First, Some “Thank Yous”
A year ago, I moved my blog over to Substack for three reasons.
There was an intentional writing community that I felt would help keep me accountable to regular writing.
The ability to not only post my writing online, but also send it simultaneously as a newsletter.
*Cough* Squarespace was raising prices *Cough*
Ok, all three of those are really legitimate reasons, but if the third one hadn’t happened, I don’t know if I would have switched. But I’m so glad I did.
After one year of regular writing, I have 127 subscribers (as of the time of writing)!
I’ve learned that a regular open and read rate above 50% is a challenge - but you all read my posts at a rate of somewhere between 50%-60%!
Many of you have sent me personal messages or shared when we’ve bumped into each other in person that you’ve found my writing helpful and meaningful. This is why I do this!
I’m thankful for the high level of engagement and honored that you take the time to read, like, comment, and share.
Thank you!
Second, A Year In Review
For those of you who haven’t been here since the beginning, you may have missed some favorites here at Under the Eyes of God.
So I thought I’d share a little of the “best of” this year. What was the most read, the most liked, the most commented on, and then one or two I’m most proud of…
Most Read
Cristiano Ronaldo Won't Drink The Coke (And Neither Should You)
Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the most famous soccer players ever, came into a press conference ahead of a match for his native Portugal at the European Championships in 2021.
At 586 views and 60% open rate, this is by far my most read piece, in which I illustrate how to disrupt ideology like Jesus through a funny story about the Global Football (soccer) star Cristiano Ronaldo.
Most Liked
A repost from my old blog, but still an important topic on knowing who we are and where our identity comes from. And Fred Rogers…That’s all I need to say.
Most Commented
Re-Learning Dr. King's Christianity
When I first learned about the Civil Rights movement of the mid-twentieth century and about Martin Luther King Jr.’s role in it, I could not have been older than seven or eight, perhaps younger.
Like many who grew up in predominantly White Evangelical spaces, I received a very mixed, if not negative at times, version of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy. I write a little about that and compare that version to the distinctly Christian-rootedness of the Civil Rights movement he led. I was encouraged by your comments and personal messages from this one.
Most Proud Of
I’ll highlight two…
Scaffolding: A Metaphor For Doing Theology
I love New York City. My family and I live within an hour of Manhattan and take every opportunity to spend time in the five boroughs whether to visit family and friends, or taking our daughters to some of our favorite spots. (“Train up a child,” as they say!) One thing you will always see …
This is one of the early pieces I published last fall. Through the teaching of
and her Christian Doctrine class at Northern Seminary, I began to think about theology very differently. I wrote this to help me think through it more.It was only this summer that I realized the influence George Lindbeck’s The Nature of Doctrine had on her approach to theology, and now mine too! I didn’t have Lindbeck’s language of “cultural-linguistics” yet, but this piece sort of gets at that idea before I knew it was a thing.
What Is Ideology?
In the aftermath of the election in the United States, many Americans are filled with either delight or despair and it has left many relationships in tatters. Those on either side of a…
One of the tools I’m picking up in my seminary education is how to discern how ideology works, how it is at work in churches and communities, and how to address it.
Here, I reflect on the work of Terry Eagleton in his book Ideology: An Introduction. What I’m most proud of in this post is the diagram I created to describe Eagleton’s multi-layered definition of ideology; when it is just differing opinions, and when it becomes coercive. I found the framework helpful for sorting through micro and macro-level conflicts, and I hope you do too.
Thank you for being a part of a great first year here on Substack! If you’ve found my writing helpful, would you be willing to help spread the word and share Under the Eyes of God with someone who would benefit from my writing?
This fall, our church is spending time exploring what it means to share life in Christian community through a new series called “Together”.
I’ll probably be riffing on that topic here on Substack a bit through the fall, along with the usual mix of other things I’m led to consider “under the eyes of God.”
Stick around!