With a note of irony, more blogging about my blogging hiatus…or… an indeterminate pause part 2

I reflect on the biblical truth that those who teach will be held to a higher accountability.  I think of the apostle Paul stating that not many should take up the role of teacher.  Next, I think that the act, my effort, of ‘blogging’ often becomes, intentionally or not, a conduit for teaching – or at least for making declarative theological statements and judgements.  I reflect, too, on the fact, that I currently have no accountability in my ‘blogging’, no church structure above me and around me, to whom I offer my thoughts prior to posting.  I rely solely on my fallible judgment as to the appropriateness of any particular thoughts that I may consider publishing.  It is not as if I have been writing about sports or politics.  The stakes are higher in the theological realm.  I seek to exalt my Redeemer, not to further a political agenda. My Savior redeemed me that I should use my words for His glory, not mine.

 

 

 

Another concern for me involves my motivations in ‘blogging’, or at least in publishing certain posts and thoughts.  I question myself as to if I sometimes seek to validate my ego (and I know I sometime do) rather that purely seeking to exalt my Redeemer.  Again, there is the question of accountability. Perhaps I have a smudge on my face that I do not see.   

 

 

Do I seek to build up or tear down? Do some things need to be torn down?  Bottom line and big question is this: right now, do I really possess the spiritual maturity stand on this virtual soapbox?  It is not that I shrink from responsibility, it is more a question of am I really equipped, at this particular point and time, to stand in this arena.  More, I am humbled by men by who in vast degree are my betters that I should venture into this arena and suppose that I have something worthwhile to say.  Cutting to the chase, one might say I am having perhaps not so much a crisis of confidence, but more a question of ’calling’. 

 

Curious to know how others deal with these kinds of issues.

 

 

James 3:1

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

An indeterminate pause

I feel compelled to take a hiatus from doing this blogging thing. Though I have quite a few thoughts and posts both in draft and in mind, I am not sure if I will release them into the wild. I need to take some time to think about the direction I have been taking in my blogging and in my thoughts- - I think perhaps a sometimes unnecessarily negative, sometimes unwisely, judgemental, trajectory. Perhaps I will be back soon, but I do not know.

Good Blogging

Cerulean Sanctum

Blogging ‘lite’ - Law ‘lite’

I may be very sparse (for me) in the length, perhaps one-hundred words or so, of my posts in the foreseeable future. I think that I will sometimes post questions, mostly rhetorical in nature and with minimal (for me) contextual framing.  Here is an example:

I have heard many times that we are to give Jesus “our best”, often within the context on a sermon on tithing. I remember watching/listening to a sermon on the TV by a nationally known and influential preacher at the begining of the year.  The message was that, in 2008, we need to be more faithful in tithing, we need to be sure to witness to others on a regular basis, and we need to be more faithful in attending church, perhaps with the inferred promise that we will be blessed by our obedience in the new year, financially and otherwise.  This preachers intent was noble and the things he called us to do are, in an of themselves, praiseworthy, but may sometimes the preaching and exhorting to give Jesus “our best” be an unintended invitation to a performance-driven legalism lite?  On the other hand, at what point do we begin to tread the dangerous ground of antinomianism?

Expecting a Paucity of Posts

I probably will not be posting much in the next little while for various reasons.  What posting I do engage in will be more of a sharing of content found elsewhere.  Perhaps in a couple of weeks I may engage this blogging thing again. 

 

Thinking my thoughts, but articulating them much more clearly….AKA my shortest post ever..

Theology and Steak

Up to my old tricks again……edit..post… re-edit..post…etc….

FYI, I clarified point eight on my previous post….the first number eight, that is.  I noticed I briefly forgot how to count.  Had two points numbered ‘eight’  Fixed it.  Anybody want to volunteer to be my editor?

I am not sure what to make of this ;-)

My wife and son are in New Jersey this week visiting friends and relatives. During one of our phone conversations, she informed me that one of her friends read my ‘blog’ and came away with the impression that I was clergy (which, by the way, I am not). Not knowing the context, I am not sure how to ‘exegete’ that statement in a hermeneutically appropriate fashion. Am I coming across as too homiletic? But seriously…….

Some things I have been thinking about and may be writing and posting on in the future….

As per the title of the post: the tithe, altar calls, the ‘God-shaped’ hole in our heart………

Posting habits must change!

I often find myself publishing a post and then performing major edits for days afterwards. I think I should hold new posts in edit mode, especially the longer ones, a few days and mull over them before I release them to the wild.

Ironic addendum: I edited this post about three times after publishing it. How difficult it is to change habits