April 22, 2008

Our intention in offering this blog has been twofold. One purpose was to continue to build our website to be more than a beautiful portal for newcomers, but also a genuine extension of the community of our parish with announcements and reviews, opportunities for conversation of which this is a ‘first effort’, interactive possibilities including but not limited to registering for events and so on. His continues to be a work in progress that will continue as long as we continue to devote human and financial resources to making it so. The second purpose was to allow for and encourage conversation between and among members of our parish and others. We know that the blog is widely read (or at least opened) by the number of ‘hits’ we get on this page, and I am most appreciative of those among you who have taken time to respond. I have become excited on the two occasions in the past year when the ‘string’ has been more than one response. But overall, this is not working.

I am not the ‘blog administrator’ but am told that we have occasionally received anonymous posts which we do not publish as a matter of policy, believing that we can be open and accountable to one another as members of the body of Christ. I’m also told that this is a shame as on occasion the posts would have made a thoughtful contribution. But that may be a clue as to why so few. I know it can be difficult to put thoughts ‘out there’ for all and sundry to read and judge, and if that was my primary experience of posting on this site I doubt that I would do it. Instead I try and remember that this is a place for essentially ephemeral thoughts in the hope of stimulating a conversation among a particular people, and not a public conversation with me alone (which is why I have not responded to posts, hoping that others would instead). Once in a while I have heard from people from outside the parish (sometimes anonymously) and I would welcome reasoned comments (as opposed to angry and vituperative) to be added to our conversation. At the risk of becoming a straw blowing in the wind, could I ask some of you who have posted to reflect on your experience in ways that might encourage others? And could I ask those of you who read but do not post to risk a comment suggesting why that might be? Some responses of this kind would help me evaluate whether to continue sharing my thoughts in this forum is of value or whether there may be some other unintended purpose for continuing of which I am not currently aware. I will be most grateful.