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Friends from America mentioned that they no longer attend the Williamsburg, Virginia Church that we’d met them at.
The preacher had a knack of cutting to the heart of the matter, of looking at the things Jesus said in a new, startling way.
“Oh, why did you leave,” I asked surprised.
“Well, after listening to him for ten years, you’ve heard it all. Then it’s just repetition.” Oooh.
* * *
Christian bloggers set themselves the same task as preachers do, sharing spiritual truth on a daily basis. “It’s like writing a short sermon every day,” a vicar friend said of my blog, in some awe.
And how then can a blogger keep her writing fresh, when those who speak just once a week find not repeating themselves challenging?
* * *
1 First of all, accept there is no shame in repeating yourself. We are not celebrities who, apparently, wear an outfit once only, so much so that Kate Middleton, interestingly, has been praised for repeating outfits.
We do not need to generate 3650 fresh ideas every ten years. And besides, who needs 3650 new ideas?
My readership has increased ten-fold over the last three years which means that nine out of ten readers will not have read the posts from 3-4 years ago. If I think the same thing today, there is no shame in revising, developing (or, often, contracting) an old post, and resharing it, if it can be more of a blessing that way than loitering in my archive.
Writing entirely new stuff every day while good posts moulder unread in one’s archive makes sense if ideas well up naturally. However, the archive is good to root around in on tired and busy days.
* * *
However, since my blog is a reflection of my spiritual life, I would like it to be fresh and green. Some other ways to bring this about.
2 Reading “Leaders read, and readers lead.” Reading about other’s people’s adventures in the holy wilds of the spiritual life makes me aware of heights and depths of spiritual experience which I have not explored—the possibilities of prayer, of transformation of the deep structure of the personality.
3 Suffering pushes us deep into God. When we are writhing in emotional pain, other people’s platitudes won’t do. We need to find our own truth, our own comfort.
Times of suffering can result in losing faith–or, alternatively, faith can become deeper, more real and life-giving.
(I think, given a choice, I’ll stick with reading rather than suffering!)
4 I am enjoying listening to swathes of Scripture as I walk. I am learning a lot about God, what He is like, what He values, how life works, and how to live life well. Several posts spring from this. The Gospels themselves with Jesus’s slant perspective on life never fail to challenge me.
5 Travel opens up new ideas, new experiences. As Mark Batterson says in The Circle Maker, Change of Pace + Change of Place= Change of Perspective.
I learn the history of another region, and a little about its great men and women, its religion, art and architecture. Travel provides numerous new ideas to explore on one’s return. And blog posts inevitably flow.
6 Prayer, placing myself in the force-field of God, invariably generates new thoughts, ideas and blog posts.
7 As do deep conversations, plunging into other people’s lives, thoughts and experiences.
What do you think? How might a blogger keep fresh and green, producing new posts without burn-out?
Read my new memoir: Rosaries, Reading, Secrets: A Catholic Childhood in India (US) or UK.
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My book of essays: Wandering Between Two Worlds (US) or UK
Steve Ratliff says
Oh dang, sorry for the grammatical error in the first paragraph of my reply. . . .
Steve Ratliff says
Thanks for your thoughts, Anita. I appreciate you saying that there is no shame in repeating oneself. Peter was eager to remind his readers of things they already knew (2 Peter 1:12). At the same time I fully agree that freshness and new insights (even when communicating “old” truths) is vital. Congregations and blog readers can tell when a person has stopped growing and learning.
A thread that runs through your recommendations (above) might be teachability. A teachable person can learn from just about anyone and anything. When I’m keeping in step with the Spirit I learn just as much from my “enemies” as my friends, from the hard times as the easy times, and from my failures as my successes. I read somewhere that “God never wastes a perfectly good trial” (James 1). . .
Blessings on you this day, Anita!
Anita Mathias says
“blog readers can tell when a person has stopped growing and learning.”
That is so scary. Tim Challies has a post about his prayer that his blogging success should never exceed his sanctification. When I was younger, I used to pray that I would keep growing closer to Jesus, even if the price was suffering. I am afraid to pray that now. Besides, I think we do grow through abiding, through remembering that we are the beloved. I am in a somewhat stagnant period spiritually, so need to abide more!
“God never wastes a perfectly good trial” Love that!
Thank you for commenting, Steve!
Colin says
Hi Anita
Another fresh and challenging and insightful piece. I really enjoy reading your perspectives, and your reflection which always includes humour.
When I write sermons for preaching, so far I have tried to write novel pieces, trying to relate to events that are contemporaneous; I have sat through too many dire rehashed sermons in my time unfortunately. I wonder if this is why ministers often get restationed after 5-7 years or so. Just a thought albeit a bit cheeky.
I agree with redacting previous pieces, i did this with one of my blog pieces, and simply by changing the title the number or readers jumped! Lessons to learn indeed for a junior blogger like me.
Anita Mathias says
“Simply by changing the title the number or readers jumped!” That’s amazing. I should try that with pieces which don’t do well. I’ve read that 80% of the impact of your post will depend on the title (because 80% of people will never read beyond it)–but, sadly, I often write my titles last, after I’ve finally figured out what my post is about.
I like to think of blog posts from 2-4 years ago as drafts for me to practice editing, re-titling, re-focusing and contracting on. And to sharpen my thinking and expression. I enjoy editing, and my archives have a mass of rapidly written material crying out for editing!