This is my 240th post.

Hold the applause please until after I receive my award, thank you!

I know it’s a little odd to celebrate my 240th post, but in the process of writing papers for graduate school and down right laziness I didn’t get around to celebrating my 200th. And because I need a kick in the ass to start writing again I thought I would remind myself why I began doing what I do (or try to do…) almost three years ago.

So here is a little history on how and why I started blogging.

Three years ago I entered into a period of faith deconstruction and reconstruction, the likes of which I had never experienced before. After “doing ministry” for a little over a year and feeling spiritually sapped and a bit disillusioned with evangelicalism, I ended the year by asking God to revitalize my relationship with Him and move me to a new level of intimacy and understanding. In answer to that prayer He brought me back to the centrality of Christ, in everything. Of my theology, doctrine, spirituality, ministry and life, God called me to drop all preconceived notions, deeply held beliefs and practices in an effort to make Jesus the most central figure. Thankfully in the midst of this “tearing and building” I never rejected foundational, orthodox Christian teachings. But even though I held to the fundamentals of traditional Christian orthodoxy, I did reject and continue to re-understand my fundamentalist, evangelical roots.

In entering into this faith-deconstruction period I entered into an uncharted world of new ideas and “God concepts”, a terra nova of faith that was completely foreign soil. So with nothing more than the clothes on my back and disillusionment in my belly, I set out into this new territory seeking wisdom and other recovering fundies who were similarly wrestling with the weighty things of Christian spirituality.

Somehow during my travels I stumbled across a community of sojourners called the emerging church. Through their modus communicandi to the settled, known world called “blogging” I began to find a whole host of people throughout USAmerica and the world who were wading through the modern version of Christianity in search of a better way of following Jesus and being the Church. It was then that I realized I wasn’t (as) crazy (as I thought)!

Such blogs as Jesus Creed, Addision Road, Internet Monk, Pomomusings, The Ooze, and Dan Kimball were great boxing rings of the soul that helped me unpackage what I was feeling and how a third way might look through the polarities of liberal vs. conservative Christianity that has run its course. But simply entering into an already existing ring wasn’t enough. I needed to clear some of my own land in this new territory and

So in May 2005 I launched novus•lumen at blogspot. I launched that original space for 3 reasons: I wanted a space to wrestle with God by digitally inking out my thoughts on theology, spirituality, culture and the bible; I wanted to provide space to do so with my friends and others who were similarly wrestling; and I wanted to use (and hone) my communication gifts to offer up my thoughts to the broader “emerging church” conversation.

And as my blogging ambitions have ebbed of late, I need to remind myself why I’ve written over 288,000 words over the course of 16 months and why I do what I do. I blog because:

1. Something within me needs release; my frustrations, hopes, thoughts, and dreams must be allowed to escape, and the keyboard is my salve;
2. I want to wrestle in community and provide space for others who are as confused and disillusioned as I was with Christian spirituality three years ago;
3. Hopefully something I write will spur someone, somewhere toward following Jesus and joining with His mission to restore the world.

So this is why I do what I do, why I want to continue doing what I’ve done. It’s nothing special really, and to be honest the main reason is probably because I like being googleable! But now that a new year and new semester are firmly underway, I want to pledge to continue writing at novus•lumen. This is what I hope for this space in the worldwide blogosphere for the coming year:

1. Authentically write about my life and spiritual journey.
2. Honestly communicate my thoughts on God, the Church, Spirituality, and Culture.
3. Creatively explore the tension of Christocentric spirituality and culture, theology and politics, existing and emerging forms of church, and the Kingdom of God and Empire America, modern and postmodern thought.
4. Boldly push me and others through terra nova into novus lumen.
5. Create safe space for others to wrestle with their own life and spiritual journey.

So open handed I come, before you, God, and the world. I come to give, because I think I have something to say about a lot of things, but I offer those sayings in humility. And I come to receive, because I know that true clearness and understanding occurs in community and conversation. Thanks for those who visit periodically to read (and sometimes listen to) my ramblings and engage me in dialogue. I hope you continue jumping back every so often to comment and push back.

novus•lumen is my participation in the blogsphere as a giver and receiver, and I hope you’ll (continue to) join me, ready with cupped hands.

Be His,-jeremy