If asked to sum up this year's fall conference in one word, I would have to say 'Authenticity'. Although the planning committee did not consciously choose this theme, it seemed to permeate many aspects of the event.
'Tools for Authors' panel: Jane Wheeler, Linda Hall, Rik Hall, Janice Dick, Tracy Krauss moderating
Keynote speaker Linda Hall lead us through her journey as a writer, along the way offering bits of 'Sage Advice', as she called it. The broad takeaway was this: it's okay to switch genres, try something new, step outside your comfort zone, and even go against the grain... as long as this is something you, as an individual writer, feel you are supposed to do. This is exactly what Linda did - more than once! Were there risks? Yes, but that's 'authenticity' in a nutshell - following your own writerly path without worrying about what others will think or whether 'success' will follow. Finding happiness and joy in what you are writing is more important than success.
Carolyne Aarsen and yours truly
Carolyne Aarsen, keynote for the pre-conference VIP day, had a very similar message, although her writer's path was completely different. She started out as a journalist, but had a love of writing romance. Since making the switch and signing with Harlequin 'Love Inspired', she has been an extremely prolific author, unapologetically writing what she loves to write. That's authenticity!
There are many more examples from the variety of workshops offered but one stands out for me, and that was a workshop given by Dayna Mazzuca called 'Reach Your Reader'. Hers was a fascinating workshop that categorized different types of readers into five main groups: the Scholar; the Social Connector; the Change Agent; the Adventurer; and the Mystic. (It reminded me a bit of the 'five love languages' in that everyone connects to what they read in a different way.) The real 'light bulb' moment for me came when I realized that understanding what kind of reader I am will probably impact the type pf writer I am, which in turn means I should be much more focused on what type of reader I am targeting.
There were so many great takeaways from this year's conference, but I found it interesting that almost every workshop I attended or participated in had something to do with being true to oneself. In many ways, this mirrors our organization. We have so many talented and inspiring people with such a variety of backgrounds and stories to share. It's one of the best things about conference - getting to know one another a little bit better and celebrating our diversity while also recognizing the unity in Christ that holds us together.
______________________ Tracy Krauss writes from her home in northern BC. Visit her website http://tracykrauss.com -fiction on the edge without crossing the line-
This month we've been focusing on writing about controversial or taboo subjects. When I read the prompt, this verse came to mind:
"Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted." Galatians 6:1 (NIV)
It concerns me that there are topics that seem to be taboo in churches. Somehow it's fair game to denounce homosexuality (which we should), but we rarely quote verses about gluttony and the fact that it's a sin to eat too much. We complacently stuff our mouths while condemning those caught in the sex trade. The way I read my Bible, sin is sin. Sermons are preached on obedience to parents, and how to get to heaven, but when was the last time you heard a pastor preach about child abuse or hell? (Would these issues exist if we were all living by the morals laid out in Scripture?) Recently I was told that J.P. Yohannan was banned from a Christian event. The reason? Because he was teaching false doctrine? No. Rather, it was because people in North America, at a missions event of all places, don't want to hear the truth about selfishness and gluttony. It makes us feel uncomfortable. Are we really prepared to stand idly by while millions of people die without Christ? Or are we going to ignore that topic too, because it makes us feel uneasy?
Then there's the whole issue of which version of the Bible is most accurate. Bible translation takes skill and training, sensitivity to culture, and obedience to the Holy Spirit. Anyone who speaks more than one language knows there are certain phrases which just don't translate accurately, no matter how hard you try. It makes me sad that followers of Jesus Christ allow this issue to divide families and churches. I know people who were convicted of their sin and found salvation by reading The Living Bible, which is actually a paraphrase not a translation. Are we going to limit God with our rules?
Jon Mohr sums it up well in his song, Let the Walls Come Down. He reminds us that although we are in a spiritual battle, we are allowing walls made of tradition, culture, and pride to divide the body of Christ. While we're busy defending our "walls", others are dying without Christ. Listen carefully to the words.
Is there a wall you need to knock down? Ask God for wisdom, strength, and boldness to speak the truth in love.
All throughout the spirit realm a fearsome battle rages
The fates of men and nations hang suspended in the fray
Walls designed by satan in the twilight of the ages
Now stand as great divisions all across the world today
Walls not born of government nor strife amid the nations
But walls within our churches and between denominations
Stones of dry tradition carved in fear and laid in pride
Become a dismal prison to those withering inside
Chorus:
Let the walls come down
Let the walls come down
Let the walls that divide us
And hide us come down
If in Christ we agree
Let us seek unity
Let the walls
Let the walls come down
Let the walls
Let the walls come down
The body weak and powerless, crippled by division
The victim of a tragic and most cruel civil war
Brother fighting brother over culture and tradition
While countless lost and dying lie as casualties of war
It’s time to end the foolishness of warring with each other
And kneel in true repentance that our union be restored
May we then as brothers rally round the cross of Jesus
And carry on with diligence the mission of our Lord
Chorus
Oh children of God
Oh soon to be bride
Let us humble ourselves
And crucify pride
Throw off the flesh
And its pious facade
And unite in the name of God Chorus
- See more at: http://www.stevegreenministries.org/product/let-the-walls-come-down/#sthash.hjTGiHCA.dpuf
All throughout the spirit realm a fearsome battle rages
The fates of men and nations hang suspended in the fray
Walls designed by satan in the twilight of the ages
Now stand as great divisions all across the world today
Walls not born of government nor strife amid the nations
But walls within our churches and between denominations
Stones of dry tradition carved in fear and laid in pride
Become a dismal prison to those withering inside
Chorus:
Let the walls come down
Let the walls come down
Let the walls that divide us
And hide us come down
If in Christ we agree
Let us seek unity
Let the walls
Let the walls come down
Let the walls
Let the walls come down
The body weak and powerless, crippled by division
The victim of a tragic and most cruel civil war
Brother fighting brother over culture and tradition
While countless lost and dying lie as casualties of war
It’s time to end the foolishness of warring with each other
And kneel in true repentance that our union be restored
May we then as brothers rally round the cross of Jesus
And carry on with diligence the mission of our Lord
Chorus
Oh children of God
Oh soon to be bride
Let us humble ourselves
And crucify pride
Throw off the flesh
And its pious facade
And unite in the name of God Chorus
- See more at: http://www.stevegreenministries.org/product/let-the-walls-come-down/#sthash.hjTGiHCA.dpuf
I’ve been writing since I was a child. My first self-publication was a folded and stapled booklet of very bad poetry that I printed and illustrated with crayons that were in dire need of sharpening. I was eight years old and my readership was comprised of two people – my parents. Many decades later, I have to admit that I still tend toward creating and publishing things on my own. I’ve co-published and edited local church magazines and also started a multi-denominational paper that we circulated in our town’s local churches, cafes and doctor’s offices.
I’ve learned a lot through these small ventures, not least of which is that God is more interested in my character than my mission. I tend to be a tad idealistic and wade into literary ventures with a vivid “big picture” in mind. Concerning the multi-denominational paper I mentioned, my heart’s goal was to help a very divided Body of Christ to develop a stronger sense of communion with one another. That sounds good, don’t you think? In one of his last recorded prayers, Jesus asked for unity among believers.
I don’t know if my two years at the helm of that little paper contributed much to unity among the local church bodies, but I did discover that there was a certain disharmony within my own heart that had so far escaped my awareness and which God wanted to address. It was in the crucible of some challenging and painful experiences during those years of working with others on that publication that God started to refine my attitude.
Until that time, I’d considered myself to be a peaceable and fairly easy-going person who was learning to love others. As an editor, I tried to be sensitive toward my largely inexperienced group of contributing writers. Some of their pieces were very rough around the edges and it was difficult to balance my desire to publish a paper full of clear, well-written articles with my equally strong wish to encourage and help up-and-coming writers. There was lots of e-mailing back and forth in addition to phone calls with people who hadn’t yet joined the computer age. I understood well that God cared about those people and that I must try to see them through His eyes, but a considerable chasm stretches between the knowing and the doing in such matters!
This juggling act, though difficult, was going pretty well until a challenge came along that was just a bit too large for my heart to accommodate. I’d asked a friend to help me edit the paper and we had a disagreement about something that, looking back, seems rather unimportant. At the time, I felt that the ideals underpinning the paper’s “mission” would be compromised if I allowed her to include a certain item in the paper. We ended up dissolving the partnership and she moved on to other activities. The friendship faded too.
Has that ever happened to you? Perhaps, like me, your ideals or pet viewpoints have trumped God’s call to love and exercise peaceful unity with other believers. These things tend to rise to the surface and show themselves when our passions are involved. If writing is your passion, then it’s likely this will happen at some point. Maybe an editor wants to cut precious material from your book or a fellow writer suggests improvements to an article. Bloggers have the unique opportunity to hear immediate, unsolicited criticism of their writing and/or ideas in the comments section.
The only advice I will offer is this: consider the crucible opportunity and go from there. God be with you!
