It’d been an ongoing discussion. One of those that isn’t heated but its just a difference of opinion on how to “do church”. The guy I’d been going back and forth with stopped into my office and gave me an article from LifeWay on the very topic that we’d been discussing. The article agreed with him and not me. The article landed on my desk with the thud of authority. “See, I’ve go the dudes at LifeWay on my side in this one. The people who are experts and ‘in the know’ agree with me on this”.
When I saw the name on the article it jolted me. I know—at least online “know”—the guy who wrote the article. And here is the part where I risk sounding quite pretentious. I occasionally write for LifeWay too. I’ve got just as much ministry experience, just as many Twitter followers, just as many blog readers, etc. (By the way, I feel ridiculous even typing this out). But because on this particular occasion his article got published on the topic—he is presented as an authority on the matter.
It was such an unsettling situation for me. Because I wondered if on some occasion one of my articles had been presented as “an authority on the matter”. And that scares me because half the time I don’t really know what I’m talking about. That’s a bit of an overstatement, I realize, but I’m really not much of an expert on anything. Any article that I’ve had published by LifeWay hasn’t been because they sought me out as some sort of expert on the topic. I’ve written a piece, I’ve shared it with one of my connections at LifeWay, he’s got an open slot and so he publishes the thing. Simple as that.
And so here I was left uncertain of how to respond because the guys who are in charge of the SBC (LifeWay, doesn’t everyone know that?) have given their authoritative word on the topic. No matter what arguments I put together they didn’t matter as much anymore because some fella with way more knowledge and authority has already spoken definitively on the topic.
This little encounter has shaped the way I write articles and how I read. I’m still trying to figure out what I’m doing as a writer, but here are a few principles I’m trying to put in place:
1) Don’t write as if I’ve got the authoritative final say. Don’t appeal to my own authority or knowledge on a topic. Instead try to point people to sources. Ultimately, point people to the fountainhead of all truth and authority. Help people rely on the Spirit to shine a light on Christ through the Scriptures.
2) Don’t try to usurp a local pastor who loves Jesus and is doing his best to teach the Bible. Don’t write in such a way to foster discontent in the local body: i.e., “Most pastors don’t…” I don’t know most pastors and I never will. So I probably shouldn’t try to sound like I’ve got more knowledge and experience than I really do.
3) If something is just an untested opinion or theory I should let people know that. Don’t write in such a way that people will believe I’ve been doing something in ministry for the last fifteen years when I’ve never actually tried it on my own congregation. At the end of the day most of my writing shouldn’t be “here’s what worked for me” but more about expositing the Scriptures and pointing to Christ.
4) Don’t read as if people are definitive experts. They are only streams which flow from the fountain, as such they’ve likely got mud in the waters. Don’t check my brain at the door—but truly be a Berean.
Lastly, I simply want to remind you that the nature of the publishing industry has drastically changed in the past 10-15 years. Reading a published article back in the day likely did come from at least a semi-expert in the field. Today, any schmo can get published (I know this from personal experience). We can no longer assume that just because something has gotten published that it has been vetted.
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Photo source: here
