What Is the Point?

What Is the Point?

I often find myself wondering whether there is any real point to blogging. As is expressed in the two videos in the post on Twitter Merit, I often wonder about the overall value of blogging in general, including this little blog of mine.

In my posting, and in my checking the statistical reports, I realize that a big part of my motive is selfish, at least in a sense. While I have the proclamation of the Gospel as the foundational motive, nevertheless, I also keep searching.

I find that I check frequently to see whether anyone is actually reading the blog. When the statistical report shows me that people are visiting the blog and reading the material that I present, it is encouraging to me.

Why?

In this world of the darkness of sin, with the compromises that continue to be accepted and even promoted within Christendom, standing alone feels very lonely. I and my wife have visited many congregations in the past, searching for our brothers and sisters with whom we could gather. In times past we have driven as far as 75 miles one way, a 150 mile round trip, to attend the divine services. Here in Wichita we drove 65 miles each way for a time.

We very much want to find those with whom we may honestly declare to have true koinonia or communion, often called fellowship. However, true communion is not what most people today call fellowship. True communion is not merely a sense of comradery. True communion is being genuinely one. This oneness is more than a feeling. It is more than gathering in a group that tries to make people feel welcome. It is more than coffee and donuts. It is more than gathering in a specific location to go through the motions of worship.

When we have attended services at congregations that do not understand this or have it, we have sometimes been fooled for a time, but before long we found that we were more alone amongst them than apart from them. The reason is that the union and communion that we seek and even sometimes desperately desire is not a horizontal relationship. We are not seeking to be united and welcomed by extension. We are not seeking an extended hand or open arms. We are seeking oneness. Rather than seeking to be welcomed, we are seeking those with whom no welcoming committee and no greeter is necessary. We are seeking those with whom we already belong, not those with whom we must join.

And I find that I must admit that this blog is written at least in part with that continual desire to hear from someone, somewhere, with whom we are truly one.

We think that there surely must be others in the world who stand solely upon the foundation that is everlasting. We very much would love to be in communication with them. We know of a very tiny few. And the fact that people do visit the blog and the web site seems to indicate that others also are seeking the same. Sadly though, it seems that almost no one is willing to stand alone, to stand apart from the bigger so-called fellowships, so as not to separate themselves from those who stand solely upon the foundation of the doctrine of the apostles in the one true body of Christ.

I mentioned that a kind of selfishness is included in my blogging, and this desire to find those with whom I am one is that selfish or self-serving motive. Yet, this search is in the hope of those who are our brethren also being able to share in the knowledge of our presence and to be encouraged and edified together with us.

And so, while I often wonder whether this blogging is worthwhile, I expect that I will continue posting little bits of the grand proclamation of the good news that is the light and life of men. Even if I am only preaching the Gospel in snippets to myself, I benefit. And if someone, somewhere, also hears and receives even some small benefit, it is worthwhile for that reason as well.