There have been a few bloggers who have noticed that the tenor of the Godblogosphere has turned more cannibalistic in recent months. Christian bloggers increasingly savage other Christian bloggers, the tone of posts is more critical, and everyone's trying to play "King of the Mountain" on doctrinal issues.
Yes, I see it too.
While I may blog about doctrine from time to time, Cerulean Sanctum exists to call the Church back to its roots in Acts, so my focus here is praxis. The practical living out of what we believe is what this blog is about—the Church in action. Sure, I talk about writing, personal issues, homeschooling, and a few other topics, but primarily I look at how the American Church walks its talk.
So yes, this site can be critical of the Western Church. My writing style is also very much no holds barred for those who can cope with it. What I hope distinguishes this site from others is that I almost always try to talk about solutions. It does nothing to build the Church if we talk about what's wrong with it without also discussing how we can fix what's broken. If I served as nothing more than a critic, with no solutions or help, then the Church is not bettered, nor are the people in it challenged to improve the practice of the Faith.
Many of the posts here are "Physician Heal Thyself" in that I'm just as guilty of blowing it as anyone. I'm learning, too. I can be as good as the next guy in the pew in talking about the Faith while not living it out in a practical way. I hope that people notice that I tend to use the collective "we" when I blog; this is intended to reveal that I'm probably stumbling in my own practice, too, and that I identify with all of us who fall short of the glory of God. This blog serves to challenge my own practice as much as it does anyone else's. If that means that some of the posts here seem a bit too "blanket" in their critiques, it's for this reason.
This has been a year of skyrocketing growth for Cerulean Sanctum. Plenty more people read this blog than they did in January 2005. I hope that 2006 reveals no slackening in the quality of writing, nor in the calling of the Church for the betterment of her practice of the Gospel.
I appreciate every person who reads Cerulean Sanctum. My prayer is that no one leaves here unchallenged. We all have room to grow. Thanks for growing with me.
Amen.
Thanks for proposing solutions instead of being merely another critic.
I’ve been blessed by your writing and your humility in responding to criticism. Here’s to another year!
Thanks, Benson.
BTW, I like the prophetic vision you have posted over at your blog.
How do you, or do you have to, cope with what I term “unprofessional” comments? I had one young lady tell me I was blaspheming the Lord by using the NIV and asked me to refrain! And it gets worse!
I liked you series you recently completed, great job!
Helen,
I’ve been fortunate in that I don’t get a lot of trash here. The readership of this blog has been top-notch. I’ve only deleted a couple posts this whole year (one was shilling for something and another was by a commenter who claimed he was the Lord.)
I always advise that we bloggers treat everyone like a person Christ died for first of all, even if they treat you like the spawn of hell.
I’ve taken a few comments into e-mail so it doesn’t clutter the blog or cause hard feelings for being public. That’s works well if you can find the commenter’s e-mail address.
I’ll be honest in that I treat all anonymous posts with a grain of salt. People commenting anonymously have no burden of identity they must uphold. While I don’t try to treat anonymous poster as second-class citizens, I have more to say to those who are identified. I’ve always left the anonymous option on because I believe that anonymous posting still has a purpose.
As to your issue, try to turn the question back on the commenter and ask what they would suggest you do. At that point it is far easier to understand their beef—it may even be unrelated to the issue they’re castigating you for. At that point, you can better address the commenter with a rational answer. If she’s KJV, then ask her to read the translator’s preface to the 1611 wherein they state that multiple translations are essential for fully understanding the Scriptures. Ask her what modern translations would fit that bill for her. You may not get a response, but at least you’re addressing the issue.
Sometimes you have to ignore things. I can’t comment on every comment or else I’d have no life apart from the blog.
Hope that helps.
Wow, you went above and beyond, thank you! And I learned something new about the KJV!
You have truly helped. God Bless.
Re: “My writing style is also very much no holds barred”.
I still say you are “…always thoughtful, occasionally verbose, and never short of opinions.”
I like that; keeps me coming back!
Well, sir, in all respect I believe the restoration of the KJV is the most important task Christians face, along with maintaining doctrinal purity and combatting the unbelievable dangers posed by the heretical “emerging church.” Please know that I warn people out of love, for the Lord has laid very strict guidelines for his people and I’m afraid many more people are going to go to hell than realize it all ready.
Take care, my christian brother.
Maureen,
Thanks for visiting this site! Doctrinal purity is very important to me. I also understand the dangers within the emerging church, although I also see that they are a reaction to what the rest of the church is failing to do. The rest of the church needs to do a better job on those issues. I’ve blogged about this issue extensively, so you can read more if you wish.
But we’ll have to disagree on the KJV-only position. When the translators of the KJV themselves recommend using other versions, I think that’s an important point. This is not to denigrate the KJV, but only to show that it is not—even from the perspective of its translators—the only accurate translation of the Bible. If that were the case, then only English-speakers have the perfect translation, a position that makes an idol of the English language.
I use the ESV here, a very good translation that reads well. As someone who has studied Greek, I know the difficulty in rendering perfect Greek into perfect English. For this reason, every translation is compromised in part, even the KJV. This is one reason why I support teaching Greek to homeschooled kids rather than Latin—the Greek language is so rich that reading the NT in the original Greek is a revelation.
I don’t disagree with you on the fact that we are churning out too many new translations nowadays. This bothers me greatly. Too many are too simplistic or take liberties with the text. Still, this does not mean that the KJV is the only approved version. James White has written some excellent books on this topic and I would encourage you to read his works.
Blessings.
Bowden,
I’ve only known one other Bowden, but I like the name.
I think you’ve got me pegged! It’s always fun to hear what others think of my writing. Growing up in a highly opinionated household had a huge influence, since we talked everything out. Even though I’m geting older, the opinionated part still hasn’t faded away, though I hope that I’m not as tactless as I once was!
Dan,
I’ve appreciated you blog since I began reading it last week (I’m new in the blososphere). Your approach in writing your blog is refreshing. I appreciate your knack for turning to Scripture when offering solutions to perceived problems in our churches.
What got me reading your blog was your post on mega-churches closing on Christmas Sunday. While many blogs were crucifying those who made this decision, I believe your post brought a balanced, well-thought out answer – an answer I agree with. (I hope you don’t mind, I linked your post on my blog when I threw in my two cents on this issue. I could not have said it any better than you did.)
May the Lord bless you in all you do. Seek Christ faithfully, brother!
Danny
Dan, Even when you say hard things, you say them in love — and it shows. That’s one of the things I appreciate. You demonstrate that it is possible to express strong opinions without tearing down those who disagree with you. That’s the fruit of the Spirit. 🙂
Thanks for your thought-provoking essays. Keep up the good work.
Linda
Lindaruth and Wannabe Muser.
Thanks!
Dan,
The emergent debate in particular has been heavy on my heart lately. Your weblog and this post in particular are a breath of fresh air. Thanks.
Blessings,
Michael