Blogging is Taking Over My Life :)
Blogging has taken over my life. It is 11:08 am and I am still here in my jammies, but I value and so appreciate the conversation.
As you are aware if you have been reading along for awhile, I struggle, vent, fall down, get up and generally rant and rave about issues I am passionate about, which recently include faith, politics and faith and politics together (as in how does one influence the other?).
On the faith front, I have been exploring the Emergent Church movement, which makes some people nervous, others hostile, and yet others really excited. Everyone has an opinion, and as I hope you know, I value them all here. I just decided to attend an event in Memphis called The Great Emergence the first weekend in December. I hope that it will impact my prayer and discernment for a non-traditional church plant that some of us at my home church are involved in. I am passionate about sharing the love of Christ with others, and the week after next will also be attending the National Outreach Convention in San Diego. It was through that organization's publication, Outreach Magazine, that I discovered the Faith in Action Campaign.
Politics. I never really considered myself a political activist, but perhaps having an opinion and being willing to share it openly has made me one. The catalyst for my sharing came from receiving one too many mudslinging, name calling emails, that I ended up muttering about on ad infinitum with my husband. His suggestion was rather than react defensively, I go on the offense, so I guess that is what I have done, by stating my opinions, which I hope don't become offensive in the wrong way.
But check this out: an editor from a web site noticed (My meta tags must be leading people to my site) and I got the following email:
Subject: RE: Politics Message: Hi,My name is Tia and I am an editor at Opposing Views. I came across your site, liked what I read, and wanted to introduce us because we both write about political issues. Opposingviews.com is a debate site where experts go head-to-head on a variety of topics. With Election Day approaching, our experts are discussing some of the most interesting and high-profile ballot initiatives from across the U.S. I encourage you to check out those of interest…I believe you and your visitors will appreciate these debates and might want to weigh in with votes or comments. If you like our site, I would appreciate it if you blog about us or give us a link to the debates. You can create a profile page giving readers information and links to your site. Or, if it is easier, I can do this for you. In the near future we’ll add a blogosphere section to each debate so we can directly feature outside blogs like yours.Thanks for the time and consideration. Let me know if you have any questions or recommendations for experts or debates. Sincerely,Tia www.opposingviews.com.
I went to their site and it looks interesting. Which is another reason it will be going on noon soon and all I have done is blogged, read other blogs and tried to figure out how to post links to blogs I like on my blog. I had to email my web gal for help with that one. I am a total techno peasant.
Which brings up the complicated inter-relationship of faith and politics. Should one influence the other? Does my pastor have it right by abstaining from voting as a peaceful way of protest? What about writing in a candidate instead? Should the government take over where the church has failed? How can we do this perhaps on a more grass roots level in our communities (for example the Faith in Action Campaign?) and do you ultimately believe as does my husband's faith that he grew up in but doesn't follow, that God has already selected the next president, so why bother?
OK. I need to get dressed, do some errands, forget the laundry, and yikes, I do have book writing related work to do, not to mention some church outreach business. But I am way hooked on this. Oh Boy. Now when I need to work on a book, I guess I will have to go where I can't get Internet...
Peace.
As you are aware if you have been reading along for awhile, I struggle, vent, fall down, get up and generally rant and rave about issues I am passionate about, which recently include faith, politics and faith and politics together (as in how does one influence the other?).
On the faith front, I have been exploring the Emergent Church movement, which makes some people nervous, others hostile, and yet others really excited. Everyone has an opinion, and as I hope you know, I value them all here. I just decided to attend an event in Memphis called The Great Emergence the first weekend in December. I hope that it will impact my prayer and discernment for a non-traditional church plant that some of us at my home church are involved in. I am passionate about sharing the love of Christ with others, and the week after next will also be attending the National Outreach Convention in San Diego. It was through that organization's publication, Outreach Magazine, that I discovered the Faith in Action Campaign.
Politics. I never really considered myself a political activist, but perhaps having an opinion and being willing to share it openly has made me one. The catalyst for my sharing came from receiving one too many mudslinging, name calling emails, that I ended up muttering about on ad infinitum with my husband. His suggestion was rather than react defensively, I go on the offense, so I guess that is what I have done, by stating my opinions, which I hope don't become offensive in the wrong way.
But check this out: an editor from a web site noticed (My meta tags must be leading people to my site) and I got the following email:
Subject: RE: Politics Message: Hi,My name is Tia and I am an editor at Opposing Views. I came across your site, liked what I read, and wanted to introduce us because we both write about political issues. Opposingviews.com is a debate site where experts go head-to-head on a variety of topics. With Election Day approaching, our experts are discussing some of the most interesting and high-profile ballot initiatives from across the U.S. I encourage you to check out those of interest…I believe you and your visitors will appreciate these debates and might want to weigh in with votes or comments. If you like our site, I would appreciate it if you blog about us or give us a link to the debates. You can create a profile page giving readers information and links to your site. Or, if it is easier, I can do this for you. In the near future we’ll add a blogosphere section to each debate so we can directly feature outside blogs like yours.Thanks for the time and consideration. Let me know if you have any questions or recommendations for experts or debates. Sincerely,Tia www.opposingviews.com.
I went to their site and it looks interesting. Which is another reason it will be going on noon soon and all I have done is blogged, read other blogs and tried to figure out how to post links to blogs I like on my blog. I had to email my web gal for help with that one. I am a total techno peasant.
Which brings up the complicated inter-relationship of faith and politics. Should one influence the other? Does my pastor have it right by abstaining from voting as a peaceful way of protest? What about writing in a candidate instead? Should the government take over where the church has failed? How can we do this perhaps on a more grass roots level in our communities (for example the Faith in Action Campaign?) and do you ultimately believe as does my husband's faith that he grew up in but doesn't follow, that God has already selected the next president, so why bother?
OK. I need to get dressed, do some errands, forget the laundry, and yikes, I do have book writing related work to do, not to mention some church outreach business. But I am way hooked on this. Oh Boy. Now when I need to work on a book, I guess I will have to go where I can't get Internet...
Peace.
Labels: blogging, faith and politics, Faith in Action, living faith, opposingviews.com, The Great Emergence
posted by www.kathypride.com at
11:08 AM
4 Comments:
One of the hardest parts about voting responsibly is the great deal of time it takes to sort through the rhetoric and (hopefully) find the truth.
It would be the easiest thing to do to just bury our heads and not vote. But I'm not sure that is the BEST thing to do.
What I know for absolute certain, as sisters and brothers in Christ, what we MUST do, is support and love one another even if we disagree. And realize that God is ultimately in control, no matter WHO wins.
I am thankful that there are members of the Christian community who do support and love one another even if they don't agree, and love that we can have these conversations.
I have not reached the same conclusion as my pastor, feeling I do need to vote. But yet I understand his reasoning and respect his position.
What I hope doesn't happen is that people go to the polls, plan to vote and then get fed up with the wait and leave, figuring it won't make a difference.
I have a one vote won't make a difference story I will share. How wrong I was...
I believe being informed and educated is the appropriate path to take, although you are correct, it takes time.
arghh...I am going to be late to pick up Nicole. I came home because we need to run to WalMart after school and I left without my purse.
Yes, absolutely let's have that discussion...what can the church do. I am all for that and that reminds me of another comment to make related to a Sunday School class I am currently in.
Just wanted to say I skimmed the comment and couldn't agree more with the first paragraph.
More later.
With regard to the Emergent Church. I don't know much about this movement, and I think there may be two different, similarly named, versions. We can't forego preaching the gospel in our effort to reach out to others. Every individual limb has to keep the gospel, which is not just "God loves you." But also "Christ died for your sins." Sometimes that latter half gets lost.
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