In the great New Year’s tradition, here is my obligatory post telling you my blogging plan for the coming year.
This blog is a hodgepodge of my (mostly) religious musings. In the past I have posted poems, prayers, posts on Christian spirituality and the liturgical calendar, my thoughts on music and culture, politics and of course reviews. Most of these are searchable , though I’ve removed my two most popular posts ever. The first was a tongue-in-cheek call to boycott Christian contemporary music, with considerable snark. I pressed some real issues but many people who stumbled across my blog couldn’t get past the boycott rhetoric. The second post was considerably more vulnerable. I had a post in the aftermath of being asked to resign from a pastor position I held in Florida. My denominational conference superintendent said it made me sound like a victim and that I came across like I was blaming the church. He warned me to not blog about my failings (unless they were in far, far past) if I ever hoped a search committee to hire me as a pastor. I heeded his advice, and took the post down.
So what shall I blog about in the 2017? Some theology bloggers are more ambitious than I, blogging their way through Barth’s Dogmatics or some other theological tome. I don’t have the discipline or inclination for all of that (as much as Barth is my theological man-crush). Others may be more diligent about focusing on a particular theme. This blog will remain the hodgepodge it is but I do have one idea I’d would like to work into my blogging plans: the minor prophets. I’ve been inspired by my mad dash through the minor-prophet-sticky-pages to finish my Bible-in-a-year-reading plan and a book I blurbed through another venue this fall: The Message of the Twelve.
The minor prophets are neither unimportant or underage, despite their collective English moniker. They have an important message for us. They call us to love mercy, do justly and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). Yet their voices remain, too often, unheard. My own spiritual journey has led me to heed their call to biblical justice, but I want to press in a little more. So here is my plan: 12 months, 12 prophets. Each month I will work into my blogging plan posts about one of the Twelve. A modest proposal to help myself (and maybe you) listen well to these prophets of old. I expect some of these guys, I will have more to say about than others.
Beyond that, expect what you expect from this blog. Occasional reflections on culture or spirituality, occasional real-life updates and reflections, thoughts, prayers & songs. And more books. I am a biblioblogger and I will continue my steady stream of book reviews and recommendations.
Happy New Year!
thoughts, prayers & songs: 