Blogging has really evolved a lot over time, especially since I first got into blogging about seven years ago. I remember following lots of blogs via Google Reader and finding great ideas and advice from people who were all running their own blogs. More recently though we’ve seen the move towards “professional blogging” and now businesses. The personal blogs have almost all but died out and I believe that is a shame.
What’s Good About the Current Era
Before I say what I think we’re missing, I want to defend the current era of blogging and sites. There are, after all, some really great aspects. These include the amazing resources that are available (in some cases for free, in other cases much cheaper than before), no matter where you are in the world.
I can learn about a topic I’m interested in, in English even though I live in a non-English speaking country. I can also work it around my job. With more professionals jumping on, we have more detailed guides and more in-depth help. This leads to some companies providing walkthroughs, or interviewing people who use their software/hardware etc. This is truly great for the church.
Where Are the Mistakes?
My main issue with the current era is that everything is too perfect. It’s the perfect “Instagram” version of our churches, lives, and tech. I came across this article from the Washington Post on “How the Mom Internet became a spotless, sponsored void” and it rang true for me about our churches. We’ve gone from sharing what we did wrong and what we learned from it or our frustrations regarding it, to focusing only on the perfect solutions and advice. Sometimes this is advice we don’t even do, or it’s advice we’ve heard from other “experts” and so we’re repeating it.
Even when the advice is good and true, we’re still missing out on the benefit (for the writers and the audience) of more honesty and transparency. It helps others who are struggling, keeps us humble, drives us to improve, and reflects that the Church isn’t perfect.
Share the Ugly Side
So my challenge to you, if you blog for your church or a parachurch group, don’t hold back from sharing the ugly side. If you don’t blog, maybe start a personal blog. Not for money and profit, but for the benefits you (and the community) will get from what you share (you can even do it here at ChurchMag).
John says
I recently shared (http://anotherjohn.com/my-parenting-regret/) my parenting regret that I recognized after my oldest child moved out of the house.
Perfect vs. honest. Perfect makes the blog look nice, but honest helps your readers connect (hopefully grow).
Thanks! Stay blessed…john
Chris Wilson says
Hey John, Great post! Can I make a couple of style suggestions? I’d suggest making “I have prayed so much for them, I have not prayed enough with them.” bold and also there should be a space in the last paragraph between the “amens I”. It’s great to see some people are still being honest in blogging 🙂