Housekeeping Details
I am separating my email list into two parts to give you greater control over what you receive from me and how often.
- The newsletter list is for a “monthly” newsletter that brings updates on writing progress and speaking engagements.
- The blog list is for those who want to immediately receive an email when I post to my blog. My goal is to post weekly, not daily!
I automatically copied all subscribers into both lists. To manage your subscription, click the link at the bottom of the email, Manage Your Subscription.
First newsletter
Has it been that long already? A month of blogging, outlining, writing, and setting up a website? I suppose it has. Regardless, I have started to receive questions – most along the lines of, “What in the world are you doing?”
In short, I’m writing a book that is lovingly entitled, “Meeting God in the Eyes of the Poor.” If and when a publisher gets it in their hands, that title could very well change. For now, it summarizes my theme: in order to grow into a mature faith, we need to meet God in the eyes of the poor.
As for publishers, the first “real” publisher said, “No.” They didn’t reject the idea of the book as much as they pointed out that I have not developed an audience of my own. Gone are the days of, “If you write it, they will come.” Today, it is, “If they are coming already, they might also buy a book.” In response, I created a website and started a blog. While the impetus was to build an audience, I also believe that the blog is a good avenue for me to share what I’m thinking about.
I’m building my audience in three arenas:
- Substack, where I hope to be able to network with other writers who think like I do,
- my website, where people who know me can sign up to hear more from me, and
- speaking engagements. (see below)
The long and the short of it is this: I need people! The more you share my posts and/or comment on them, the more people can join my list and benefit from my ramblings.
The Book
I can’t stop thinking about this book! The idea has been stewing inside my heart for quite some time. It’s time to serve it up!
I have been working on an outline for the book and extended outlines for each chapter. The main sections of the book are:
- The Eyes of the Poor – explaining the imagery and defining who I mean by “poor”. I will not just focus on those living in financial poverty but will also include all who are physically, spiritually, emotionally, or relationally suffering.
- Asking Questions – we all ask questions when we encounter poverty. All of them are helpful; some of the most common ones also have challenges. I will celebrate the questions we typically ask, point out some of the challenges they provide and then add a third question to deepen our conversations with people experiencing poverty.
- Questioning Theology – if we’re honest, our theology is questionable. When we hold it up to the light of poverty, it forces us to question what we believe about God, ourselves, and the pervasiveness of poverty in our world.
- A Way Forward – this is hardly a how-to book, but I do have thoughts on how we can actively meet God in the eyes of the poor on a weekly basis.
I will use stories throughout the book to not only illustrate the concepts I’m talking about but also to give us a unique look into impoverished lives. This book is less a sermon or a call to action than it is an invitation to meet God in new and enriching ways by encountering Him in the eyes of the poor. There’s more to come!
Speaking
If you’ve known me for a while, you know that I have far more experience speaking than writing. In order to capitalize on that experience, I’m looking for opportunities to speak. The concepts in this book are more important than whether the book sells. I’m currently looking for opportunities to share them through spoken word. Interacting with people after a sermon or talk will have the added benefit of allowing me to fine tune what I write. If you have ideas of where I might speak/preach, let me know!
My Promise
Here’s my promise to you: as I blog, speak, and write this book, I will be vulnerable and honest. You will see and hear the real me and will be challenged to wrestle some real questions that I have had to wrestle with over the years. The questions come at me/us from all directions: through our own life experiences, through our observations of the world, through reading Scripture and engaging God. It is my firm belief that questions have far more value than answers, so my goal will not be to quickly offer a simple answer to the very complex questions we ask and live. If, after reading what I write, you are left with more questions than answers, I will consider my writing to have been successful. The journey of a thousand miles seldom begins with an answer; it more often begins with a question. The question compels the first step and the pursuit of the answer compels the journey that follows. We are all journeying through this life together; let me be a companion to you as you walk the path God lays out before you.