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Sorry for the Delay. Not Really.

After my book was published last summer people looked at me with incredulity that I actually wrote a book. While I was “encouraged” by their faith, no one was more surprised than me. The reason is I’m a speaker not a writer. I don’t intuitively write well. Passive verbs, tons of adjectives and poor sentence structure are littered throughout different pieces I write. For example, an editor for my book Tap changed at least one thing in each and every paragraph – and was right to do so! But none of it bothered me. Why? I’m comfortable with the fact I’m a speaker who writes (occasionally), not a writer who speaks.

The same applies to blogging. I realize several weeks have passed since I posted anything but you should know something: I’m very okay with that. Why? I am a pastor who blogs (occasionally), not a blogger who pastors. The last several weeks have been taken up with things like preaching, studying, counseling, etc., all of which are bigger priorities than sitting down and writing down my thoughts on whatever passes through my mind and heart for the blogosphere to see.

As to thoughts which pass through my mind and heart, here’s one: I don’t want my ministry to work backwards. In other words, I don’t want to pastor out of my blogging. I want to blog out of my pastoring (and other things). Consequently, while some feel the pressure to throw something on their blog to keep their readership up, I don’t. Blogging isn’t my calling. Leading a church is. And the seasons where those commitments find themselves on the opposite side of the spectrum, blogging will always lose. Always.

This doesn’t mean you cannot pastor a church well and be a prolific writer/blogger/author. Some men have the bandwidth to do it all (some even to do it well). However, others like to appear they can do it all but can’t. As a result, leading their local church takes a backseat to lesser things (e.g., social media, conference speaking, etc.). Let me be clear: I don’t possess the kind of superhero stamina, intelligence or resources to do all of it with equal intensity or frequency. Which means there will be seasons where I will frequently post and other times not so much. But I’m very okay with that. The pressure’s off. Why? I’m a pastor who blogs. Not the other way around.

So, as for the recent delay in blogging this past month, I’m sorry…but not really.

Picture of Yancey Arrington
Dr. Yancey C. Arrington is an eighth generation Texan, Acts 29 Network and Houston Church Planting Network fan, and Teaching Pastor at Clear Creek Community Church in the Bay Area of Houston. He is also author of Preaching That Moves People and TAP: Defeating the Sins That Defeat You, and periodically writes for Acts 29 and The Gospel Coalition.

7 thoughts on “Sorry for the Delay. Not Really.”

  1. Thank-you. This was perfect for me today.
    Yesterday I wasted 3 hours trying to write a blog post, but it was not working out…nothing was sounding right couldn’t capture a solid point. I sometimes get the sense that I need to be blogging because I reach a bunch of other people through it that aren’t a part of our church family…this is backwards, like you say.
    I’m encouraged to be putting things back into perspective today…Thanks again.
    Mark.

  2. Hi Yancey! I am not sure how I happened upon your blog this morning. I admit I’ve never subscribed. But I’m grateful God led me here today; and I do believe it was He who did. I actually love to write. I love words. I love composing sentences and I have a burden to share what I’m learning with others. But I’ve spent the last three years of my not writing. I simply couldn’t write. I couldn’t articulate a single sentence on paper. It was as if I had lost the ability altogether. And not only was I not writing but I was heavily frustrated about not writing. The bare ugly truth is that deep down I believe I wanted to write so that people could read what I wrote and think I am this profound writer and articulator of life. What sickness in my heart. What pride. Idolatry. What greed for power and influence I have. But our God is a jealous god. In the midst of my sin, He moved in my heart to rub shoulders with some precious high school students. As I got to know them, lead them, counsel them in the Word, my heart grew for these young people who come from such broken families and long for someone to consistently care for them. This love trickled through me and then gushed even further towards other young women like myself, trying to figure out God and purpose for living. Now I am doing real life with them, loving them, and knowing God more fully together with them. I have never felt more alive then when I am serving in His church in the beautiful way God has wired me, to teach and to shepherd his people. Did I mention God is far the wiser? Recently, I have started writing again and it is energizing me more than writing ever has. But your reminder today is that I too am called first and foremost to be a follower of Jesus, the greatest teacher of life and love in the gospel to his people. Sometimes this may get expressed through writing. And I will love that. But I hope that any insight gifted to me by God in this life will be shared in-the-flesh in a community of people through real day by day living. Looking back now, I am so grateful that I couldn’t write for a season. I wish I could say that I’d be content if I never wrote anything ever again. But I wouldn’t. However, I truly believe that God has a plan for weaving together writing and teaching and counseling and loving in this beautiful healthy threaded masterpiece of His called life. Thanks again for your example. 🙂

  3. Yancey Arrington

    Wow Sarah! Thanks so much for sharing your heart. I think I should just replace my post with your comments. You’ve hit upon the spirit of it all. Grace to you as you follow Jesus, sis!

  4. Preacher,

    Over 200 today! You do what God has called you to do. I am cool with that… But dont get a big head (smile)…

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