2024 Top Posts from The Amalgamation
Most viewed posts my month and a peek under the hood of my subscriber stats
First, Thank You. Whether you are a free or paid subscriber, I appreciate that you let my words dwell in your head and heart space for as long as you do.
I am not a big end-of-the-year list kinda person, mostly because I am not sure I have much to add to the plethora of lists that seem to inundate our inboxes around this time. That said, one list in which I have some expertise is what I have shared over the year, is my own content.
The first run on this list was going to be simple: Top 10 Posts by open count, but Substack does not allow that sorting filter. I was bummed at first but soon realized that it makes sense because as subscriber counts rise, generally, the opens counts should also. I have landed on sharing the most popular post for each month (+ a bonus post), which was a fun exercise for me to look back on the year.
So here we go, the Top Posts from 2024 + Bonus post. All posts have been moved from behind the paywall, though October-December posts may get put behind the paywall after their three-month free status.
Top January 2024 Post
1,070 Opens: Long Covid Update 2024: My new normal, whatever that is...
So, I'm doing as well as can be; I hesitate again to say it's back to normal. As my doctors say to me every time I meet with them, how are you feeling? And I say I'm feeling fine. And she's like, great. And then, as my numbers still have not changed, she just says, well, Maybe this is just your new normal, and we go on from here, and that's kind of where we are. So I am tending to myself. I am, you know, living into whatever this new thing is and exercising a lot, trying to really tend to my body, getting a lot of writing and working done, back in the church part-time, trying to tend to family and house and really, living a life of harmony. Again, not because my body told me to, but because I need to, otherwise I'm not good for anyone.
Bonus Post: I Do Care How You Say Goodbye: Thoughts on memorials as we celebrated the life of my mother-in-law
Top February 2024 Post
1,360 Opens: I am in Palestine: An invitation to follow along from wherever you are
If you're getting this message, it means that the delegation has safely arrived in Palestine and we have begin our time together. Sponsored by the Israel/Palestine Mission Network, this is a delegation of Presbyterians responding to an invitation from the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center and Kairos Palestine. We are not here to speak on behalf of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Rather we are here to speak TO our Christian siblings, Presbyterian and beyond. To be clear, we're not here to save anyone or to get in the way; we're here to express solidarity, to learn from those doing the work locally, to amplify further what is going on, and to do our part to help move the needle towards an end to the suffering and violence.
Bonus Post: A Gross and Mushy Letter to My Wife: A very rare Valentine's Day gratitude post
Top March 2024 Post
1,030 Opens: PRESBYTERIAN NERD ALERT: Boundary Training Update: Update on Training for Teaching and Ruling Elders
Greeting all and apologies to all of the non-Presbyterian folks on the list — and I would assume that is most of you, so, yes, this is terrible content targeting ;-)
Bonus Post: It's Launch Day: Finally! — Everything Good about God is True: Choosing Faith is out!
Top April 2024 Post
1,640 Opens: Hot + Take + Tuesday: Church Websites: Please tell the truth on your website.
Most church websites are either aspirational, presenting an image of what we hope to become, or are filled with images of what they assume people want to see them at their best, usually Easter when whatever diversity they might have is on full display. I have always felt that this was the wrong way to go because, in the week-to-week, that is not who most churches are. Sure, be aspirational and put your fancy face on when appropriate, but not on your website.
Top May 2024 Post
998 Opens: Update 2: Crossing Borders and Centering Nakba: Digital Storytellers Delegation to Palestine Update
Today, we crossed the Jordan/Israel/Palestine border. Let me just say that it’s super anxiety-producing because of how so many people are harassed as they travel to Israel. I have many friends who have been pulled aside, questioned, and intimidated because of their political values (perceived or actual), namely in support of a free Palestine or for being connected with organizations perceived as too pro-Palestinian.
Bonus Post: 55 and Still Alive: Thanks for a great year and let's keep it going!
Top June 2024 Post
Approval of the second part of POL-01 is just as important to maintaining the church's progress towards becoming a more just church. In the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), there is some latitude in how examinations are conducted, but given our church's lament over the treatment of LGBTQIA persons and its efforts to make the church more welcoming and more diverse, it is a reasonable expectation for councils to examine a minister, elder, or deacon's commitment to the inclusion of all people regardless of race, ethnicity, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, geography, or theological conviction.
Bonus Post: Happy Pride 2024: My Annual Letter of Lament and Love
Top July 2024 Post
While the threats to our culture may feel new to many, at a life level, there is an unveiling and revealing of systems of evil and oppression that many of us have known to be true for generations. What you feel is that the system may finally be coming for you, either in actuality or the entire experiment is falling apart and you’ll do anything to ensure that the one that has served you survives. You see, for some of us, time after time, election after election, in exchange for saving the current political lesser evil, we are promised change and transformation. And time after time, election after election, those promises are broken. We continue to fund systems of violence and militarism over healthcare and education, we reinforce the insulation and protection of those with wealth and expand the criminalization and dehumanization of those trapped in poverty, and we expand our death-dealing by blatantly villainizing and scapegoating difference.
Bonus Post: Getting Dirty: Calming the brain swirlies from the past 24 hours.
Top August 2024 Post
2,450 Opens: Allowing Myself Not to Love My Body: Musings from a hospital bed, again.
I'm also pissed at my body because I have been tending it so well. Over the past year I have held a food and exercise discipline that has me in the best shape of my life that had me genuinely falling in love with my body again. To be clear, this was not just about shape and weight, but the improved health that came along with my recent changes. I've come to accept some genetic hand-me-downs, but I had been doing so well at controlling the things I could control.
And then, again with the pancreatitis. For some reason my body has decided that I am susceptible to that angry pancreas life, and that just makes me mad.
Bonus Post: A Prayer for Protesters and Disrupters: Holding space for disappointment, anger, and weariness
Top September 2024 Post
First, let’s start with what I beleive is the genuine intent of The Children’s Message. Most folks, if asked, would say that The Children’s Message is important because it is a dedicated time that speaks to the spiritual growth and centers of the lived experience of the kids in our midst. To be clear, I have no argument with these intentions. I can safely say that I have seen or been part of hundreds of Children’s Messages over the years, and with each one, I am more convinced that, in most settings, The Children’s Message fails to communicate either of those intentions very well.
Top October 2024 Post
2,040 Opens: My Memorial Service: An invitation for us all to help our loved ones grieve at the time of our death
Pastoring for nearly 30 years, I have learned that one of the most generous gifts you can offer your family is to take care of your end-of-life arrangements. Yes, this can be a difficult topic to think about, but the reality is that someday your time on this earth will end, your body will need to be tended to, and your loved one will need to grieve their loss and celebrate your life.
Bonus Post: A Plea for Empathy: No Matter Who, No Matter When, No Matter Where
Top November 2024 Post
2,270 Opens: An Election Day Breathing Prayer: Claiming a sacred space for ourselves and others
For so many, this election season has been weighty and overwhelming. Personal relationships have been damaged, coalitions have been tested, and spirits have been stretched to the brink.
I offer this prayer in the hopes that, over the next few days, we might claim a sacred space for ourselves and others.
Bonus Post: I Choose Hope, Still and Again: How and why I am choosing to respond to what happened and what may come.
Top December 2024 Post
A million years ago (2012), I wrote an eBook, The Definistive-ish Guide for Using Social Media in the Church, where I had the privilege of introducing church folks to practical ways to use new-fangled social platforms. Kinda feels like a little deja vu as many of us make the shift to BlueSky, and I love it!
Buckle up, this is a longer post than usual. I hope it’s helpful.
And now, I have a peek under the hood of my stats. As one who has been trying to live this gig life, I think it’s vital for folks to know some of the realities of this life. While I generate approximately $500 per month from Substack (more than others, less than many), this is only one space of income generation. I will be posting about that later and the dilemma of being on platforms that are ultimately driven by profit by almost any means. I am grateful for the growth and will write more in the future, but if I want to keep growing and bring on a team to help, I’ll probably take on another anchor position (stay tuned).
Here are my overall stats as of December 26, 2024.
And for the nerdy and nosey . . .
Subscriber info: All Subscribers, Paid Subscribers, Free Subscribers, All Followers, and Annual Total Income.
And for traffic sources, email is still the best way to get to folks, so don’t sleep on your email lists. Also, apparently, Bing is still a thing :-)
Okay, all, thanks for hanging in this far and for as long as you have. If you are free subscriber and have felt that what I offer has been meaningful, please consider upgrading to a paid account.
Lastly, wishing you all Happy Holidays, Merry Chrsitmas, and Happy New Year. May our collective 2025 be filled with hope, peace, love, and joy!
