Happy Anniversary, Dear Blog!

When I launched my website, just over a year ago, I committed to publish a blog article every week, come rain or shine. I’m pleased to say that one year on—this very week—I’ve managed it. 52 weeks and counting.   

It might be of interest to briefly explain what my goals were. I was not aiming to “compete” with devotional guides, such as Every Day With Jesus (https://www.waverleyabbey.org/encounter/daily-bible-devotional/), or Lectio Divina (https://www.24-7prayer.com/podcast/introducing-lectio-divina/). I’ve nothing against them—in fact, I’m all for them—they’re just not my skill set.

One goal was to make more of my thinking and writing accessible to a wider audience, free of charge. I’m not into inviting folks to “upgrade” to “paid subscriptions.” However, I hope that readers who like the bite-size pieces will be attracted to read my books and come to events I’m involved with, such as the Bible Engagement Day, at Waverley Abbey, in Farnham, Surrey, on Saturday 1 March: https://tinyurl.com/yvsfj44b. I would love it if you live close enough to be there.

My target audience is ordinary, thoughtful Christians, with inquisitive minds, especially those who have lots of good questions to ask about the Bible and Christian faith—especially, perhaps, on things that have “stopped making sense.” I want to offer what I hope is some good theological thinking, in easy-to-digest articles, that will stimulate readers to reflect further for themselves. I like writing academically, as well, but the blogs are not the place. 

I hope for the blogs to also be of value to pastors, especially those who may not have had the benefit of formal theological education (or at least, not recently), and to be a potential source for sermons (material that can be “borrowed,” added to and personalised).  

Finally, I hope that getting to know me through the blogs will be an entrée to being invited to participate in other projects.   

There are some subjects that I’ve consciously stayed away from (or at least, mostly stayed away from). I have not wanted to be “a shock jock”—someone who goes out of their way to express controversial opinions that are deliberately provocative. That doesn’t mean never saying anything challenging; if we’re never saying anything challenging, we’re probably not saying things worth hearing. There’s a balance to be struck. But I’ve generally stayed away from “hot potato” controversies such as Christian nationalism and Donald Trump, politics in general (church or world), and LGBTQ-related questions (not that those aren’t important, I’m just not sure that they lend themselves to 1,500-word blog articles).  

So, dear reader, here’s where you come in! I would love you to write and tell me what you think, 12 months in. (steveburnhope@gmail.com) Have the blogs been helpful? Have they been interesting? In what ways? How have you used them (solely for personal interest, or other applications as well)? I’ve aimed to cover a range of subjects, questions, and approaches. What would you like to see more of or less of? Are they pitched right? Too long, too short, too complicated, too simple? Too controversial? Insufficiently controversial? What questions haven’t I covered that you’d be interested in hearing some thoughts on? And any other relevant comments and suggestions! 

So, over to you. I'm always available via steveburnhope@gmail.com. Thanks for subscribing and, I hope, commenting!