Still In Medias Res: First Year in Retrospective

Nate Lee's generous post reminded me that it's been just about a year since I first launched During the World following my graduation from Duke Divinity School. As the blog's subtitle suggests, during the world, we are always already "in the midst of things," and for me, the art of blogging itself is no exception. I'm still learning (and failing!) to learn word limits and focus, as well as to be ok with long periods in which there is not much to say. I lament the large pile of half- and un-written posts that vocations as husband, father, pastor, student and sinful saint have simply not allowed to be written. I hope as I leave school behind and strike out once more into the real world, there will be more time for writing - though this kind of naivete is probably a product of my long absence from said real world. Even so, I wish to offer my profoundest gratitude to anyone who has patiently endured my mistakes, celebrated successes, and has journeyed with me on this voyage of blogging during the world. I love to write, and I thank you for indulging me, and for teaching me how to (gradually) grow as a writer. You help cultivate the life and resurrection which spring up amidst the tombs of my pretensions, my hastiness, and my short-comings.

Looking back over a year's worth of posts, I am astounded at how much I've forgotten that I've written! Yet, one of the greatest graces of forgetfulness is the joy of recollection. Below is a list of my own favorite posts from the first annum of During the World:

1) Confessions of a Hauerwasian (5.15.10) - One of my first and still favorite posts about one of my first and still favorite theological teachers.

2) Defending Constantine, or, the Scandal of Particularity Remixed (11.17.10) - So far, my most widely read post. Which elicits a confession: I still haven't actually finished the book yet! Thank God for the summer...

3) Martin Luther: Fire-Bender - A Brief Excursus on Discipleship (3.25.11) - A meditation on Luther's teachings on sanctification and holiness in light of what I think is one of the most profound children's shows of all time.

4) "Throw Open the Doors of the Church!" - A Personal Remembrance of Peter J. Gomes (4.7.11) - My tribute to a beloved mentor and dear friend in the wake of his departure for glory earlier this year.

5) Reconciliation on Story Hill (10.25.10) - Humbling realizations in the nexus of an encounter with the South through the eyes of some wonderful folk musicians.

6) Righteousness AND Justice: A Truly "Bohemian" Christianity (11.11.10) - A lengthy yet important working out of what it means to pursue a radical faith that is both socially progressive as well as personally committed to holiness.

7) "His Kingdom is Love" - Introducing NFS Grundtvig (4.14.11) - One of the most fun posts to create, introducing one of the most delightful new voices for me to have discovered.

8) A Mass for the Doubters: A Recommendation of Erik Poppe's Troubled Water (11.6.10) - Really, this one rests on the force of the film, which I still hold needs to be seen by every person who's ever considered grace.

9) Foundations Pt.II (1.11.11) - A dispatch from my travels in Malaysia, exploring what it means to honor the traditions of other religions without compromising the Truth of the Gospel.

10) Jealous of Rob Bell, or, On Pastoral Poetry (11.9.10) - I continue to be jealous of Rob Bell; I also continue to strive to make pastoring a poetic act.

SDG.