journalAs a blog writer there’s a temptation to quickly churn out posts, to keep content new and fresh in order to keep people returning to your site. In a time of rapid content consumption I made a promise to myself and to my readers that I would post religiously (no pun intended) every Monday and I’ve kept to that minimum for the last three years or so. The consequence of deadlines is that my posts vary in quality. Many come from the core of my being, where the Holy Spirit has touched. Some, however, come from throwing together ideas in order to reach the Monday deadline. Those latter posts are not fair to you, the reader. And as Vinita Hampton Wright says, there is a time to write and a time not to write.

Vinita is a writer and editor who works for Loyola Press. I had the privilege of meeting her at the recent Ignatian Spirituality Conference in St Louis, MO. Her workshop reminded me that spiritual writing falls into the same category as prayer. What helps one pray helps one write. Being pressured to keep to hard deadlines does not gently care for the Spirit that inspires spiritual posts.

And after having moved to California to teach high school theology I’ve had to face the reality that because of time and job pressures my contribution to God In All Things could not be as regular as it has been. So in the spirit of Vinita’s reminder of the source of spiritual writing I have decided to post only when the Spirit inspires me to. Ignatius always said to let the Spirit lead. And just as we can’t force “good” prayer, we can’t force good spiritual writing.

You will continue to see posts from our regular contributors and guest contributors, so continue visiting GodInAllThings.com. And you’ll still see posts (and audio meditations) from me, though less frequently. I’m also working on a book on Ignatian spirituality set to be released in 2016. So for the Feast Day of St Ignatius on July 31 there won’t be any special posts or marketing campaigns or hashtags; just an encouragement to you to be reflective in the Ignatian tradition. Reassess your prayer practice. Consider your own spiritual journaling. Make a retreat. Pray the Examen daily. Or pray with our Desires of the Heart series. Even consider getting a deck of Ponder Cards and making your life even more reflective.