Blogging as a Means of Grace
Filed Under: General
As I’ve been reading the comments on this blog throughout the week it has struck me that blogging is a powerful form of what John Wesley called, “Christian conferencing.” Christian conferencing was a “means of grace” - a tool that God uses to help people grow as Christians. Bishop Kenneth Carder notes, “A close reading of Wesley indicates that Christian conference refers to what we would likely call ‘religious conversation.’ It is intentional conversation on matters of religious faith and practice.” He goes on to offer four components of conversations that are a means of grace. I offer them here as a way of guiding our conversations:
1. The conversation is formed and shaped by grace, which is the presence and power of God. Responding to and expressing God’s grace is the motive, not winning an argument or advancing an agenda. The manner and spirit in which decisions are made has priority over the tally of the votes in authentic Christian conferencing.
2. The conversation is purposeful and edifying. Being a channel of grace to the hearers and building up the community is the goal
3. The conversation (speech) is concise, thoughtful, and disciplined. Christian conference requires preparation, time consciousness, and sensitivity to those listening.
4. Christian conversation begins, continues, and ends in prayer. Indeed, it is a form of prayer.
Of course, many who comment on this site in the future will not have read this post, but I would encourage you who have read it to join me in seeing this blog as a means of grace - a form of Christian conversation aimed at helping each of us receive and grow in grace. I would encourage us to begin with prayer before posting or commenting, and to follow the guidelines above. I’m excited about the possibilities this tool holds for helping all who participate to grow as Christ’s followers - myself included.
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Ian Beyer | Jan 12, 2008 | Reply
I have thought for a while that if Wesley was around in our time, he would have been a well-known blogger
Andrew Conard | Jan 12, 2008 | Reply
Adam - Thanks for this perspective. I had not thought about blogging as a form of Christian conferencing, but I think that you are right on here. It can be a vehicle for growth both for the writer and the reader, which is made particularly effective through good conversation.
I also think that in terms of Wesley’s understanding of ministry that a blog may be a form of the market square - a place where one may openly talk about faith and discipleship where it is open for all to hear. One distinction is that one must choose to go to a particular blog as opposed to being exposed on a more informal basis.
Dannar | Jan 14, 2008 | Reply
Adam,
I am very glad you posted this blog. I think, perhaps, it should have been the first blog posted. Though this is my first time at blogging, I used to frequent chat rooms. Many of these had guidelines to follow. They were often enforced by banning people temporarily or permanently for repeatedly breaking the guidelines. Chat rooms without guidelines were usually chaotic. Eventually you would not even be sure what the topic of the room was.
I am not suggesting this website should be censored! If this page had been available when I first became a Christian, I probably would have been one of the most argumentative posters. But being that we are all here to discuss Christianity, I think the guidelines you just pointed out should be permanent guidelines, enforced by honor and refusal to react to inflammatory comments.
I do not wish to criticize you, because I know
I have no right to criticize anyone more than myself. However, it seems reasonable to me that a pastor, maybe, should not ask such a question as: Was Jesus A Democrat Or Republican? This statement seems to me to be an invitation to inflammatory comments. One should never be asked to answer such a question as “Is God On My Side or Yours?” No one should be asked that, and no one is qualified to answer.
You are often compared to a college professor in some aspects. In fact, this is what drew me in when I first started attending COR, but what kept me coming is that I knew all of your challenges and teachings were aimed at the goal of bringing us to a better understanding of God. College professors challenge people to reexamine their views by posing inflammatory comments. In my opinion, pastors should leave this method to the colleges.
All this said, I love this idea of blogging! I can hear and share with the full diversity of people in our church, even when I don’t have much time to spare! And, as I said, the outlines Wesley proposed should, in my opinion, be the adopted outline for how we share our understandings of Christ here in this blog.
And…having said all that, I hope that I am not embarrassed by being the first one to overstep what should be shared in discussion of Christ’s Truth:-) In fact, though I may not be the first, I am certain that I will overstep, and I would appreciate someone telling me, in Christian love, that I have done so. Thank you:-)
Also, I want to think Adam for guiding me, and helping me continually in seeking and finding a better understanding of Truth, of God, of The Way of Christ. It has changed my life in ways I could never before have imagined!
All said in Christ’s Love….
John | Jan 18, 2008 | Reply
I’ve been reading blogs for about 6 years and writing one for 3. I’ve found it to be a means of grace by connecting me to ideas that challenge my own, and even more importantly, the people behind those ideas.
The most powerful communion service that I’ve attended was at the 2007 Methodist Bloggers Meetup, when we gathered together and shared Holy Communion in a bar. We all disagreed on many things, but loved each other.
NAN | Jan 24, 2008 | Reply
I AM A CHOIR MEMBER AND I AM “OLD” TO SOME. NEVER THOUGHT MUCH ABOUT IT UNTIL I READ THE BLOG ON HOW HAPPY WE ARE.
IT IS A WAY FOR US TO SPREAD THE JOY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO OTHERS. MANY OF US HAVE SERVED THE LORD IN THIS WAY OUR WHOLE LIVES. THERE ARE QUITE A FEW MEMBERS WHO HAVE MUSIC DEGREES. SOME ARE BLESSED WITH A NATURAL TALENT FOR MUSIC.
SOME OF US “OLD FOLKS” STILL HAVE FULL TIME JOBS
SOME OF US TRAVEL A LONG WAY TO GET TO PARTIC IPATE
IN THIS GROUP. NONE OF US HAVE THE TIME. WE HAVE THE LOVE OF MUSIC AND A DESIRE TO GLORIFY OUR LORD IN THIS MANNER. !DON’T WAIT! WE NEED ALL THE “YOUNG” AND “OLD” HELP WE CAN GET IN THE CHOIR SO THAT WHEN YOU ALL ARE
“OLD” WE WILL STILL HAVE A HAPPY GROUP. NAN
LaLa in KCMO | Feb 3, 2008 | Reply
Adam,
You bring up very good points not only for Christian conferencing, but for speaking/communicating in general.
And to Mr. Conrad’s remark regarding the choosing of blogs, you can invite others to subscribe to this blog. What a way to introduce Christ/God/COR to others!
Have a wonderful week ~ GB,
~Marla