There’s been a bit of talk going round about female bibliobloggers and theobloggers (doesn’t the internet invent new words fast for the English language) – see here and here at Maggi Dawn’s blog. All of which got me thinking about this blog…
I have never set out to be a female, blogging, Christian and my theological content is thin, but hey…it started back on Jan 22nd, as an experiment for a website, but has become at times the following
- good practice for theological reflection (at least my placement vicar told me what I was blogging at the time was what my placement report should involve);
- a way to file useful snippets on things that interest me;
- then I found a fellow traveller on route towards ministry who responds to mine as I do to his, all thanks to reading links and blog rolls occasionally;
- a way to communicate with some techie folk I know (mostly atheists), and relate their skills to what I’m trying to do (and hopefully they might read some of the God stuff along the way);
- to use the ideas of the techie crew to check back how we Christians communicate – which has involved some cross reference to what other Christians have blogged, most recently Bishop Alan (see blogroll – he’s laid low at present);
- and currently a means of showing family and friends how the house-extension is going!
Whether this any of these reasons are particularly valid or interesting to others, I don’t really know, but I do hope that at some point in time I might help someone else. And I will admit I do become slightly fascinated by blog stats, and then feel suitably guilty for it… absolution required 🙂
Here’s a question that arises from these thoughts: since the internet can be regarded as a mission field, is blogging a ministry?
Absolution granted, although I can’t really do that yet!
If your blog helps someone or even it just helps you share your story, your own journey with God, with others, then yes, blogging is a type of ministry. But then perhaps, as theological reflection, it is more of a ‘work in progress’ and a sort of spiritual journal which others can read.