I’ve decided that I don’t really like Substack. It isn’t set up for specific categories etc., which makes it difficult with the unfolding of my ongoing Barth Reader. I think I’ll make this my primary online site again. Sorry about the confusion. Thing is, I plan on cross-posting to my Substack still. There is no need to limit myself. But as far as my comfortability level, WordPress is still where that’s at. My concern, as noted before, is that WP is not seemingly so focused on catering to bloggers anymore. Oh well, I suppose until it becomes totally non-functional that way, I will make it work.

Again, sorry about the confusion. Either way, you will see my new posts come up whether you are subscribed to me here or at Substack, or both.

It has been a seventeen year run here at this url. I have been blogging since the heyday of the blogosphere starting back in 2005 (different urls). I think it is time to shudder this space. I have just returned from a week of vacation, and after some further reflection and thought (I was already trending this way in my thinking) I have decided it is best to archive this blog. That doesn’t mean I will no longer be writing online, but that my primary writing online will be limited to my Substack account (of the same name, Athanasian Reformed). I have appreciated all of you my readers over the decades, and I look forward to continuing with you over at the Substack. Substack has a better overall community and energy behind it these days. Not only that, WordPress as a hosting platform for blogs has deteriorated over time; it seems that they mostly cater to business websites these days. So, while the going is still good I thought it best to transmigrate myself over the transom to Substack. Please do follow me over there dearest readers. I know some of you already are subscribed to me over there as well; perfect! For those who are not I expect to see you there front and center!

As you have also noticed my output has waned over the last few years. I’m hoping being part of the Substack community well help energize me once again. But we’ll see. I don’t expect that I’ll be posting every day like I once did for years and years. But you never know, the Lord may well urge and motivate me to pick up the writing pace once again. Even so, I expect that I will still be publishing at least two posts a week, on average, at the Substack.

This isn’t a goodbye, au contraire, but a hello at a new habitat for me online. I’ll see you there! https://bobbygrow.substack.com/ Athanasian Reformed. 

1. Another motivation for the move is that even with my very infrequent posting over at my Substack account I still get the same or more views there than I do here. I am imagining that with more cultivation and dedication over at Substack that my readership will pick up rather than wane as it has here. Pax Vobis

Years ago, and for years and years I would publish a blog post every single day. Over the years, if you have been following me for any length of time, you will have noticed that that pace has slowed. In fact, as of late you will have probably noticed that my publishing output here has slowed down quite a bit; i.e., I think I’m averaging just about a post in a half every seven days. I just wanted to acknowledge that. I’m not the young whippersnapper I once was when I first started the blogging game. But let it also be known: whereas most of the OG theobloggers have passed away (I mean their blogs), I am still here. And Lord willing, I plan on continuing to blog right up until the Eschaton. I always plan on being a theological learner, reader, and communicator; as such, the blog platform, and you my readers, serve me well in that regard. So thank you for that!

Anyway, just a bit of housekeeping with reference to the blog. Don’t be surprised if sometimes my posting slows down a little more even than it already has. But to be sure: I’m here to stay 🙂 .

I’m still here. Just been busy and under the weather again. Stay tuned for new posts in the next couple, few days.

I just wanted to drop a quick note of appreciation and thanks to those who support my work financially. That is meaningful to me. In fact, because of the contributions, it might help supplement my funding for a DMin (Doctor of Ministry) degree program (fully accredited by ATS) I have applied to (currently waiting to hear back). I will let you all know how that turns out—should know before Christmas, hopefully.

I use my Substack account as the means by which folks can provide financial support if they so choose. I don’t do what I do for money, but money never hurts LOL. I appreciate all of my readers from over the years, and currently! I just wanted to give a shout out to those, again, who have decided to give some financial support as well. Here is the info on how you can support my work similarly, if interested. Click. 

An administrative question: is the new base font I’m trying out readable for all of you? I kind of like it because it reminds me of old typewriter font. But I always want to be mindful of my readers in regard to their reading experience here. Just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean I’ll change it back LOL. But I would seriously like to know what you think of it. I was going to use it in the past, but then thought it might be too small to read for some. Anyway, your feedback is most appreciated.

I’ll be on a blog sabbatical for the next week and a half or so. I’ll see you when I get back. Blessings in the risen Christ and the triune God.

Let me share the types of comments that I won’t approve going forward. They are the types of comments that present themselves in some sort of editorial role that I never asked for. They might come across as passive-aggressive, but their sheen remains that superficial. I’m not interested in being grammar policed by essentially anonymous people (this particular commenter left his name, but I won’t be sharing that here) who seem to be using their “policing” as a mechanism to give themselves a sense of intellectual superiority vis-à-vis me (but who am I?). It is functioning like a rhetorical device with an aim of positioning oneself in a certain way in the (potential) forthcoming dialogue. This has always been a pet peeve of mine, particularly, online. I am not offering up my blog posts in search of editors who will approve or disapprove of my grammar, per se. I clearly have typos, certain grammatical errors at times, and other like mistakes in some of my blog posts. But in a way that is the nature of writing quickly for blogs, and other social media outlets. Even so, I would venture to say that much of what I write still has acceptable grammatical quality; that is, as they are typically rough rough rough drafts for what, at times, might have the potential for further development and grammatical finish work.

So, the following comment was posted on my last post. I approved it at first, and replied back. But as I reflected on it further, I began to think that in fact the intention behind it was just as I have sketched above. Even if that wasn’t the author’s intention, I almost always assume that when the grammar police show up their intentions aren’t as pure as they would make them appear to be. Now, did my last post have some awkward phrasings, and maybe a run-on sentence here or there? Yes; which I realized even as I posted it. I was particularly pressed for time when I put that post together. Not to mention, the heft of that post was made up by me sharing posts I had written for X/Twitter and Facebook. When I post on such websites I surely am not worried about my grammar, or how polished it might come across. Beyond that, as you will see with this comment, the commenter attempts to offer a psychoanalysis upon my state of mind as I composed that post; which is sort of strange. Here’s the comment:

Actually, while I believe in the vicarious humanity of Jesus, and as I watched the ADS during the game, I thought too that the “He Gets US” was clearly missing the point. Your blog, and very much unlike you, had lots of grammar and typing issues, which seem to point to your “anger” or “frustration” where you mind was working faster than your hands. I am not sure it upset me as much as made me sad that some christians simply do not truly have an “incarnational” understanding of who Jesus is pro nobis. But that is where teaching and conversation comes in. After Jesus says to the disciples “Do You Not Yet Understand,” even in his frustration, he teaches them. Better sermons and clearly biblical articulation of the vicarious atonement are needed. Thanks for put this out there.

Ironically, his comment has some grammatical errors and typos itself. I don’t think my blog post had lots of grammatical etc. errors, it had some (which I was aware of when I posted it). Anyway, don’t be the grammar police 😊; for me, it immediately shuts down any meaningful discourse we might have had otherwise.