Although a number of blogs might “seem” like digital preaching, the medium controls so much of how it actually comes off.
A recent post by John Piper quoting Tope Koleoso about why he shouts when he preaches got me thinking critically about what is “lost” when we attempt to communicate online.
Tope goes onto say that
I don’t ever shout for effect, for preaching is not acting. I shout because I mount the pulpit to preach with three overriding emotions bubbling up in my soul – Anger, Joy and Love.
These three however, have an effect on how I preach…
Good preaching happens when the Holy Spirit moves the heart of the preacher by the text, the preachers experience, and the “now” Word of God to his soul. All of these move me at an emotional and spiritual level. Emotional because my heart is involved. Spiritual because the Holy Spirit is involved.
This means that during the sermon, any one of the mentioned emotions, (Anger, Joy or Love), spill out without warning or apology. This is because when I am preaching, I am angry at satan and sin, I am joyful about salvation and hope, and I am eager to show the Love of God to the lost.
Therefore, I shout, I laugh, I cry, and I dance. Therefore, I use my voice, my hands, my legs and my eyes. Therefore, I will do it with utter conviction and passion for if I will not do it from the heart, I will not do it at all.
It’s a large quote, but it’s worth reading, and he goes on to explain even more here.
Amazing, how “limiting” the blog medium truly is! Through only our written words are we communicating. We can try to SHOUT (all caps) and do smiley faces (or sad faces), but it just doesn’t really communicate fully.
If anything, it really reminds me of how truly important the exact words that I say and my choice and reasoning behind using them, because that, my friends, is all that I’ve got.
Just words on a screen.
How have you seen blogging as a limitation to communication? What are your thoughts?
[Image from *Mars]