lifeasmission

Blogging as a Spiritual Discipline

November 29, 2005

Stop laughing, I’m serious.

If you take a look over to the right and down onder “Blogger Buddies,” you’ll notice that I added several. I think I’m up to almost a dozen. Actually, I have links to these, but under my bookmarks I have a total of 20 blogs that I check regularly. This process is assisted by a free program called intraVnews that integrates into outlook and lets me know when each blog has been updated (so I don’t have to check them all the time). It checks blogs like e-mail. My friend Ryan Battles has some other suggestions as to how to do the same thing.

So what makes this a spiritual discipline in my opinion? Glad you asked.

1. It takes time. It doesn’t take a ton, but you have to be intentional about thinking through things that are worth posting. Another way to say this is that it forces us to slow down and “smell the roses.”
2. It connects you to others. Through their thoughts, opinions, pains, joys, and experiences you get to know people beyond superfivial conversations. Nothing will ever replace authentically doing life with people, but in the absence of this (or in addition to it) there is a lot to be gleaned from the insights of others.
3. It broadens your horizons. Through the thoughts of others I am forced to think about things in new and interesting ways.
4. It calls for reflection. Blogging, like journaling, gives you the opportunity to reflect on the stuff life throws at you rather than just passively accepting it and moving on.
5. It’s an opportunity to share. I have been tripping out on this idea of sharing lately. Sharing, unlike giving, binds us in a more meaningful way. Sharing is messier than giving. Sharing is personal and specific where as giving can be anonymous and general. Blogging enables you to share whatever you want. The reason it is sharing if because others can comment on what you share and you have the ability to respond.

There’s probably more reasons, but I think those are pretty good ones. I have so many friends, near and far, that I sincerely wish I had the opportunity to hear from on a more regular basis, to glean from their insights and unique personality. So there ya go, that’s my pitch!

See, I’m blogging and it doesn’t even hurt!

Posted in: blogging, theology