The Body of Christ for Writers, Part 2

Even more than the wonderful workshops and meetings with amazing authors, agents, and editors, the greatest gift the Lord gave me through Mount Hermon became learning the importance of the Body of Christ for writers. Contrary to the image of the writer as a solitary typist—though I often have to resemble one to get much work done!—I have learned it is not good for a writer to be alone. We need each other—for feedback, for critique, for encouragement when we feel like quitting, for a loving kick when we need it. For bouncing ideas around and talking about our characters as so real we might send “normal” people’s eyebrows waggling to the ceiling (oops, that’s a floating body part, now isn’t it? See, told you writers were strange. ☺)

As I prepare to attend yet another writers conference, what I look forward to most is not the meetings with editors and agents, nor the workshops where I know I’ll learn greatly. It is the meeting and connecting with other writers—my critique partners, two of whom I’ll get to see there, as well as new faces to connect with names I’ve begun to know by email and others I haven’t even heard of yet.

It can be so easy for us writers—even us Christian writers who want to write for God’s glory—to get caught up in the “Publish me, publish me!” frenzy or be jealous of others who receive what we long for. I have felt twinges of these already, and I’ve only been in “writing circles” a few months. But I am so grateful for the continual reminders from ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) to refocus our eyes and hearts on the Lord, remember that He is the one who holds our lives and our stories, and focus on loving, serving, and encouraging one another; to write our stories for Jesus and trust Him with the rest. I pray that as the conference approaches, there may be

“no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. [For we] are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.” –I Corinthians 12:25-27

Lord, please continue to work this into my heart. And thank You, thank You, thank You…for my critique partners!