blogging as spiritual formation

Tim Bednar wrote this paper called 'We Know More Than Our Pastors: Why Bloggers Are the Vanguard of the Participatory Church'. He makes some interesting points: "As a network, we know more than our pastors. Thousands of bloggers circumvent established hierarchies and relate unmediated with one another. We are part of a participatory phenomenon that is impacting mass media, technology, education, entertainment, politics, journalism, business - and the church."

If you'd like a really good overview, read Marc Van der Woude's blog entry from earlier today. here's an outtake for you:

The key is Bednar's observation that the culture is shifting from passive consumerism to participative producerism. "44% of internet users have created content for the online world through building or posting to websites, creating blogs, and sharing files. Whether the existing church likes it or not, we are giving birth to a generation of people who view themselves as participants." Some of the consequences are:

- The traditional church conceives of itself as an exclusive community and determines who is 'saved' and 'unsaved'. It believes that it owns these definitions. This is no longer true. Christianity is an open conversation by those following Christ. Those involved in the conversation define the terms, not the church-as-we-know-it.

- Christians no longer pursue spiritual formation within the bounds of a single tradition, church, pastor or denomination. We are having hyperlinked conversations that subvert traditional hierarchies.

- Every Christian is a creator. We no longer have to wait for church authorization to think or act or speak in the name of Christ.

- Christians belong to multiple congregations.

- Pastors emerge by building a reputation from within the congregation based on consistency and transparency. Pastors add value to congregations as they add connectedness. Successful pastors and churches of the future will enter into co-creative covenants that help/enable Christians to embrace emergence and foster learning. They do not see themselves as gatekeepers or arbiters of membership in the church.

- Pastors are not primarily preachers. Sermons are no longer teachings, but learning experiences. The goal of preaching is to learn, not teach.

- Relational authenticity and longevity (not attendance) equals success in the participatory church.

- Congregations are their own watchdogs because they are the real stakeholders. Churches and pastors no longer need to screen their congregations for orthodoxy, arbitrate membership or filter their conversation. Orthodoxy will emerge. It is not determined by a single source, but is distributed throughout the congregation. Neil Cole, a leader in the organic church movement observes, "The best solution to heresy in the church is not to have better-trained leaders in 'the pulpits', but better-trained people in 'the pews'."

it's interesting to also read about the number of people who are starting to multi-church, or attend multiple congregations.

Comments

[gdavis]

Bednar makes essentially no reference to Jesus or to the Bible. To leave Jesus and the Bible out of an article on the church is problematic.

Furthermore, believers did not create the church in the first place. God created it and He continues to work through it (despite its problems).
The internet is impersonal, individualistic, and instantaneous. These and almost every other description of the web are contrary to the way the church works. It is totally personal…Jesus it not the result of a collective “emergent conversation”…He is a person. God deals with groups…He saves a people. Finally, God works over long periods of time. In fact, sometimes it seems like He has forgotten his people (see Psalms).

[Paul]

I agree with your concern to a degree, but I see it more as the author shining light on one facet of this huge ecclesiological diamond-in-the-rough before us. there is a degree of arrogance in his article that concerns me more than his focus on the phonomenon to the detriment of the source. Maybe it's more like a story about NFL football fans without once mentioning NFL players by name, nor the stadia they play in. More like taking a close look at the office culture of workers in the White House without getting any direct quotes from the president himself.
A look around his e-Church.com certainly shows a Christocentric faith: (he writes) "This site dreams of helping individuals find well-being in Christ using the power and promise of online applications....So, members are not only able publish a blog, but they can also privately publish: prayers, Lecto Divina mediations, and responses to the Questions of Examen to their group..."

The Questions of Examen certainly hold a high view of scripture as well, yes? Example (from Renovaré):

Questions of Examen:
Has God provided an opportunity for you to share your faith with someone since our last meeting? How did you respond? In what ways have you encountered Christ in your reading of the Scriptures? How has the Bible shaped the way you think and live?