Tag Archive - Theology

Ready, Set…WAIT!

January 4, 2012 in Karen, Personal, Theology with 17 Comments

by Karen Ball

Ah, New Year’s. When hearts soar with best intentions and resolutions tumble around us like snow-melt waterfalls. Our hearts and minds surge with all we want to be, all we hope to accomplish, all we regret and want to change…

Okay, now, show of hands: How many of you make New Year’s Resolutions?

Again, show of hands: How many of you KEEP them??

If you were here, watching me, you’d notice my hand is down. I’ve made hundreds of resolutions over the years, and I’ve broken almost every one. It took me a lot of years to understand that this fact doesn’t make me bad or weak-willed or a failure. It took me several more years to realize that the new year isn’t, for me, about resolutions. It isn’t about saying what I will and won’t do.

It’s about listening.

Each year for the last 8 years or so, I spend the time leading to the new year listening. To God, first. In prayer, in the Word. To friends and family, second. Those who know—and, by God’s grace, love—me best. And then to the other voices/influences floating around out there, be they on the internet, on the radio, in overheard conversations, or where ever. I just keep my ears open…and listen.

For what, you may ask? Guidance. For that one word, phrase, thought, Scripture that God wants me to “get” in the coming year. When this guidance comes, I usually haven’t a clue what it’s about. And as often as not it’s not really something I want to do. Need to do, yes. But want? Yeah, not so much. Which isn’t to say God is making me suffer or anything like that. Just that each year, the word/phrase/Scripture has been about refinement. And drawing closer to Him.

For example, last year, it was “Be prepared.” Everywhere I turned, the phrase was there: in conversations, in sermons, in what I was reading and studying. Even in the books I was editing. With each confirmation, I felt it deeper in my bones: a change was coming. And I needed to prepare.

Boy, howdy, was that on target. Just look at last week’s blog for some of what we in the Ball-Sapp (Sapp is my maiden name, no jokes, please! Trust me, I’ve heard ‘em all!) household faced this last year. But through prayer and preparation, God’s grace overflowed in the face of it all. Didn’t make things easier, but it tenderized my heart to trust and endure.
So here I sit, at the dawn of yet another new year…listening. I don’t know what God will speak to me yet. But I’m ready. Waiting–

Oh. Wow. That’s it.

Okay, you may not believe this, but it just came. God just whispered to my heart, and now I know. That’s it.

Wait.

Not just that, but wait…patiently. Two things I am NOT good at. Waiting. And patience. And even as I ponder it, I know. It’s about trusting Him. About not striving and trying to make things happen in my will and power, but trusting His guidance and provision.

It’s about doing what I know to do, but with a heart filled with trust, not fear.

It’s about the very things my hubby and I read this morning in Hebrews 10:

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus… And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. …Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promises.”

Okay, so I’ve got my marching—or, more to the point, waiting—orders. How about you? Whether you’re a resolution person or not, I encourage you to take time this year as never before to listen. Listen for His whisper. Seek His guidance, in your life, in your relationships, in your career. Listen for His leading as you consider what to write and why. As you are pulled in one direction, then another…as you hear all the voices telling you what you have to do to succeed… as you weigh the many decision that will face you in this crazy, ever changing industry….

Listen.

Yes, now more than ever, publishing rests on shifting sands. But we, my friends, do not.

Listen. Hear His voice. Then, and only then, act as He leads.

I can tell you, “with heart fully trusting Him,” that He will speak.

What Makes a Christian Book “Christian”? (Part Three)

October 5, 2011 in Business, Karen, Publishing, Theology, Writing with 53 Comments

by Karen Ball


So, there I were, surrounded by publishing professionals, faced with the question of whether or not we liked–or respected–our end consumer: the reader.

Publishing folk are a freaky bunch. They love to think and debate and share ideas and dissect and explore. Get a whole room of editors going and nothing is sacred. At the same time, everything is. At their core, publishing professionals recognize–and love–the power of words. Spoken, written, sung from the rooftops–words contain the power to create and cultivate, encourage and empower…or decimate and destroy. These particular folks also love God and His Word. So their drive is work on books that impact lives rather than books that just entertain.

So, what did they say, these learned, insightful, imaginative folks? At first, nothing. They stopped–really stopped–to consider the answer to whether or not they like the reader. Publishing pros are great at pondering.

I am, of course, a publishing pro. I’m an editor and an agent. But I’m also a writer. And I’m an ENFP, which, according to the Myers-Brigg Type Indicator, means I’m basically a Golden Retriever. So no surprise I can’t ponder long. Or let others do so. My mind always bounces to the next thing to explore, and I find that’s often how you discover answers. So as they pondered I posed another question: “Who is your audience?”

Responses flew:

  • Predominately female
  • Age range: 34-80s
  • Over 40
  • Conservative Faith/Evangelical
  • Most likely Republican
  • Mother
  • Mostly stay at home
  • Some professional people
  • Men, but not a lot
  • Usually women bought for the male readers
  • Very few in 18-34 age range

From there the discussion morphed into how to reach our current audience better, as well as reaching those beyond:

  • the 18-34 demographic
  • those who aren’t overtly Christian but interested in spiritual issues
  • men
  • Post-moderns
  • …and on and on.

Again, ideas flew. From using technology better and more strategically (e.g., e-books, book readers, online downloads), to reconsidering format (imaginative use of packaging, layout, content), to allowing for open-ended books (e.g., story isn’t all wrapped up at the end, leave some questions unanswered). Ideas fairly sizzled through the room.

As I listened, I had–you guessed it–this incredible feeling of deja vu. I’d been in this very dialogue already that year. Twice, in fact. Once at a retreat attended by nearly 100 published authors. The second time at the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) conference. Editors, writers, even readers…we’re all struggling with the same issues.

Now, don’t hear me saying there isn’t a place for books that primarily encourage and entertain. Books that don’t ask hard questions, but give the reader a wonderful, wholesome story. I don’t think the majority of us want to eliminate those books. Not at all.

But in all these conversations I heard the same frustration of being held back, of not being able to write with authenticity. I’ll never agree that Christian fiction–or fiction written to glorify God–should contain graphic language, sexuality, or violence, but I understand the frustration. Writers, editors, and–from your responses–readers want fiction that digs deep, that challenges and pushes as well as comforts and encourages. All of us want to be iron sharpening iron.

So, you say, why don’t you all follow Nike’s admonition and JUST DO IT? What’s holding us back?

Before I answer, I’m curious what you think the answers are. What do YOU think holds publishers, editors, and writers back from writing the kinds of books they want to do? The kinds of books many of you have said you want?

Look forward to your insights!

 

 

 

 

 

 

What Makes a Christian Book “Christian”? (Part Two)

September 28, 2011 in Business, Karen, Publishing, Theology with 46 Comments

by Karen Ball


So what are some of the answers I’ve been given to the question “What makes a Christian book Christian”? Consider the following:

  • Written from a Christian world view
  • Story offers hope
  • Core of the story shows importance of faith in Christ

Similar to the things you all wrote in your comments (though I think your responses went far deeper.) But I’ve also been peppered with the following critical comments regarding Christian books:

  • It’s safe
  • It doesn’t challenge the status quo
  • It doesn’t leave anything unsettled, everything’s resolved
  • Quality doesn’t match that of ABA books
  • Easy answers
  • Doesn’t make readers think
  • Affirms readers beliefs and perspective

Notice a trend here? Now, before you get upset or think these folks are totally out of touch, let me point out that this view of Christian writing comes most often from professionals in the field rather than from the readers themselves. Or from those who haven’t picked up a Christian book in decades. But if we’re being honest, some readers agree with those descriptions.

The last time I was tangled in this debate, I came to a conclusion. And so I turned to those gathered and offered the following: “You really don’t like this consumer much, do you?”

No response. But I could tell that, indeed, they weren’t crazy about this person. This simplistic non-thinker who only wants books that offer a kind of pabulum to the masses determined to hide in their safe churches and faith, never questioning, never facing real life.

Can’t say I blame them, can you? I wouldn’t care much for that kind of person, either. But here’s the thing: I don’t know many Christians like that. And I sure haven’t met many readers like that. From the reader letters I get as an author, it’s clear those who read Christian fiction are looking for books that not only make them think, but that challenge them–even PUSH them–to go beyond themselves and what they think they know. In the letters and emails my authors receive from their readers, we’ve found people who are facing life’s ambiguities and inequities full-force. Yes, they long for something to give them answers. But even more than that, they long for something to tell them, quite simply and honestly, that they’re not alone. That they’re not the only Christians out there who:

Doubt

Struggle

Wrestle with God over living a life of faith in an insane and hostile world

Don’t appreciate easy or pat answers

Want to KNOW God. Intimately. Even when it’s scary or uncomfortable or painful. Which, as anyone who’s walked a hard path knows, it is.

Often.

Cool thing, though, about that debate is that it didn’t end there. In fact, it led us all deeper. And I’ll tell you how and where.

In a minute.

First, I want to know who you think today’s Christian reader is? Why do you think s/he reads Christian books? What are you hearing from the readers around you about the books they’re reading? And, if you care to share, what novel or nonfiction Christian book have you read lately that lived up to your expectations?

So share your thoughts…and stay tuned for Part 3.

 

 

 

 

 

Gray Saturday

April 23, 2011 in Personal, Theology with 18 Comments

I wrote this many years ago and post it every Easter weekend as a reminder. May it speak to you in some small way.

Gray Saturday
by Steve Laube

Holy weekend is such a study in contrasts.

Friday is dark. Somber. Frightening in its hopelessness and pain.
I do not like Dark Fridays.
The nails bury themselves deep into my soul.
They become a singular stake through the heart of this sinner.
Piercing. Rending. Bloody.
Vanquishing this creature of the night who dares to follow his own way.
Christ’s death becomes mine.
The death I deserve.
Alone. Anguishing. Agonizing.
There is no one or nothing that can assuage this dreary weight upon me.
I stand in silence. Staring at the stars and wondering if they can hear my cry or if they care.

Saturday is Gray.
Caught between the darkness and the dawn.
We move around as if yesterday had not happened.
Errands. Busyness. The Routine. They conspire to distract from the lessons.
The mundane becomes standard. Bleak. Meaningless. Gray.
Why did Jesus have to wait for the weekend?
Why this middle day of contemplation and forgetfulness?
When night comes we will have survived the gray day.
But only because we know tomorrow is only hours away.
What would it be like if we did not know such hope?

Sunday is Light.
A celebration of life, love and hope.
It is only because of Sunday that we can face the Fridays of turmoil.
Lift your face toward the dawn.
See the grace that speeds across the hills as the sun licks each place with its touch.
The Son touches your face and the chills of rapture spread to the tips of your toes.
This gives us reason to live.
This gives us reason to love.
This gives us reason to hope.
To live where there is no life.
To love where there is no love.
To hope where there is none to be found.

Unfortunately, we all live in the Saturday Gray.
Forgetting the darkness and depth of our sinfulness.
Forgetting the truth found in the dawn.

Let us be mindful of this during the coming months.
We have been given a choice of days in which we can live.
None of us want to wallow in Dark Friday.
None of us should be satisfied with Gray Saturday.
Instead let us celebrate and embrace the peace and warmth of the gracious gift of Christ’s resurrection and life.

© 2002 Steve Laube

God Gave Me This Blog Post

April 5, 2011 in Publishing, Theology with 54 Comments

God gave me this blog post.

By invoking divine inspiration I have guaranteed that you will read this post and possibly give me money to read more.

Sound like a stretch? Then what if I just wrote or said:
“God spoke to me”
“I was led to write this”
“God revealed this to me”
“I have been called to write this”
“I believe this is an inspired post”

In the Christian publishing industry editors, publishers, and literary agents hear these all time (and I suspect they are heard in the aisles and parking lots of churches every week). I’ve heard it on the phone, in person, and in writing…in varying degrees. Everything from “If you don’t accept this book idea you are not a Christian because God gave it to me” to “The Lord has laid this on my heart.” Obviously the first is outrageous, but what is wrong with the other one?

Often a writer will approach and say in whispered tones, “I know I’m not supposed to say this, but I truly believe that God gave me this story.” I know what they mean. They are trying to express their passion for their work and their sincere belief that it is life changing. Unfortunately it doesn’t always come across that way.

The Bible is very clear that God speaks to us via His Spirit, sometimes through other people in writing, speaking, singing, or actions. We are admonished “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies.” (I Thessalonians 5: 19-20) But don’t stop reading the biblical text because in the next verse (v. 21) the apostle Paul wrote “Test everything.” The apostle John wrote further, “test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” (1 John 4:1)

Therefore the next time, before casually or intentionally using this type of language:

  1. Consider your motive. What is being accomplished by invoking divine inspiration? A legitimacy that was somehow missing before the statement crossed the lips? An expression of passion and sincerity? Is the phrase being used as manipulation?
  2. Consider your audience. The publishing professional being addressed has already made the assumption that God is inspiring a lot of people a lot of the time. That is intrinsic to the Artistic process. We assume that you are passionate about your work or that you feel it is inspired in some way, otherwise you would not be showing it to anyone. A few of the more sarcastic among us may be tempted to respond, “God told you but forgot to tell me” or “Really? God did that? Please sign this dotted line so we can get busy with publishing it!” You see how silly and mocking this can get?
  3. Consider your source. Annie Dillard wrote, “Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it?” (Teaching a Stone to Talk, page 40) Are you really speaking for God? Are your words supplanting God’s? Or adding to them? That is a danger of invoking God’s name in order to validate one’s material. “If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God…so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 4:11)

So before anyone takes offense, I’m not trying “quench the Spirit.” Instead I’m encouraging a bit of caution when talking this way among publishing professionals.