This is interesting, navigating this blog!
This blog is one vehicle for communication. Newsletters, e-mail, postcards, telephone calls, face to face conversations are all communication vehicles. This blog is intended for community communication, the community of "1st. Presbyterian Missional Community" yet not all those who are currently in this particular community and those who potentially could be in this community can conveniently access this forum. Which introduces us to an additional issue.
Our intent is to listen to God, discern God's Will. We grow in our personal discernment through personal spiritual practices, grow in our communal discernment through communal spiritual practices and through our community dialog within the framework of the Biblical narrative, and we grow in our discernment through dialog within our larger church, (issue one). All of this is communication, communication between God and us individually, between God and us communally and between each other. Issue one is "what are we communicating", answer, "Gods Will" for us individually and communally.
Issue two, how do we communicate with others? What vehicle or vehicles do we use? I believe a noted novelist once stated that the greatest single misconception about communication is the belief that it has taken place! To facilitate open, honest, free flowing dialog, we must cultivate the environment for this dialog and convenience of communication methods is critical for this healthy environment.
The above issue two applies to all areas of dialog especially within a congregation not just within a small group. Our family of faith is multi-generational. How do we cultivate an environment for dialog, what methods do we use to communicate? At the inquirers class, Katy provided handouts to the inquirers and also noted she would send the same information electronically to those who desire this form of communication. The responses to Katy's question were down generational lines. Roger Fisk gave me some articles about this same issue, what method, vehicle, do we use to get the word out, to facilitate dialog, to communicate? How convenient do we make communication? Lots of questions, not many answers!
Well this is the view from my saddle.
Jim
I hope you weren't actually typing from the saddle. Then again, if you were, I'm quite impressed!
ReplyDeleteI usually find sores on my backside if I am viewing from the saddle. Guess I need to be more aware of the view and less concerned about myself.
ReplyDeleteCommunication takes place on all levels. Verbal, non-verbal, between individuals and in group settings. Important thing for me is being aware of what I am communicating whether in cyberspace or on the trail. I don't do a good job communicating when my jaws are flapping and my ears are plugged. Need to always be aware of "Wherever two or more are gathered...."
Mark