Welcome to New Subscribers

and who am I anyway

Duke Chapel as seen from a hospital room. Photo credit: B. Douglas Short.

Welcome to all who have recently subscribed to my blog thanks to Kristin Du Mez’s kind referral on her substack which I also heartily recommend. Dr. Du Mez is not only an accomplished and courageous scholar, she is also a genuinely kind and generous person. When I became a Calvinist in college, it was people of her ilk that drew me in - deep thinkers, honest and smart with large, catholic hearts.

A brief introduction to what you might expect on here. First, I do not publish regularly, but only as I have time or feel inspired. I try to focus on the writing itself, rather than the controversy du jour. I sometimes publish pure whimsey, just because I can - rather like the stuffed frog friends sent me in the mail last week. They sent it simply because it seemed to them like right thing to do. It brought us laughter, and these days, that is no small thing.

Second, despite what might have drawn you here, I do not write often on cultural issues. It’s not that I don’t have opinions, it’s that as I have grown older, I find that I know a lot less than I once think I did. It’s also for my own spiritual health. In our cultural moment, I find that I need to focus more on what is good, true and beautiful, things to give me - and I hope others - joy and strength to face the day.

What then do I write on? Largely, I write personal essays, trying to preserve some memories for my family and to improve my writing, which I think also helps me as a preacher. Here is one of my favorites, and here is one of my weirdest. I try to include vivid and tactile memories because that’s the way I learned to tell stories from my father, whom I adored. I often include reflections which point to a greater reality. In fact, one of my daughters told me that my writing would be better if I left out the morals at the end. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

You will also find a few Biblical reflections. The one on the Oil of James 5 is probably the most important and encouraging study. There are a few technical ecclesiastical articles, just because it’s the best place to put them, and yes, a few pieces of cultural commentary. In fact, Lord willing, I will send out another later this week.

Oh, I also have some weird alt-history articles from a fake volume entitled, An Illustrated History of Landships, 1858-2008. Each piece is meant to capture the mood of an era - e.g. Reconstruction, Imperialism, WWI, and mix in real facts with perfectly made up events and large vehicles called Landships. My one comfort from this weirdo project is how many people told me they thought Landships were entirely real.

Finally, I have one short story I wrote a long time ago that I am still rather fond of. Oh, and a kid’s story I wrote for our daughters I still like a lot.

All that is to say, I may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and no offense taken. Like “mute” on Twitter, “unsubscribe” can be your friend. I think many of us would do well to read less but read more deeply. We need to leave margins for quiet in our lives, time for reflection and prayer.

What about who I am? You can read the standard data on my bio page. But for now, a few other things to know -

1. I believe humility is the central virtue of the Christian life. In fact, one project I hope to tackle in the future is an anthology, as several new books on Christian humility have come out over the past few years - all lamenting its general absence.

2. In the end, I believe heaven is our only hope. We must all labor for a more just and loving world here, but in one sense, all we can do is keep the font lid dusted.

3. I love preaching. Some days (usually not Mondays) I think it is the only thing I can still do well with joy. But then I’m wiped out. See below.

4. I am handicapped from Lyme disease. It’s not my central identity, but it affects everything about my daily life. You can read more about my struggle with illness - and with faith - here. Writing helps, as both a distraction from pain, and as one small thing I can still do to encourage others.

5. I am married to the greatest person on earth, and nothing anyone says will convince me otherwise. She keeps me going. Our two grown daughters are pretty great too.

So thank you all for joining me in this journey. I look forward to getting to know many of you through comments and your own writing. If there is any way I can pray for you, please do not hesitate to ask. The older I get, the more I am convinced that prayer is the most important thing that I - or any of us - can do.