5 Reasons To Blog

Recently, I've been prescribed random musings from Doctor Alex Tang's chair, who has just moved into the land of cyberspace. Great stuffs on reflective spirituality from the Spiritual Formation Institute where he gave 5 reasons he started to blog.

Interesting thots here:

...there is a lot of debate whether there a community can be formed online because there is the lack of non-verbal communication. Interestingly, while the sociologist and church is debating this, communities are being formed in the Web which has defied the nay-sayers. These communities transcend geography, politics, ideologies, age and ethnicities. The community are formed over a common interest, for example a forum on poverty or Star Trek. But over the weeks and years, the contributors to the forum get to know each other and care for each other. To me, it fits the definition of community.

Weblog is another area in which communities can form. A blog is a personal website where one can post whatever thoughts or comments. This is a form of discussion forum but less structured. This is read and commented upon by other bloggers (people who write blogs). If there are common interests, over time communities will form. Christians and seekers have also formed such online communities. One of the challenges I see to the church in the coming years is that these communities will become more numerous and may even outnumber the existing brick and concrete churches. Such church communities share sermons transcripts, listen to sermons online and offer comfort and fellowship to one another. Instead of condemning such communities, the church should embrace these communities and incorporate them into the existing church structure. I am waiting to for pastors of cyberspace churches to appear.