As Christians, we talk about the "body of Christ." And we know what it means. The body is people who lead others to the Lord. It is a casserole delivered to a grieving family. It's the fervent prayers of an elder when we are sick. The body is also a grandmother's hands opening the Bible for young ones.

For the most part, it's a wonderful body, and we needn't ask for anything different. Yet, as the world changes, so does the body's manifestation. Take now, for instance. In the technology realm, a new kind of body is on the move. It does many of the same things as the body we're used to, yet we find it with a click and a keystroke.

This new body, part of a major revolution, is the body blogged.

Blogging is a phenomenon that's gaining steam at an amazing rate. According to Technorati, an Internet blog tracker, 120,000 new blogs are created every day. And according to some sources, as many as 70 million blogs exist at this moment.

A variant of the word weblog, a blog (as defined by Dictionary.com) is "an online diary; a personal chronological log of thoughts published on a Web page." Formerly considered the exclusive haunt of hotheaded ideologues, gabby teens, and video game fanatics, blogging now includes all kinds and ages. Everyone from amateur birdwatchers to professional journalists maintain blogs. The medium is especially attractive to communities of people who share a passion for a particular subject (e.g., politics or sci-fi movies) or avocation (e.g., doll collecting or motorcycle riding). Hence, the blogosphere's role as a community magnet for followers of Christ.

Purpose-driven blogs
In this new body-of-Christ scenario, anyone can spend a morning as an evangelist, or encourage someone who's grieving, or enlist a prayer warrior, or infiltrate a group of wise and friendly grandmas. A blog-of-one's-own is not needed to participate, but many people find reasons to start such an online journal that's open to comments from readers (see "Becoming a Blogging Believer").

Unlike private journals, blogs tend to focus on particular topics, because bloggers often try to serve a certain community. Consider Sara Janssen's blog. She originally started blogging to share about her favorite foods and teas. But over time, she discovered that blog visitors seemed drawn to her occasional posts on "green themes." So, now, she concentrates on issues of simplicity, financial stewardship, and care for creation.

Sara marvels that she's gained a wide readership around these topics, including visitors from Japan and Germany. "And some of these people would probably never step foot in a church!" she remarks. In this way, Sara serves as a friendship evangelist, Internet style—the body of Christ thread across wires and signals.

Other Christian bloggers try to support people who are already members of the body. Mark Waltz is a pastor and author of the book First Impressions. He wrote his book to help congregations make the most of a church visitor's initial impressions, but now he uses his blog to continue the conversation. In this way, he's helped people in networks as far off as Singapore and the U.K.—right from his humble abode in Indiana.

Mark's experience resembles that of DJ Chuang, a former pastor and current church-growth consultant who promotes the health of Asian American congregations. DJ lives in Washington, D.C., but says blogging helps him form "relationships across the miles." It's not surprising, then, that he recently brainstormed with two church-planting blogging associates who reside in San Francisco and Malaysia.

Like Mark and DJ, Andrea Birch connects mostly to believers. When she reads other blogs, she purposely sticks to ones with similar viewpoints. Andrea doesn't do this because of isolationism, but to save precious time. "Trying to reach out to others who think differently takes extra effort," she says.

So, why does Andrea blog at all? She appreciates the chance for self-expression and tries to celebrate motherhood, married life, and homeschooling in a way that can encourage others. In Andrea's opinion, her goals are being reached. She notes that visitors to her blog often comment, "Thanks, I needed to hear that."

Though she has never received inappropriate or malicious comments (a very real possibility for any blogger), Andrea once saw a comment on another mom's blog that queried, "Why are you wasting your life, staying at home?" She recalls that the mom just answered the question in her next post, in a firm but friendly manner.

"I think you can invite unfriendly responses by the way you post," Andrea says. "I tend to avoid controversial topics, and I rarely express disagreement. I try to remember that blogging is something I do for the glory of God."

Still, other bloggers see disagreement as sometimes necessary "for the glory of God." Take La Shawn Barber, for example.

La Shawn, an African American newspaper columnist and blogger who is unapologetically conservative in her views, is pointedly political, posting about many controversial topics and purposely taking a "devil's advocate" approach. She does this because she sees value in promoting conversation around difficult topics. Consequently, she lets strong, even unfriendly, comments stand and be dealt with in the public sphere. However, she does moderate first-time commenters, to weed out any "trolls" who are only interested in posting "drive-by" nasty comments without engaging the topic at hand.

Weighing the costs
For any Christian who wants to blog, it's worth considering Andrea's earlier point about time and effort. While blogging can be personally fulfilling, and even promote spiritual growth in oneself and others, it can also become time-consuming and pressure-inducing.

Because of such pressures, some bloggers, like Kat Garrett, decide to reduce their blogging. In fact, since my initial interview with Kat, she has chosen to give up blogging altogether. "No doubt the Lord has gifted some people with an ability to keep up a prolific blog and manage their houses and relationships, but I'm not one of them," she told me.

Kat discovered that her mind was always on blogging. "I became self-centered in my pursuit to say something of worth." Ultimately, the Holy Spirit's leading convinced her that blogging was not the best way for her to be a member of the body of Christ.

Sara Janssen echoes Kat's sentiments about how a blog can take over, but she comes to a different conclusion. She notes, "I can't just have a good day anymore. Now I'm looking for those bloggable moments!" Still, she feels it's worth the effort if she can encourage someone along the way. It's not unusual for her blog visitors to leave comments like these: "Thanks for challenging us. We purged our possessions and gave them to goodwill." Or, "Because of you, we decided to pay off our consumer debt before buying a house."

Such remarks show the power of a blog to promote change in the body of Christ and in the world. And this is partly what excites people. Andrea Birch adds, "Blogging brings a grass-roots way of thinking. It's not about listening to experts; it's about listening to everyday people who can help me grow."

DJ Chuang finds blogging exciting for similar reasons, albeit with a leader's perspective. First, he notes that bloggers have authentic, energetic, personal voices, as opposed to the "sanitized and filtered" nature of voices in other media. "Blogging is a new way to communicate that can bypass media gatekeepers," he says. "In the church, it empowers people in the pews to have a voice—not just the pastor and leaders."

For Christians who question, "should I share my life and opinions in a blog?" Andrea Birch suggests a mild start. She began by reading other people's blogs and later decided it was a perfect fit for her aims.

La Shawn Barber initially used blogging partly to get feedback on columns she was preparing for print. Just as she was wondering if the blog was "a waste of time," it became a vehicle to a whole new career. She quit her day job and is now a full-time blogger, speaker, and blog consultant.

Regardless of how or why one starts, Mark Waltz recommends, "Be real and vulnerable. It's not to promote yourself. It's about expressing your passion and starting important conversations." DJ adds, "Just get started. Write. It's a powerful way to be a witness for Christ."

L.L. Barkat is a popular speaker for a New York Bible teaching ministry. Her first book, Stone Crossings: Finding Grace in Hard and Hidden Places, is due out in spring 2008 through InterVarsity Press. She blogs at Seedlings in Stone and Green Inventions Central.

	What did you think of this story?
	Please to give us your feedback.