We go to church for the write reasons

Fresno Christian Writers Seminar, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Fresno, California
Let’s face it, even the best writers need help to write more good.

On occasion, a church can be the place to find that help, so on Saturday, we attended a writers’ seminar at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fresno. Though it wasn’t an official program of the church, a church member arranged for using the space, and Ted Niami, Good Shepherd’s pastor, welcomed everyone to the seminar and prayed for blessings on the gathering.

The event was the second (annual?) Fresno Christian Writers Seminar, a project originating initially with one person, Dr. Allan Hedberg, a local clinical psychologist and author. He has, not surprisingly, written about psychological issues like depression and relationship dynamics, and he’s also written biographical works about Jonathan Edwards and Martin Luther. His books have been published by traditional publishers, but he has also self-published. Because of his experiences, he wanted to help writers who have a variety of goals, though the seminar is aimed primarily toward beginning writers.

After last year’s inaugural seminar, I suggested Tim Stafford as the keynote speaker for this year. Tim’s writing experience is broad; he’s worked as a writer and as an editor in both fiction and nonfiction. He’s also a good friend.

I’d read Tim’s work for years before I met him. When I was a teenager I subscribed to Campus Life magazine; every month the first article I turned to was the “Love, Sex, and the Whole Person” column Tim wrote. After working for that magazine, he worked for years in Kenya where he taught locals about magazine writing and publishing. Since then, he’s worked for Christianity Today while also writing over thirty books (his most recent, Those Who Hope, is a novel set in a rescue mission in our hometown of Santa Rosa).

When we talked before the seminar, Tim noted how much the publishing business has changed since he began writing. He mentioned that he appreciates that he’s been able to make a living by writing, but said that in the present environment, writing as a livelihood is more challenging. He added that people have been able to write for a career for only a short period of human history, noting that some monks got bread and wine for their work.

In his talk to the writers, Tim argued that writing is part of a writer's nature; when he was growing up, he knew he had to write. Like no other medium, writing has the power to communicate both personally and reasonably, and he pointed to the Scriptures as the chief example of how God values writing. He talked about the variety of genres to be found in the Bible, from history to memoir to poetry to apocalyptic (rather like contemporary dystopian fiction). “You want to read great writing? Read Jonah.”

“The Bible is preoccupied with Truth,” he pointed out, and he said that Christian writers should be as well. He talked about something he’d noticed while preparing to teach an adult Sunday School class on the life of David. He said that though the Bible presents David as a hero, “a man after God’s own heart, it doesn’t hide that he did very horrible things as well. David was an adulterer and a killer -- and at times very petty. Christian writers need to be willing to show the church and Christians doing bad things because, in fact, they do. Christians shouldn’t be writing propaganda, but rather truth.

After Tim’s presentations, other speakers talked about other elements of writing and publishing. Linda Weller, an editor and proofreader who we remembered from last year’s seminar, spoke about her work. Writers should be reminded that someone else can make their work better, since there’s some egotism in thinking you have something to say for the benefit of the world -- or even just a reader or two. [editor: Thanks, glad you noticed!]

During breaks, we headed into another room. Several authors had books for sale, and while sometimes it seems like writers are just selling to each other, it’s helpful and even encouraging to see other people’s work. (I don’t think Jesus would have overturned those book tables. I could be wrong, but I don’t think so.) Snacks were also available, which kept people circulating and chatting.

Scripture has a lot to say about the gifts and talents that God gives His Church. Writing is one of those gifts, and it’s good for churches to provide a time and a place for people to grow in their abilities. Mindy learned barista skills at church. How many millions have learned to sing at church? And what about all the churches that have, well, schools? I was glad to see the Church doing something write here (because I, to, have a lot too learn).

Bethel Church Redding

As a congregation, we were asked to pray for a miracle.

Skyler, the four year old child of one of the staff members, had been  found unresponsive in bed that morning, with a fever and swelling of the brain. The child was evacuated by helicopter to a hospital in Davis. The congregation was encouraged to pray for the child, to "sing in the Spirit and release the power."

A member of the worship team said that God gives words of prophecy. He said that such a word had been received, "You're going to live and not die says God." He said this word was for Skyler. A miracle was expected. And Bethel Church in Redding has a reputation for miracles.

We first heard about the church through a book by a friend of ours, Miracles by Tim Stafford. In that book, Tim writes about a young man, Jeff Moore, who attended First Presbyterian Church of Santa Rosa. Jeff became lame, and his feet were in such pain that he needed to use a wheel chair. Jeff was invited to attend a service at Bethel. He did and went forward found he was healed. The pain had left his feet.

Tim is a journalist. He knew Jeff before the visit to visit to Bethel and after. He interviewed Jeff and his family as well those close to him. He concluded that the word "miracle" was an apt one for what occurred.

The word "healing" was used many times in the service we attended. There had been a youth conference over the weekend and a number of the attendees were still present that morning. (There was an announcement that though they'd hoped for 500 at the conference, 900 had come.) In the row in front of us there was a group young people (high school students, I'd guess) from Dallas, Oregon who had been part of  the conference. I asked one of the young men what the highlight of the weekend had been. He replied, "God healed a lot of people; we felt God's presence."

Eric Johnson, the preacher that morning (described in the website as being a part of the "Core Leadership, Senior Team"), spoke about a recent trip to Detroit. He had seen God heal many at the conference there. "Nine people with hip injuries were healed. God likes hips. He made them." He also spoke of a boy who had come forward to be healed of diabetes. They believed he had been healed of that. But then the boy came forward again and said that his feet also had been healed. His feet had been crooked before, but were now straight. Even though his feet hadn't been prayed for, they had been made right.

There wasn't just an expectation that God would work in physical healing but in other ways as well. Before the offering, a woman ("great with child" as they say in the Christmas programs) gave the announcements. Her husband introduced the time of offering and, commenting on his wife's condition, said, "God is pregnant with hope for your financial future." All were encouraged to join a reading that expressed expectation that if one made God a "financial partner," God would bring about successful employment, promotions, raises, favorable settlements; in short, financial rewards of every kind.

 

I appreciated that he also said (before the offering) that if one was visiting the church, it would be best not to give there but to give to one's home church.

At the end of the service, there was an altar call. Of the hundreds that were there that morning, three people raised their hands and came forward expressing their desire to trust Jesus as their Lord and Savior. People were also encouraged to come forward for prayer if they were in need of physical healing or were in financial straits. Dozens of people came forward in response to that offer.

Whether those people's prayers were answered, well, I doubt I'll hear a report. (My friend, Tim, has other writing projects at this time.) I may not ever get a report on Skyler. But I'm praying. Perhaps you could pray for Skyler as well.

P.S. We sat next to a young woman named Tessa. She, too, was visiting the church for the first time. She mentioned she had never seen people lined up to go to church -- she and her husband attended a small community church in British Columbia. She was alone in the second service because her husband was with their son after attending the 8:00 a.m. worship service.  (The College View campus of Bethel Church Redding has three Sunday morning services: 8:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. -- which we attended -- and 1:00 p.m.) Tessa's husband is a professional skier, and they were traveling this year, living in a camper. Usually, he's had to leave home for his job, but this year they're all able to be together. Tessa said Bethel was the most fun church they've attended on their journey so far.

Mindy and I were excited to meet someone else who's taking a year to travel, because we'll be spending 2016 traveling the country, visiting and blogging about a church in a different state each week. I doubt we'll get to see Tessa and Dave again as we travel, because they'll be looking for snow, and we'll be trying to avoid snow and all other difficult winter driving. But it's nice to know they're out there. (You can learn more about Dave here.)

-- Dean

Statistics

Service Length: 1 hour 50 minutes

Sermon Length: 45 minutes      

Visitor Treatment: two greeting times during the worship service when we were instructed to greet several people we'd never seen before. First time visitors were asked to raise their hands so ushers could give them a welcome card (with detachable coupons for a free cd of the day's sermon and a discount at the bookstore) to fill out and put in the offering.

Followup by Tuesday Morning: none

Our Rough Count: 2,000 (ushers were doing their best to fill every seat in the room)

Probable Ushers' Count: 2,000 plus overflow room, which we didn't see (but we could hear whenever the door near us opened; the speaker's voice was slightly delayed)

Snacks: none, but there is a coffee shop with a variety of items for sale

Musicians: 2 women singers, 2 men singers, keyboard (woman), drums (man), electric guitar (man), acoustic guitar (man), bass (man). Also at least two different people (one man, one woman) waved flags during the singing

Songs: "Glory to Glory"

            "I'll Fly Away"

            "Mercy"

            "Given"

            "What Can Separate us from Your Love"

            "Hope's Anthem"

            "You're Gonna Live and Not Die, Says God"

Miles to place: 231

Total California Miles: 14,540

Church website: Bethelredding.com