I was encouraged to start this blog to share my written ministry, which I've been called to write since autumn 2015. There's also a bit of non-ministry writing, to which I hope to be adding more
Content in the ministry category is written ministry. That is, it is not something I have carefully thought about and written down, revised, and optimised to make the point I'm trying to make; rather it is something I feel compelled to write down, and make very limited choices about myself. In short, it is the same as the Quaker tradition of spoken ministry during Meeting for Worship. I feel called to write it, and like any ministry in Meeting for Worship, I believe it to be divinely inspired. I don't think that makes me in any way special - we all have access to the same inner light. Some explanation of this process/experience can be found in a post on the subject.
One result of it being ministry is that I don't always know what it really means. I could tell you what it felt like as I wrote it down, and I can tell you what I think it means, but I don't really have a greater claim to authority than anyone else on that. Well, there are probably some things I could confirm that I'm pretty sure it didn't mean, but that's the limit of it.
I've love to say that the content on this blog could be reused under a Creative Commons license, but none of them quite suit me. So, here's the rules on reusing any content from this website:
- If you want to reuse it in a commercial context, please get in touch and ask me.
- You can quote any of it aloud all you like, even in a prepared speech, even if it is being recorded or broadcast; I'm fine with this because I understand that many situations where you are speaking aloud are such that requiring you to say the whole thing would be unwieldy. However, if you're doing so, please make it clear if it's only a partial quote, and don't misrepresent the quote or use the quote to twist or misrepresent the meaning of the whole piece.
- You can reproduce any individual piece entire in any medium. If you want to partially quote it, other than aloud, please check with me. This is because readers of written material, for instance, can read over things repeatedly, digest them more thoroughly, and develop a more settled view. In that sort of context, I'd generally rather people develop that view from the whole of the piece.
- It's absolutely fine for any content you're reusing to be embedded in a longer piece of work of your own.
- Always attribute any usage of the content.
- Any of these rules can be varied or relaxed - just get in touch.
