I’ve never really liked writing. It’s one of those tasks that seems more like a chore than a joy. Yet, I find myself writing a lot. Each week I write emails, sermons, and social media posts. Why add blogging to that list?
A year ago, when COVID shut everything down, my bedroom became my office. My normal avenues of communication became very limited. I could no longer speak from a stage or have a meeting at a coffee shop. Everyone was just trying to figure things out. In many ways I had no idea what I was doing. But there was one thing God clearly pressed onto my mind during that time—write really good emails.
Previously I had used emails primarily to share information. Often the weekly church email would contain a list of events and details about each one. In March 2020 I switched to primarily casting vision. I started writing about things that I hoped would encourage people to continue to grow in their faith during these unprecedented times. I still included a list of important events at the bottom with links to more information. But the focus had definitely changed. In essence, the weekly email became like a blog post.
I didn’t really think much of this change until I was on the phone with one of our core volunteers from Hill City Church. We were talking about what our new protocols would be when we eventually returned to in-person gatherings. At the end of the phone call he said something that surprised me.
“I just wanted to tell you that I look forward to reading your emails each week.”
Look forward to reading an email? “Exciting” & “email” sound like oxymorons to me. It started making more sense as he went on. He explained how he lived by himself at an apartment. He was also working from home throughout the whole shutdown. It was a breath of fresh air to see an email show up in the inbox that he could count on being encouraging. He said it made him still feel part of something even though everyone was isolated.
This conversation really affirmed what God was already stirring in my heart. I may not love written communication compared to speaking, but I can’t ignore that writing has power. As Edward Bulwer-Lytton wrote in 1839, “The pen is mightier than the sword.”
Write really good emails. Over this past year that’s what I’ve been trying to do. I’ve stopped viewing writing as a necessary evil, but as an opportunity to influence. I’m not great, but I’m growing. (If you notice typos/grammatical errors let me know!)
This brings us to the blog. I hope that this blog would be as meaningful to you as those emails were to that guy. I’ll do my best to share ideas that are encouraging, challenging, and creative. Subscribe if you want to get the content delivered straight to your inbox. My goal is that this blog is one more thing that helps you grow in your discipleship to Jesus. If you resonate with a post would you share on social? It would mean the world to me and it could be just the encouragement that someone needs today.
What are you looking for from a blog post? Comment below and let me know!
