Category Archives: Encouragement

The Festival of Faith and Writing

Last week Thursday through Saturday I attended the Festival of Faith and Writing at Calvin College here in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I’d never been to this festival, but I’d heard many great reviews of it over the two plus decades of its existence. Why did I go this year? Simple. I’m a writer. A full-time writer. For the first time since I began this writing journey three years ago, I’m able to work my schedule to my own benefit. I’m the boss. (Don’t tell my wife.)

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Looking through the mammoth program for the event (94 full pages), I wasn’t sure what to expect. Many of the writers and presenters were new to me. As I tried to determine where my time and attention would be best spent, I tried to focus on the description of the presentations instead of the presenters. I didn’t want to automatically attend the sessions of the people I had heard of, even a little bit. I wanted to focus on what I felt would be best for me as a writer.

This plan of action led me to presenters like Makoto Fujimura, Zadie Smith, Ashely Bryan, and Wesley Hill.

Side note on Fujimura:
Even though I had never heard of, or read, anything from Fujimura, his topic immediately drew me in. His new book, out later this year, Silence and Beauty, is a direct result of the work of Shusaku Endo and his masterful novel, Silence. Endo’s novel is on the shelf in my house. I’ve probably read it at least a half-dozen times over the years. And don’t miss the soon to be released movie of the same name directed by Martin Scorsese.

When the conference was almost finished, I sat down to think about the sessions having the most impact on me, at least right then and there. Later I may see others as having a greater impact, but these three authors ended at the top of my list.

While I said earlier my intention was to pick the sessions by the topics, I ended up attending sessions of two of the more well-known authors. Shauna Niequist and Sarah Bessey. Their topics pulled me in.

Shauna’s topic: Discussing what has influenced her writing, paying attention to the little things, and creativity.
Shauna was one of the speakers I knew before the conference. She writes in the Memoir and Personal Narrative Genre. Exactly where I believe I’m going with my writing. Listening to her seemed like a natural fit. One of the key ideas I wrote down was about there being many “right ways” to write in the genre. I don’t have to hold fast to a particular method.

Sarah’s topic: “Unqualified: Why Everyone Can Write About Theology”
Yep. That’ll pull me in every single time. I have a love of theology. For years I spent more time on head knowledge (theology/doctrine) than I did on heart knowledge (love). One thought I wrote down excites me, “Be okay with my theology ‘addiction’. Theology can intersect with ordinary life.” Sarah’s idea of “everyone gets to play” intrigues me. I’ll definitely dive deeper into the idea.

But what about Wes? Yes, Wes. Wesley Hill.
Mr. Hill opened my eyes wider to a topic I now realize had been rolling around in my head for a while. Friendship. Wesley’s presentation title was, “Till Death Do us Part: Reimagining Christian Friendship”. Some of you may wonder why this was such a big deal for me. Well, friendship is elusive for many people. Wes discussed friendship outside the traditional family. C.S. Lewis and his fellow Inklings had a friendship to write about and to envy. Is that kind of friendship even possible in our culture today? Great question, and I don’t have near enough space to answer it in this short post.

Which brings me to a realization. I need to write at least three more posts about these topics. Next week look for more about the idea of friendship. I can’t wait to share more with you.

Be well my friends. Be well.

 

 

I Am Not My Own

“I am not my own…”

 

Those of you steeped in Reformed tradition recognize those five words, and you have already begun reciting the rest of the words in the answer to the first question in the Heidelberg Catechism.

If you aren’t familiar with those words, or the Heidelberg Catechism, here’s the short version:

H.C. Q&A #1:
Q: What is your only comfort in life and in death?
A: That I am not my own, but belong – body and soul, in life and in death –  to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. … Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.
(You can access the full version HERE.)

As important as those first five words are to my theological understanding of my faith, the next two words may be even more important. Particularly the seventh word: BELONG

I belong

I’ve been thinking and praying quite a bit lately about this word.

Here’s how Merriam Webster defines the word:
2a :  to be the property of a person or thing —used with to <the book belongs to me>
b :  to be attached or bound by birth, allegiance, or dependency —usually used with to <they belong to their homeland>
c :  to be a member of a club, organization, or set —usually used with to <she belongs to a country club>

Definition 2b is what draws my attention. To be attached or bound by birth, allegiance or dependency.

While I am certainly attached to my Lord and Savior these ways, I’d like to add one more.

Death.

I’m attached or bound to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, by death. His death.

Jesus Christ’s death on the cross bound me to him. He chose me. He died for me. I’m attached to him and his sacrifice.

In last week’s post I talked about where my allegiance lies. Do I rely on my bank account or on God?

Continuing with that theme, I want to emphasize where I truly belong. I belong to Jesus. To God.

As I continue on this adventure of self-employment I need to keep those words at the forefront of everything I do daily.

I belong to Jesus.

Add the five words from the beginning to these four words.

I am not my own. I belong to Jesus.

Everything I do must be filtered through these nine words.

Are you living out these words? Do you struggle each day like I do?

It isn’t easy, and we are never told it will be, but I’m going to keep trying. Every. Single Day.

Are You Relying On Your Bank Account Or God?

I pose this question to you because I need to pose it to myself. “Am I relying on my bank account, or am I relying on God?” Three months into this new adventure of working for myself, from home, I need to ask myself this hard question.

The balance in the bank account can be terrifying and it can be comforting. Sometimes it can be both at the exact same time with the exact same balance. While my wife and I have set aside the funds needed to journey on this adventure, I believe the comfort of knowing the money is available might possibly be hindering my performance.

Some of you will say, “Take it easy on yourself. It’s only been three months. You’re still adjusting.” Others, I’m sure, will say, “I knew it. He isn’t going to make it. He’ll have to find a real job.”

What I’m saying is “Where am I placing my confidence? Where am I placing my self-worth and my comfort?” I think lately it has been in the bank account. And that is the wrong place to be.

-Do not despisethese small beginnings,for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin.-

God wants me to place my confidence, my self-worth, and my comfort in him. As the weeks have gone by, the bank account balance has gone down. Nothing unexpected. But this last week it hit a dollar amount I’m not comfortable with on April 1st.

While reading Alli Worthington’s new book “Breaking Busy”, I wrote down these words:

“I’m relying more on the comfort of my bank account than on God.”

Dang it. I wanted to swear at Alli, and maybe at God.

God used Alli to open my eyes. To see what I had been missing for weeks. I was placing my comfort in the wrong place.

In the book, Alli was talking about building a business and all the stress, anxiety, uncertainty and bumps that come with it.

These lines from page 67 hit home for me.

“The journey was bumpy, sometimes easy, sometimes scary, but always a predestined trip.”

“The very God who spoke the world into motion, created you for a purpose.”

I had forgotten. I had misplaced my trust.

While I have been working all these weeks, I may not have been working “correctly” for lack of a better word. And while bumps and uncertainty are surely expected, I need to focus my efforts on obeying Him. He created me for a purpose. He told me to take this step. I forgot to place my trust in Him.

Isn’t this how life goes?

We work and work and work toward a goal, and when we arrive at the goal we forget what put the wheels in motion.

For me, God put the wheels in motion for this adventure. He promised me He would take care of me and my family, no matter what.

No. Matter. What.

I know some of you reading this have experienced the ups and downs of your own adventures. I’d like to leave you with this last thought from Alli, and I’ll apply it to my adventure too:

“If you stay focused on God, you will not miss your destiny.”