A-preachin' and a-teachin' and a-bloggin' and a-podcastin' and...

Lately, I’ve heard a good number of jokes about podcasts. Here's one.

When women talk about others, it’s called gossip, but when men do it, it’s called a podcast. 

Here's another one.

What do you call a group of three pastors? A podcast. 

Finally, one more.

In our next podcast episode, we will discuss why there are too many blogs!

Indeed, Christian blogs, podcasts, and social media platforms proliferate. According to Blubrry, a podcasting hosting site, 92,000 of the more than 660,000 podcasts they feature are religious, or ~14%. Christian blogs are surely more in number.

Beyond the jokes, some warn against listening to podcasts or reading blogs. (I quietly laugh when they do this on social media. If they write such a comment, have they not just become micro-bloggers? Or, if they state it on an audio or video clip, a micro-podcaster?) However, valid points are raised. The vapid nature of much that is published or produced is noted. The lousy theology found in much of Christianity is a concern. They point out how many Christian leaders who have built social media platforms in the celebrity pastor culture in the evangelical church have fallen. Spending time reading books or listening to sermons has more value than the triteness of time on the internet.

To be transparent, I have had people question my time spent blogging or podcasting. So, I have considered this topic and the use of my time and gifts in ministry prayerfully. I have concluded that I will use whatever means the Lord has provided to help spread His kingdom in this world, though it is prioritized.

My focus remains on preaching and teaching in the local church and at the seminary. My calendar is packed with these activities. I also occasionally write for a few printed periodicals and spend some time on book projects. Yet, just because these resources may be more formal, traditional modes of sharing the kingdom of Christ with others, I do not feel the need to limit myself there. The Reformation spread through formal preaching and teaching ministry, as well as the publishing of many Christian books made possible by Guttenberg's printing press. But this period also produced a multitude of pamphlets written for the common man to speak to issues. The "Tract Wars" saw thousands of small pieces flying back and forth between writers, printed to persuade the public on theological and social matters of import. Similarly, for those called to preach or gifted in communication, using the internet to blog or share a podcast episode can reach people and touch lives profoundly.

Definitely, one must guard against vanity, whether standing behind a pulpit or sitting in front of a podcast mic. Christians are not to be those who are glory-seeking or platform-building. Yet, taking every platform the Lord gives to testify to His glory is an entirely different matter. At key is the heart. As Proverbs 4:19 says, "Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life."