I'll start this post off with some housekeeping, It's been nine months since I last posted on this blog. If I'm being honest, there's only one reason that I stopped posting.
Pride.
It bums me out when I look at the number of views on a post I wrote and see that only 2 people read the post. I've had some difficulty finding the niche for this blog. My previous blog, The Revolutionary Nazarene, was geared exclusively toward pastoral posts. I wanted pastoral and theological discourse, so I wrote it myself. I quit writing it because people weren't reading it.
I started another blog while Holly was expecting our son Xavier. I stopped writing it because it became simply updates. I couldn't seem to write thoughtful posts enough because my emotions were pretty standard and they weren't really changing as much as her body and his body were changing. "I'm still terrified and nervous. She's at so many weeks. He's the size of a whatever." Those posts got old quickly for me.
So, I started this blog to be more of a catch-all for my various interests. I tried reviewing Friends Seasons and having fun re-watching my favorite show of all time. People liked the first post, but nobody cared after that. I tried playing Madden and making light of the results, and nobody cared about those posts.
All that to say, I can't figure out what people want to read on my blog. If you don't mind, leave me a comment with the types of posts that you'd be most inclined to read. I completely understand with my brain that blogging is more interesting if you have readers, but you only get readers by blogging.
Now, the reason for my post today.
Some of you may know how I feel about a certain Ville of Cedars and their university. While I was at MVNU, they were our big rivals. Games against Cedarville were always a total blast to be a part of, especially from my seat on the sidelines.
I generally disdain all Cedarville thoughts, references and so forth.
Today I went to their chapel service.
It was amazing.
First off, the chapel is designed in a way that allows for the worshiper to actually hear the voices around him. I could hear everyone else singing. This is one of those things that we are losing in the church for a number of reasons, but this college chapel service absolutely landed the experience of worshiping together. Of course, I could've just been in the best seat for that acoustical experience. But, either way, it absolutely enhanced my experience today.
Second, I had a sort of theological epiphany. We sang the song You're Beautiful by Phil Wickham. It was a new one for me, but the song mentions the way the bride sees her groom.
I had a few thoughts as we sang this, thinking about how I felt when I saw my bride for the first time on our wedding day, and thought about the way Christ sees his Bride, the Church.
I struggle with the Church sometimes, as most millennials do. I have trouble with her flaws, her imperfections, her troubles. Because she's not perfect. She's still in progress and she gives me a lot of trouble.
But Christ died for her. And that's enough for me.
I'm in.
Pride.
It bums me out when I look at the number of views on a post I wrote and see that only 2 people read the post. I've had some difficulty finding the niche for this blog. My previous blog, The Revolutionary Nazarene, was geared exclusively toward pastoral posts. I wanted pastoral and theological discourse, so I wrote it myself. I quit writing it because people weren't reading it.
I started another blog while Holly was expecting our son Xavier. I stopped writing it because it became simply updates. I couldn't seem to write thoughtful posts enough because my emotions were pretty standard and they weren't really changing as much as her body and his body were changing. "I'm still terrified and nervous. She's at so many weeks. He's the size of a whatever." Those posts got old quickly for me.
So, I started this blog to be more of a catch-all for my various interests. I tried reviewing Friends Seasons and having fun re-watching my favorite show of all time. People liked the first post, but nobody cared after that. I tried playing Madden and making light of the results, and nobody cared about those posts.
All that to say, I can't figure out what people want to read on my blog. If you don't mind, leave me a comment with the types of posts that you'd be most inclined to read. I completely understand with my brain that blogging is more interesting if you have readers, but you only get readers by blogging.
Now, the reason for my post today.
Some of you may know how I feel about a certain Ville of Cedars and their university. While I was at MVNU, they were our big rivals. Games against Cedarville were always a total blast to be a part of, especially from my seat on the sidelines.
I generally disdain all Cedarville thoughts, references and so forth.
Today I went to their chapel service.
It was amazing.
First off, the chapel is designed in a way that allows for the worshiper to actually hear the voices around him. I could hear everyone else singing. This is one of those things that we are losing in the church for a number of reasons, but this college chapel service absolutely landed the experience of worshiping together. Of course, I could've just been in the best seat for that acoustical experience. But, either way, it absolutely enhanced my experience today.
Second, I had a sort of theological epiphany. We sang the song You're Beautiful by Phil Wickham. It was a new one for me, but the song mentions the way the bride sees her groom.
I had a few thoughts as we sang this, thinking about how I felt when I saw my bride for the first time on our wedding day, and thought about the way Christ sees his Bride, the Church.
I struggle with the Church sometimes, as most millennials do. I have trouble with her flaws, her imperfections, her troubles. Because she's not perfect. She's still in progress and she gives me a lot of trouble.
But Christ died for her. And that's enough for me.
I'm in.