This really struck a chord with me. I've felt a strong burden with an undefined execution for confronting cultural Christianity with a Biblical worldview. I am, however, a Never Trumper, female Bible college grad with an established fiction audience that looks at your right-leaning SBC and says "hold my Communion grape juice." I have been told categorically that NO ONE wants my author accounts tainted with my politics and controversial Christian worldview takes. While I AM busy in my church, there are no ministries open to me that touch this burden in any way.
I'm doing what I know to do where God has me now, and waiting for the next step. I'm not sure if that's stepping out into another pen name, shifting gears in this one once my current fiction obligations are fulfilled, or an unseen opportunity in the future. But the waiting is hard sometimes. I don't want to get ahead of God, but I don't want to keep Him waiting on me stepping out in fairh either.
Jessica, I’ll respond more in-depth soon. Hard day at the office today. Need to unwind a bit. But your comment is important. I have a few thoughts. They’ll just have to wait for now. My brain is fried. 😉
Jessica, a little more about your comment. I really struggled with this question. How to balance my work and ministry for Christ and the secular writing I was doing (albeit to bring glory to Christ). For years, I’ve found myself biting my tongue for the sake of being safe. And for years, I’ve watched as more left-leaning and outright atheistic authors felt not qualms about sharing their own worldviews. The few times I opened my mouth to speak my mind, I cowed at the thought of raising an argument up on my FB wall (I loathe debates as I know they rarely ever amount to anything more than chest thumping and insults). Minds are rarely changed by such arguments. So I avoided it at all costs for the sake of peace. And with each passing day, I felt smaller and smaller while simultaneously feeling like a powder keg about to explode. I got so sick of feeling stifled. I became so angry over the fact that I was made to feel like a villain for my theological views (yeah, I know…Christ said there’d be days like that, right?). Still, I began to feel completely stagnated…even creatively…because of the sensation my hands were tied and that no matter what I said, I was going to offend someone. So, one day, it hit me. The only thing tying my hands behind my back and stifling me was…me. It was then that I cast all doubt to the wind and decided to embrace my passion for Christ in my writing entirely. And I’ve never felt so free in my entire life. If God wants someone to read my stuff, He’ll bring them to me. If people choose not to read my stuff because of my beliefs, that’s fine too. But in essence, I have the greatest marketing partner in the universe in the Holy Spirit. They can cancel me if they want. Christ’s message through me will find its audience.
This really struck a chord with me. I've felt a strong burden with an undefined execution for confronting cultural Christianity with a Biblical worldview. I am, however, a Never Trumper, female Bible college grad with an established fiction audience that looks at your right-leaning SBC and says "hold my Communion grape juice." I have been told categorically that NO ONE wants my author accounts tainted with my politics and controversial Christian worldview takes. While I AM busy in my church, there are no ministries open to me that touch this burden in any way.
I'm doing what I know to do where God has me now, and waiting for the next step. I'm not sure if that's stepping out into another pen name, shifting gears in this one once my current fiction obligations are fulfilled, or an unseen opportunity in the future. But the waiting is hard sometimes. I don't want to get ahead of God, but I don't want to keep Him waiting on me stepping out in fairh either.
Jessica, I’ll respond more in-depth soon. Hard day at the office today. Need to unwind a bit. But your comment is important. I have a few thoughts. They’ll just have to wait for now. My brain is fried. 😉
Jessica, a little more about your comment. I really struggled with this question. How to balance my work and ministry for Christ and the secular writing I was doing (albeit to bring glory to Christ). For years, I’ve found myself biting my tongue for the sake of being safe. And for years, I’ve watched as more left-leaning and outright atheistic authors felt not qualms about sharing their own worldviews. The few times I opened my mouth to speak my mind, I cowed at the thought of raising an argument up on my FB wall (I loathe debates as I know they rarely ever amount to anything more than chest thumping and insults). Minds are rarely changed by such arguments. So I avoided it at all costs for the sake of peace. And with each passing day, I felt smaller and smaller while simultaneously feeling like a powder keg about to explode. I got so sick of feeling stifled. I became so angry over the fact that I was made to feel like a villain for my theological views (yeah, I know…Christ said there’d be days like that, right?). Still, I began to feel completely stagnated…even creatively…because of the sensation my hands were tied and that no matter what I said, I was going to offend someone. So, one day, it hit me. The only thing tying my hands behind my back and stifling me was…me. It was then that I cast all doubt to the wind and decided to embrace my passion for Christ in my writing entirely. And I’ve never felt so free in my entire life. If God wants someone to read my stuff, He’ll bring them to me. If people choose not to read my stuff because of my beliefs, that’s fine too. But in essence, I have the greatest marketing partner in the universe in the Holy Spirit. They can cancel me if they want. Christ’s message through me will find its audience.