Carole McDonnell on Story Evangelism (Speculative Faith) – I am loving the #StoryEvangelism series at SpecFaith! This was a particularly thought provoking piece with a lot of gems to mull over. “As artists, Christians are so aware of a Christian creative tradition (Lewis, the Arthurian Cycle, and Tolkien, for instance) and so aware that other Christians want something like Tolkien and company that they unconsciously write for other Christians instead of writing from their own unique souls.”
Beware the Myth of Easy Street (Laurel Garver) – Great reminder that just because a story is hard to write doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be writing it. “There are a number of reasons a story might not be easy to tell that don’t make it ‘the wrong one.’ The best ideas take more than a momentary zap of inspiration. They take time and energy, prototypes that fail, revision, more prototypes, outside input, encouragement, yet more prototypes, testing, more revision, until the brilliant final product emerges.” (And I totally relate to the part about how writing as a teen was easy. It so was. And writing now is…so not. 😛 )
What the Church Can Learn from Geek Culture (Relevant) – “In effect, our shared passion [as geeks] forms an instantaneous bond. Can the same thing be said about church? How often do I start jumping up and down when I meet another person who loves Jesus? Not as often as perhaps I’d like. This begs the question: why? Why are we, as Christians, so quick to be skeptical and judgmental with one another? Should anything else matter?
The Savior’s Tears Shed for Yours (Christina Fox) – I love this. “[Jesus] gives proof that he has sympathy. For the cause of this feeling is, in my opinion, expressed by the Evangelist, when he says that Christ saw Mary and the rest weeping yet I have no doubt that Christ contemplated something higher, namely, the general misery of the whole human race; for he knew well what had been enjoined on him by the Father, and why he was sent into the world, namely, to free us from all evils.” – John Calvin
When a Literary Agent Says Yes (K.M. Weiland) – Tucking this one away for future reference!
Plot Twists (Katie Ganshert) – Despite the name, this is a faith link, not a fiction one. 😉 “Including Romans 8:28, which says He will work all things for the good of those who love Him. All things. Even the nasty, unwanted, knock-the-wind-right-out-of-your-chest plot twists. We don’t worship a wasteful God. He can use the twists and turns of our life to draw us nearer, to produce in us an abundance of fruit, but we have to let Him.”
[…] Simmer Starters – October 10, 2015 […]