Something went wrong, something's been lost, something has died. What now?
For the Christian Whose Dream Has Died
Christian
An Open Apology to Christian Music I Used to Hate
I have never liked “Good Good Father.” It’s main chorus is juvenile and repetitive, and the second stanza of “And I’m loved by you, it’s who I am…” is a grammatical eyesore. Loved is WHAT you are, not who. Your name is not Loved By You. Child-friendly lyrics, simplistic melodies, and overabundance of “Oh” and … Continue reading An Open Apology to Christian Music I Used to Hate
5 Ways Christians Can Improve Their Apologetics
In case you haven't heard that word before, "Apologetics" is essentially a defense or explanation for your belief in God and/or his ways. If someone says, "God is dumb," and you say, "Nuh-uh," that's your apologetic. Not a good one, but still... Christians have been defending themselves for thousands of years now, as is instructed … Continue reading 5 Ways Christians Can Improve Their Apologetics
Why Defending Bad Christian Art Shows Bad Theology
90% of everything is crap. That’s just nature; there is more attempt than skill, and even skill must be cultivated. So why do I complain that 90% of Christian art is crap? Because unlike the rest of the world, mainstream Christianity defends its crap. While this trend is thankfully changing, there are still a staggering … Continue reading Why Defending Bad Christian Art Shows Bad Theology
The #1 Hardest Thing About Being a Christian Writer
It's not the criticism for your faith, it's not the market, it's not even the clashing views on what is Christian. It's knowing that God can and will take your writing away from you. Unless you give it to him first. Many of you just breathed a sigh of relief, I bet. "Oh, well that's … Continue reading The #1 Hardest Thing About Being a Christian Writer
How I Fell Into God’s Trap
I got tricked, dag nabbit! Okay, here’s what happened. I was having a rough day at work. Nothing terrible, just a common mist that comes over me now and again and darkens the sun. I’m desperate for a writing career, and while I’ve had some successes—a few published stories, a growing following, and good reviews … Continue reading How I Fell Into God’s Trap
How Does a Christian Artist Glorify God?
Whatever medium we create--music, movies, books, Sunday-morning interpretive dance (yes, that's a thing), all Christian artists agree that their work must glorify God. But what does that mean? I asked that of my old pastor, a singer and songwriter (ever heard of PCD? He was the C). I asked if being a Christian meant you … Continue reading How Does a Christian Artist Glorify God?
The 5 Best Things in Christian Fiction Right Now
I've been pretty darn hard on Christian fiction and Christian art in general, and I stand by what I've said. However, I cannot and will not say that everything in Christian fiction is terrible--far from it! But I haven't given much attention to the good things, and that's not fair. So to make up for … Continue reading The 5 Best Things in Christian Fiction Right Now
5 Christian Songs Christians Need to Hear
Music has the power to say what words alone cannot. Poetry reaches deeper than any lecture can. That's why Christians invest so much in the music industry. But sometimes, we miss things. Sometimes we make mistakes. So rather than write a bunch of blog posts, I'll simply give you guys five songs to listen to. … Continue reading 5 Christian Songs Christians Need to Hear
A Creator’s Journey #21–A Foot in Both Camps
You want to know why I call my blog "Fencing With Ink?" It's a callback to Cyrano de Bergerac. In 2012, God spoke to me, saying I was much like that character. Cyrano was a fencer, but also a poet, scholar, musician, and biting humorist. A man of many talents, but they were all Cyrano. … Continue reading A Creator’s Journey #21–A Foot in Both Camps
Fencing With Ink 