Stuff I Like
This is the third of a series of suggested topics I researched when we decided to restart a blog for our church. I want to mention at the start that there are two items from that first sentence that I should address. First, I said “we decided.” This page and the articles are going to be a collaborative effort by our leadership team here at Bethel. While I will most likely be providing many of the articles, others will be writing too. Second, I said we are restarting this blog. I am commenting on this for those who may have been with us about ten years ago when we had a blog called Bethel Life and I wrote on a separate page called pastorrob.com. So, if you remember something from the past with blogs, there you have conformation. Try to forget that we did a “meh” job of doing it before and be glad for the effort now:)
So, what am I going to write about? Obviously, I am answering for just me. Others will have different interests and some may be overlapping. But here are some interests I have though I claim no expertise on any of them.
I am going to write about church. As I mentioned in my introductory blog, I do love the church even with imperfections. I want to write not only for others who may love church, but I also want to write about why some people may not love church anymore. If someone were to stop by and read my blog and they feel hurt by a church, I would like to write in a way that they would be drawn to read more and not feel pushed away. This may sound corny but, I have imagined that if Jesus had a blog, I think he would write about church in an honest, welcoming and inviting way.
I am going to write about burnout and mental health. Ten years ago I would have had little interest in this topic. Today, I think about it alot. I read books, I listen to podcasts, I journal about themes related to burnout and mental health all the time. One of the main reasons I want to do this is to be honest. Too many people are not honest to admit where they are in their emotional and mental journey. By writing, I want to give you space to think about the topic. I also want to write to help break down the stigma men have in talking about their mental health.
I am going to write about coffee. Really, what I am attempting to do here is write about some things I have found to be enjoyable simply because I have fun doing them. Coffee is one of those things I enjoy. Not only drinking good coffee but the whole process. Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite books of the Bible. In it, the writer Solomon talks on several occasions about the enjoyment of life in light of God’s good gifts. I would like to think that writing about things like coffee is finding something good and doing it with strength (Ecclesiastes 9:10).