Very Affectionate & Most Obliged.
Start here.
I have two hobbies. I sew and I read, think about and write on the letters of John Newton. I’m sharing the latter here; scroll down and you’ll find excerpts of Newton’s writing and personal reflections on his work, along with information about Newton’s personal and historic context that deepens a reading of his work.
John Newton was once called “the great spiritual director.” I’ve been reading his letters on-and-off for a decade, and I can think of no better honorific. Here, I’ll record and share that direction he warmly and winsomely offers, explore the theology that undergirds his writing, then connect it to my life as a 21st-century lady living in a time not unlike Newton’s own.
One of my favorite ways that Newton signed his letters is “Very affectionate and most obliged” (or some variation on those words). In my own life, The Internet has formed me in the ways of conceit and scoffing like none other. Newton is showing me another way (especially while handling charged, controversial topics). I want this space to not only examine the content of his writing, but also the form of his writing, and hopefully, emulate it here.1
One my favorite hymns by Newton has the following line: “Let us praise and join the chorus / Of the saints enthroned on high / Here they trusted Him before us / Now their praises fill the sky.” Newton’s praise of his Creator fills the sky around me as I read and reflect on his work. I want to share that here, and join my voice with his.
A few notes about how I plan to run this Substack.
This reading John Newton’s letters and it entails is a hobby.
I’ve really appreciated Marina Cooley’s writing on hobbies, especially this post where she lists ways to ruin a hobby. Two stuck out to me: optimize it and perform it.
I realized recently that part of the reason I’ve not posted much is because how I wanted this hobby to function in my life. I don’t want it to be a project or an area where I’m wondering how I “look” and/or measure up. This is fundamentally at odds with how Substack forms me. Thought I couldn’t articulate that dissonance, I felt it and stayed away even as I read more than ever.
Substack begs for and rewards optimizing and performing (let’s not kid ourselves otherwise), but it’s still the best place I’ve found after much research to do what I enjoy and want to do online.
So, here I remain with some changes in place:
My posts will be published, but not automatically emailed. Once I have a few built up, I’ll create a digest-style post and share accordingly. You could certainly bookmark my Substack and check back periodically if you’re truly itching to know what I’m reading. But an email will come eventually.
I’ve turned off comments. That said, if you’re a subscriber, you can reply directly to my digest-style-posts and share if you desire. I welcome encouragement, and I particularly welcome feedback if there’s a way that Newton’s writing intersects with your life.
Thanks for being here.
About me: I'm a lifelong midwesterner who makes a home with my husband and three beloved children in a city named for a Roman farmer. I work in a local church. I'm a proud graduate of Purdue's College of Agriculture; turns out you really can do anything with a Purdue College of Ag degree. I'm currently completing CCEF's counseling certificate program.
Though please know that I don’t plan on talking about charged topics here… you’d have to give me an editor and publication to talk about things of controversy online.