Newsletter #100
On a BIG Anniversary
We made it!
One hundred newsletters are now in the books. Like many things in life, it flew by. In other respects, 100 feels about right. My wife and I had our first child the same month I launched this little experiment. It has continued to grow and evolve into what I hope is a good use of people’s time on Monday mornings, and as often as I post special essays and the like.
The fact that anyone cared to subscribe, and a reasonable percentage of those people read regularly, is encouraging and humbling. Please feel free to discontinue reading the moment you read consecutive newsletters that lack clarity, relevance, or wisdom. I truly mean that. Your time is too short to spend on things which profit little.
A quick housekeeping note. Later this week I will release my favorite books of 2023, as well as all the books I read this year. It will be a slightly different version from the one some of you end up seeing at www.fwbtheology.com, so take note of that.
On this topic, sometimes people ask me about the things I’m reading or the podcasts I’m listening to. I plan to do a newsletter in the near future on the latter. Of course, I keep readers updated on the former just through this weekly newsletter. It’s a never-ending task to discern which authors and creatives are worthy of my attention. The explosion of podcasting, YouTube channels, and the never-ceasing flow of newly published books forces us all to make some hard decisions. Even as I build my reading list for 2024, I feel the pressure acutely.
I’ve written about this in previous newsletters, but if I could summarize: Do your best. Read broadly. Read to fill in gaps in your knowledge base. Read to learn about subjects you’re dealing with personally or professionally. Get recommendations from wise people whom you trust. And try to maintain a balance between the interpersonal activities we all need to be invested in, and having your nose in a book.
Now, for Newsletter #100, I couldn’t think of anything more appropriate than to give you a list of the most viewed posts from over the last two years. Below I list the top three most-viewed newsletters, and the top three most-viewed posts of any kind. (These also happen to be in the top six, so that worked out well.) Along with them, I add a couple of comments to provide some context.
#1 – “Just Use Your Funny Voice: Reflections from a New-ish Father”
The early days of parenting have provoked a wide range of reflections on human nature, Scripture, childhood development, my own heart, and God. Some of that comes through in this article on parenting and children’s spiritual formation.
#2 – “The So-called Regulative Principle of Worship: A Response to Jackson Watts”
When I began writing on the Regulative Principle, I never could have guessed that Dr. Robert Picirilli would decide to engage me on the topic. We ended up having a written dialogue on the topic. His first rejoinder to me is the one that received the most attention.
#3 – “Remembering ‘G’: Gerald Lynn Turner (10/7/1984-11/23/06)”
A dear friend from college left us unexpectedly in 2006. His life and smile still linger with me. This post was designed to give a more public hearing for his life and legacy, especially as it hopefully lives on through those who knew him.
#1 – Newsletter #43: On the 2022 Midterm Elections
It’s always risky business to make predictions, but I made a few in this newsletter. While I was wrong on a couple of them, I think I ended up being quite right on most of the others. It may be hard to judge the matter now if you haven’t followed politics closely, but a lot of people read this, for whatever reason.
#2 – Newsletter #48: On Reading Lists
As I said above, we’re all trying to figure out what to read and how to read well. The concept of a reading list is very important to me. Apparently, it was to others, too.
#3 – Newsletter #27: On the Free Will Baptist National Convention
I’ve attended many National Conventions through the years. Birmingham was great, but I don’t know if it was so much better than any other one in recent memory. But people seemed to enjoy reading this piece about it.
What I’m (Still) Reading or Rereading:
Brian Klaas, Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How it Changes Us.
Abigail Favale, The Genesis of Gender: A Christian Theory.
Taylor Kay Phillips, A Guide to Midwestern Conversation.
Quote of the Week:
Marriage has changed over the millennia, and that’s a beautiful thing, but the prophets of this present age would have us believe marriage should exist solely for the benefit of the people in it, for their emotional, psychological, and carnal empowerment, as though matrimony is merely an extended couple’s spa experience featuring orgies and explosive self-actualizations that you can exit whensoever your heart desires. What if the prophets are wrong? Are we not freer than ever in human history, and sadder, and more anxious, more wretched? What if marriage, at its very best, exists to make us into beautiful new creatures we scarcely recognize? What if, in some cosmically weird way, escaping a hard marriage is not how you change? What if staying married is?
Harrison Scott Key, How to Stay Married: The Most Insane Love Story Ever Told.
On My Mind: Christmas Vacation
I will be leaving town later this week for several days as my family visits our families in the Carolinas. In the interest of making this a true break, this will be my last newsletter until January 8. That’s right: two weeks off! I’ve never done that since launching Churchatopia. The most I’ve ever skipped was just one week, and that was for Christmas last year. Since two consecutive Mondays fall on major holidays, I will let myself recharge before returning, hopefully with fresh insight in January. I hope you enjoyed this newsletter—and I hope you enjoy my top books post that I’ll publish on December 22.