Why I Write...

I was just thinking recently about this whole blogging phenomenon… and about how much I have enjoyed doing it. I have really eaten it up. I have been writing on this blog for about ten months now. My goal when I started was to produce one new post a week. Since beginning last October, I think I’ve only missed three weeks. Two weeks ago, I actually posted twice, believe it or not. This week might be the same… we’ll see.

You know what’s been neat? Since I’ve been taking the time to consistently write… I find that I become more aware of the things I would like to write about. I’m not sure if this will make sense to you or not, but, I am more ‘aware’ of what’s happening around me in the hopes that I can learn and write about it… I don’t remember being this way before. This is probably how most Lead Pastors are when they have to come up with one or two sermons each week… their senses are more conditioned to take details in… just in case they can use a life situation as an illustration.

I haven’t been in that kind of a position before. In Kalamazoo, I was able to preach about once a month or so. Here in St. Peters, it is much less than that. (we don’t have a Sunday evening service) Since last September, I have only preached once at this church… and only three times total, so I haven’t needed to have a ‘writers’ mindset. Keeping up with this blog helps me to have that mindset… which I appreciate.

I was talking to my friend, Krista Bruder, on AIM two weeks ago. She asked a really good question about whether or not I get sermon ideas from blogging. I had to respond to her that I didn’t get many chances to preach, so no… I haven’t been able to pull things from these writings to put into my sermons yet. (Though, that is an excellent idea for the future… possibly… there are a few stories that I’ve recalled from the past that I could insert as illustrations.)

Krista’s question got me wondering about something else: Why do I write? And how do I choose what I write? I think the best answer is this: I write about things that ‘move me’ emotionally… and challenge me intellectually. I like to write about things that bring me great joy: God, my family, my profession, my passions, my memories…etc. I actually like to write about things that make me angry… it just so happens to be therapeutic for me. I’ve got a whopper of an idea for a future post that I think I will entitle: Will There Be Annoying People in Heaven? Don’t worry, it won’t be near as bad as it sounds. I like to write about things I’m scared of… don’t know why, I guess I find it helpful for some reason. I like to write about experiences that were meaningful to me: Just recently, I was able to be a part of a 50th wedding anniversary where the couple renewed their vows… I want to write about how I felt during the ceremony… how challenged and encouraged I was to see an example of how God intended marriage to work. I like to write about things that make me think… books, sermons, ideas, politics, other blogs, etc. I like to write about things that make me laugh. I like to write about things that force me to look at the world differently… and yes, I like to write about Star Wars, U2, Nintendo, and the Cardinals. I do sincerely apologize for that… I know my wife calls me a big nerd anytime I choose to dive into one of those topics. Especially Star Wars.

I’ve noticed that every blog I’ve visited offers something different: Some bloggers choose to write about theological and intellectual truths. Some bloggers choose to write about personal thoughts… almost like a public diary. Some bloggers choose to write about their travels and experiences. I absolutely love the variety found there…

But I’ve often wondered, while writing in my own blog… is this what actually goes in a blog? For instance… one week I might be talking about my experience as a pastor… one week I might be talking about my experience as a father… one week I might be talking about my experiences as a Star Wars fan. I’ve wondered if it’s good blogging etiquette to have one general theme in each blog… or if it’s ok to do what I do: Kind of a shotgun blog… you’ll never know where the next post is going…

I guess I’ve decided that I don’t really care about etiquette. (Hey, I really don’t care much for etiquette anywhere else… why should I worry much about it on my own blog?) I’ve decided that I’ll write about the things that matter to me. I’m not a one dimensional person… I wear plenty of different labels and hats… and I can learn and grow in each area of life. So I shouldn’t be embarrassed to write about theology and my family in the same blog… right? I shouldn’t be reluctant to write about my fears, joys, and yes even my torked off moments… right? I shouldn’t be ashamed to write about my experiences as a Star Wars fan in my blog… well… er… hmmm… maybe I SHOULD be ashamed of that one…