When I first started this blog, I entitled it, "the community of Jesus." Later I changed it to "the Jesus community, " and then simply to "Jesus community." I just don't find this an apt title for this blog anymore, at least in one important way. But I just haven't come up with a name to replace it.
"Jesus community" ideally for me means that there is blog interaction in a way that shares our lives, and what God is doing in them, insofar as this media can do that. In that sense this is certainly not happening. I've been too tired to do blogging justice, and for hours during a day I have no access to a computer. Of course this involves visiting each other's blogs, not just interaction on one blog.
I still like the title in that it represents for me something of what is central to us in Jesus and in our mission in this world. It's a mission centered in Jesus and lived out in community. So with that in mind, I can still happily keep the title, while being open to a better one.
What might Jesus community mean to you? How do you live it out? Or maybe better put, how is God moving you along that path over the months and years?
As the fine, helpful poem by Marcus Goodyear, "Stumbling out of Heresy", found here, points out, God's work takes time, indeed a lifetime.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
15 comments:
The community aspect of blogging is on the wane. I miss it. Facebook has helped, but it isn't an exchange of ideas.
Is there a better name? Sure, but all the ones I'd come up with right now are such cliches, as true as they are about you, Ted, and your blog. "communing with God", "Steeped in the Word" "Faith to reality", etc.
Ah, Dave. Thanks.
I like "faith to reality." Very good. I'm tempted to jump on that one. I certainly hope that what I write reflects that. Because I believe God's revelation to us in Jesus and in Scripture, most certainly does.
I am slow to change things, though, but the others you mention are fine, and that indeed is an especially good one, I think.
Hi--Don't you dare change it! I like Jesus community--I like the fact that it is what we are about and doing when we go to each others blogs. I agree--time is a big factor and I only visit every so often!! Facebook is nice (but I lapse even there!!) because I get a quick look at what my friends and family are doing and prayer requests etc. When I started my original blog it was just for me--things I wanted to remember and/or reflect on....so whatever!
Thanks, Nannykim for the encouraging words, and your thoughts here. I hope to do better in blogging in the future.
It's not the blog name that matters so much, but the spirit.
And that is a fine one here. :)
L.L.,
Thanks. I appreciate your words.
i think it is a good idea to change the name. try to do a month of community blogville activity, without using the word community.
here are some bright ideas to start you off:
"living the faith"
"in the heart of the word"
"michigan man"
"being transformed"
"the confusion and foibles of discipleship"
"following Jesus"
"together in Jesus"
"the neighborhood"
"around the neighborhood"
"take a load off"
"ted's house"
"faith happens"
"talk it out"
"reading,writing and relating"...forget the arithmetic
"slow but sure"
nAncY,
As usual you have some very creative ideas there. I like them.
I guess I strongly believe in Jesus community, but just wondered whether it is the most apt title for this blog.
My goal is to experience "Jesus community" in a fashion on here, even if it's just between two people. As Jesus said, "Where two or three gather in my name, there I am, with them."
i think that there are some things that you can do that will involve people more. just like this post, asking for ideas. it is what community is all about. people actually talking with one another. it is interesting how many ways on can use just online to relate.
one can blog, and then announce to others of the post on twitter to get people to come to your post, and there is facebook, where there is altogether another set of people getting in touch.
they are all different, but can work together in a way. i find that i must put forth an effort to communicate on a regualr basis with several bloggers, some of which reciprocate in a supportive way.
it also seems to me that with anything in life, some people come and go quickly and some stay a bit longer in some things.
i seems to be the same with our path in God. we are in a place with certain people for a time, and then things move on and change.
but, where ever we are we can relate to who is there, and that is the ever changing community thata we serve and share in.
are you on twitter as well? that is where all the writer, poetry people gather i am finding out...among others.
i think of you as part of my community here.
though, i feel sometimes that you would like to be able to talk about things that i might not be up on...but, you put up with me anyway. and that is nice.
sometimes i think that we agree and understand one another.
oops...that was nAncY...not casey.
casey is my daughter, as you probably already know.
nAncY,
Thanks for your good words. Yes, I'm on Twitter, but just haven't taken the time to interact with it. My access to computers is limited during the day. I would like to get a laptop or ebook, and then I'd probably plug into more. But from what you say, maybe I should replug back into Twitter.
Actually I had reconciled myself to the reality that this blog is not that active, and was thinking a bit in terms of that. I agree that community involves dialogue.
Thanks, again.
Not an active blog? Way more active than my blog with 500+ readers.
Dave J.,
You scare me. I don't keep track of that on purpose, but there's no way I really believe that. Maybe, conceivably there are that many links, but links and actual reading are not the same.
But in the end, I want to do it for the Lord, and it really is for my sake as well. And hopefully someone can get something good out of it as well, for their journey.
Thanks.
Thanks for the link to the poem, Ted! I missed it last week. (Crazy week.)
I like the name of your blog. At least it is more open that "goodwordediting" where I rarely talk about the details of editing anymore.
As for Dave J.'s comment about blogs not being the tool for community anymore... that gave me pause. I still think it is a tool for personal depth and small group depth. Twitter and Facebook generate pretty shallow interactions. They are important, but they don't replace the substance of reading a person's blog.
But, hey, change the name to whatever you want. Just don't change the URL or I'll never be able to find you!
Marcus,
Your welcome, and thanks much for your comment here.
Yes, I'm inclined to keep it for lack of a better title coming to mind, though I've had a generous offering of some good possibilities.
As to keeping the same URL, I suppose you're right. Have been thinking of switching from Blogger to Wordpress, but because Blogger has been making some good changes and is backed by Google, and because I can be quite the simpleton when it comes to computer matters, I likely will just stay put. And Wordpress can result in paying them to keep it going. spikes in hits can cause more problems with Wordpress, allegedly, etc. I'll just stay put, I suppose.
Again, thanks, and the poem and its meaning continues to minister to me.
Post a Comment