A Friendship, a Ritual, a Conversation, and an Offer
This small space is smelling of sore neglect these days, but only because I’m eyeball deep in a book manuscript and working on a side project as well. More details about the side project below, but first here are some tidbits from around the world wide web that delighted or stirred me.
Becoming Authentically Human, “It has started to dawn on me that John only became more completely his confrontational, unshaven, locust-eating self in Jesus’ presence. John actually became Johnier and Johnier—but now all of him was pointing to Jesus. He was authentically holy, but in an authentically John the Baptist sort of way.”
I first heard this story at a Behold the Lamb concert several years ago and it still delights me today. The Friendship Files.
This conversation on rituals from Dr. Dru Johnson was a godsend. You’ll have to subscribe to Mars Hill Audio Journal to listen to it, but I promise you won’t regret it. I love these short conversations with brilliant people.
One of my commitments for 2021 is to listen to more podcasts. Cultivated from Mike Cosper is one of my favorites and this conversation with Tish Harrison Warren on her new book was no exception.
Murmurations never cease to astound me. I am mesmerized by them.
Speaking of Tish, this piece is from five years ago and I recently resurrected it for a reread. It bears reading, even if you’ve already done so or are poised to disagree. “The brokenness we find in sexism, abuse, and the marginalization of women comes not so much from our stated positions on gender but from our failure to love our neighbor, to take seriously God's call to mutual submission, and the ways these deeply embedded sins play out in systems, cultures, and patterns over generations. Therefore, each of us is called to be part of God’s redemption and restoration of the full human dignity of women.”
Shall I share about my side project now?
I have a longer post here with details here, but in short, I have determined that in order for me to be my most Lore-ee self (a la, Carolyn Arend’s article above), I need to have a space with readers who are physically invested in the journey alongside me. More and more I am uncomfortable with the amount of free content writers churn out and, because it’s free for the reader, the reader feels free to denigrate the writer at will. Praise God that happens minimally for me, though make no mistake, it happens with regularity. Because of this, I have been trying to consider a way to practice good boundaries as a vocational writer.
This is my job, it’s not a hobby. Some people use their blogs or social media as hobbies, and that’s okay of course. But that’s not how I use these spaces. These are the spaces I show up to in some form every single day, it’s the work I do to contribute to our family’s needs and goals and giving, it’s the work I know God has given to me and I want to do it well. But, as with any job, there need to be clear job descriptions and co-workers and benefits.
I have decided to begin a secondary space for paying subscribers only. I will continue to share free content on Sayable here, but for paying (i.e. invested) readers, I will be offering more in-depth thoughts on politics, gender, poetry, the Church, faith, doubt, the book I’m working on, the books I’m reading, my marriage, my discontent with social media, and more. I have so many thoughts about all of these things and I rarely voice them in these spaces because trolls, bullies, dissenters, and partisans exist, and it zaps my energy and joy to have to sort through their nastiness.
Lecrae tweeted recently, “Don’t give your best energy responding to naysayers, critics, and trolls who are bent on misunderstanding you. I’ve learned I’m not accountable to people who do not know me. The arguments are irrelevant when the lights are off and my loved ones see the real me.” And, well, I love that.
I am not promising greater accountability to those who pay to subscribe to this new space. I have close, godly, faithful accountability in my life, and I do not believe that paying someone for their work means they’re accountable to you in all matters. What I am promising is to bring you along on a more intimate journey with me as I work through the intricacies of working my thoughts out in public.
If you’d like to join in, read this post for the why and this post for the how. If not, no harm! None at all. Continue showing up here on Sayable for free content. I’m grateful for your presence!
With peace,
Lore
