Words of Study & Instruction: Scribes & the Arts Archives Page 39 of 72

Are there SIGNIFICANT literary landmarks in your state?

Posted on 06/04/201505/24/2024 by Theresa Harvard Johnson

One of the things I love about being a scribe is the natural gift or inclination to research. Research, at least to me, is a kingly and scholarly activity that the Christ-believing community of literary warriors should dig into as often as possible. As I always say, our prayer and intercessory focus is not to simply pray over our books or that of friends, but to pray into God’s increasing scribal nation (Matthew 13:52).

I know, that was a mouthful, but I am so serious.

I want to encourage you to seek out the “literary roots” growing in your scribal city, state or region. I do this all the time by looking at historical figures that stand out to me. For example, the poets and writers who had the greatest literary influence on my life were Georgia Douglas Johnson, Margaret Walker, Langston Hughes, Sonya Sanchez and of course, Ida B. Wells Barnett. Yes, I know they are old-school. But my love for the voice they carried continues to resound in my creative writings today – regardless of what anyone might think.

Proverbs 25:2 CJB, “God gets glory from concealing things; kings get glory from investigating things.“

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Ministry Integrity

A Community Distracted by the Duggars

Posted on 05/27/201505/25/2024 by Theresa Harvard Johnson

There are families like the Duggars’ all across America. You might be sitting across from them in your local church or standing in line with them at the local grocery store. That family just might be your own.

The situation surrounding the Duggars’ might sound rare, but it is not. Child sexual abuse among siblings is quite common. The Duggars’ are in the spotlight right now because they are “famous” and the feelings of their “fans” – who put them on a pedastal and entered into idolatry – have been hurt. (Listen, I understand what it is like to believe in someone you’ve watched on television. But the reality of what is happening is still relevant.) So instead of facing broader issues in the midst of this media sensation, some people follow the crowd and take sides on who they believe; and why this or that was handled a certain way by the family. In the end, the media gets what it wants: more views, attention and even more advanced opportunities to attack our faith in Christ. Listen, we don’t have to participate in that.

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Leadership Development

6 Signs of Spiritual Suicide

Posted on 05/19/2015 by Theresa Harvard Johnson

Suicide is defined globally as the intentional act of killing or murdering oneself. In our country, there is a national push to enact suicide prevention strategies, raise awareness concerning the early warning signs, to educate communities about its devastating effects and to explore every possible option for intervention. There are also numerous, Christ-centered organizations that stand as watchmen for suicide prevention, offering hope for the hopeless and even helping those who have lost loved ones heal. We desperately need these services.

Then, there is also the startling reality of “spiritual” suicide.

Spiritual suicide can be defined as the willfull, intentional act of causing one’s own spiritual death in Christ. Sadly, among the congregation in this nation, we do not have a national push to enact suicide prevention strategies or an awareness campaigns to educate the global church concerning its devastating effects. We do not have visible lists posted on websites or distributed city by city specifically identifying the early warning signs of “spiritual” suicide. We are without unified efforts to explore every possible option for intervention, and it seems that the most blatant signs are often ignored. In fact, there are very few organized programs or Christ-centered watchmen identifying the devastation of “spiritual” suicide among us.

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Leadership Development

About Getting Your Poetry Published

Posted on 05/18/201505/25/2024 by Theresa Harvard Johnson

If there is one question I hear often in the midst of conversations with prophetic poets, it’s this one: “How can I get my poetry published?” Unfortunately, this is not an easy question to answer. There are no “one-stop-shops” on doing this for any poet (outside of publishing your own work), much less those of us who fall in the prophetic category – meaning we are focused on writing and releasing what we believe God alone gives us.

As many poets already know, the journey to becoming a nationally or internationally known poet is a hit-and-miss one. I firmly believe that prophetic poets who are serious about their craft and getting their work before others will learn to receive criticism concerning their work and act on it when necessary; and position themselves to learn as much about the “industry” of poetry publishing as possible. Your publishing initiatives will remain extremely limited without practical application.

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Scribal Ministry Development

Indispensable Reference Books for Writing & Self-Publishing

Posted on 05/16/2015 by Theresa Harvard Johnson

Navigating the world of writing and self-publishing can be extremely frustrating for writers regardless of experience level. Depending on the purpose of our manuscripts, we often encounter questions with hard to find answers. And if you are a poet, those questions are often compounded.

There are several books that I believe are invaluable to your growing reference library. They will relieve some frustration when seeking answers surrounding a specific subject, especially in creative projects; and point writers toward professional, sound advice. In addition, most of us would rather spend more time writing than piecing together questionable, partial resources from around the web.

There is an easier way to get the answers you need.

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Scribal Ministry Development