When I first started teaching the Bible about fifteen years ago, I was given a Sunday School class at my church. It was a “college and career” class. I was inexperienced in teaching and was very nervous every Sunday, but I had such a strong desire to teach I was willing to endure the stress each week. I remember that I had red splotches all over my neck and my chest evidencing my green nervousness. (I still am nervous each time I teach, but just in a different way).

When teaching the class one Sunday (I don’t remember the subject), a certain gentleman raised his hand. I thought it was going to be a question concerning the subject we were on, but it was not. He began to complain to me and to everyone there how much he did not like the way I taught and how, exactly, he thought I should change. I was speechless, embarrassed, humiliated, angry, and hurt.

Looking back all these years I have been able to see his problems more objectively. In fact, I think he was right on in his criticism. Everything he said was true about my teaching style and it did need to change. However, he was also very wrong and he should not have said what he said. While nothing that he said was wrong, he lacked a great deal of wisdom in his tact and approach.

The point of this post is this: Saying the right thing without tact is wrong. This is true of Sunday school or any other venue. We are not only called to say the right things, but to say the right things at the right times in the right ways.

Here are a few things to remember when you are the learner.

You are not the teacher

No matter where you are when you are not the teacher, do not act as if you are. So many times I see people who are looking to spring board off other people’s platform. I have been in classrooms where I know who’s hand not to call on. Some people just take over and want to show the class how much they know. You may have the best intentions when you do this and what you say may be right, but, unless the venue expects this, you are not called by God to teach at that time. I am sorry. That is just the way it is.

If the teacher is wrong, and I mean dead wrong, you are still not called to teach. You are called to respect the teacher and listen. Even if the teacher asks you your opinion, you must be very careful not to dishonor the platform that this person has been given.

You don’t have the respect of the people

You must remember that people have gathered to listen to someone else, not you. No matter how smart you are, people don’t care that much about what you have to say. In fact, attempting to be the teacher will be counter-productive. No matter how learned you are in the subject, your arrogance will turn all the others against you and you will only serve to annoy the audience. Continue Reading »

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1. Do not use the blog to promote yourself, as your surrogate blog, or as an advertisement. I am sure you are interesting and have some really nice things to say, but you can get your own blog.

2. Do not call authors out for debate. You must count the cost (Lk. 14:31). You don’t want to get whipped up on anyway.

3. Keep your comments short. Like when your comments are longer than the blog, that is too long. Try to keep them to 100 words.

4. In everything, be courteous and respectful. This does not mean that you agree, but take the extra time to write with tact, making the most of the opportunity.

5. Do not spam a post with comments one right after the other. Stay focused . . . one comment at a time is helpful.

6. Try not use this blog as a forum. While I don’t mind you engaging each other soon, there is a fine line between this and the post turning into a forum thread. You can use the forum at Theologica (http://theologica.ning.com) for these type of conversations.

7. Keep things on topic!!

If you need more information read this post:

“What if God Read Your Posts: A Reminder About Christian Conduct on the Internet”

If anyone violates these rules, the blog administrators will be forced to suspend your privileges. While this has no effect on your salvation, we will send you a t-shirt that says “I got suspended from Parchment and Pen . . . Oh yeah baby.”

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In the last blog in this series, I talked about how to engage in theological conversation or controversy, especially on the internet. In this blog post I want to take this one step further in talking about our attitude. In my opinion, one cannot underestimate the importance of having the right attitude. Chuck Swindoll says that life is about one-percent what happens to you and ninety-nine percent how we respond.

I often talk about the importance of having an irenic approach to doing theology. It would seem that this term, “irenic” is suffering because of its overuse and misidentification with those who would choose to abuse it. To be irenic means that we are peaceful in our approach to issues. This does not involve compromise, but a willingness to engage issues fairly.

Here are some of the characteristics to being irenic in theological conversation and controversy:

• You accurately represent all theological positions, even when you strongly oppose them.
• Your tone of engagement comes from a humble respectful attitude.
• Your primary goal is not to win an argument, but to contribute to understanding.
• Your defense of your position recognizes that strengths of the opposing side.
• You are gentle.

Here are two important Scripture references concerning how we are to engage in theological discussion irenically: Continue Reading »

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I thought that I would continue with the blogging fun. Here are the top ten signs that you are taking this blogging thing TOO far. 

10. You blog on blogs.
9. Your username on other blogs is one of the following: blogforhim, semperblogging, jediblogger, blogaphobia.
8. You send the XML of your own blogs to your PDA

Continue Reading »

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Not really 101. My brief six months of blogging does not quite qualify me to teach this level of blogging education. Either way, I thought that I would give you some of my thoughts, colored with shades of green as they may be.

I like blogging. I don’t really know why yet, but it is fun. It is a chance to share, teach, fellowship, and have fun all in one venue. The blogsphere seems to be tolerant to my blogging so far, crazy as some of them may be. I have been pleasantly surprised by regular attendance of the blog. In fact, of all the ministries we offer at Reclaiming the Mind, the blog has the most “attendance.” Internet marketers call this “stickiness.” I guess one would expect such since it is updated so regularly. I am learning, and the learning curve is modest, yet full of interesting nuances. Anyway, thanks for your interest.

Here are some things that I have learned thus far (and this is NOT blogging Gospel): Continue Reading »

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