Inner Dorothy tells the story of a person in ministry whose webblog got her in trouble with her church council -- who had to, at least for the time being, stop publishing.
I occasionally wonder if anyone I know in real life reads my blog unbeknownst to me...if my pastor has ever seen it, or a fellow parishoner, or a lay ministry classmate, or church bigshot type. I don't give out my blog address offline, so I have no reason to believe that they have...but on the other hand, in our six-degrees world it wouldn't take Sherlock Holmes to read through my posts and connect the dots.
And, if they have read it...well, then they have. And they know all about my dog, my tomatoes, my Amateur-Hour theologizing, my hormones, my feelings-n-stuff and everything else. If they keep coming back they'll keep learning more.
9 comments:
I had never read the blog that had to be removed because of the friction that was caused in a congregation so don't know what to say.
The written word has always created friction, and the writings in the virtual world are no different. It's the risk we take when we put down our thoughts for the rest of the world to see and process.
Cathy
Well, you'll know if you read my blog in June, that I went through this very same Sturm und Drang.
. . . but hey: I'm still blogging (I just moved and re-labeled the "Date Me!" link a little more discretely ;-/)
I made the choice that I can't - and don't want to - wear a mask, either in church or in this bloggers world.
A few in our church read what I write (confessions and confusions alike)- I hope that they are able to take the truth in love. I am not perfect - I have fears and frustrations, and like Inner Dorothy (whose blog I cannot comment on - no blogger a/c) and you, Rev Gals has come to mean a lot to me
a support net work- to laugh and to cry with -to be challenged by and be accountable to- thank You God!
Cathy: I agree. I think it's a risk all writers take. Look at William Faulkner -- the folks back home were pretty offended by his tales of "Sartorius."
As far as upsetting people in my parish...I try to keep it anonymous here, so I don't think I'm violating anyone's confidentiality. And if someone is upset about me...well, I choose to be a person of integrity; this is who I am, this is what I think, this is how I feel. (Gee...maybe I'll be an action item in the council agenda!;-))
J.C. If you can't be honest, why bother...that's the conclusion I've come to.
Lorna: It's hard to breathe underneath a mask.;-)
I agree with you. I cherish my online connections so much...and because of where I live, I really depend on all of you to feel connected to all my various extended "families" and to keep me from going whoo-hoo up here in cultural Siberia.;-)
My pastor and her best friend, a fellow pastor in a neighboring town, both know of my blog and read it fairly often. (The best friend also keeps her own blog, but under a pseudonym so her parishioners won't feel compelled to follow it.) I've also gotten kind words from the pastor of the Congregational church next door. I don't think any of the other parishioners in my congregation know of my blog, though.
I wear the blogger's mask mostly for reasons of online privacy, to protect my true identity from cyberbandits and other shady types, not to hide from folks who do know me. I don't go to great lengths to fool those who would know me well enough to recognize the telltale clues, and I can't remember ever posting something on my blog that I would regret if someone I knew found out it was mine.
I have no regrets either. If someone I know face-to-face has a startling revelation about my personal life after reading my blog...well, it's time.;-) And if there are consequences...to quote a favorite line from a favorite Leonard Cohen song, "And even if it goes all wrong I'll stand before the Lord of Song with nothing on my lips but 'Alleluia.'"
"Hallelujah."
(It's the name of the song, blockhead!...)
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