Lutheran Writing

You know how you aren’t supposed to say certain things? I don’t mean cuss words. I mean that there are all these people who want you to live a life by law: do this, that, and the other, and then you’ll be a real writer. Want to know what real Lutheran writing is? Writing from the Gospel.

I still don’t want to work. Probably not a major new flash.

I can make excuses. I can type up lame blog posts. Instead, I will side-step. Didn’t I start this blog to encourage writers? So let me do that.

Don’t let people tell you what to do as a writer. Very rarely is there actually an authority over whatever you want to call our writing. Don’t let them tell you that you have to do certain things a certain way.

Now, don’t get me wrong either. Don’t sin. Don’t boast. Or think too highly of either yourself or what you do.

But the Word was made flesh. The Word dwelt among us, wrote Himself into history and into our lives. Our Lord has done all that was needed. He has come for us. He has come for our good, and He has come for good. For good!

Can you try to write every day? Sure. Go for it. But Jesus didn’t come to earth for that. 

By all means tell me if I go too far, but isn’t it a temptation to separate Christ’s purpose from any aspect of our lives? There is Gospel for writing, too. Not because we write religious stuff—many of us don’t—but because our Lord is Lord of all Creation.

You. You are a Lutheran. Do NOT believe that the law is the way to live. Not regarding your salvation, your morality, or your writing.

I’m serious. It isn’t ok. 

Discipline is great. For body, mind, soul. Go for it. Pursue it. But pursue it with discernment lest you succumb to the one thing worse than anything else: expecting good from anything other than the one true God, who reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Don’t beat yourself up about things that aren’t sin. I mean it.

What am I responding to? New Year Resolutions, in part, but mostly it’s my stupid tendencies to look to the Law rather than the Gospel even though I KNOW BETTER! Gah!

Let’s flesh this out just a little bit more. I don’t think Lutheran writing should be legally binding for its audience unless it is in some way by communication God’s Law. God’s Law can bind. That’s a given.

Lutheran writing should not be lawless. It should not be licentious. The Law is good.

Lutheran writing can’t ignore all of our God-given vocations just because we want to lock ourselves away and write. (Admittedly, some of us wickedly dream sometimes.)

Lutheran writing doesn’t oppose God and His revelation for our lives.

Lutheran writing comes from a life under the Gospel. You want to be a Lutheran writer? Consider that now and many times to come. 

Writing won’t add worth. God already values you enough to clothe you with His perfect, most adorable, almighty Son. Writing won’t add success, because the only success that ultimately matters was won on the cross and is already freely available to you in every relationship you have. 

Brothers and sisters, let’s live and write in the light of the Gospel.

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