I told you it was a work in progress.

I realize that is is now Feb. 11. I wrote exactly 1 blog post in 2010, but I think I might have a new-found commitment to writing/keeping a blog. My thoughts are mixed; I have never really been a big blog reader, and frankly, I don't know if anyone will read or would want to read what I write in a blog. Perhaps I need greater clarity as to the purpose of this blog. Maybe not. I do quite a bit of writing each week; I could post my sermons here, though I also post them on our church website. I could post newsletter articles, though I also post those on the church website.

I think I started this blog as a way to keep up with family, to have a central place to post updates and information, and I guess part of the reason for the silence in the past year is that not much has changed. For the first time in many years, I haven't had a major change to report.

So why am I back to the blog now? Perhaps I have enough distance from Seminary to appreciate the practice of "journaling." But I don't think so. A few months ago I was named to the PC (USA) Special Committee to Study the Nature of the Church in the 21st Century. We met back in January, and over the course of our meeting together, I explored the use of Twitter a bit more. In thinking about and preparing for this committee, I have also found myself spending more time online, and more time on blogs of other church leaders, in particular. This past week in particular, after the release of a "Final Letter to the PC (USA)," I have been spending a lot more time in front of my computer screen, following the responses from across the church to this letter. I have read blogs of people I know and people who know people I know. I have tried to keep a finger on the pulse of response, in part because of my participation on this special committee, but mostly because of my personal interest. Between the letter and my participation on the Special Committee, time spent looking through Tweets and blog posts, I have come to appreciate the new terrain of blogging communities. I find affinity with blogging Presbyterian leaders, young church leaders (Presbyterian and otherwise), and women in ministry, and perhaps others. I think many people in those three categories are in contexts of ministry where blogging and managing a social media presence are almost a prerequisite for effective ministry. In my particular congregational call, I don't think that is the case, but who knows? And it does seem that a stronger social media presence might be more important for other aspects of my vocation and vocational discernment, so here we go again. I think. I always knew that this would be a work in progress.