When I started blogging again several years ago, I rarely went a month without putting a post up. Unfortunately, it looks like I got out of the habit and have gone almost 6 months with a post. Whoops!
Looking back at the last six months, it has been anything but uneventful. In fact, there has been so much going on that it probably contributed to the blog-silence. So, here is a quick run down on the big things that have gone down:
- There has been a lot of traveling with the Cabrini crew – both coming and going
- 3 staff members went to the states for the AIDS 2012 conference
- Five "sisters in training" came and stayed with us for spiritual development
- We had a fundraising trip in the states that all the Kickerts plus Sister Diane went on (more on that later).
- The sisters have been all over the place doing "sister" work and taking some down time
- We have had two short-term volunteer come and go
- Joe has gone to the states for some time with Family
- We were able to spend 6 weeks in the US and it was very busy time
- I spent time in New York, Philadephia, St. Louis, Chicago, Nashville
- It was great catching up with friends and family
- I became an uncle on my side when Tim and Chel had their first baby
- My grandmother passed away
- We got to enjoy some down time together as a family and see the sites in NYC and London
- We wrapped up our funding year and took some time to look at all the accomplishments happening in Swaziland
- Simo, one of the twins we watched was killed when his house collapsed on him.
- We found out we were pregnant!
If you really want scoop on what has gone on with the Kickerts in the last six months, be sure to go to Beth’s blog… she even does pictures! http://beth.kickert.info
Generally it drives me crazy when people write posts about not writing posts. Usually they are either apologizing for not writing, or promising more to come. I just don’t get that.
But… that being said… I want to comment on my decrease in blogging.
Sure, I could complain that I have been too busy. I could admit I have been too lazy. It could be the fact that in preparing for our move I have had less time to think about blog-worthy subjects.
But, the truth of the matter is that I have found another outlet. A couple years ago I noticed the rise of my blogging coincided with graduating seminary and ending my tenure as pastor. Basically I took up blogging because I had lost my other outlets for writing and processing big ideas: sermon writing and papers for seminary.
Now that I have returned as the pastor of Stevenson’s Chapel in Russellville, I am once again writing 8-10 pages a week for a typical sermon. This has not only taken up my time, it has also been my release for thinking through big picture ideas.
If you are missing your fix of Ben’s writing (HA! Who am I kidding?), you can read my sermons online.
I have friends that are bloggers. I don’t consider myself part of their ranks. I have some friends who use their blogs to connect with friends and family. I have some friends who use their blogs to encourage debate and critical thinking. I have some friends who use their blogs to project an image. I have a whole lot of friends who have blogs, but never update them. None of those categories have ever suited me.
That being said, occasionally I come across a blog post that really gets me thinking or gives me a glimpse into a person’s true self. Those are the posts I am drawn to – the ones that are written for no audience other than the author, where an electronic medium is used as a pathway for self reflection. If I am going to blog, that is why – to reflect on my thoughts and work through my own understandings.
I have entitled this blog “Dynamic yet Consistent.” That title comes from a paper I wrote a few years ago about approaches to theology. It is my contention that in our quest to understand theology and even life itself, we must always allow a fluidity in our thinking, but that fluidity should be taking us someplace – refining our thoughts and our understandings. I think blogs can reflect that. We can look back on our pondering years later and see how we have changed. At the same time, blogs allow for the helpful influence of community in this thought process.
That then undergirds this blog: it is merely my thoughts, but they are presented to you so you can help shape me in my thinking. I have included a quotes page as well as writings page. The later is for my own vanity while the former is illustrate the thoughts of those who are shaping me.
You will find several posts precceed this introductory post. Those were written by me on the now defunct Emergent-BG blog. I found in reading over them that many express deep thoughts and insights that I have not projected anywhere else. Some are fitting, others are not. Feel free to ignore them all.
enjoy…