Because I enjoy Sara’s posts, even if she’s no longer putting them on Missional Tribe… because it’s about the voice first, and hers should be heard. But that’s incidental.
It won’t take an overly astute blog-reader to notice I’ve done something in the past month that I haven’t done in my last 4½ years of blogging here… I have –gasp– skipped posting some days. In a way that’s been good for me, since I had been feeling pressure to keep the streak going unbroken. 4½ years is good enough though… I really have nothing to prove in that regard — though it does beat my old record (in the technology sector) by a year, so with the break, that’s like 8 years of daily posting. No wonder I needed a break this past month. Now I don’t feel the pressure to post something no matter what each day, though I do feel I should have said more over the past month. There was a major Emergent-ing conference that everyone blogged about that I wanted to make some comment upon, and there was a gender-related kerfuffle recently that I almost said something about. Too bad I didn’t, but on the other hand, maybe that’s a good thing. I only tend to get myself in trouble.
I’ve been busy working on paying work, which is nice, and keeping up some of my own necessary business development. I’m feeling a bit more refreshed these days and hope to pick up my posting pace, but be forewarned: I likely won’t be compulsively posting every day. Hope that doesn’t disappoint anyone. I do have a new series brewing for my Sunday posts though, so that should be fun.
In other news, I have a book hitting the press sometime in the next week or so… but since it’s not being published under my pseudonym, I can’t say anything about it. Or can I? Oooohhhh, there could be a “reveal” coming….! Can you stand it? How about a free book to the first person who cracks the code and emails me at my non-pseudonymous email address, telling me how they figured it out. Caveat: you can’t already know through our previous interaction, or have purchased my other book on the Advent with John’s Gospel. Ready? Go!
In Tribal news, there’s the Wikiklesia 2 project that we’re helping to host. And if anything, activity around the site has been in the rise in the last couple of weeks since our demise was hinted at with the launch of the Missional Twibe… whatever that means. ;^) I’m behind on some of the work that I need to be doing on that site as well — some software updates and design changes — while my to-do list keeps being replenished. At least I’ll never be bored.
Oh, and it looks like Phyllis Tickle of The Great Emergence fame will be here in Winnipeg on October 31st, and I’ve been asked to offer a workshop and/or participate in a panel discussion for the event. Should be fun. [insert evil laugh here] They really should get their website up for this though. One of the most exciting tidbits is the range of sponsors cooperating to pull this off:
- Booth College
- Providence College
- Canadian Mennonite University (Institute for Theology and the Church)
- Steinbach Bible College
- Diocese of Rupert’s Land, Anglican Church of Canada
- The Salvation Army College for Officer Training
- Synod of Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario, The Presbyterian Church in Canada
- The Mennonite Brethren Church of Manitoba
- Emerging Spirit/The United Church of Canada/The Conference of Manitoba and North Western Ontario
- Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference
- Hull’s Family Bookstore
- ChristianWeek
- Evangelical Mennonite Conference
Honestly, that’s a pretty impressive — and diverse — list of groups cooperating to learn about “a shattering of the old structures of institutionalized Christianity and the birth of new and vital forms of Christianity.” I’m honored to be ask to participate, but not entirely sure what I’ll say just yet. I’ve got some time, but I don’t want to leave it too long. Maybe I’ll just flog my new book. ;^)
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May 7th, 2009 at 8:54 am
Since I can’t win a copy of the book, drop me a line about your new title.
It likes we will both be doing workshops at the Phyllis Tickle event. Sweet! We can finally hang out again.
May 7th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
I’m a little embarrassed by how excited I got by this. :-) Thanks for the shout-out!
May 7th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
In which I wanted to say that I love Sarah Bessey!!
May 25th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
[...] think my blogging mojo must have got up and went. Like I said, my blogging frequency has dropped a bit over the past several weeks so that I’m no longer [...]
May 26th, 2009 at 6:02 am
I am glad I am not the only one out there feeling this funk! I have felt like my muse had left me, lost and without anything of worth to share. It has all been said, right?! Regardless, perhaps we should consider this time as a refueling season…and a season of renovation…of our hearts and minds, perhaps the Lord is realigning us to more effectively share our hearts and glorify Him as we attempt to connect in this cyber space…?
Just a thought…
Smiles and blessings to you!
~mp:)
This comment was originally posted on Subversive Influence
May 26th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Maybe the OT sabbath/rest teaching has something to say about this. One day off every seven days. Several annual festivals that were breaks from their production. An annual break every seventh year.
Could it be that it isn’t just a funk? Could it be your soul fighting your mind for the break it was created to have?
You talk about your sense of obligation to your readers and the fact that you can contribute to this conversation that is still desperately needed. The little bit of study I’ve done on sabbath emphasizes the fight between our perceived obligations vs. our true obligation to God and our soul. Sabbath also appears to be an act of faith and worship, acknowledging that ultimately what we are trying to be a part of producing (in your case…change) is in God’s hands not ours. I know that I often refuse to quit, not because I’m needed, but because I’m struggling to trust that God can do it without me being involved!
I’m not an expert on sabbath or a qualified to really speak to OT Hebrew practices. It’s just a thought.
This comment was originally posted on Subversive Influence
May 26th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
Well, Brother … when your old abbess is linked in two of your posts — back to back — with two new posts, perhaps some of your Mojo was sent over here?!?
Anyway, I’m probably finished with it for the rest of the week, so it should be back sometime soon. ;^)
Enjoy the fence … is there someone you can talk to while leaning on it?
This comment was originally posted on Subversive Influence
May 26th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Speaking as someone in perhaps a greater funk than thou, I got nuthin’ … but I did have one flash of insight this morning. My reading has been way down lately, both on-line and books and I wonder if my output is related to the fact that I’m not getting as much input anymore.
I’ve also been doing a lot of other things too … a lot more quilting (building a business) and trying to be more present with people in real time.
So I continue to think it’s cyclical and I’ll wait this cycle out and see what happens. I know the writing urge is still there and I feel it coming back more and more lately.
This comment was originally posted on Subversive Influence
May 26th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
I love that the time I link to your Sunday hymn series with one of my own, YOU DON’T POST ANYTHING.
I have noticed your infrequency in posting and have missed your stimulating of my own posting. (I’ve missed Sonja too, while Peggy is busy batting balls out of ballparks!)
This comment was originally posted on Subversive Influence
May 30th, 2009 at 8:18 am
Yeah- been there! I think anything loses its luster after awhile. And I think creatives especially need new challenges, new mediums…
My blog has been on life support for months- but now I feel a slight wind at my back. Allowing it to go fallow for a season may have been just what it needed.
It’s also a good opportunity to think through and work out why we need to blog- what are we really trying to contribute vs what are we really trying to get?
This comment was originally posted on Subversive Influence
January 1st, 2010 at 12:01 pm
Whadda year! In a year where half of my time was eaten by illness, yours was one of the few blog voices I tried to read on any kind of regular basis. I appreciate what you have contributed to the ongoing attempts to blog the journey of whatever it is that we are calling the movement(s) whose waves we’ve been riding. Thanks for your efforts … and I’m looking forward to your thoughts on virtual community in this new year.
This comment was originally posted on Subversive Influence