Spot on as usual Grant, thanks for all the lies 😀. To my mind, the lies Christian writers believe are not merely professional anxieties, they are sacramental heresies, distortions of the incarnation itself. For if the Word became flesh, then words matter infinitely, not as abstract vessels of piety, but as enfleshed vessels of grace. The lie that "explicitly Christian content" alone honors God betrays I think a Gnostic contempt for the material world, as if Christ’s redemption stops at the church door and does not permeate compost bins, camera lenses, and spreadsheets. To write about these things with excellence is to preach the resurrection of all things.
The fear that struggle disqualifies us from writing about faith is perhaps the most diabolical lie of all, for it denies the very logic of the Cross. The sacred page was written by hands that shook… David mid-lament, Paul with his thorn, John exiled and alone. Their authority came not from having transcended weakness, but from having been transfigured within it. When a writer hides their doubt, they rob Christ of His glory, for His power is perfected in trembling hands that still choose to type.
And what of craft? To call its pursuit vanity is to insult the Carpenter who shaped wood with divine attention before shaping history. The Spirit who hovered over the formless void is the same Spirit who filled Bezalel with artistic skill. Not as a secondary gift, but as a sacred vocation. Every sentence honed, every metaphor polished, is an act of sacramental obedience, a participation in the divine creative act that spoke galaxies into being.
The lie that writing is a solitary act ignores the Trinity itself. The Father speaks, the Son is the Word, the Spirit is the breath between them. All creation is collaborative. Your most "solitary" writing is already a conversation with the cloud of witnesses, with the readers who will one day receive your words as manna, with the God who whispers over your shoulder.
So let us write, not as a performance, but as a priest at the altar of daily life. May our keystrokes be prayers, our backspace key a confession, our published work a sacrament.
As a humor writer, I definitely catch myself asking why I've always had this goal to make people laugh. Sometimes it feels like I'm trying to distract people from the seriousness of life.
But, having come through some very dire life events in my own past, I know that what got me through was laughter... remembering that things could still be funny, could still bring me joy and happiness. And then I realize that wanting to share that same feeling with others can be a blessing to them. Humor might just be a small step back to normalcy for struggling people.
Thanks so much for these timely reminders (especially those tied with current social media practices).
I had same thought, Linda. I came to appreciate humor so much in the last few years because it lifted my spirits. There have def been times when I told myself I was avoiding bigger problems
Exactly! Being able to find laughter again helped lift my spirit when things seemed hopeless. Once I lose my sense of humor, all bets are off. So I remind myself of those dark times when smiling and laughing (especially with Christian friends) got me through. I love to think God can use that part of me that loves to laugh, in order to give others a leg up sometimes. <3
Thanks so much. I’m new to Substack and feel so grateful to have stumbled upon your work. “What if you measured success by obedience instead of outcomes?” FYI-copying and pasting this to my notes for reference.
"It doesn't help that we see other Christian writers celebrating viral posts with "God is so good!" (And He is—but is He less good when your post gets twelve views?)."
"Christ is already present in your faithful work—you don't have to force Him into every paragraph."
Thank you, thank you thank you. This post met me at the perfect time. Praise God.
Thanks! This was fab! I’ve been needing writing community again after I recently ended an awesome virtual memoir class with Mara Eller and a few ladies. Going to nothing after that has been hard so I need to find a writing group in my city. Good reminder!
This is so good, Grant! I especially love your point on writing about faith when we are struggling. I appreciate it when writers take me on a journey with them, questions and doubts and all. Those are the people we know we can trust when we have the same questions.
Thank you very much for taking the time to present this articulate and easily digestible reference.
The central theme (for me) that I took away from this, is how best to honour God with excellence. So often we confuse perfection with excellence. If our ultimate pursuit is perfection, it essentially leads us into striving.
But the pursuit of excellence gives allowance for those times of struggle, failure, doubt, hope, reconciliation and resilience, without having the burden of guilt weighing us down.
There is much to consider in what you wrote. Thanks again.
This was such a great read. Lie number 6 is something I struggle with, and your perspective just loosened the chains that were causing me to hold back. We have to be unapologetic about giving God our best. Reminds me of Abraham offering Isaac as a sacrifice; he didn't hesitate to give God the best of what he had. Bless you for this transformative piece. This work will free many from their bondage. Glory to God!
Spot on as usual Grant, thanks for all the lies 😀. To my mind, the lies Christian writers believe are not merely professional anxieties, they are sacramental heresies, distortions of the incarnation itself. For if the Word became flesh, then words matter infinitely, not as abstract vessels of piety, but as enfleshed vessels of grace. The lie that "explicitly Christian content" alone honors God betrays I think a Gnostic contempt for the material world, as if Christ’s redemption stops at the church door and does not permeate compost bins, camera lenses, and spreadsheets. To write about these things with excellence is to preach the resurrection of all things.
The fear that struggle disqualifies us from writing about faith is perhaps the most diabolical lie of all, for it denies the very logic of the Cross. The sacred page was written by hands that shook… David mid-lament, Paul with his thorn, John exiled and alone. Their authority came not from having transcended weakness, but from having been transfigured within it. When a writer hides their doubt, they rob Christ of His glory, for His power is perfected in trembling hands that still choose to type.
And what of craft? To call its pursuit vanity is to insult the Carpenter who shaped wood with divine attention before shaping history. The Spirit who hovered over the formless void is the same Spirit who filled Bezalel with artistic skill. Not as a secondary gift, but as a sacred vocation. Every sentence honed, every metaphor polished, is an act of sacramental obedience, a participation in the divine creative act that spoke galaxies into being.
The lie that writing is a solitary act ignores the Trinity itself. The Father speaks, the Son is the Word, the Spirit is the breath between them. All creation is collaborative. Your most "solitary" writing is already a conversation with the cloud of witnesses, with the readers who will one day receive your words as manna, with the God who whispers over your shoulder.
So let us write, not as a performance, but as a priest at the altar of daily life. May our keystrokes be prayers, our backspace key a confession, our published work a sacrament.
Unbelievably well said. Thank for you taking the time to comment, it made me think in new ways.
As a humor writer, I definitely catch myself asking why I've always had this goal to make people laugh. Sometimes it feels like I'm trying to distract people from the seriousness of life.
But, having come through some very dire life events in my own past, I know that what got me through was laughter... remembering that things could still be funny, could still bring me joy and happiness. And then I realize that wanting to share that same feeling with others can be a blessing to them. Humor might just be a small step back to normalcy for struggling people.
Thanks so much for these timely reminders (especially those tied with current social media practices).
I had same thought, Linda. I came to appreciate humor so much in the last few years because it lifted my spirits. There have def been times when I told myself I was avoiding bigger problems
Oops. Didn’t finish. But I agree it’s so important to reframe life sometimes and help others see the lighter side
Exactly! Being able to find laughter again helped lift my spirit when things seemed hopeless. Once I lose my sense of humor, all bets are off. So I remind myself of those dark times when smiling and laughing (especially with Christian friends) got me through. I love to think God can use that part of me that loves to laugh, in order to give others a leg up sometimes. <3
Thank you for writing this. I really needed to hear this today. I feel like I see myself in so many of these pitfalls.
Thanks so much. I’m new to Substack and feel so grateful to have stumbled upon your work. “What if you measured success by obedience instead of outcomes?” FYI-copying and pasting this to my notes for reference.
Praise God! So glad to hear it was helpful.
This was such a good read, thank you!!
"It doesn't help that we see other Christian writers celebrating viral posts with "God is so good!" (And He is—but is He less good when your post gets twelve views?)."
"Christ is already present in your faithful work—you don't have to force Him into every paragraph."
Thank you, thank you thank you. This post met me at the perfect time. Praise God.
That’s so wonderful to hear, really. Praise God!
So much wisdom here, thanks for this insightful post.
Thank you for this. I was particularly believing Lie #3!
Praise God!
Yes!!!!
Thanks! This was fab! I’ve been needing writing community again after I recently ended an awesome virtual memoir class with Mara Eller and a few ladies. Going to nothing after that has been hard so I need to find a writing group in my city. Good reminder!
This is so good, Grant! I especially love your point on writing about faith when we are struggling. I appreciate it when writers take me on a journey with them, questions and doubts and all. Those are the people we know we can trust when we have the same questions.
Thank you very much for taking the time to present this articulate and easily digestible reference.
The central theme (for me) that I took away from this, is how best to honour God with excellence. So often we confuse perfection with excellence. If our ultimate pursuit is perfection, it essentially leads us into striving.
But the pursuit of excellence gives allowance for those times of struggle, failure, doubt, hope, reconciliation and resilience, without having the burden of guilt weighing us down.
There is much to consider in what you wrote. Thanks again.
This post spoke to me. I like the way you presented each perspective:
1. "Lie #...,"
2. "Where This Comes From,"
3. "The Truth"
Thank you, Grant.
This was such a great read. Lie number 6 is something I struggle with, and your perspective just loosened the chains that were causing me to hold back. We have to be unapologetic about giving God our best. Reminds me of Abraham offering Isaac as a sacrifice; he didn't hesitate to give God the best of what he had. Bless you for this transformative piece. This work will free many from their bondage. Glory to God!