Tulips, Transformation, and Team Blogging

Call us tulips. I claim the dark one. Yeah, I know it's pink, but it's the one that's different, and I feel a little different than the rest of the team. Today I write about my privilege to be 1 of 5 writers for my church’s blog site. I imagine us as 5 tulips.

     Have you seen the variegated tulips? Their petals are striped with a different color. A red tulip, for example, might be feathered with random, yellow streaks. These feathered enchantments are intentionally bred, at least the varieties we find in nurseries. But, in the wild, this artful display is really a façade. It is the etching of a viral infection that weakens the plant and diminishes its production. Variegated tulips found in the wild are called “broken” and they can never rid themselves of infection.

We are 5 writers  – 5 variegated tulips:  broken, infected, and weak, but transformed to be strong and vibrant, bearing solid color through the blood of Christ and the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. We come from brokenness and we write about life restored by God.

This post is different than my norm. It’s more of a celebration as I highlight the prospect of team blogging, something my church hasn’t done in an organized, ongoing way before. As you read, maybe you’ll note similarities with your teams or in teams you may be considering to join (blogging or otherwise).

I’m excited about working with our team for a few reasons...

Reason 1:  Quality blogs can get lost in space. Cyberspace, that is. An expanse of electronic posts with varied opinions, value systems, world views, and intentions. You name it, people can find it, but not always the eternally helpful ones – the posts that bear spiritual, God-honoring value. Our church website is a known cyber stop – a place where visitors know they can find content that relates to them and their spiritual journeys – their rugged, misshapen adventures. There will be constituents from our church, and some from the cyber world, who read almost every post. Our work will not be lost in space. Of course, we write because God says to write, but it's nice to know there will be readers. After all, touching lives for the glory of God is what's it's all about, right?

Here’s what we have to look forward to:

The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to.
The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.

Deuteronomy 28:8

Reason 2:  Good teams make the best of individual strengths. God designed, equipped, and prepared each of us with spiritual gifts, unique skills, areas of competence, and richness of backgrounds and experiences. And, under the hand of God, these individual strengths offer perspective and spiritual insight that certain people relate to and need. I read posts from my fellow bloggers and I recognize a variety of communication methods, writing styles, growth experiences, tracks of biblical understanding, and marks of spiritual victories. As a team, we can deliver God-honoring encouragement and exhortation that speak to a broad array of individuals in ways that we as solo bloggers cannot accomplish on our own. So, our readership will find more relevance for their individual spiritual journeys.

Here’s what happens when we serve God the way He designed:

…speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect
the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.
From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament,
grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Ephesians 4:15-16

Reason 3:  Individual team members can enjoy community and purpose.  We write, but we also interact. We are a “community” and we serve under a larger creative branch of our church. Our content is not random. We energize around the upcoming sermon topics and we wait on God, ready to write what He puts in our hearts. (Yes, “wait” is an energetic, action verb when God is involved.) We also communicate with each other somewhat regularly, online and in person, and we support each other and add a different dynamic into each of our lives.

Here’s what our community can do for us:

…let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,
not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing,
but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:24-25

Let's meet the yellow tulips

My fellow bloggers are all amazing ladies who match the demographic of a blogger much better than I. They're in the more common, younger age bracket, but they have wisdom beyond their years. I see it in their writing, along with understanding of Scripture and commitment to serving God. They have qualities similar to King Solomon. (There was more to how Solomon attained matchless wisdom than simply asking God the right question in 2 Chronicles 1:7-10.) [See my post on Solomon’s wisdom.]

Here are the yellow tulips

(in alpha order, a.k.a., random):

• Carolina (https://www.carolinaandes.com/) – I appreciate her raw and very personal approach to motherhood, faith, and personal care. She writes about real, everyday life.

• Kaci (http://kacinicole.com/) – I enjoy reading about her life experiences and the spiritual lessons she gleans through them. Each post seems to build her life story.

• Lauren (contributing writer and editor at http://www.sincerelykindred.com/) – I like how she imprints the real lives of church members onto the page as a journalist so we get to know our peers and how God meets them in daily life.

• Tatiana (https://www.himtometoyou.com/) – I admire her genuine care for people and our Savior. She writes from a perspective of dedication to God and faith in His promises.

It’s an honor to serve alongside these self-sacrificing ladies who are in love with Jesus.

And now the pink tulip – that’s me

As I wrote earlier, I feel like the different writer on the team. I’m a guy and I’m old. A pretty equal amount of men and women write blogs, but I think Christian living blogs are found more in a women’s world. I don’t know if that’s true. I don’t have the stats, but it’s been my experience. I’ve come across more women than men who write about everyday Christian life. Many of the blogs I read from men cover topics like church leadership and apologetics, and they tend to be more academic in nature. Again, I could be wrong about this, but that’s how the blogging world comes across my screen.

I originally planned to write for Bible study leaders and teachers, but, for now, God’s been directing me more towards the general Christian who is serious about living and making sacrifices for Him. Writing (and reading) in a space where I feel a little out of place is okay with me, because I know I’m writing what God wants me to write. [See my post on why I write.]

This describes my blogging path:

In their hearts humans plan their course,
but the Lord establishes their steps.

Proverbs 16:9

To all Christian bloggers in cyberspace:

Like it is in my church’s writing team, we are all different. We write in our own unique ways about the topics God puts in our hearts. We touch our readers in ways that only we individually can. Sometimes we write to the same readers, and we touch those same readers in different, yet meaningful, ways. That’s how God intended it to be.

I consider you all to be members of my extended writing team, and I appreciate you. There are some of you whose blogs I read only occasionally, and I read others more regularly. In both cases, please keep on writing as long as God says, “Write.” Write from a place of dependence on Him. Offer grace. We were broken.  In many ways, we still are. Through our writing, He will bless the hearts of the readers He sends our way.

Read more blog posts here.

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