Shuck and Jive


Thursday, November 27, 2008

To be a Twit

I have discovered Twitter. I am finding it interesting and helpful. I thought it was self-indulgent at first, and it is. But it is a bit more. It is a way to connect. Check this video.

You can follow me on Twitter.

If you Twitter too,
Then I can follow you!

I started using it just this week in response to this Twitter of Faith thing. I posted about it here.

Give your "faith statement" in 140 characters or less. Folks are twittering their dogma all over the internet. Now that it has spread beyond the faithful, the statements are becoming more interesting. People are "twittering" their philosophies, their life's meaning, or just some stupid phrase they heard yesterday.

Unlike the Christians, they have no requirements of course to use Christian tropes and lingo like the blood of Jesus, resurrection, or what have you. They can say what they want without any desire to proclaim truth or to convert others.

You can read all the statements here and add your own.

I liked this one from someone who calls herself cartoongoddess, who

"believes in acceptance, tolerance and equality for all in a peaceful world. We can learn from one another. Appreciate difference."

I appreciate my colleagues, Adam and Shawn, for starting this thing. These guys are cool, young, justice-oriented, "emergent" Christians and Presbyterian ministers. It is all in good fun.

Yet it brings me to this point. I am suspicious of any evangelistic enterprise. Not that this is one, or was intended to be, but it could be. When someone wants to proclaim the gospel, I want to duck. I think I am being charitable when I suggest that the church's evangelistic history is ambiguous.

On the other hand, freedom of speech--and now freedom to be a twit--is a value I cherish, serve, and protect. If you resonate with my views, the answer may be for you to be a twit in return.

Twitter your philosophy in 140 characters or less and join the movement to express your freedom of thought! Or not.

In either case, the Goddess smiles.

4 comments:

  1. Hi John,

    Some friends from Sunnyvale Presbyterian had joined the TOF group on Facebook, so I looked through the TOF responses a few days ago. I saw that 99.9% contained the pre-requisite words of Christian dogma. Then I saw one that said something like "is everyone here Christian? Wouldn't it be interesting to hear from others?"

    I scrolled down and saw yours. I don't remember what it said, but it resonated with me so I started following you on Twitter.

    I didn't add my own TOF and haven't yet. I may think about it and add it today. You see, I kind of feel like I'm standing at the four corners of AZ, NM, CO & UT, like I did when I was 8 and we were on a driving vacation across the Southwest.

    Curious, because as a singer and songwriter, I lead worship occaisionally in Presbyterian and Lutheran churches. And I perform my original music for Unity and CSL congregations. I've received emails that my songs are "right out of the Unity hymnal." These are the same songs that were inspired by sermons by Presbyterian ministers. And one of my original Christmas songs has been played on Radio Upper Galilee on Christmas Day. Go figure.

    Maybe I'm confused, or maybe everyone else is. But my favorite sayings comes from Czech dissident (and later President) Vaclav Havel who said "seek the company of those who search for truth [and] run from those who have found it."

    My sister quoted that to me eight years ago when I first confronted my spiritual crisis. And yesterday I found out, from a friend on Twitter, who actually said it.

    So I'll keep searching. I hope we all do.

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  2. Bev!

    What a wonderful comment. Thank you.

    "seek the company of those who search for truth [and] run from those who have found it."

    Yes.

    I am pleased that Twitter and the TOF connected us!

    Any place to find your music?

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  3. Hey John - just getting back to checking blog posts after the weekend.

    Our web site is
    http://www.bevandgreg.com
    MySpaced is
    http://www.myspace.com/bevandgreg

    Both CDs are at
    http://cdbaby.com/all/gregandbev

    Enjoying your posts... we're leading worship at Sunnnyvale Presbyterian on the 7th.

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  4. Hey Bev!

    Thanks for the links! Whenever you make it to East Tennessee, we would love to have you sing at our place!

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