At the risk of appearing self-centered, it reminds me of me. I am really looking forward to the day, coming in a few weeks, when I can stop writing about what happened to me and my wife in the semi-cult and start writing exclusively about the journey from there to faith.
Dude-- Step outside yourself for a minute, and read some of the things you've written about your past experiences.
The bitterness and anger with which you address those topics adds little if anything to them. I personally like some of the stuff you've written, and probably would like more of it, but for the fact that you're angry and bitter.
Matt...you know what I wrote ib some essays. Thats all you know. Come visit me for a week and write what you see in the real world before you announce what I am as if you know.
Then be as eager to drop my name for amusement.
You guys are a trip. If only we all had such amazing discernment.
BTW...stay out of the Psalms. Dangerous stuff. And Job...and Ecclesiastes...and Jeremiah...and..
One way to measure your success or failure as a "writer" is whether or not your writing actually reflects the reality you are experiencing - at least when you are writing about yourself.
I can only guess, according to this confession, that someone is a very poor writer indeed.
On a web site with over 200 major essays and hundreds more posts, I have approximately 12 "confessional" essays. These deal with my feelings about various aspets of life such as doubt, death, my father's depression, struggles in my marriage (I've been married for 28 years), the small church pastorate, and at least one bout of really regretting that I didn't take the bi-vocational route instead of full time church minsitry.
Some of these essays are written in the cool calm seasons of life, and some have been written in the aftermath of storms.
I can't speak for Matt, because I don't know him, but two major reformed bloggers have taken some of these confessional essays and constructed a version of my life that, despite all evidences on the ground, portrays me as emotionally sick, unfit for minsitry, marriage or family life, and in the words of Frank Turk, a "fraud" as a Christian.
I write for readers. Readers can decide whatever they want about me from one essay or from all of them.
My problem is 1) they never let this die. HT to the current post. 2) Clearly, my real life is NOT made up entirely of what I wrote in a particular post anymore than Shakespeare's entire life is made up of Sonnet 129.
The Reformed blogosphere enjoys the perpetuation of this image of me for reasons I could list, but won't.
I appreciate that Matt has been civil, but I wish he could understand that if he spent a week with me he would find my essays to be.......essays!! and my life to be....my life!!
9 comments:
At the risk of appearing self-centered, it reminds me of me. I am really looking forward to the day, coming in a few weeks, when I can stop writing about what happened to me and my wife in the semi-cult and start writing exclusively about the journey from there to faith.
Hi Matt, I've been trying to think of who you mean (assuming you meant someone I should know), but haven't been able to.
Well I did wonder if it might be that person, but was not courageous in setting forth my guess.
I guessed it right off.
Keep the myth alive Matt. It's what you do.
Dude--
Step outside yourself for a minute, and read some of the things you've written about your past experiences.
The bitterness and anger with which you address those topics adds little if anything to them. I personally like some of the stuff you've written, and probably would like more of it, but for the fact that you're angry and bitter.
That's not a myth, just a bit of introspection.
No meanness, no snark--just think about it.
I was kind of wondering if that was who you meant, but I was being proud and didn't want to come off any more obtuse than I normally do.
Matt...you know what I wrote ib some essays. Thats all you know. Come visit me for a week and write what you see in the real world before you announce what I am as if you know.
Then be as eager to drop my name for amusement.
You guys are a trip. If only we all had such amazing discernment.
BTW...stay out of the Psalms. Dangerous stuff. And Job...and Ecclesiastes...and Jeremiah...and..
One way to measure your success or failure as a "writer" is whether or not your writing actually reflects the reality you are experiencing - at least when you are writing about yourself.
I can only guess, according to this confession, that someone is a very poor writer indeed.
Daniel:
On a web site with over 200 major essays and hundreds more posts, I have approximately 12 "confessional" essays. These deal with my feelings about various aspets of life such as doubt, death, my father's depression, struggles in my marriage (I've been married for 28 years), the small church pastorate, and at least one bout of really regretting that I didn't take the bi-vocational route instead of full time church minsitry.
Some of these essays are written in the cool calm seasons of life, and some have been written in the aftermath of storms.
I can't speak for Matt, because I don't know him, but two major reformed bloggers have taken some of these confessional essays and constructed a version of my life that, despite all evidences on the ground, portrays me as emotionally sick, unfit for minsitry, marriage or family life, and in the words of Frank Turk, a "fraud" as a Christian.
I write for readers. Readers can decide whatever they want about me from one essay or from all of them.
My problem is 1) they never let this die. HT to the current post. 2) Clearly, my real life is NOT made up entirely of what I wrote in a particular post anymore than Shakespeare's entire life is made up of Sonnet 129.
The Reformed blogosphere enjoys the perpetuation of this image of me for reasons I could list, but won't.
I appreciate that Matt has been civil, but I wish he could understand that if he spent a week with me he would find my essays to be.......essays!! and my life to be....my life!!
Post a Comment