On Hiatuses and Returns

It’s been a long time coming. Now, it’s finally here. But, before we start, I need to make a few things clear. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for, all these years. Now it’s [getting dangerously close to plagiarizing the lyrics to a George Moss song].

As I mentioned in a previous post, writing blogs while serving as a lead pastor was difficult. For one, because most of what I’m reflecting on would be directly related to my experiences serving a specific church and community, and thus would unintentionally be a little too revealing of my parishioners’ personal lives.  For two, almost anything I spent time reflecting on made its way into a sermon, and I hate reusing my own content.

Well, those, and I also learned that the further up the ‘ladder’ you go in church, the more you have to keep your mouth shut. It’s kind of the unspoken rule of most church hierarchies: play nice, don’t rock the boat, and you’ll be loved and appreciated. Writing these posts in the style that is typical for me doesn’t exactly jive with that, and I’ve never been keen on writing milquetoast opinions that flirt with taking a stand on something but never actually commit. Can’t have someone affirming a position if it’s going to offend someone else, after all. Otherwise, you’ll receive the dreaded “Just wanted to get together and talk about some things” voicemail, and then get blindsided by someone throwing down the gauntlet and accusing you of being uncouth – one of the gravest of mortal sins in Modern Ministry.

Where was I… Ah, yes!

I’m planning on picking this up and sharing more of my thoughts and experiences going forward. There is a lot that has happened over the last few years, most of which I’ve had plenty of time to consider and flesh-out. Also, I miss being able to speak on various topics in a way that could be helpful to my readers. After all, that’s why I began writing in the first place.

Many people I’ve met write because they enjoy the simple task of putting thoughts into written words. It forces us to truly consider what we’re thinking, as writing (or even speaking) puts us into a mindset that has to make sense of our feelings. Although our feelings can come across to us as clear and unambiguous, it isn’t until we have to articulate them that we realize whether or not our perspectives and responses are coherent and reasonable. Thus, in the process of writing, we engage with our own emotions and ideas in such a way that it almost makes it like we’re encountering them for the first time – or, at least, we’re encountering them with more critical eyes – as we attempt to make sense of them so that they are intelligible for others.

Anyway, those two motivations have been playing on my mind and heart for some time now. I want to articulate my thoughts in a coherent way, and I also want to share with you all what those thoughts are. It’s always been my hope that my life could benefit others in some small way, and that writing could, perhaps, serve to that end.

To give some sense of where this is going, here are some general ideas that I’d like to write about, utilizing things I’ve been witnessing, studying, and processing:

• Forgiveness and accountability, specifically as it relates to intra-church abuses and the trend of “brushing it under the rug”
• Young Adult Ministry; things I’ve learned that I don’t see being discussed much, as well as current – and opposing – trends in churches
• The not-so-subtle influence of “Corporate Culture” within church leadership
• The so-unnamed emigration of ordained ministers from the Church of the Nazarene (specifically among younger ministers)
• Facts about the history of the Bible that I think need to be considered, but tend to be taboo among Evangelicals (and Protestants in general)
• Some thoughts on Christian Worship, mainly focused on the Worship Service

I’d also like to add, as some may read a few points on that list and get a little worried, that I find it disconcerting how my reputation has recently begun to be tarnished (to what degree, and among whom, I’m not entirely sure. But, I’ve become aware that some are trying to paint me as unfit for ministry, or – at the very least – so emotionally, mentally, and/or spiritually disturbed by life events that I’ve become a detriment to my own ministry). I bring that up, because I’m sure some may wish to commit ad hominem and claim that my ‘against the grain’ discussions are merely the manifestation and proof of my becoming a ‘wayward minister,’ which is also known as “gaslighting.”

All that being said, I only ask for the same thing I’ve expected with every post I’ve ever written; a discerning eye and an open mind. I always try to allow my words to speak for themselves, without having to rely on me or my position(s) in the eyes of my readers. I simply write out my own views and concepts in as comprehensible a way as I can, and let everyone take what they want from it.

As the summary of my conclusion to end the matter and reach a finality of this post: I’ll be doing some writing, and hopefully you will consider giving them a gander! The next post should come out sometime before the one following it is published.