I love reading blogs, I spend a lot of time reading blogs, actually, I probably spend too much time reading blogs. But a month ago I discovered ‘google reader’ (I am a bit slow, sorry). This is brilliant. I just put into the reader all the blogs I read and it does it for me. Every time I go on my igoogle page I can see every update that has happened since I last logged on. This saves me loads of time – I now check the headline, and then click it for a screen shot to see what it is about.
But this has created a problem: I know exactly what Downes, Bish, Chester, Mohler, Harris, Raine and the Beagle (Larry: please correct the spelling for me) are saying (usually the same thing), but I’m not really reading their blogs. It’s odd. I am just reading the highlights and very rarely going onto their blogs.
In fact, I have pretty much stopped engaging with their blogs.
This made me think about Bible reading notes. Many notes I have used over the years put the verse onto the page, and then you can just read the devotional writers views. It’s odd, you end up very rarely dealing with the text in context. Actually, although you know exactly what you are reading… you are not really reading the Bible.
I wonder, are you a google reader Christian?
For an extended version of this blog go to www.veryrandomthoughts.wordpress.com
November 7, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Please correct names? Sarcasm? good point though; I don’t like Bible study notes because i get too much of x’s opinion on the Bible which i have plenty of thanks to blogdom.
November 7, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Do I feel abused to have you only read the highlights… hmmm. Strange. Tools like google are good for that though. And blogs do eat time.
November 7, 2008 at 1:53 pm
I still love your blog! Here is a quote for you: Dave is one of the most prolific, prophetic, persistent, poignant, persuasive, and pretty bloggers I know of! He is better than Adrian Warnock, and nearly as good as Prognosis.
November 7, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Haha! Very good point well made. I like it. I haven’t read study notes for years but I guess the same principal applies, even when ‘just reading the Bible’ – the difference between engaging with the text and merely ‘hovering above it’ as a good friend of mine describes it…
(Incidently [and I know this isn't the point of the post] I’m a FeedDemon man myself. Does the same thing but lets you read the WHOLE blog, (and comment) all under one programme – marvelous!… Wow, I should be on commission…)
November 7, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Well as long as you can still see the arty pictures that’s fine with me.
November 7, 2008 at 4:48 pm
And lovely pictures they are too.
Can I just point out that I am not equating your blogs to Scripture. Although yours is very near.
November 7, 2008 at 4:49 pm
I think there’s something wrong with Jon. So much blogging in such a short space of time…and he’s started his own blog…with fancy header!
I’d say it’s all about the individual whose hand the material is in. It’s up to us how much we choose to engage with the text, helpful notes or not.