Nota Bene
Taking note of my most-read newsletter pieces
Photo by Thomas Lefebvre on Unsplash
(A two-minute read.)
I’m going to cheat this week. Since I’m up against not one but two writing deadlines, I don’t have time to write a whole piece this week. So I’m going to turn your attention to other pieces I’ve written in the past that you can either check out for the first time or read again.
So here’s a run-down of my top five most-read pieces. Don’t ask me why these ones have been read more than others, but perhaps you can figure that out if you read them—and you can let me know.
“The Evangelical Pastor Who Introduced Vaccination to America.” This is perhaps (?) a little dated, but I shared this piece a little over two years ago, looking at a famous evangelical pastor in seventeenth-century America whose theological convictions inspired him to push a novel and—at the time—questionable medical practice during a Smallpox outbreak.
“Why I’m a Seventh-day Adventist.” The first of two highly-read pieces I shared wherein I explained why I’m committed to my faith community. Published on February 7 of this year (2023).
“What Makes Seventh-day Adventists Different?” The second piece, published this past June, in which I shared further reflections on the uniqueness of Seventh-day Adventist theology (and practice), which I’m all-in on (while lamenting that many of my fellow Adventists may not see it the same way).
“Saying ‘Yes’ to the Dress and ‘No’ to Modesty Culture.” Published this past August, in this piece, I push back on the tendency within conservative religious communities to highly regulate what females wear.
“Why I Want to Stop Complaining About People.” A personal note in which I discuss why I want to experience the beautiful liberty of not complaining about people. Written in March, 2023.
If I was to create a list of my favorite pieces I’ve written for this newsletter, I’m not sure how many of the above ones would make the list. But I’m glad they’ve resonated with so many people.
Also, I never seem to be at a loss for topics to write on, having a long “working list” of subjects to tackle. But if you have a topic or idea you’d love to hear my reflections on, send me an email or respond below and make a suggestion (that doesn’t mean, of course, that I’ll definitely write on it, but I’d love to consider any and all suggestions).
Shawn is a pastor in Maine, whose life, ministry, and writing focus on incarnational expressions of faith. The author of four books and a columnist for Adventist Review, he is also a DPhil (PhD) candidate at the University of Oxford, focusing on nineteenth-century American Christianity. You can follow him on Instagram, and listen to his podcast Mission Lab.