You send the gospel to the ends of the earth
With the continual advances in ease of use of communications technology, the world is becoming a much smaller place than it once was. And in many ways that is especially highlighted by the rise in popularity of the likes of twitter. We can pass on news and hear news from all around the world in an instant. When I think back, even to my childhood, there have been massive advances in the technology available. It makes you wonder what it will be like for the coming generations.
So, because of all those advances in communications technology, it has never been easier to send a message to the ends of the earth; never easier to “send the gospel to the ends of the earth”. And I’m left wondering if we take advantage enough of the technology available to us in talking about the “good news” of Jesus Christ. And especially if I am, personally, doing enough.
I know I write this blog, and while I don’t think of myself as evangelising in my writing, that isn’t the intention, I hope I am sharing the love of Christ, the love of God, with those who read my words on here. And I know that, in theory, this blog could be read by thousands, even millions, of people. In practise, of course, it isn’t; in fact I would struggle to justify saying it is even read by hundreds of people. I have had to accept, because of my ongoing health conditions, that this is more often than not going to be my only viable opportunity to share God’s love with other people — even this wouldn’t have been possible a few years ago.
There are hundreds, if not thousands, of other websites written by people who all want to share the love of God with others from around the world. And probably an equal, or greater, number that are about evangelising and conversion. So the reality is that a great deal is being done to “send the gospel to the ends of the earth”.
But there is one thing that all of these websites, including mine, have in common. They all rely on people being interested enough to make an effort to read what’s being written; the same as with any other kind of website available of the internet. I suspect the social networking sites, such as Twitter, will begin to play a part in changing that, but even with them there still is an element of people needing to make an effort to “follow” you, or your message will just be lost within the myriad of others being sent at the same time.
So, on this Fourth Sunday of Epiphany, I’m left once again with questions. Are we, am I, doing enough to help with sending the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, to the ends of the earth?
God of heaven,
you send the gospel to the ends of the earth
and your messengers to every nation:
send your Holy Spirit to transform us
by the good news of everlasting life
in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Additional Collect for The Fourth Sunday of Epiphany
is Copyright © The Archbishops Council
Incidentally, if you would like to follow me on Twitter, just click on this address: twitter.com/paulsibley
About Paul Sibley
Andrew Gosden (now 18) has been missing from his Doncaster home since 14 September 2007. The search continues.
Elizabeth Jackson on 
I get awfully discouraged with blogging sometimes. When I do I have a huge tendency to overreact and quit blogging altogether, or to switch blog addresses, etc … I try to pay less attention to my stats, but it’s hard to do that. They call to me.
I do wish you’d join Facebook. It’s funner and more interactive than Twitter.
I’ve been fortunate so far Kay, and haven’t felt too discouraged by my blogging efforts. I’m not at all sure how I will handle it if/when it happens. I think it helps me having something definite, the weekly Collect, to think about for a post. For quite a while those were the only posts on here; Steve encouraged me to do more. I feel that I could always drop back to that if things became difficult for a while, and that allows space for the other things I post about without them becoming a burden.
I do check my stats, and it’s encouraging to see a gradual rise in the number of readers — the numbers aren’t going to set the world on fire though. But I’ve always felt that I write as much for me, and what I need to read, as for anyone else, so don’t worry too much about the stats.
Another thing I do, which I think helps me tremendously, is utilize the ability to schedule posts in advance with WordPress. My health is something of a roller-coaster ride, and being able to schedule posts enables me to level the peaks and troughs out a bit. For instance, had I left this post until today to write, it wouldn’t have been done. We had a day out at the coast with our family yesterday, and I was completely whacked out this morning. But this post was written on Friday, so I didn’t need to worry about it. The side-effect of forward planning to make it work for my health is that I can always take a couple of days off if I want or need to; so hopefully I’m less likely to become discouraged. It works for me, and may for you too.
If I were to suggest one thing (amongst the many) that you do well, and could maybe do on a regular basis, it would be the way you expand and explain the meaning behind words and phrases, such as you did with, “I am the Way“. And that fits well with your blog-title of Ephemeral Thoughts.
Incidentally, I am on Facebook, just. But I rarely open it up, and even more rarely do anything on there. I have been thinking about deleting my account. I just don’t “get” it at all. But I didn’t “get” Twitter for a long while either.
Thanks for the recommendation about writing more posts about my word studies. I love doing it, but at the same time realize that I am not an ancient languages expert and do not want to post anything that is completely off the mark. I think I should put away that fear and do what I love. If I’m wrong and someone wants to correct me, I’d be open to that.
I was using auto-post for a while, but then stopped. I need to get back to using it.
I’ve deleted my Facebook account a few times. It can be reopened though, so I end up going back. Over the past while they have made great improvements in the look and usage of the site. It’s become (at least in my small circle) a way of sharing ideas and personal updates, and not so much a MySpace clone. Their “notes” feature is pretty much like having a blog.
It’s clear from the way you write your word studies that it’s something you love to do. And you not being an ancient languages expert makes them all the more appealing, because it means you’re sharing your discoveries rather than just teaching from your knowledge. It makes your studies fresh and interesting. As you produce more studies, you may well attract some experts to your blog, who will add to the discussion, and very occasionally correct. But that won’t take away from the freshness of the original post.
Dear Paul,
Hey! It’s nice to see your face on your blog now!
Wow, I really liked this post and think it’s a good wake-up call to all in the Body of Christ who may have a word of encouragement – to friends and strangers alike – online.
I have to confess I struggle with my “impact” too. I sometimes feel like you and my friend Cory are the only ones in the world who ever go over to my blog, but then, someone googles the right words and a tag sends them to my blog, and a connection is made. Hey, we found each other here in cyberspace, and you have encouraged me countless times!
By the way, I’m posting a link to this post on my Facebook. It’s a good word.
Tom, thank you for your kind words. No problem linking the post in Facebook — I’m grateful.
We may never know what seeds we plant end up as something very special. We may not know what words we have written will be a comfort or a help to someone in the future. They may not remember where they read it, but at the right time it could well come to conscious thought. That’s where God, through the workings of the Holy Spirit come in. He can take our words, poor as they are, and use them to deepen his relationship with anyone, at any time.
It never ceases to amaze me how easy the internet makes it to communicate with people from all around the globe. As you say, Tom, just the right word in a search engine, and a connection can be made. Awesome!
I finally managed to get a picture of me that I was reasonably happy with — not a fan of my photograph being taken — so thought I would use it for a while. Hope it doesn’t scare too many away!