Today the twentieth of forty 'blog posts' appeared on the BUGB beyond 400 website.  So, we are now half way, which seems a good place to reflect on how I have experienced the endeavour so far.

Firstly, I feel that, for me anyway, it has involved a lot of the 'usual suspects' in the choices of people to post the reflections.  I know a lot of effort went into trying to find a real spread of people, but I have a sneaky suspicion that had it been a self-selecting group then, thus far, it would not be so very different.  Or maybe it's just the circles I move in... maybe I'm more of a pan-BUGB-Baptist than I realise?  Whatever the reality, the vast majority of posters are people I know, and people I would happily discuss theology with, and among whom it would safe-enough to express honestly held views and agree to disagree

Secondly, I wonder how people are engaging with the conversations?  Not just how many hits, and how many comments, but more along the line of, are the people who were reading at post No 1 still reading at post No 20?  Who has given up reading because they feel unable to participate?  One or two early commenters have disappeared, why is this?  Others have posted pseudonymosly, despite the request for people to use real names, why is that?  Some have been courageous in what they've shared, others quite guarded.  What are the silent majority of readers thinking and doing with this stuff?  What is not being said? How does any of it get to grass roots, to the faithful, computer illiterate members of our churches, or to those who find words like 'blog' or 'facebook' or 'twitter' to be anathema?

I am wondering if it is significant that Post 20, because it is Post 20, not just because of its content/focus, is the place where one of BUGB's big elephants is named, that somehow now the person how named it feels the forum is safe enough or the time right to speak his questions?  How do we build up enough trust to allow diverse, even controversial, views to be expressed?

And then of course the crucial 'so what' question.  I enjoy the conversations, the playing with ideas, the questions and ponderings.  I enjoy... but so what?  Hidden in amongst the words, and hidden behind the words (what is not being said) is much that demands action.  Yes, we need strategies.  Yes we need theolgies.  Yes we need spirtualities.  Yes we need prayer.  Amen to most of what everyone is saying but... so what?  To what purpose all this expenditure of effort?  It is actually "Beyond Beyond 400" where the rubber hits the road.