You can't move forward by looking backward

In Thom S. Rainer's book Autopsy of a Deceased Church the author mentions several symptoms of a sick church. One of which is an attitude that the churches best days are in the past. A symptom earmarked by constantly reminiscing about previous generations, or a desire to recreate or relive former days. Often at expense of the present, and ultimately the future.

Well it seems to me that this is a characteristic that we see in most American churches at the present. For example, why else are we continuously bringing up the faith of our fathers? Granted, our founding fathers were Christians who wanted to build a Christian nation based upon Biblical principles. But can we really just go back to that moment by a simple willingness on our part? Perhaps we should look at the idea a little closer before we set those days on a pedestal. Let's face it, when one belief system is the dominate school of thought for decades upon decades, it is very easy to just go with the flow. One does not have to worry about building an in depth faith when there is little risk of it ever being challenged. So many generations later when people did start to question Christian ideals, church people didn't have very convincing answers in response. It's not that they didn't exist; it's just that their depth of knowledge didn't provide for that level of understanding. The American church has suffered greatly ever since.

So let me ask you this, what are your really sentimental about concerning the past? Is it that they possessed such a strong faith built upon a wealth of knowledge? Or is it that they didn't have to endure routinely being challenged and questioned as we do today?

Christians and non-Christians alike are putting so much effort into petitioning the government to take their side in the war of the world views. So it seems to simply be human nature to want to be in the comfortable position of being beyond reproach; rather than go to the effort of building up our confidence in our own ideals.

What would our founding fathers say about this attitude? While we cannot bring back the past, we can make ourselves equal or even better than the founding fathers through education and prayer. By moving forward, not looking backward as we wish for the return of the good ol’ days.

Ecclesiastes 7:10 -Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?” For it is not wise to ask such questions.

The Visual PARABLEist

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Adventures in Self publishing

Three years ago I self published my first book Visual Parables. On the anniversary of its release, I thought I might share a little of what I have learned for the sake of those considering trying this for themselves. There is no denying that the publishing industry has changed drastically over the past few decades. Changes in technology as well as society as a whole have brought book sales to an all time low. With bookstores across the nation closing their doors left and right, publishers are unwilling to take risks in favor of sure things. Which is one of the first challenges I faced in seeking publishers for an atypical type of work. One in particular told me "We like it, but we just don't know how to sell it." Which is what ultimately lead me to try self-publishing.

With technologies like print on demand and e-books, self-publishing is easier than ever. So easy that it wouldn't surprise me a bit if there were more self published books made available each year than industry published works. Which makes competition fiercer than ever.

When you get down to it, publishing a book is one thing, selling it is another. Which is one of the first things you should consider very carefully before seeking publication of any type for yourself. Do you have the skill set to sell it to the public? Let me put it this way. It takes an introvert to write the next great American novel, but it takes an extrovert to sell it, and most publishers expect you to be both. I say this because many publishing companies, especially the smaller ones are run by a bunch of book loving introverts, so they expect you to sell and promote your book yourself, mostly because they don't have the know how to do that themselves. While the really big companies do have separate staffs to assist you in that, but unless you have already made a name for yourself and come with a built in audience, they probably won't even give you the time of day. So my advice to you on that is, if you are an aspiring nonfiction writer, focus on your message, and making a name for yourself first. People often think that they can do that by writing a book, but in reality you probably won't even get a serious publishing deal until you are already in the public eye.

It's also been said of Christian publishing that if you don't promise something on the cover, nobody is going to buy it.  I discovered this is very true the hard way. It’s such a sad commentary on the state of the current church. Believers buy books to seek a specific answer, or to fulfill a certain need. They want easy answers just handed to them in a cut and dry fashion. Many won't buy a book that challenges them to be better people, because they find life challenging enough as it is. Little do they know that if they seriously sought to be a better disciple, they would find the growth that they need across the board, not just the short lived quick fixes that we perceive that we need in given moments.

If you are a fiction writer, I would suggest that you promote yourself by giving one of your books away. E-books make it rather easy to do that via services like book bub. People will be more willing to try an unknown author if they don't have to invest anything in it. If you are any good at all, they will be back for more. I can honestly say some of the more enjoyable series' I have come across lately were by independent writers who had given their first book in the series away for nothing, and they hooked me well enough that I did come back and pay full price for the rest of the series. A series I may have never even heard of, if it weren't being given away for free. Not that many are becoming millionaires that way, but their story is being told.

If after reading all this you still want to utilize a self publisher, keep this in mind. These services are typically designed to make sure they make a profit, even if you don't. So be smart about your investment. Books don't sell themselves after all.

With my tax person informing me that after 3 years of financial loss, the IRS will not likely be accepting my deductions any longer. So come September when my distribution renewal comes due. I have a choice to make. Do I keep going as I have, or do I take what I have learned and adjust my sails to the shifting winds. (John 3:8) Let me put it this way, if you have any interest in my book at all, I would order it right now while you still can.

With that being said, let me assure you that Visual Parables will go on in some fashion, however, the book may no longer be a component of it. My ultimate mission remains the same; it is only my strategy that has changed. Sometimes you got to take a step back and take a long hard look at things as they are. Consider why they are that way, and address what you find. Only then can you find yourself in a position to inspire people to seek to be where they need to be.

The Visual PARABLEist

A related article I found after this was first posted. Ten Awful Truths of Publishing (3-26-17)

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Wanting to fail

You probably read the headline and said to yourself, what an absurd idea; who would want to fail? Don't be so certain. When it comes to succeeding spiritually that often means taking on more responsibility, getting involved, letting go of emotional security blankets, stepping outside our place of comfort, being honest with ourselves, facing the past, and dealing with mental scars. Now do you see how we might want to fail. One of these things may lie at the heart of why we keep making the same mistakes.  Consider this the next time you are confessing, repenting, or seeking forgiveness. Until we address the reasons we may want to fail, we will likely never succeed.

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ -Matthew 25:23

Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” -Exodus 4:10

The Visual PARABLEist

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The two sides of Christianity

Some would argue that Christianity is man made. However, I contend that it is not the kind of religion that humanity would ever create for itself, at least as it should be practiced. How it is sometimes practiced is a different story. That is where the drawing comes in.

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You might have noticed I always portray Jesus with a two colored robe. The red side represents the love and forgiveness side of Christianity. The white represents the holiness and discipline side of it. Sometimes people will twist Christianity to our liking by forsaking the side of it that they don't find favorable, or too hard to live up to.

If we make it all about discipline and no love, it becomes heartless legalism, which leads to criticism, judgement, contempt, and condemnation. People would create this kind of belief since they are so fond of complaining, finding fault, and exalting their own sense of superiority. Not to mention it's a cut and dry, easy to understand, cause and effect theology. While righteousness is the goal, we cannot forget that holiness is not simply a list of rules to follow, because God says so, and if you don't you're in trouble. It is meant to be an expression of love towards God (John 14:23) as well as a reflection of God's very character. (Ephesians 4:24) By following it, our knowledge of him can turn into understanding of him, if we do so in more than a merely obligatory way. When legalists try to promote righteousness via impatience, unkindness, rudeness, or any other unloving behavior, our understanding and emulation of him is way off. Not to mention our righteousness is completely missing the mark since critical Christians are in fact, sinful Christians.

Make it all about forgiveness and no discipline, it becomes self-indulgent and permissive. Which leads us to rationalizing our bad self-destructive behavior. Which people would naturally gravitate towards and would want to follow, since humanity has never been at a loss for making excuses to avoid change. If we embrace that clean slate that God freely gives us, yet make no attempt to build a holy and meaningful life with our new and forgiven status; obviously we do not understand God's role of father in our lives. Such people are diluting themselves by claiming all the privileges as heir to the kingdom, but none of the responsibility of it.

This is why Jesus is saying to them "You are both half right, yet you are both completely wrong." While mankind would create half of true Christian doctrine, humanity would never unite these concepts together, and leave us absolutely no room to indulge our sinful nature in some fashion. That is what makes it unique, and impossible to live up to without supernatural assistance that only God can provide. Which he will do if we worship more than just half a God.

Let me leave you with one last thought; most people tend to judge a belief system by the people who claim to follow it. The problem with that is, no matter how good a belief may be, people are still people, imperfect and prone to error. I've just pointed out two ways how Christians make errors with their faith. The worst part is, many have no idea just how shallow their pursuit of their beliefs really are by forsaking half of it.

The Visual PARABLEist

Show, don't tell.

If you are a creative writing, English lit, or theatre student, then you are probably familiar with the concept of "show, don't tell." The basic premise being that when telling a story, don't lecture to your audience, don't treat them as stupid by explaining everything to them. Just let the story speak for itself, and let them figure it out for themselves. An idea that Hollywood has seemed to have forsaken for the most part. Yet in those rare instances a screenplay that doesn't forget this cardinal rule makes it through the cracks; many people complain that they just don't understand it in online reviews. I see this phenomenon most often when reading reviews of independent films, where you most often still experience classic storytelling. On more than one instance, I have seen reviewers write blanket statements like "All independent films are completely incomprehensible." Never in any of these specific instances have I ever thought it to be true. The screenwriters simply trusted the audience to discern it for themselves, just not everyone in the audience was up to the challenge of looking beyond the surface. Which makes me wonder, have we, by treating the movie going public as simple, actually made it true. 

I bring this up because I must ask the question, has the  church made the same mistake of telling, rather than showing. Do some church leaders not trust its people enough to discern the full depth of the word for themselves, much like Hollywood has. The Bible shows more than it tells in many ways. For example, Jesus' parables, they reveal a truth rather than tell outright. Yet, theologians often spend their careers turning the richness of scripture into a cold systemic checklist, much like the Pharisees did. Pastors spend their Sundays explaining what God has revealed to us, rather than showing their church the way towards uncovering it on their own. Leaving many in the church, unwilling and unable to explore truth for themselves. Destroying the wonder of God’s word, and the joy of discovering the beauty of it for ourselves. 

Much like the teenager who must work for the money to buy their first car, versus the kid who just has it handed to him. Who appreciates it more? Who takes better care of it? Who treats it with more respect? Are knowledge, truth, and understanding any different?

Think about that before you teach your next lesson. Look closer before you ask, explain this to me. Ask yourself, are you just another person who wants it just handed to him, rather than engage the adventure of seeking it for yourself.

The Visual PARABLEist

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The Enter the Wound Challenge

I've been reading the works of John Eldredge lately, one concept that he talks about that struck me is "entering the wound." Weather we are consciously aware of it or not, our emotional and spiritual wounds have a way of defining us; since they set the course for our entire lives. I say that because our wounds affect the way we perceive ourselves, as well as how we treat others. So much of what we do is an attempt to cater to our wounds. To cover up the sting of them, or to protect them from being reopened. So many of the sins we can never seem to overcome all come back to this, since we are merely addressing a symptom of a larger problem. One that we would just assume avoid, since healing often comes very painfully. 

Just imagine if we truly approached sin as a brokenness to heal, rather than an evil to eliminate, or a mere conduct to change, it could completely alter our pursuit of righteousness. Which would inevitably lead to greater understanding in our spiritual walk. As opposed to the futility of dealing with things legalistically in the strength of our own flesh, as many others over the last few thousand years have tried and failed repeatedly. Which often leads to people trying to fake it, if not just give up. In the end, whitewashing our wounds does not make us anymore holy than washing our hands does.

It would also lead us to react to the sin of others quite differently as well. When we consider the wounds behind people's behavior, it is only then do we really see the person and the hurt they must deal with, rather than just the surface sin that glares at us. Only then can we love the person as God loved us through the struggle, rather than hate the sin as a means of forced submission. A sinful action in itself that we rationalize because we lack the maturity, understanding, and Christ-likeness of heart that comes from allowing God to transform your broken heart.

For many it's far easier to just cater to our scars with hidden sin, rather than go through the uncomfortable process of facing them. Even if there are many lingering symptoms and side effects from avoiding the problem. Since familiar problems often seem more tolerable than unfamiliar long term solutions. 

As easy as it may sound, we can often make it difficult. Frequently we are not self-aware enough, to even know what to bring before God. The thing is we don't have to be, we just need to be brave enough to allow God to "enter our wounds" and face what he reveals to us. Only then can we take steps towards true healing and break the bondage that our scars hold us under. 

What about you? Are you up to the enter the wound challenge?

The Visual PARABLEist

For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them. -Matthew 15:19-20

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Giving Thanks

For many of us the tradition of Thanksgiving is just a day for feasting with family. Often forgetting that it is also a Biblical concept. So in honor of the lost art of gratitude, here is a list of ways to give thanks to God.

Worship (Romans 12:1)

Study (Psalm 119:97-104)

Prayer (Matthew 6:5-15)

Praise (Psalm 150)

Obedience (John 14:23-24)

Service (Matthew 25:31-46

Offering (1 Chronicles 21:24)

Not letting your talents and gifts go to waste (Matthew 25:14-31-46)

The Visual PARABLEist