Kingdom People

Tomorrow marks the beginning of a personal sabbatical from blogging. No new material will appear at Kingdom People during the month of July. On August 1, I will resume blogging here at Kingdom People.

I know that the short-term nature of the blogosphere makes an extended absence unwise from a blogger’s standpoint, but I took a month-long hiatus last year and found it to be good for my soul. Here are some reasons I am taking a break this month.

1. Need for Spiritual Refreshment
I look forward to directing some of the time I would have spent blogging to more prayer, Bible study, and devotional reading.

2. Other Important Responsibilities Vying for My Time

• Things quiet down at church during the summer. It is a good time to think about the upcoming fall and what God envisions for our church in the upcoming year.
• Our son, Timothy, enters kindergarten in August. We are about to enter the “school-year” schedule for the next dozen years or so. I want to enjoy this summer with Timothy before he begins a new chapter of his life.
• I am taking two more summer classes this month. These classes will demand much of my reading time.

3. Blogging can be addictive.

I do not want to be constantly concerned about blog statistics, comments, and links. The best way to avoid the danger of caring too much about a blog is by taking a break from it for awhile.

4. Blogs are also inherently self-promoting.

My blog may have good and helpful content in the short-term, but if I ever view the blog as a way to promote myself before others, I will become a self-centered, self-absorbed person whose contributions to the Kingdom will be diminished in the long-term. Having blogged consistently for almost three years now, I think it would be wise to take a step back and evaluate the spiritual effects (both good and bad) that blogging has on me. Last July was spiritually beneficial for me.

I appreciate the readers who subscribe to Kingdom People and those who visit this site regularly. If you happen upon this site during the month of July, you might enjoy looking through the archives. I believe you will find some articles, interviews, or devotional thoughts that may be helpful.

So, until August 1… I pray you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.

I have more than a hundred blogs represented in my RSS feed through Google Reader. But only twenty-one receive a spot on my side-bar. I thought today might be a good day to explain who’s who on the blogroll, and why I recommend you frequent these blogs as well.

PASTORS AND SCHOLARS

Tullian Tchividjian
Tullian’s pastoral blog often contains excerpts from his books and sermons. I love the passion he has for the gospel and for preaching truth.

Scot McKnight
A world-class New Testament scholar who is  unafraid to pose hard questions, tackle controversial topics, and engage those who may disagree. JesusCreed is one of the most popular Christian blogs on the web.

Ben Witherington
A seasoned scholar at Asbury Seminary who writes about a wide range of topics (including movies).

Mark D. Roberts
Mark is a blogger with a pastor’s heart. Plenty of food for thought. Even when I disagree with Mark, I admire his charitable spirit and the wisdom that comes from his experience.

Michael Kelley
Michael Kelley works as an editor for LifeWay’s young adult curriculum, Threads. He is also a great Sunday School teacher and an insightful writer. Wise beyond his years and well worth reading.

Children’s Ministry Blog
Tony Kummer’s terrific resource for children’s ministers. Lots of good give-aways, and good commentary on Sunday School and VBS curriculum.

BLOGS THAT MAKE ME THINK

Darryl Dash
Darryl specializes in giving his readers brief posts that get you thinking. (Not to mention he was able to interview Tim Keller.)

Gospel-Driven Church
Jared Wilson excels at pointing his readers to the gospel. His posts are fueled by gospel-driven passion and skillful writing. Look for his new book soon.

Internet Monk
The curmudgeon of the evangelical blogosphere, excuse me – “post-evangelical” blogosphere. Michael Spencer’s posts are often uncomfortably personal. Love him or hate him, he always leaves you with food for thought. Regardless… you can’t ignore him.

BLOGS THAT CONNECT ME TO GOOD CONTENT (AND BOOKS)

Justin Taylor
If I was stranded on a deserted island and only had one blog, this would be the one. Not primarily because of Justin’s own writing (which is itself terrific), but because of the great content he points me to daily. Truly, one of the best of the best.

Zach Nielsen
Zach is the first person to give me the nickname “T-Wax.” No wonder. The name of his blog is one of the most creative on the web: Take Your Vitamin Z. In your “daily dose of z blogorrhea,” Zach passes along interesting quotes and links, together with good commentary.

Tim Challies
Known as the world’s foremost Christian blogger, Tim excels in reviewing books, writing online essays (that people actually read!) and linking to other interesting sites on the web.

Tony Reinke
An avid reader like myself, Tony is a humble blogger who wishes to share the truths he is discovering as he reads and writes and seeks to serve the Lord.

CULTURAL COMMENTARY

Albert Mohler
Great commentary on current events. Mohler stays on top of cultural developments in the United States and then speaks to the issues with Christian concern. (I wonder if he ever sleeps.)

Scriptorium Daily
A mix of politics, culture and religion. Always great commentary and interesting perspectives.

SOUTHERN BAPTIST BLOGGERS

SBC Voices
Begun by my friend Tony Kummer and now hosted by another friend, Matt Svoboda, SBC Voices is a blog aggregator that connects Southern Baptists in the blogosphere.

Baptist21
A collaborative effort among several young Southern Baptists, this blog is about being distinctively Baptist in the 21st century. Always good insights and lots of truth to chew on. 

Bart Barber
Bart is a rare voice within the world of SBC politics. A voice of sanity in the midst of heated rhetoric that keeps the differing perspectives of SBC life from truly communicating. He asks good questions and does so in a civil manner.

Between the Times
Put Danny Akin, Bruce Ashford, Nathan Finn, J.D. Greear, Ken Keathley, David Nelson and Alvin Reid in a room together, and this is the blog you get. Terrific insights from these Southeastern faculty, as well as pastoral application.

Russ Moore
Our “Fundamissional Dean” at Southern Seminary. Dr. Moore asks great questions and gives biblical answers. Furthermore, I am convinced that Russ Moore has no rival when it comes to creative titles for blog posts, sermons, and lectures. 

Ed Stetzer
Ed is the big, lovable fuzzball of the SBC. Firm in his convictions, yet open to changing methodologies. His blog is like a monthly magazine that you read over the course of the month. Terrific insights, interviews, and commentary.

So there they are… the blogs on my sidebar. Take some time to check out the content. If you have some favorite blogs you believe I should add to this list, leave a comment to let me know.

Hilarious video!

My blog is worth more than $200,000? Let me see if I can find a buyer…

My month-long sabbatical from blogging has come to an end. I am glad that I took the time off, as the month of July proved to be even more demanding and tiring than I had expected. I am coming away from my sabbatical with a few lessons that I am glad to have learned.

1. The blog is not the center of my life.

After nearly two years of blogging, I enjoyed the time off, and was surprised to discover that I hardly missed blogging at all. Before the sabbatical, I was beginning to worry that I was becoming too interested in blogging (my stats, my posts, my links, etc.). The month of July convinced me, happily, that such is not the case. There were no symptoms of “blog withdrawal.” My time away from the internet simply reminded me that there was life before blogging and life continues just fine without it as well.

2. I enjoy writing.

Several times in July, I experienced the urge to write. But interestingly enough, my desire to write was not tied specifically to blogging. In fact, I found that my joy in writing was refreshed during the sabbatical, since I was not writing for the blog. Come to find out, I enjoy writing. Pure and simple. The fact that blogging gives me an outlet with which to (hopefully) encourage and challenge other believers is merely icing on the cake. My true joy in the blogging experience is writing.

3. Time away gave me some perspective.

In the blogging world, it is so easy to overestimate your importance and your readership. Seeing the number of visitors or subscribers in any given day might give you the impression that you have a large number of devoted readers. Such is not the case. A Google reader does not a thoughtful reader make. Taking July off helped me to gain some perspective. For me, blogging is a tool in which I can improve my writing skills and (hopefully) provide some insights that might be of some value to other believers.

4. I would be just fine if I never blogged again.

The sabbatical helped me see what it would be like if I were to close down Kingdom People one day. I’m not sure I would miss it! That doesn’t mean that I plan on stopping. It only serves as a reminder that I truly hope, first and foremost, to be a godly husband and father, a faithful minister of the gospel, and only after that a “blogger.” Blogging is farther down on my list of priorities.

5. The way I have blogged in the past is the way I should continue blogging.

I did not miss blogging because I have never been a daily blogger anyway. Usually, I spend one day a week (for about two hours) crafting and scheduling my posts for the upcoming week. Confining my regular blogging time to one period of two hours a week helps me stay disciplined and keeps me from posting something too hastily.

If you are a regular blogger, let me encourage you to take some time away. You might learn some different lessons than the ones I’ve learned. But I guarantee you that a vacation from blogging will provide you with some perspective.

written by Trevin Wax  © 2008 Kingdom People blog

Tomorrow marks the beginning of a personal sabbatical from blogging. No new material will appear at Kingdom People during the month of July. On August 1, I will resume blogging here at Kingdom People. I will also be making an announcement that my regular readers may find exciting!

I know that the short-term nature of the blogosphere makes an extended absence unwise from a blogger’s standpoint, but I have several good reasons for taking a 31-day hiatus this summer:

1. Need for Spiritual Refreshment
I look forward to directing some of the time I would have spent blogging to more prayer, Bible study, and devotional reading.

2. Other Important Responsibilities Vying for My Time

• Less than a month ago, my wife gave birth to our second child. I believe I will better serve my family if I devote a little extra attention to my wife, son, and new daughter during this month.
• Also, my parents-in-law have just arrived from Romania. They are staying with us for the next five weeks, and I look forward to some quality time with them.
• My responsibilities at church this month are many: including the preparation for a renewed discipleship emphasis in August as well as a mission trip to Moldova in September.
• I will be taking a J-Term in Louisville this month – a class which demands much of my reading time.
• I am also planning to attend a conference at the end of the month.

3. Blogging can be addictive.
I do not want to be constantly concerned about blog statistics, comments, and links. The best way to avoid the danger of caring too much about a blog is by taking a break from it for awhile.

4. Blogs are also inherently self-promoting.
My blog may have good and helpful content in the short-term, but if I ever view the blog as a way to promote myself before others, I will become a self-centered, self-absorbed person whose contributions to the Kingdom will be diminished in the long-term. Having blogged consistently for almost two years now, I think it would be wise to take a step back and evaluate the spiritual effects (both good and bad) that blogging has on me.

I appreciate the readers who subscribe to Kingdom People and those who visit this site regularly. If you happen upon this site during the month of July, you might enjoy looking through the archives. I believe you will find some articles, interviews, or devotional thoughts that may be helpful.

So, until August 1… I pray you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.

Blogging is fun. It takes work and discipline, but it can be a lot of fun. Recently, a friend who is beginning a new blog asked me for some blogging advice. I thought I would pass along my advice to him. If you’re thinking about starting a blog, here are some things to keep in mind.

1. Choose a WordPress Theme that has two or three columns.

It will help your readers if you have a sidebar with some important information in it. For example, at Kingdom People, the sidebar offers ways for people to connect with me, find out more about the blog, see other bloggers I like, and so on.

Most importantly, the top ten most visited posts for any given day are listed down the side. This feature helps first-time visitors find some good material.

(I only have two columns because I don’t like the “crammed” feeling I get when I visit some three or four column blogs.)

2. Include pictures if possible.

I don’t include a photograph with every post, but I try to when I can.  The post should stand on its own merit, but a picture can help it make a greater impact.

3. Don’t worry too much about the name of your blog.

More than likely, people are going to search for ”Your Name” and not the blog name you have. Some link to me as “Kingdom People,” but the majority use my name. Whichever is fine. I know some guys who change up their blog names every now and then for fun.

4. Be personal, but not always personal.

Some blogs are running journals. Whatever is going through the writer’s head makes it way onto the site. While this is a good discipline for someone to get into, I don’t blog this way. I try to vary my posts from day to day, and I will usually take an hour or two a week to lay out the structure for my posts the following week.

For example, this Saturday, the post that will drop (it’s already time-stamped, so I don’t have to actually go in and make it appear – WordPress will do that automatically) is a thought-provoking quote for the week.

Sunday’s post is always a prayer.

Monday’s post is the continuation of a series on the Prodigal Son that will take up 17 Mondays. 

Wednesday is my day for book reviews. Two new book reviews will show up on Wednesday. (I’m a big proponent of including book reviews on a blog.)

Tuesdays and Thursdays are usually reserved for a variety of personal insights on the church, culture, or my experiences in Romania.

And then Friday is the day I link to everything I came across that I found worthwhile that week.

I’m not suggesting that everyone work a blog the same way… but adding a structure to your blog will increase variety.

Plus… if you’re in a writing mood and write three or four posts in an afternoon, don’t feel like you have to publish them all the same day. Stretch them out. Let them breathe. Let each one get the emphasis it deserves.

I have found the following sites helpful: they are from some “successful” bloggers on what it takes to be a good Christian blogger:

Blog Appraisals – SaidatSouthern
Tall Skinny Kiwi Blogging Tips
Scot McKnight on Blogging

written by Trevin Wax  © 2007 Kingdom People blog

As this website has grown, more and more people have begun linking to me. I have decided that I will begin linking to the blogs that link to me in the sidebar of this website, down below the Top Posts under the “Blogs that Link Here” heading. I’ve already put up a few.

The “Blogs I Frequent” section will stay pretty much the same. I rarely update that anyway…

If you would like me to link to your blog (and you are willing to link here – or already link here), please leave a comment on this post. I would be glad to share the linkage.

This is funny. Because we talk about “death” being “dead” and other religious things like “missions” and “missionaries” here that are “dangerous”… my blog has officially been rated NC-17. Watch out kids! Parents, beware…

HT: Timmy Brister

The guys at Said at Southern have moved to their official site: http://saidatsouthern.com/

Said at Southern features blogs from Southern Seminary students, news for the Southern community, and commentary from faculty members. Tony Kummer, Timmy Brister, and Owen Strachan (three fellow MDiv students) have done a terrific job putting this site together and bringing on board other Southern students who blog (like myself). I have no doubt this site is going to be very popular.

Make sure you update your favorites to include Said at Southern!

With all the hoopla over my blog posts regarding Paul Negrut and the plagiarism issue, I forgot to announce on this blog something important.I have begun a Romanian version of this blog, Oamenii Împărăţiei (Kingdom People), which I pray will be a helpful website for my Romanian friends and brothers and sisters in Christ. Several articles from this blog have already been translated and posted there, including “Thoughts Upon My Ordination,” and the “Baptist Press Article on Paul Negrut and Plagiarism“.

Currently, I’m running a series on the Beatitudes over at the Romanian “Kingdom People,” but soon, I hope that all of my posts from “Kingdom People” in English will have their Romanian equivalent at the Romanian site. We’ve got a ways to go before then, but that’s the goal.

If there are any Romanian friends that would be willing to help me translate some of my previous blog posts for inclusion on the new blog, I’d be most grateful.

I have never done this before, but I thought I would give it a shot. Several hundred people frequent this blog every day; only a handful leave comments.

I am toying with the idea of changing this blog’s format. So far, I’ve been making this blog a mix of devotional material (Red Letters on Monday), lists (usually Tuesdays), book reviews (whenever), analysis or commentary on current events or church issues (whenever), links to other good blogs (Fridays), memorable quotes (Saturdays) and some of my favorite prayers (Sundays).

While this blog’s readership has grown steadily over the past few months, I wonder if maybe I’m all over the place, when I should instead be concentrating on just a couple areas. So, I’m asking you lurkers who read this blog to come out of the woodwork and give me some honest feedback. If you could change something about this blog, what would it be? Or should I keep things the way they are? Should I post more or less often? Would you like more variety or less?

I await your responses!

The Probabilist has released the 10 Most Misspelled Words on blogs:

1. Your – You’re
2. Then – Than
3. Its – it’s
4. To – Too – Two
5. Were – Where – We’re
6. There – Their – They’re
7. A – An – And
8. Off – Of
9. Here – Hear
10. Lose – Loose

Three weeks ago, I posted ”A Call for Humble Bloggers“ where I claimed that we bloggers overestimate our importance. Case in point: last summer’s SBC election of Frank Page. This week, I came across Nathan Finn’s “possible solutions” to problems ailing the SBC. Problem #9 on Nathan’s list is blogger arrogance. You need to check out the whole post. I’ll give you a few samples here.

“(I sometimes wish I weren’t Southern Baptist…) when I see the arrogance of some bloggers who assume that because they have a high speed internet connection and strong opinions, they are God’s chose instrument to bring renewal to the SBC (what better way to break up a power base than replace it with a new power base)”

Here’s the condensed version of Finn’s advice to bloggers: 

A. Bloggers need to regularly pray about their blogs. Pray that God will help them to blog with integrity. Pray that God will bring sinful motives to light. Pray that God will use blogs for his glory.

B. Bloggers need not assume they are smarter or godlier because they are more tech-savvy. 

C. Bloggers need to guard against negativity.

D. Bloggers need to admit that Bobby Welch is right… Bloggers need to not let their hobby take the place of things that really matter, which includes evangelism.

E. Bloggers need to remember that sometimes the better part of wisdom is not posting about everything you know.

F. Bloggers need to remember that if this little revolution ever becomes about SBC political power, they will become the very thing they gripe about the most: a power base.

G. Bloggers need to remember that blogging communities are only pseudo-communities; as fun as it is to dialog in the comments, real community can only exist in real, face-to-face relationships.

H. Bloggers need to remember that change will only come to the convention as local churches change. Even the most influential blogs ultimately play a small role in convention life.

I. Bloggers need to be willing to quit.

In the Southern Baptist Convention, the blogosphere is both promising and threatening. To have a voice in Convention life ten or fifteen years ago, you had to climb a ladder of committees, be in a prominent parachurch ministry, pastor a growing church, or be a seminary professor or author. Not today. Any Baptist with internet access can start a blog, publish their thoughts, cause controversy, and gather a following.

Blogs feed egos. The more brash, bold, arrogant you can be – the better. Of course, there are some really great, growing blogs that haven’t followed this path. But generally, arrogance and pride is the way to get a base of readers.

 After visiting some different Baptist blogs and reading the self-righteous rhetoric and outright mockery of other believers, I feel compelled to ask: And who are you? What have you done for the Kingdom that gives you the right to criticize so heartlessly your brothers and sisters in Christ?

Furthermore, bloggers overestimate their importance. Last year, the SBC elected Frank Page as president, instead of Ronnie Floyd (the candidate endorsed by Paige Patterson and some of the other leaders of the Conservative Resurgence). The media reported that bloggers were crucial in the election.

But were we really that influential? I think not. Ultimately, Page was elected over Floyd because his church was more supportive of the Cooperative Program. The Southern Baptist pastors I have spoken with all said they voted for Page because they wanted to make a statement about the importance of the Cooperative Program. Not one mentioned blogs as influential in their decision.

So, did Baptists make a statement about the Cooperative Program? Yes. But no one was listening. Instead, bloggers let the media attention go to their head and then started assuming that they were responsible for Page’s election. So, instead of Baptists making a statement about the importance of the Cooperative Program, bloggers turned the election into an affirmation of their own grandeur.

I encourage bloggers who disagree with me to go out and ask pastors outside their circle why they voted for Page. Let’s let their answers deflate our egos. As the Rich Mullins song goes… “We are not as strong as we think we are.”

The missing ingredient in the blogosphere today is humility. We need a good dose of reality. Just because see ourselves as hip and technologically savvy does not mean we automatically deserve a platform for whatever ideas we have or pronouncements we make. Godly influence cannot be manufactured. It comes with maturity and wisdom. And usually, the people who most deserve to be heard are the ones who refuse to participate in biting criticism and attacks on other believers.

The blogosphere is here to stay. Now let’s hope humility makes a comeback.

I’m going to be starting some new features on this blog over the next few weeks. Here is what you can expect to see:

Red Letter monDay
    Every Monday, I will be posting one of my Red Letters Devotionals. Red Letters is a short devotional series based on the words of Jesus.

Top Tuesday
     On Tuesdays, I will be posting a Top Five or Ten “something.” Sometimes, there will be funny Top Ten lists; other times I’ll be listing top books on a subject, top CDs, top thinkers, top TV shows… etc.

Quote of the Week
    On weekends, I will be posting a “Quote of the Week.” It might be a current quote, a funny joke, a deep theological insight, or just something I read this week that I think is worth sharing.

I hope the features will give this blog a little more structure than my previous one. I’ll also be posting often on current events, theology, and current church issues.

I’m not a stranger to the blogosphere, but I’m fed up with the host of my old blog and am finally making the switch to wordpress. Eventually, I’ll close down my old blog and move permanently to this location. Hope you’ll make the move along with me! Visit the old blog here.