Thursday, June 15, 2006

After Greensboro

After attending the SBC Convention in Greensboro, NC, I have a renewed excitement about being Southern Baptist. I was impressed and challenged by Dr. Bob Welch. He has done more for the convention than what I realized and he has a greater vision that what I knew. I believe that the new SBC President Frank Page will enlarge that vision. I feel like 90% of everything I was concerned about as a young SBC leader is being answered.

I am surprised at how much concern there is about blogging by SBC leadership. After much consideration I have decided to change the nature of my blog. Since the convention is over I have deleted everything associated with this convention. I want to start afresh and I have exciting things in store over the next several months that I believe with encourage and strength every Baptist and their ministry.

For now I want to repost a blog that gives every blogger good advice to follow.

(I found this @ Keith's archives. I had to put up here for all the read.)

Biblical advice for Bloggers
I've been pondering what guidance the Bible has for bloggers. What does it say about how we should blog? What we should blog about? What we read in blogs? How we relate to other bloggers and comments? Here are a few exhortations with questions to ask ourselves for starters:

1. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your blog, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs. (Eph 4:29)
Is what comes from our blogs wholesome? Is what we are writing helpful for building others up? Or does it tear them down?

2. Blog about others as you would have them blog about you (Lk 6:31)
The golden rule. If we blog about others, do we do it with love, respect, and integrity?

3. But in your blogs set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience... (1Pet 3:15,16)
Are we consciously allowing Jesus Christ to rule over our blogs? When people disagree with us, do we respond with gentleness and respect?

4. Each one should use whatever blog he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms (1Pet 4:10)
Are we using our blogs to serve others? To encourage, stimulate, and help others? To build them up in Christ? Or to blow our own trumpet?

5. Let us therefore make every effort to blog what leads to peace and to mutual edification. (Ro 14:19)
And be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the blog of peace (Eph 4:2)

Do we make every effort to maintain peace and unity in the body of Christ? Or do we focus on what divides us? When we disagree, are we humble and gentle?

6. Accept him whose blog is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters...Let us stop blogging judgment on one another... whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. (Ro 14 1-22)
Let us be careful not to condemn ourselves by dividing the body of Christ over disputable matters, or by judging the spiritual state of our brothers and sisters with whom we disagree.

7. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - blog about such things. (Phil4:8)
Amen!

1 Comments:

Blogger Scotte Hodel said...

Wow - deleting blogs, clearing house ...
For a book and sunday school pack-rat like myself, that's ... ugh (picture Adrian Monk in a mud puddle).

The 7 principles of highly effective blogs you've given are valuable. My natural inclincation to sarcasm does get me into trouble from time to time. For those, like me, who have trouble with long detailed lists, I submit the two rules of tact that I invented as a graduate student 20 years ago:

Rule #1: DON'T SAY IT!
Rule #2: If you DO say it, then say it nicely.

My loved ones find it necessary to regularly remind me of rule #1.

Yours,

Scotte

6/15/2006  

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