Tim's Topics: What is Your Passion and Writing About It.

Tim's Topics: What is Your Passion and Writing About It.: 1 Corinthians 10:31   ESV So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Recently I returned to ...

What is Your Passion and Writing About It.

1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Recently I returned to my University and Seminary homecoming. While there, many memories went through my mind. Memories of good times, and memories of times that I wished I had been a better student. On one occasion I remember turning in my final paper on Christian Doctrine, and I remember the professor saying: “It’s OK Tim, some people just aren’t writers!” I so much wanted to say that some people are not writers if they aren’t passionate about the topic.

Last night, I dreamed dreams and had great thoughts, due to the Holy Spirit or the Down on Main Hamburger I had for my evening meal. (I say meal, because being in the south I can never remember if dinner is dinner or if dinner is supper).

Last night I had dreams of the police chaplain ministry thing that I do, which I am passionate about. In this dream I was leaning over a child caressing his wounded head, when I saw and heard the Mayor of our small town look at me and say, “Do your thing”! With this I prayed over this child for healing and that he not be scared.

Last night it seemed that everything that I dreamed surrounded people and things that I love. When I woke up this morning, God had placed in my head that I must write about things that I am passionate about. God placed in my head that I must write that the world needs more passion, and it needs to exist more around another passion, the Passion of His Son Jesus Christ.

Last Sunday I was driving home from my university homecoming. While driving through my hometown I tuned in the local Public Radio Station and listened to the show called On Being. Poet, Educator, and Catholic Mary Karr was being interviewed about her new work “Astonished by the Human Comedy”.

“A dysfunctional family is any family with more than one person in it.” Mary Karr is beloved for her salty memoirs in which she traces her harrowing childhood in southeast Texas with a mother who once tried to kill her with a butcher’s knife and her own adult struggles with alcoholism and breakdown. She has a captivating ability to give voice to what is funny and wild in life’s most heartbreaking moments. Mary Karr embodies this wryness and wildness in her lesser-known spiritual practice as a devout Catholic — an unexpected move she made in mid-life. (Karr 2016)

In this interview Mary spoke about the human comedy and the fact that life events can be taken as a learning experience, or practice to continue on. Life experiences wake us up and help us to continue on. What is our true self? What are we passionate about? Karr states: “The same voice we use to criticize others is the same voice we use to criticize ourselves” (Karr 2016)

What I am speaking about today is that anyone can write, and anyone can communicate their true selves and true feelings, as long as you write with the passion that these experiences have placed within you.

Mary Karr was passionate about her Catholicism, but this passion was much more. As Mary spoke about finding her faith, her realistic life experiences were spoken with passion, the passion that over time eventually  led her to her faith.

The Passion that lives within the lives of every follower of the cross is that of the “One True Passion”. Jesus Christ, was betrayed, arrested, beaten, mocked, and crucified for our sins, for our life experiences and life failures.  

Mary Karr, writes with passion about her experiences with insanity, addiction, and with her finding a passionate faith when her life felt passionless.  The passion that Mary Karr speaks about really spoke to me. 

When Mary spoke about people gathering together in worship and communally surrendering everything of themselves to God.

My friends, what encourages you? What feeds you? What are you passionate about? My hope for you this week is that you will discover what gives you passion, and write, write, and write. 

For me the Passion of Christ, the agony, the pain, and the love in which he sacrificed himself for us will always be my guiding star. Jesus is all about passion in the fact that he gave His everything for us. The image of Christ hanging on the cross is what guides me to give everything for others, it is my passion.

This is the day that the Lord has made. May you find your own passion your own experience and write about it.

Pastor Tim.

Bibliography

Karr, Mary, interview by Christa Tippet. 2016. On Being (October 16).