In the past two days nearly 7,500 people have visited Oboedire. More than fifty new people have subscribed to Oboedire, and will now receive writings automatically. Others have also found it, and have been in touch to tell me they will be visiting the site periodically.
To all of you newcomers, and to those who have been on the journey, I say, “Thank you.” Since 2010, Oboedire has grown into an online resource for spiritual formation. This is the mission, and it will continue.
For those of you new to Oboedire, I hope you will find the site useful in your spiritual formation, through reviewing archived materials and the icons on the home page. Some groups use these materials, and among the icons you will find suggestions for using them in groups.
Taking today as a fresh start for Oboedire, let me share my thoughts about the future of Oboedire. In doing so, I welcome your ideas about how it might be particularly helpful to you. We have made changes since 2010, and will continue to do so as we discern a better way forward. Email me at oboediresite@gmail.com.
“Along the Way” is now the mainstay theme, with others (old and new) appearing less frequently. “Along the Way” recognizes the multi-faceted nature of the spiritual life and faith formation, so posts cover a variety of subjects. I no longer post on an announced schedule, but “Along the Way” appears regularly.
Other posts are categorized by subject, usually becoming a series. You can see a list of major series in the icon section of the home page. Other specific topics are listed on the home page sidebar. The use of series is intentional. The spiritual life is a journey that unfolds step-by-step. Writing in a series helps me to do that with the topics.
Many of you in the Oboedire community are United Methodist, and the flurry of growth the past two days has been largely from UM laity and clergy. As a result, I am resuming the series entitled “Wesley’s Way.” You can read the archived posts in this series. More will follow. I am reviving it to offer insights from Wesleyan spirituality that I hope will assist you in your formation, whether or not you stand in the Wesleyan tradition or are part of the UMC.
Some of you have linked with Oboedire as laity and clergy in the UMC with the hope that you will find writing and resources for renewal as a new UMC takes shape. So, the “Wesley’s Way” series will include posts I hope you will find useful in this regard. The early Methodist movement aimed at renewal. Stay tuned for more on that in future “Wesley’s Way” posts. Also, when a post is focused on United Methodism, I will archive it in the “UMC” category.
Finally, I would remind you that Oboedire includes the “Heart Sounds” podcast. You can listen on Spotify. The second season has begun, and will return after Easter.
All this to say, “Thank you” for joining the Oboedire journey. In July we begin our thirteenth year. Oboedire is a free formation resource that grows solely by word of mouth. If you know others who would like to know about Oboedire, please tell them about it.
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