Favourite Posts of 2009
Posted by C. Holland on Dec 30, 2009While 2009 has been a year (and part of a decade) of ups and downs, both personally and collectively, the past 12 months have been possibly the most fruitful time in my writing since leaving school many, many years ago. I believe the 72 posts on this blog for 2009 are representative of my creative faucet finally allowing my thoughts to flow. It’s been quite a journey, and I’m humbled how many have joined me along the year.
A quick look at stats shows that individual visitors to Missionary Confidential more than tripled since the year began, and followers on the RSS feed and Twitter have shown rapid growth from the early single-digit days. This is mentioned not to make me look good but to show that so many of you have joined in the conversation; there are over 200 comments made on this blog in 2009 (these are legitimate ones from real people; I pluck out all the spam and junk). You come from countries such as the States, Taiwan, Canada, the United Kingdom (I know it’s not a country), Thailand and Australia, and I thank you for your participation and readership.
For the last Missionary Confidential post before we dive into a new decade, I offer links to some of my favourite 2009 posts from this blog. These are not reflected in the “Our Best Posts” or “Popular Posts” lists you see to the right columns of the blog:
“Disappointment Avoidance”
“Obedience is not a formula, nor is it a means to an end, usually assumed to be success. Perhaps it’s a more Western ideal, even an American lesson, to put numbers and goals to ministry and heap attention only on those who accomplish this—all others need not apply.”
“The Best of Intentions: Missionary Superhero”
“Once you start labeling callings, then you have comparisons. Is the man who loses his family connections when he converts to Christianity and becomes a pastor in his homeland less of a Superhero?. . .Must you give up things of earthly importance (possessions, status, career, relationships) to be a Superhero? If one didn’t have to go through those things, yet is still following God’s calling, it doesn’t negate their ministry or make it any less special.”
“I’m Not There: Why the Missionary Can’t Have It Both Ways”
“Presence in a moment is something technology has yet to duplicate, and there’s just something more compelling about personal human interaction. For now, there is no substitute to physically being in the same moment, such as sharing a laugh in a coffee house or sitting in a park, experiencing the situation’s assault on your senses. Mission life is a dual reality, and the two can never completely merge.”
“Pulling Your Hand Out of a Bucket”
“For all the planning and preparation in coming to a mission field, it seems that the exit point (even in a year-only commitment) does not get much focus. I recognise that not everyone is built for the long haul, but if our witness is that we rush into situations and rush out equally as quick, we’re cutting ourself off at the knees.”
“Was, Not Am: What’s Wrong With Lifelong Missions?”
“In my experience, someone still active as a missionary was viewed as odd, especially if they had been in their field for a large number of years. As we complete year after year of our foreign mission, the comments are becoming more pointed: “You will come back, right?”, “I thought you’d get this out of your system”, or “You won’t do this the rest of your life, will you?” Is it such a problem that I am planning on staying?”
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