Bloggers As a Church; Are We A Welcoming One?

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church3As you know, some Christian blogs contain a “Community” section where other bloggers who follow them can be seen in their “face-tile” form. This human kaleidoscope provides a wonderful portal for surfing WordPress and discovering new blogs.

But it can also throw you for a loop. Some of the blogs you visit are distinctly un-Christian in their content. Sometimes it’s flat-out erotica (flee, men! Not even a hint!). Other times it’s coarse language and brazenly worldly talk. Other blogs are very gracious and gentle in tone, so much so that you feel guilty criticizing, but they do promote pantheistic “many ways to God” and “positive energy” ideas, or simple “inspiration” that’s ultimately empty and powerless to save.

Whatever the case, not all of WordPress clings to the stark, dirty beauty of the cross of Christ – or the glory of his empty tomb. Yet these unbelieving bloggers follow, and consistently like posts from, Christian bloggers whose Bible-derived beliefs leave virtually no room for theirs.

I’ve often wondered what’s going through their minds. Some of them are just hoping for a follow back. But not all of them.

For the past season, I’ve had an unwritten post draft directed towards those unbelieving bloggers. It was a challenge. “Why do you stick around? Do you understand how directly and entirely these Christian precepts contradict your own?” it was going to say, basically. “What are you going to do about these ideas? Why do you keep following and liking when you don’t seem interested in believing?”

And then – and I can only credit the Holy Spirit for breaching my foolishness so eloquently – a question surfaced in my mind in response.

“Where else should they be?”

I realized that I was making the same error as the church that frowns upon the known “loose lady” who comes to church looking for grace, or the ragged homeless man or inked-and-pierced girl tiptoeing into the sanctuary searching for God. We fear they’ll bring sin amongst us. We fear they’ll upset our order. We fear (unconsciously) our inability to understand their lives or speak into their challenges. We fear our message will be diluted somehow by being spent on these souls, when it was to exactly these souls that the message was sent.

On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17)

It should sober us to realize that our bad habits originated with the Pharisees.

Where else should these unbelieving bloggers be? In their own echo chambers, bouncing identical ideas off each other for security like we Christians so often do? May it never be. We bloggers are a church, after a fashion. We’re a community. None of us are pastors (that title should not be claimed idly), nor are we perfect, but we are a body of believers. The lost should be amongst us, hearing our good news, hearing of the Jesus who loved them, who died for them, who rose again to offer them a new life, both now and later.

Unbelieving bloggers: Forgive me. You are most welcome here.

I may believe fundamentally differently than you, and I find I cannot espouse the same concepts. And I do reserve the right to urge you towards a different worldview.

But you are always welcome here.

I pray that somehow, God fills my words with grace and uses me to reveal his love for you, a love revealed in the Bible through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Please stick around.

 

 

If you know someone who would be blessed by this post, feel free to share it on social media. Thanks a bunch!

39 thoughts on “Bloggers As a Church; Are We A Welcoming One?”

  1. I really like the way you approached the topic. As Christian bloggers we shouldn’t expect that only other Christian bloggers should follow us. Those who don’t share our views are also welcome. Who knows, may be they will come to see the light through us. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. I to have been in this situation not so much in the blogging world but the real one. Atheist friends continuing to communicate with me about their painful problems all the while saying, ” Wait is this going to be about Jesus again” when I answer or contribute to the conversation it’s a difficult road that can only be walked with love.

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  4. Great post, Brandon. I have had this very thing run through my mind before, as I’ve been shocked at some of the followers I’ve received. However, I hope that there are a great many who see this “blogging life” as an extension of ministry. My Mom always said I should “act nice” 🙂 because I might just be the only Bible some people ever read. That’s always been in the back of my mind with my blog as well. It is my prayer that, as Christian bloggers, we let our lights shine so brightly, we illuminate all who click our links 🙂 ! Be blessed, brother.

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  7. WOW 🙌🙌🙌!! Brandon, I’m starting to think we’re related or something 😉.

    I was just thinking about this same thing about a week ago, wondering why I was getting “likes” and “follows” from bloggers who seem diametrically opposed to my beliefs.

    But, as you stated (or rather, as Holy Spirit stated), “Where else should they be?”

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  8. Hi brandon, I was interested to read in the comments that you hoped to primarily encourage other Christians and I believe you have achieved that aim, (in me anyway – you are one of my favourite Christian bloggers). It’s wonderful if the Lord is using you and extending your ministry further than you hoped or imagined.

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  9. Brandon, when I first connected with the internet, I was just a curious observer. Then I began to see the opportunity to teach since that was one of my spiritual gifts. At first, I created websites, but eventually preferred doing blogs. Then I discovered WordPress, and the Lord blessed me here. My goal was and still is to present the good news of Jesus Christ to anyone who needs to know about Him. Sure Christians get attracted to my blog. I pray that somebody will be drawn closer to the Father by something that is said in one of my posts. Brandon, you never know who you may reach. In the end, it’s about a seed that’s planted. God will do His part.

    Brandon, you never know how your blog is going to help someone or who it is going to read it. One year a deacon started reading it. He told me he was learning a lot, which helped him become a better teacher at his church, He was from Texas. A pastor was learning new things from my blog! Then there is always those from other countries who have never heard of Jesus who have many questions about Him. It is an adventure. All we have to do is pray and write. At least that is what I did. Lately, my blog entitled “Living in the Light of Jesus’ Words” has new readers! I’ve gotten about 5-6 new readers this week! I started it back in 2014. Let’s continue to encourage us because we never know who we are reaching whether sinner or believer.

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  10. I, too, have written things that God directed me to set aside. I pray that those true believers can have an influence. Thank you for sharing, and may God guide us before we press the Publish button.

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  11. Awesome post! I didn’t know where you were going with this at first, but WOWWWW, it turned out great! Yes, Jesus came for those who are sick and to seek that which was lost! And if we want to be true witnesses we too must lift up the name of Jesus so that those who are lost may be drawn unto Him!…Keep at it my friend!

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  13. Thank you for this! I know I’ve been confused several times when I peek at the website of a new follower, simply to see that they’re very pantheistic, new spiritualist, or Muslim — and instantly worry that my message must be shallow, or watered down, or not a clear enough presentation of the Gospel. But the reality is that the Gospel truly has power, truly has draw, and truly does have appeal to the broken in this world — because that’s who it’s for! (even when our presentation may muddy it a bit.) Let our words and articles ever be winsome and true — presenting real love and reality at the same time.
    Thanks for your consistent wisdom, encouragement, and faithfulness!

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  14. If ‘following’ a believer’s blog is just an introduction of “our friends” coming to follow Christ, really, they are all welcome. If there seems to be no change in their lives, we know that a seed is being sown and look forward to it growing someday.

    Let Lord Jesus have full expression through us and the world is yet to see how many more will worship at His beautiful feet.

    Insightful words Dear Brandon.

    More of Lord Jesus to you.

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  16. I enjoyed this Brandon, and agree 100 percent. Of course, I love the interaction with my brothers and sisters, but they are only part of the point here. I have one particular atheist friend who follows my bog; I am on his blog roll in fact. I know the only reason I am there is so he can track me and write scathing, hurtful responses to things I write. To that I say….so what? The worst thing is that people will come over to read and go back and have a laugh at my expense; on the other hand, they will hear the Gospel while they are there. Works for me.

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  17. Thank you for the blog post. I liked your quote, “… our bad habits originated with the Pharisees.” Your statement couldn’t be spot-on in a time where; as Christians; especially Christians bloggers who use coarse language ( although I have never been to a blog site myself) or contradict the Bible.

    As Christians, we are called to be like Christ, but because of our sinful and prideful natures, we become like the Pharisees who continually rejected Christ as Lord because their pride wouldn’t let them see who Christ really was.

    Liked by 4 people

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