Why blog: Impact (Part 3)

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Here’s my thinking on why we blog, it’s all about introspection, interaction and impact. Click image to link to source.

Why do I blog? Why do you blog? What motivates us? Why spend hours thinking, writing, editing, commenting and networking. Is it all not just a waste of time?

I’m reading through the book of Acts. It’s a marvelous book, a real page turner. The history of the early church is tumultuous to say the least. Luke manages to package the flow picking out those stories which highlight the explosion of God’s people moving through God’s world in God’s power to God’s glory.

Jesus’ words, just before He ascends into heaven, sum the book up,

⁹ “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Want to hear the verse in context? Acts 1 What is this about?

We’re mandated, commissioned with the same task, be His witnesses. We’re to push out the borders, take the message to the uttermost end of the earth, even unto the blogosphere. If blogging starts with introspection and grows into a channel for interaction then it’s zenith must be impact.

Impact means different things to different ppl. What did Luke see in the embryonic church? The Gospel! The book of Acts is saturated in it as believers died for it, God’s glorified through it and we’re exhorted to propagate it.

Us South African Christian Bloggers fall far short of this picture don’t we? Our time is largely spent on social issues, financial issues, petty denominational issues, a couple of interpretational issues and a whole lot of interpersonal issues. Too often we’re missing the big issue, “Jesus died, Jesus rose, repent for the forgiveness of sins.”

If we’re going to make an impact in our world and in this space we’re going to have to up our game and focus on the message that saves rather than the message which massages.

Here’s a list of the South African blogs I monitor. Are we going to explode? Only when we collectively get the message right and start to boldly proclaim it:

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Why blog: Interaction (Part 2)

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Click here for Part 3 —>

The blogosphere is just another communication channel for bloggers. That sounds obvious doesn’t it but let me explain why I think it’s a relevant observation. Introverts tend to propagate introverted blogs; they battle to form alliances, attract readership and build a community. Extroverts tend proliferate extroverted blogs; they just connect easily, their readership flourishes and they end up belonging. *

Normative Christianity is characterised by social and communal behaviour. We call it Christian fellowship, brotherly love and practising the one another’s. ** Right from the start Christians were identifiably as connected to one another. Consider Acts 2:41 – 47,

⁴¹ So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. ⁴² They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³ Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; ⁴⁵ and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. ⁴⁶ Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Want to hear the verse in context? Acts 2 What is this about?

I guess my point is that many Christian bloggers see the blogosphere as a wider platform for interaction. This is good. They do this for a number of differing reasons: Some seek fellowship (Blogroll Guy), some seek diversity (Comment-all-over-the-place Guy), some seek uniformity (Denomination-Upfront Guy) and some just seek a platform (although Bullhorn Guy might not be a form of interaction as it’s not two way communication).

The platform can be a useful tool to facilitate interaction and I believe this is a natural progression from the blogger who writes out of a motivation of Introspection (see https://markpenrith.wordpress.com/2010/05/23/why-blog-introspection-part-1/).

* Does anyone know if there’s any research to support this?

** Do I need to point out that fellowship stands with worship, teaching and evangelism as pillars of the New Testament Church?

South Christian African Bloggers who I believe really get this right:

Angus Kelly and I spend a lot more time disagreeing on things than agreeing (oh Lord bring more Calvinistic, Pre-trib, Pre-Rapture, Dispensationalist, Fundementalists across my path ;) ) but I appreciate his openess to debate. John van de Laar from Sacredise is top of this category too.

For some great examples of interaction check out http://gruntleblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/profile-for-my-churchs-website.html?showComment=1273571802959#c8415165032976866184 and http://sacredise.blogspot.com/2010/03/consistency.html?showComment=1267764591216#c8180813531555402382

Sharkbait was the fish I wrote to when I decided I wanted to blog. He steered me through setting up. He’s Anglican and worships with my family down in the Eastern Cape. He has a surprisingly large following of woman (I follow his comments RSS and am frequently struck by how popular he is).

Others I believe are in this category are: Dion’s random ramblings, Khanya, Ryan Peter Blogs and stuff and .

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