Wassablogforthen, eh?

A short blogging hiatus, but not hopefully a statement of further blog lack...

As is so often the case when I reconsider starting up some kind of semi-regular blogging I ask myself exactly why I stick with it... or not, as the case may be.

Obviously the blogging has a draw which I don't seem to be able to ignore, even if I seem to be able to leave it for months at a time.  So for as long as I seem to have inspiration, or the ability to type at least, it looks as if New Kid remains!  Unlike other writers who seem to be gently ebbing from the blogosphere (eg the interesting Shawn Smucker who writes a thoughtful post as to why he is stopping blogging here) I have decided to stay...

I do feel I need to say a bit about what this blog is and isn't, though.  And rather than justify, mainly to myself, my reasons for writing, I thought I would start with a bit of what you may or may not find if you explore previous posts.

Firstly it's worth saying that I've never really had a rationale for this blogging business - that means I have mixed up a bit of my personal life, my ministry, my writings even (though rarely) my family.  You'll get a few thoughts on holidays and the house we've bought in France, but I didn't despite the temptation dissect the convoluted and sometimes frustrating business of house-buying in a land that loves bureaucracy.  It might have been interesting, but venting on a regular basis about French property could get old very quickly.

I do talk about my love of what I do, the life of these Parishes here in East Devon and the joys of rural ministry, as well as some of the frustrations.  I rarely comment on the goings on in the wider Church because that might cause you, like me, to bang your head repeatedly against the wall whilst wailing 'Why? Why? Why?' on regular basis.... Though I do sometimes talk about some of the structures within the Church of England to which I belong - Deanery and Diocese - and some of the quirky stuff that goes with being an Anglican.  You may well find me chatting more about what it means to move to another country, and continent, whilst still remaining a part of the Anglican Communion - and considering what being in a different Ecclesiastical Province means....

I rarely comment what is going on in the world at large - you don't see much - if any - mention of recession, or natural or human made disaster here.  I didn't share in blogging on the heartbreak felt my many of us after the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary, or my frustrations at the foolishness of considering gun ownership to be a right... (Obviously I would put the right to life as significantly higher than the right to blow other life away, but I'm kind of old fashioned and Judeo-Christian on that one).  This is not because I think as Christians we shouldn't engage with the wider world, quite the opposite, but I do think there are better writers and thinkers that do that kind of thing.

I do talk a bit of Theology.   I could talk an awful lot more, but again there are only so many hours in any day and most people have other things to do :-)

I do share a bit of what it means to be mixed up in this slightly odd world of the Church, of what it means to be a Christian today, at least in my context, as someone struggling with this whole following Jesus thing.  But then as far as I can tell anyone who truly wants to follow Jesus, rather than be a Christian for what they can get out of it, or for the sake of appearance, or because they are judgemental and need a hook to hang their bigotry on, or for any other reason than being bowled over by the love of God and the desire to follow the way of Christ, will struggle.

I do share a bit of what I share in my weekly Thoughts for the local paper.  It has a circulation of about 27000 people, and most of them seem to have stopped me on the street in the past few weeks and said "I do read your little bit in the paper every week, Vicar..."

I do share a bit about the detail of days, about things which strike me, about my own discoveries in prayer or worship, my own roles in the Church, the adventure of faith, the thought that goes into preparing things for worship or teaching. I have in the past put links up to sermons (at the other New Kid blog which suffers even more from sad neglect than this one.)

In short, apart from a lack of engagement and reflection on current events and the difficulties of the world around, this mish mash, faith based not particularly focussed blog isn't a bad reflection, or at least a selection snapshots, as to where I am, and where I have recently been.  I have a few things unfinished, such as more thinking about Silence and some notes about the Spirituality of Social Media, which I have promised a number of times to post here... I still hope to.  I have a few badly expressed thoughts, actually a lot of them, and a few relatively well thought out posts.  I have things which I may not express in the same way any more.  And things I am really impressed I said.

It might be because I am thinking about our impending move (yes it's six months away, but time flies) or it might be because we are getting to the end of another year, or whatever, but I think I will continue this slightly mixed up blog business.  And if you want to come with me along the road you are more than welcome...