Can I?
I need your help today:
My goal when I began this blog back in February of 2006 was stated: “This is my one place for me to write without someone looking over my shoulder - it is a place where I can be much more myself. I can be politically incorrect, I can be grammatically comfortable and I can talk about WHATEVER I want to without feeling I represent anyone - that is except God.”
That little statement has appeared at the top of this blog for the duration. Without malice, here is where it came from. I had no sooner begun “writing for churches” (back in 1982) that I began to realize one had to be very cautious. My grammar, intentions, motives, approach all have been questioned. “The Tie”: Some have said I’m too positive. “How can every Sunday be great?” they ask. I contend it is always great when God’s People gather to worship Him. Others have condemned it when I have singled someone out for something good they have done. “Those who were not singled out will get their feelings hurt” they contend. I wonder if they would have said the same to Luke in Acts 4 when those with possessions sold them and brought the money to the apostles, but Barnabas was mentioned by name while the others weren’t. Then there was the fact pointed out to me that I was not writing for myself but for myself but what I was saying was seen as “the position” of the church. That one typically made me paranoid and led to many a disclaimer. Some have criticized my writing style. “Don’t use personal pronouns” or “Don’t write like you talk, write in a more formal style.” It seems to me that on the whole most have appreciated the personal touch. I could go on. WHen I moved to work with the great Granny White church for the first time the editor got edited. Before going to press every week my articles would typically be looked at and edited by five sets of eyes! By the time it went to press I had to go back and read it again to see what I had said :). Truthfully, they were awesome and I appreciated it ... most of the time.
So when I started this blog, I saw it as a place I could just talk. If I wanted to talk about spiritual things and how they affected me, I could. If I wanted to just laugh or write about something like my rental car with no spiritualizing, I could. If I wanted to write about my family, hey, it’s my blog. Take a poll - nothing official, I just wanted to know. And, other than a few times when someone has taken the comment section for personal attacks or when, in my opinion, someone needed to just lighten up. I’ve been able to be personal.
UNTIL...ENTER my dear friend and sometimes wise advisor “J” says that I can’t write just for me. That inevitably when I mention Spring Meadows or write about what is happening here I’m automatically representing, in the minds of my readers, the church. That I am inextricably tied to Spring Meadows and that I cloud those waters myself when I write something that includes SM in it. And I think he may be correct.
So, here’s your assignment. Post, comment, what do you think. Is “J” right?
I wrote in my first post from Starbucks Green Hills on February 11, 2006 “This will be a public forum in which you'll get both opinion and truth. Opinion being that which all of us have and is arrived at from everything from experience to, well, just stupid thoughts. Truth is the definable verifiable commodity found in the God's Word the Bible. I want to both have some fun on this blog as well as, at times, perhaps give you something deep to think about.”
When I think that I can’t do that anymore I get a tightening in my chest that rather disturbs me. Before I sign off, I’m not upset with anyone or down about all of this, just kinda wondering how others see this blog and if I need to change its style or approach. If when I write something that evokes some controversy does it reflect negatively on Spring Meadows or if it just makes people think. If you are “put off” by the times I just have fun or if you like the feeble attempts at humor. So what say ye?
Can I write, just for me or must this be that which represents others?