If I Were to Write A Book…

If I were to write a book what would it be about? I’ve often thought about this so I’m going to give you my answer and then tag some other people with the same question.

If I were to write a book I’d like to write something on the subject of ‘authenticity’ in the Christian life. I know this is one of the major concerns of the Emerging Church and its one of the reasons that the EC resonates with me. I don’t think I’d be good and showing the church exactly how to be authentic – that would just be arrogant. But I would like to poke some fun at some of the bogus expressions and ideas that are afloat in the broader Christian community and then maybe tentatively suggest some ways forward. These are the areas I’d like to tackle:

Bogus ideas about the Bible.

Bogus ideas about guidance.

Fake expressions of community.

Fake expressions of spiritual experience.

All that is bogus in the contemporary Christian ‘worship’ (music) scene.

Preaching that leaves the listener unconvinced because of lack of conviction.

And there are others I could think of…

I’d like to take some pot shots at a number of different expressions and traditions of the Christian church (The emergents, the calvinists, the arminians, the charismatics, the roman catholics, the seeker-sensitive crowd, and many others). My aim wouldn’t be to run down the church but rather just to give us a reality check of what we really look like and to begin a conversation about how we might restore authenticity before a watching world that craves it.

So that’s what I’d write – I wonder what the following people would write:

Ant, Chris, Jeremy, Jeff and Jason – consider yourselves TAGGED.

10 Tips for On-Line Christian Discussion

I read and write comments on a number of blogs that I personally wouldn’t always identify with theologically. If you go through the sidebar you’ll see that although the majority of the blogs come from a theologically reformed position, not all of them do. To be honest I probably spend more time reading the blogs that aren’t theologically reformed than the ones that are. I also don’t think I’m alone in these reading adventures, I think a large number of bloggers often read outside of their own theological school – its surely a healthy blogging habit to pick up. Naturally though, as bloggers read other bloggers from different schools, the debate begins to flow back and forth over certain issues. Now the blogshphere has a bit of a reputation for getting out of hand in these situations, and since we write Christian blogs this really is the last thing we want. Yet at the same time healthy debate is good for all of us in the blogging community. So what I want to share with you are a few tips that I’ve picked through trial and error as I’ve waded into certain debates around the blogsphere:

Tip#1: Don’t go intentionally looking for a brawl. If you’re one of those bloggers who’s only interested in controversy and is always found near it then – shame on you! Put your energy into something more constructive.

Tip#2: When debating a specific point always be open to admit the weaknesses in your own argument. Healthy debate is a learning process – if you can’t face up to the fact that your argument might not be flawless then don’t enter the discussions.

Tip#3: Always praise the good and the areas of agreement in your opponent’s case. Christian unity is only ever going to be built around what we all agree on. Look for those points of contact and work gently from there.

Tip#4: Be quick to apologize. Often we misunderstand someone or say something rashly – don’t be afraid to say that you were wrong and apologize.

Tip#5: Keep checking with your opponent to see if you understand him/her correctly. There’s nothing worse then two people going at each other and they arguing on two completely different levels. Make sure you understand what the discussion is about.

Tip#6: Never throw your weight around in a discussion if you haven’t done the reading. Many posts that preempt discussion often quote other on-line posts or articles and call for a response, if you haven’t already read the material under discussion then to just throw in your opinion is highly arrogant.

Tip#7: Try and open up email contact. The comment threads are often limited in how much actual discussion can take place. When discussing really important topics see if those who are involved with you are not interested in probing the topic further through email correspondence. I know this takes the discussion away from the public sometimes, but it also helps build trust and relationships between people from opposing viewpoints (I’ve personally experienced this on three or four occasions).

Tip#8: Always remember the gentleness and humility that comes with being a Christian. We are Christians before we are bloggers – being behind a computer screen doesn’t absolve you of your ethical and moral responsibility.

Tip#9: Don’t be afraid to give your viewpoint. Being confident over your view (due to evidence in support there of) and being arrogant are not the same thing. You can still be humble and gentle but firm in certain convictions. We always want to please God and man – there will be occasions where this is not possible. Please God first and then man.

Tip#10: Have fun. Ask lots of questions, approach things from different angles, be a learner.

Amatomu Gets Religious

Amatomu, the top site for tracking the South African blogsphere has recently added the category of ‘religion‘ to its other categories of life, sport, news, politics etc. etc. Whilst I know ‘religion’ is not exactly the trendiest word in the world at the moment at least it helps us to keep track of other Christian bloggers in South Africa, rather than having to trawl through stacks of other blogs to find the ‘Godbloggers’. If you’re South African and you write a Christian blog why not sign up your blog under the category of ‘religion’. (hint, hint, nudge, nudge)