I’ve Been Busy Lately
I haven’t had much time to blog lately — as you may have noticed. This fall was unusually busy. I served on the teams for 2 Emmaus Walks and a Keryx Prison weekend. In addition to that I served on a Vital Church Initiative consultation team — with another consultation coming up next week. When all of this was added to my other involvements, it simply became too much to try to continue with my usual Internet activities. The Steele’s Answers and Hidden Life blogs have not been well tended either — even though they don’t demand as much time from me. (I find writing much more time consuming than editing.)
I like to post every day when I can. But, there are times when I can’t, and I don’t think blog breaks are bad thing.
I think in the last analysis you have to blog for yourself. Yes, it is important to produce ideas and information that is of interest to people — but a writer just can’t be a slave to that. I write the various Bible studies that appear here because the Bible and its interpretation is an interest of mine. They don’t draw in many readers — but that’s not the point. In the last analysis writers have to feel good about what they are writing.
I know what I am about — even if that may not always be apparent to other people. This is a site about the Wesleyan doctrine of Christian Perfection — with lots of (to my mind) related themes. I am interested in Bible interpretation, and theology, and history, and sexuality issues (because they are unavoidable, for one thing), and the interface of theology and science — but the real issue for me has always been: how to live with a heart wholly devoted to God. I believe the real way to get to the heart of Wesleyan theology is to focus on its most controversial aspects.
But, I also believe that the faith must be re-appropriated and re-applied in ever generation. I always thought that was one of the advantages of evangelical theology — broadly understood. I always expect fresh new ideas to emerge from the Scriptures as we reflect on our contemporary situation. I’ve always thought we are supposed to expect that. I thought that one of the advantages of evangelical theology — broadly understood — is that you have the riches of the wide orthodox Christian tradition from which to draw. It is not a matter of being imprisoned by understandings / theologies of the past. It is respectfully learning from the past — but thinking for yourself!
So I’m either a liberal conservative or a conservative liberal — or something else. It doesn’t matter.
But if anyone is interested in the theology of John Wesley or of the holiness movement — and it’s possible relevance to the life of faith today — they should be able to find something here that is helpful or thought provoking. And, they should be able to find some reflection on the Scriptures and the Christian tradition that arises from that point of view.
I haven’t quit writing here. I just get busy sometimes.