Dear Christian writer, are you ever challenged by your faith thread? Sharon Hinck is here this month with a series on sharing your faith in your writing. Read on! ~ Annette
The Challenge*
by Sharon Hinck
by Sharon Hinck
“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in
all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the
whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and
builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Eph. 4:15-16)
Your mouth turns dry, sweat pricks your forehead, and you
lean on the backyard fence with a sudden awareness that your next words could
make a huge difference. Your neighbor has shared a painful struggle she is
facing. Clearing your throat, you manage to say, “I’ll pray for you.” Should
you say more? Should you offer words of assurance of God’s love, or will that
sound trite? Maybe invite her to come to church with you? Or will that seem
pushy?
Sharing our faith isn’t always easy in real life, so it’s no
surprise that expressing our faith within the art form of the novel can also be
challenging.
I shared my thoughts about this challenge in an introductory
essay about the power of fiction in the book, “A Novel Idea.”
“As Christians, we constantly struggle to utter the
unutterable. We long to share concepts beyond our human ability to understand—the
transcendence of God’s holiness, the potency of forgiveness, the depth of God’s
love for us. Fiction helps us find ways to express those truths of magnitude
because it is relatable, symbolic, and engages the emotion – unique qualities
that make it a vital art form.”
~~~~
*This article is an excerpt from Sharon Hinck's ACFW course on Sharing Faith in Fiction. Used with permission. Next week, this series continues with Part II.
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The Restorer-Expanded Edition
Susan
Mitchell thought she was an ordinary homemaker. She was wrong. When she’s
pulled through a portal into another world, she finds a nation grappling for
its soul and waiting for a promised Restorer to save their people.
She has always longed to do something important for God, but can she fill this role?
While she struggles to adapt to a foreign culture, she tackles an enemy that is poisoning the minds of the people, uncovers a corrupt ruling Council, and learns that God can use even her floundering attempts at service in surprising ways.
This new expanded edition of The Restorer includes an in-depth devotion guide for readers who want to dig into the spiritual themes of the book, bonus scenes providing glimpses of the story through a variety of characters, and fun extras including links to songs and recipes.
She has always longed to do something important for God, but can she fill this role?
While she struggles to adapt to a foreign culture, she tackles an enemy that is poisoning the minds of the people, uncovers a corrupt ruling Council, and learns that God can use even her floundering attempts at service in surprising ways.
This new expanded edition of The Restorer includes an in-depth devotion guide for readers who want to dig into the spiritual themes of the book, bonus scenes providing glimpses of the story through a variety of characters, and fun extras including links to songs and recipes.
~~~~
Sharon writes “stories for the hero in all of us,” about
ordinary people experiencing God’s grace in unexpected ways. Known for their
authenticity, emotional range, and spiritual depth, her novels include
contemporary fiction such as The Secret
Life of Becky Miller or Stepping
into Sunlight and the groundbreaking Sword of Lyric fantasy series
which includes The
Restorer–Expanded Edition. She’s been a Christy finalist
and won three Carol awards.
Sharon’s undergrad degree is in education, and she earned an
M.A. in Communication. When she isn’t wrestling with words, Sharon enjoys
speaking to conferences, retreats, and church groups. She loves interacting
with visitors at her website and blog: sharonhinck.com
