Outline Writing

I have been thinking once again about “retiring” from writing, but have had things I’ve still wanted to say. For quite a while I’ve felt I haven’t been able to express myself, and I was ready to quit without a feeling of closure, though I would leave the blog available for as long as possible even if I stopped posting. Then it occurred to me to try writing with an outline, which I had never done. I am glad I have made the effort to do so, because I’ve found it helpful in organizing my ideas. I’m not sure this work will be enough to keep me posting in the blog, but it has still been worthwhile for me.

As I developed the outline, I realized my concerns are directed to different “audiences,” or groups of people with various interests and beliefs, although there is overlap. Some of these groups are: non-believers of any God or religion; those who consider themselves spiritual but not Church members; and Catholics and other Christians who are universalists (basically believing everyone will be saved). There are individuals within all of these three groups that in diverse respects deny that belief in Jesus Christ and Him alone as our Savior and God, along with the Father and Holy Spirit, is necessary for a blessed everlasting life.

I also think about other issues within the Church, for example: strained relationships between and among Catholic Church leadership and laity; the negative effect some prominent theologians have had on the Church; and Pope Francis’s call to synodality with the Bishops’ Synod on Synodality 2021-2024.

I’m not on any social media other than Google blog and don’t interact with other forums right now, so I may be optimistic about reaching any audience at all. But with new AI search engines, you never know what will happen. I started this blog with pretty regular posts, but in coping with various life challenges, my input declined. I shouldn’t compare myself to others, but I felt a little self-conscious about not posting until I read several blogs with inconsistent output. We are all vulnerable to difficult circumstances.

Probably more has been written about Jesus Christ than any other person, and concepts of God more than any other topic. And yet there is more to say. God is new every morning. He is a marvel beyond our full understanding, yet He lets us discover more about His Creation each day. Because God is not completely knowable to humans, we have different ideas about Him, but that doesn’t mean they are all correct or even acceptable. And though most Christians have many of the same basic beliefs, I think our disagreements show we need to work together to better understand and be pleasing to the Lord.

There is purpose in writing about the Trinity: Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit. There are many people still to be reached and much to learn for us all. As long as authors proclaim the True Lord, I applaud their efforts, whether I continue writing or eventually feel called to a different task.