Does anyone really want to think about 2020 at this point? Now that 2021 is vying for infamy, perhaps it's helpful to remember the "good old days" of last year. Even though it's February, I didn't want to neglect the traditional look back at the posts that I wrote last year. Here are the 10 most trafficked, with #10 being the most-read of 2020.

1. A note to churches: insist on sabbatical (July 29) I was blessed to take a sabbatical during June-August, and one of my posts was written to other churches, encouraging them to bless and require their ministry leaders to take an extended season of rest and renewal.

2. Digital downsizing and learning to “watch” again (February 10) I haven't worn a watch for a LONG time. I've relied on my cell phone. However, this post describes why I bought a watch (and also why it wasn't an Apple Watch). I actually bought four watches and previewed them all before settling on a winner.

3. COVID Chronicles: Comfort and hope (August 17) COVID Chronicles was a series of blog entries I began last year. This post about comfort and hope seemed to strike a significant chord.

4. Top Books I Read in 2019 (January 7) Maybe it was because everyone found themselves need to do more reading in 2020. We have spent so much time behind screens that the feel of book in your hands was soul settling. You can link to my other books-in-a-year posts from this one as well.

5. Decision fatigue (September 19) This post had some great feedback in the comments. After I returned to the church in the fall, I was able to see how tired I had been prior to my sabbatical. One of the primary reasons was making decisions.

6. Tribute: Dr. W.O. Vaught (March 1) My pastor when I was a teenager died in 1989. He pastored faithfully at Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock for 38 years. His ministry and teaching has radically shaped how I preach today.

7. A viral post: Humor, Jesus and COVID (April 3) Even though it was super early in the pandemic, and we were just about to try "15 Days to Slow the Spread," I wanted to share my two-pronged prescription for staying sane: humor and Jesus.

8. Everything could change.. what COVID-19 has done for us (March 19) Reading this post that was written just four days after my church's first online service is truly centering. I want my attitude NOW (after a year) to be just as focused as it was THEN, regardless of circumstances.

9. Why I bought and sold an Apple Watch in 24 hours (February 18) My "digital downsizing" article came in as the ninth-most popular article of the year. My shocking revelation - as an Apple fanboy- that I had snubbed the Apple Watch earned the second highest traffic of the year.

   And drumroll... the most visited post of last year was:

10. How the coronavirus could reshape the university system (March 11) This post about how the university system could/should be transformed speaks more loudly and prophetically today than it did in March before schools began to move to online classes completely.

Which post did you enjoy from 2020?

I’d love to hear from you. You can peruse the archives here to identify another post that you enjoyed that isn't listed above.

Personal Likes

While the above 10 posts got the most site traffic last year, the following posts were some that I enjoyed writing and would classify as being worth reading/revisiting:

• Easter: nothing prepared us for this (April 11) It may have been the first time in world history that so many churches across the globe voluntarily didn't gather together on Christianity's signature Sunday celebration of Jesus' resurrection. I still don't know how I feel about us not meeting together last year for Easter.

• Overwhelmed (June 18) Shortly after I began my sabbatical, I wrote this in self-awareness. I was overwhelmed (in many ways, I still am!).

• Dying for the mob (July 14) In a summer of tumult due to rioting in several cities across the nation, I looked back at the riot before the cross and examined similarities.

• COVID Chronicles: why me (September 11) This LONG post in the series traced the historical role of pastors and the influence they've wielded on culture and politics. The reticence of ministry leaders in speaking boldly, lovingly and truthfully last year about sensitive societal issues was a deep burden to me.

• COVID Chronicles: Three commitments (December 12) This post spoke to the absence of civility in our discussions last year. I recommended commitments to: A commitment to one another, A commitment to a reduction of volume, and A commitment to thinking.