I’ve been thinking for a while about being more intentional regarding how best to share things I find online and random thoughts and ideas that occur to me.
Years ago, I used this blog for that sort of thing. Then I started working on Episcopal Café, and that became my default place to post. Then came social media, especially Twitter. Twitter was perfect for sharing links and short posts. When I left the staff of Episcopal Café, that was the primary site I used for sharing neat and interesting things. For the last ten years, this has been where I’ve posted sermons and “letters” and not much else.
However, Twitter is broken now, and I’m not optimistic that it’s going to return to what it once was, at least for my purposes. I have accounts on Mastodon instances, BlueSky, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. But I’m wary of investing much time or effort into any of those, as it’s not clear, as of January 2024, which one (if any) will replace what Twitter once was.
It feels right to me to return to my roots. This is my site, and I manage it myself. I can post something here, and it will automatically be shared to other networks, sent by email to subscribers, shared via RSS, and I’ve even set this blog up as its own Mastodon instance. (That’s so, well, meta. Heh.) My plan is to move more (or all) of my posting here going forward this year.
If you want to ask a question or follow up on something, come on over to Entangled States and have at it. I might see questions or comments that appear on other networks, but I’m not going to spend a lot of time seeking them out. And consider this fair warning to the 2000 subscribers by email (and the 5000 subscribers on other platforms); your inbox may be seeing more of me. Congratulations or condolences (heh) about that, depending on where you stand on reading my musings.
I don’t have any idea what the posting schedule will be like. That will depend on my day-to-day schedule. And maybe I’ll be able to invite an additional author or editor to help out over the next year or so, which could increase the volume. My best guess is I’ll probably post something every few days. If it gets overwhelming for you, let me know, and I can help you find a better way to get the info I’m posting without feeling like I’m spamming you.
One last thing: I have no interest in monetizing anything I post here. This is fulfilling a personal need for me, and it’s a ministry. So, enjoy! (Or take warning. Grin.)
Sounds like a good step in the new year.
Congratulations and hope for the best.
Dear Bishop Knisely:
I would hope that you will continue to post your sermons on Entangled States. They have not only been inspiring for the most part–even when you shared being stumped by a passage and its traditional interpretations. They have been marked with forthright honesty, deep personal sharing, good humor and weather reports that remind us all that we are after all “depemdent” in some sense. My wife and I will miss them.
I was startled by your last abbreviated post that quoted Chris Hedges about how Americans have lost trust in institutions and find it difficult to trust others–an essential support of democracy. This is no doubt true as it appears to many of us that appearances are often shoveled forth as “truth.”
I grew up in the Vietnam area when fabricated events were used to send us to war and caused the death of a best friend among many. I had a university classmate whose father shared remorse with him about his government organization that had assassinated President Kennedy. Working as a photographer in NYC, I saw from a forensic scientist how some of the photos used by the Kerner Commission were tampered with to give false evidence. That scientist disappeared.
Perhaps Chris Hedges does not exaggerate. Because I was raised to respect George Washington for confessing that he in deed chopped down that cherry tree, I cringe when our president says he saw photos of beheaded infants perpetrated by Hamas and then walks his claim back only to repeat it later for effect.
The temptations of “power over” remain as great in our time as in those of the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament. I will miss your ministry even if it is time to find a new format. May it be every bit as personal, truthful, and even scriptural (if indirectly).
Stephen Snyder
St. Paul’s, Portsmouth
Oh- I’m going to keep posting sermons and the other things here! No worries about that. I’m just giving you all fair warning that I will be posting other things as well. If those aren’t interesting, I’ll tag them so that you can filter them out.
I’m quite taken with that article I linked to. That’s a “gift link” so that if you don’t have an account with the New York Times, you’ll still be able to read it, paywall and all. Hedges makes a longer argument but he doesn’t mention the additional danger posed by the sort of fake posts that Artificial Intelligence will make even more convincing going forward. We really do need honest to gosh journalists who will do the kind of fact checking for the public that the public doesn’t often do.
Excellent Bishop Knisley, as always I’m interested in what you have to share, and this is how I’ve always followed you, others are getting too complex. So go for it….. I’m listening….
Happily your buddy…. Kate
Sounds like an excellent plan to me! It’s been quite a while since I bothered with X, probably for many of the same reasons.
New Year’s Blessings to you!
Hi Nicholas – I for one am quite happy to get your communications on Entangled States. I don’t use any of the other sites (except FB) and never used Twitter. I always enjoy your sermons!!! – Susan
Sounds good. Have at it! Peace✌️Ted
Thanks for the heads up! I get where you’re coming from.
In the light of how things re social media have played out.. good decision!
Thank you Bishop. seems like a sensible way forward. probably will draw me back here.