Rebecca Reilly's Blog - Posts Tagged "taboo"
Are Any Writing Topics Taboo for a Pastor?
I have been in ministry for over thirty years. I’ve preached Sunday morning sermons, been a children’s pastor, an outreach pastor, and a youth pastor. My favorite age to work with is junior high--some people think that makes me certifiably insane.
When I chose to right frankly about sexual bondage and role play games (Diary of a Christian Woman: How I used 50 Shades of Grey to Spice Up My Marriage), several people I know raised their eyebrows and pursed their lips. “Hmmm. Don’t you think you might cause someone to stumble?”
I’m not sure how to answer that question. How can I know what causes other people to stumble? My motives for writing Diary of a Christian Woman were to entertain and to help open up dialogue and deepen intimacy between couples. If that makes someone uncomfortable, then they probably shouldn’t read the book.
I had no lofty goals for writing my second adult book, Into Dark Waters. I wrote the type of book I like to read when I have a few minutes to myself. There’s a lot of sin happening in Into Dark Waters--adultery, rape, murder (all tastefully done, of course). Who knows more about the consequence of sin than a pastor?
I don’t write anything that I think is wrong to write (that sentence sounds strange to the ears!). If my conscience gives me problems--then I don’t write it. My conscience may be very different than your conscience, though. That’s where personal responsibility comes in. I take care of my conscience; you take care of yours.
Here’s how I look at it:
I love Rocky Road Ice Cream, but I can’t eat it. I am a diabetic, and it’ll hurt me. It doesn’t harm my husband, though. He can eat it by the gallon; he doesn’t gain weight, and his blood sugar remains level. We’re all different. I don’t judge him for it--I’m glad he can grab that special joy in life. I could moan and complain and tell him he’d causing me to stumble, but that would just take his joy away—pretty selfish of me.
My adult books are that--adult. I do not want my junior high students reading them (I write for children under Becky Reilly). I may be naïve, but I expect parents to take an active hand in helping their children decide what is appropriate to read and what is not.
My core beliefs will come out in my writing—no matter what genre I am exploring. I believe that life is often ugly, but love should prevail. Actions have consequences—many of them bad. Truth/God can be found in many places and things, and the choices we make are not as black and white as we’d like to think they are.
I also believe a good book can help a soul heal.
We read for a variety of excellent reasons--to be entertained, to gain knowledge, to take a break from life, and even to spark our own creativity.
Write what springs from within you.
Read what satisfies your present need.
Honor God in all you do.
Rebecca Reilly is a pastor and author. Her book, Diary of a Christian Woman: How I Used 50 Shades of Grey to Spice Up My Marriage is raising eyebrows, creating laugh wrinkles, and opening up dialogue between husbands and wives. Available on Amazon: http://bit.ly/diarychristianwoman
When I chose to right frankly about sexual bondage and role play games (Diary of a Christian Woman: How I used 50 Shades of Grey to Spice Up My Marriage), several people I know raised their eyebrows and pursed their lips. “Hmmm. Don’t you think you might cause someone to stumble?”
I’m not sure how to answer that question. How can I know what causes other people to stumble? My motives for writing Diary of a Christian Woman were to entertain and to help open up dialogue and deepen intimacy between couples. If that makes someone uncomfortable, then they probably shouldn’t read the book.
I had no lofty goals for writing my second adult book, Into Dark Waters. I wrote the type of book I like to read when I have a few minutes to myself. There’s a lot of sin happening in Into Dark Waters--adultery, rape, murder (all tastefully done, of course). Who knows more about the consequence of sin than a pastor?
I don’t write anything that I think is wrong to write (that sentence sounds strange to the ears!). If my conscience gives me problems--then I don’t write it. My conscience may be very different than your conscience, though. That’s where personal responsibility comes in. I take care of my conscience; you take care of yours.
Here’s how I look at it:
I love Rocky Road Ice Cream, but I can’t eat it. I am a diabetic, and it’ll hurt me. It doesn’t harm my husband, though. He can eat it by the gallon; he doesn’t gain weight, and his blood sugar remains level. We’re all different. I don’t judge him for it--I’m glad he can grab that special joy in life. I could moan and complain and tell him he’d causing me to stumble, but that would just take his joy away—pretty selfish of me.
My adult books are that--adult. I do not want my junior high students reading them (I write for children under Becky Reilly). I may be naïve, but I expect parents to take an active hand in helping their children decide what is appropriate to read and what is not.
My core beliefs will come out in my writing—no matter what genre I am exploring. I believe that life is often ugly, but love should prevail. Actions have consequences—many of them bad. Truth/God can be found in many places and things, and the choices we make are not as black and white as we’d like to think they are.
I also believe a good book can help a soul heal.
We read for a variety of excellent reasons--to be entertained, to gain knowledge, to take a break from life, and even to spark our own creativity.
Write what springs from within you.
Read what satisfies your present need.
Honor God in all you do.
Rebecca Reilly is a pastor and author. Her book, Diary of a Christian Woman: How I Used 50 Shades of Grey to Spice Up My Marriage is raising eyebrows, creating laugh wrinkles, and opening up dialogue between husbands and wives. Available on Amazon: http://bit.ly/diarychristianwoman
