ommunication is life…that’s why we come here to this blog site every day…we come to meet in cyberspace to exchange ideas, to edify one another, to create an environment of faith, and to proclaim the Kingdom of God as we prophecy to the Blogosphere. I’ve used this Scripture before in reference to the purpose of BLOGINTHENOW, but it’s one of my very favorites, and should be repeated often:
Then those who feared the Lord talked often one to another; and the Lord listened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who reverenced and worshipfully feared the Lord and who thought on His name. (Malachi 3:16 – AMP)…in The Message it says it this way…
Then those whose lives honored God got together and talked it over. God saw what they were doing and listened in. A book was opened in God's presence and minutes were taken of the meeting, with the names of the God-fearers written down, all the names of those who honored God's name. I love that…"God saw what they were doing and listened in…” God is listening to us right now, and we are listening to him through each other. My favorite quote by Confucius is
“Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I'll remember. Involve me and I'll understand.” A blog is all about involvement, and, indeed, nothing is better at creating understanding than simple involvement. Communication is involvement...
pening lines of communication creates vulnerability in a sense, but being vulnerable doesn't have to be threatening. Some of you blurkers and ex-blurkers have said to me that you have to deal with a certain kind of intimidation about blogging here. You worry about not being able to sound clever enough, or smart enough, or profound enough to engage in this dialogue…but I don’t accept that. You are a member of this community, and this is a safe place. No one is going to judge you…get over yourself! Just have the courage to be sincere, open and honest. You have something to say…a valid contribution to make. And when you step out in faith and write what is on your heart, it opens the door to deeper communication all around. It creates self-empowerment and the kind of connections with others we all want in life. Most importantly, it builds up the Body of Christ. Speaking from the heart frees us from the secrets that burden us, because we all want and need to be heard, and we all need to be a part of something that is bigger than our own individuality…
etworking, in the business world, is all about creating more possibilities in the workplace, and networking, in general, can open up whole new worlds in relationship potential. Here on the “net” the possibilities are endless, which is why social networking sites like Myspace, Friendster, Facebook, and now Twitter, have literally exploded in popularity in just a few short years. Everyone wants to know and be known on some level. God made us that way. And, previously, I’ve shared statistics with you about the number of existent blogs on the internet (the number of them is literally mind-blogling!), which only further confirms that communication and the need for it is alive and well in the 21st century…
o man is an island. This famous phrase is part of a quotation from John Donne (1572-1631) which appeared in Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, Meditation XVII. The full quote is this:
"All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated...As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness....No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." The meaning is simply that human beings do not thrive when isolated from others. Donne was a Christian but this concept is shared by other religions, principally Buddhism, but certainly the Apostle Paul grasped the concept when he said that we are the Body of Christ, and that the eye cannot say to the hand “I have no need of you.”
very day you have a golden opportunity here before you to connect with others in a meaningful way…a chance to be blessed, and to be a blessing. Don’t ever take it for granted. Make the effort to stop by and say hello, even if you don’t have time for a long visit. It saddens (and insults) me when people in my life (especially people in my church) tell me that they’re not really interested in making a connection here. I can always tell when someone is disconnected by some of the things they say, and by some of the questions they ask. But I do believe that more and more of you are beginning to realize that BLOGINTHENOW is Church In The Now (and cyber-CITN) in microcosm, and are starting to appreciate the value of it…
hurch In The Now, as you know, is more than just a church in the conventional sense. As we have deconstructed the definition of ecclesiastical “business as usual”, we are being forced to write new definitions of what church is, and what it could or can be…to do, as has been prophesied, what hasn’t been done before. Church In The Now is an idea in the mind of God, manifested through the dreams of those of us who are called here for such a time as this. I’m writing this because the word “CONNECT” is so strong in my spirit these days. We are called to CONNECT…to connect what? I’m still discovering the answer to that question, but it has something to do with reconciliation…the reconciliation of all things which is, basically, the CONNECTION of all things…God and man…the old and the new…the sacred and the secular…the familiar and the unfamiliar…black and white…
alk to me about this…tell me what you think. Why are we here? Where are we going? Are we on the right track? As the Pastor of this church, the Seer in this House, and the Bishop of your souls…am I leading you in the right direction? Do you think that the people are “connecting” with the vision? Are they “connecting” with their sense of responsibility to it? Are they “connecting” to one another? Are they “connecting” with my voice as I follow Christ? What role does this blog play in the connectivity of this community? Why is connection so important, anyway? As an individual, are you “connecting” with your own, personal “best destiny”, and, if so, how is this ministry helping you to do that? And, most importantly, how “connected” are you to God at this point on your journey? Make the time to respond to this, because this is important, and I want to hear from you.
Hey bloggers...thanks for the great words from yesterday...if I didn't respond to you, personally, please know that I read everything that was posted, and that I appreciate every comment...you're all awesome...
