the worst gift you have ever received?
One Christmas my cousin gave me a bag of clearanced Halloween candy.
I am Second
I am Second is a new site that is telling people’s stories. I like it already. It’s clever, very well done and I think relevant for today.
Interview with David Allen-Getting Things Done
Are you a Rockstar?
Stop trying to be a rockstar. Stop. It won’t work. The idea of a rockstar for starters is an illusive idea. It evolves and is perpetually being redefined. A rockstar in one era meant carrying a comb in your back pocket and slicked back hair. It represents something totally different today and will 10 years from now. Yet we live in a culture where people want to be rockstars. They’ll dress a certain way, try and maintain a lifestyle and reach for a status that resembles an inaccurate reflection of who they are never really attaining quite what they are looking for. Geez, that’s alot of work for nothing! If only that time and energy was spent on being ourselves and finding our sweet spot we’d probably reach our goals a whole lot faster and be so much more satisfied.
There is a lesson in here for churches too. Especially the ones that become so focused on replication instead of innovation. Correlation does not imply causation and yet it amazes me how much time and energy we can spend trying to produce the same exact results as such and such church or organization. I went to college not far from Pixar Studios and rumor had it at the time that their offices had all types of fun perks for the employees. As a result, companies thought if they had the chefs, the gyms, the arcades and the same exact culture in their organization as Pixar (or now Google) they would yield the same innovative results. NOT! That’s because correlation does not imply causation.
My pastor has said a number of times that he prefers the spirit of the barbarian over the beaurecrat. I really dig that. The heart beat of a thriving organization must be its passion and permission (that will be another post) to explore and innovate even if that means your org will not look exactly like such and such church or organization. I’m not saying we shouldn’t leverage our learning and understanding of the models, matrixes and mantras of successful organizations but never should they be the definitive lines by which we design our organizations. They should serve as a foundation, stepping stone or launch pad to discovering our own identity. Do that long enough, relentlessly and with passion and you just may become a rockstar!
