Two weeks ago, as a church, Good News kicked off a lengthy journey through the Gospel of John. John’s gospel is truly amazing- so simple that a child can understand it yet so profound as to challenge the brightest theologian. When putting together the speaking schedule, we initially discussed how to make John fit into different slots within the calendar year to accommodate holidays and special events. We found that in order to make John “work” from a scheduling perspective we would need to rush through many sections omitting much timeless and invaluable truth.
Well, we saw the error of our approach and concluded that it shouldn’t really be a question of how to make John fit into our schedule but rather how to make our schedule work around John. Truth be told, we could make this a lifelong study and still receive a fresh word from God every single week.
It was a liberating feeling knowing we could be more detailed and deliberate in our approach, taking the necessary time to study John verse by verse. But even so we were concerned that:
- The 35 minutes or so that is allotted to the message every week, still doesn’t really afford us the opportunity to dig down deep into all the rich truth contained in John as much as we would like.
- Typically, a sermon by its nature is a lecture and not a dialogue. I guess it needs to be since engaging several hundred people in a simultaneous conversation is probably a less than effective form of communication.
So, in a nutshell, the dilemma was:
- How do we make the teaching time more than a 35-minute weekly event?
- How can this become a conversation we all can engage in, instead of one person’s monologue?
The answer: A blog.
For those not familiar with the concept of a blog or “blogging”, here is the Wikipedia definition:
“A blog (a contraction of the term “Web log”) is a Web site, usually maintained by an individual, with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. “Blog” can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.”
A blog is an excellent means for individuals to carry on a conversation around a topic of common interest irrespective of time or location. Provided I have access to a PC and a connection to the Internet, I can blog from my dining room in my pajamas at 11:00 at night, from the wi-fi enabled coffee shop at 7:00am, from work during my lunch break, or from the library after school. The possibilities are nearly limitless.
The study through the gospel of John is a journey that we’re embarking on together. As a community we have insights and experiences to share, questions to ask and questions to answer. As in all families, perhaps there are times we will disagree (graciously), and other times that we will comfort, encourage and spur each other on to good works.
Join the conversation!
Click the link below to go to this weeks discussion.
