New Direction for This Blog - by Don Neuendorf
After much prayer - thought - consultation - and debate, I've decided to continue with the blog, but in a new direction. Only 5 people responded to the survey. Only a dozen or so, as far as I can tell, have been reading the blog. And I was just about ready to give it up. One thing stopped me. (Oh Lord, don't let it be me ego deceiving me.) Some people who read the Advent devotions wrote to me to express their wish that I would continue writing.
Here's the thing. No publisher is asking me to write anything. I got to write the Lutheran Hour Advent devotions this once because a friend of mine happened to be in charge of them. So I don't hear any calling to a wonderful book-writing career. But... I have enjoyed writing these posts. And there are some people who would like to read more. So... with trepidation, I will start up again.
New rules, however. Rather than write about the SPOTS devotions, I'm going to try to work further ahead. I plan to write a few posts a week about the upcoming Sunday lessons for TWO Sundays ahead. That serves two purposes. 1) Even if no one else is reading this, it will help me to be more prepared for preaching. And 2) just in case some of my brother pastors find this useful (and I guess you never know), it might be a way to help others bring new ideas into their sermons. Also, if you are following the SPOTS it will be the same readings - just another week ahead.
I'm also going to open up comments again, but with this difference. I'll allow comments that offer other ways to look at or apply the text - but I won't get into internet debates or publish anyone's bad tempered criticism.
After much prayer - thought - consultation - and debate, I've decided to continue with the blog, but in a new direction. Only 5 people responded to the survey. Only a dozen or so, as far as I can tell, have been reading the blog. And I was just about ready to give it up. One thing stopped me. (Oh Lord, don't let it be me ego deceiving me.) Some people who read the Advent devotions wrote to me to express their wish that I would continue writing.
Here's the thing. No publisher is asking me to write anything. I got to write the Lutheran Hour Advent devotions this once because a friend of mine happened to be in charge of them. So I don't hear any calling to a wonderful book-writing career. But... I have enjoyed writing these posts. And there are some people who would like to read more. So... with trepidation, I will start up again.
New rules, however. Rather than write about the SPOTS devotions, I'm going to try to work further ahead. I plan to write a few posts a week about the upcoming Sunday lessons for TWO Sundays ahead. That serves two purposes. 1) Even if no one else is reading this, it will help me to be more prepared for preaching. And 2) just in case some of my brother pastors find this useful (and I guess you never know), it might be a way to help others bring new ideas into their sermons. Also, if you are following the SPOTS it will be the same readings - just another week ahead.
I'm also going to open up comments again, but with this difference. I'll allow comments that offer other ways to look at or apply the text - but I won't get into internet debates or publish anyone's bad tempered criticism.