Saturday, June 20, 2020

What you read here. . .

It has been a while since you read the little paragraph explaining this blog or I have bothered to write something about it, so it is time.  This is a blog.  It is not a place where I publish scholarly articles or well researched or thought out opinion pieces.  It is thoughts.  My thoughts.  My meandering thoughts.  My meandering thoughts as a pastor of some 40 years.  So do not visit expecting to find thoughts that are without error or opinions that have covered all the bases or my final conclusions on the matter.  My mind changes and I react.  It is helpful to my mental health to write things down and some have found these meandering thoughts interesting.  Some even helpful.  Some wrong.  I am happy to have you read them but read them for what they are, not for what they are not.

I often condemn social media and I do understanding that blogging is social media, albeit an ancient form and quite different from Twitter or Instagram or even Facebook.  I do understand that social media might have a place and a purpose but both of those get buried in a sea of sentiment, stupidity, and spurious content. For myself, I do not spend a huge amount of time on these posts.  They are written rather quickly and do not mean to be hit pieces but are an attempt to invite or add to an on-going conversation. I am under no illusions.  These things could have been better thought out, better written, and better edited.  I have not the time or energy or, frankly, the desire to do that.  So what you see is what you get.

What I will say is this.  Read.  Read books.  Read scholarly journals.  Read the news.  Read thoughtful commentators.  Read sermons.  Read.  And think.  Think about what you have read and what was missing in what you read.  Because the sad truth is that a large number of pastors do not do much reading nor do they do much thinking.  This is not good.  This is why such strange and kooky things get said and done in the name of orthodox Christianity.  If you have a stray thought, send it out to your peers.  Discuss it.  Believe you me, I get plenty of feedback on my many half-baked ideas and it is a good thing.  Sometimes you need to toss into the garbage your ill-conceived thoughts.  Sometimes good people can help you figure out which are the bad apples in your orchard of thoughts and ideas.  But none of it happens without reading, thinking, and reflection. 


Janis Williams said...

All of what you say is so very true, and the discussion part requires REAL tolerance. Not the type where you do nothing or say nothing, and are effectively ‘tolerant.’ The type of tolerance that allows people to disagree, is what is needed. Sad can allow someone to even be wrong without disparaging them, or to use a modern misuse: Cancel them.

Pr. Jim Wagner said...

Pastor Peters: I do read widely and study, but I nearly always appreciate your comments, even when I disagree with them. Keep up the good work!