A New Approach to Pleasure Reading
This past Christmas, my husband gave me a book called Every Moment Holy by Douglas Kaine McKelvey. The book is a collection of liturgies designed to help us recognize and invite God’s presence into every moment of our lives, even the mundane ones.
I don’t come from a liturgical background, but I’ve really enjoyed reading through these. He covers topics from gardening, to changing diapers, to waiting in line, to homesickness.
One of the things that struck me, in particular, is the author’s obvious love of books. He even has a liturgy for the writing of fiction! I can’t tell you how excited I was to find that one. I might not get much out of the liturgy for the keeping of bees, but I’m going to read that one for fiction writers over and over.
Not only does he have a liturgy for writers, but he has a couple for readers as well. I discovered his liturgy Before Beginning a Book this weekend and thought it particularly apropos for those of us who read Christian fiction. I’d like to share parts of it with you:
Author of Life and Author of My Life
As I begin the reading of this book,
give me a sensitivity to listen,
not just to the story told,
but to the response of my own heart
to what I encounter in these pages. . .
Let all things, and this book as well,
be as tools in your hands,
to shape me and make me more truly your own . . .
So let the honest responses
of my heart to this reading
grant new insight into the story
your grace is already telling in my own life
that I might be a more willing co-laborer
in that process.
Amen.
I’ll be the first to admit that when I read for pleasure, I read to be entertained and to escape into a world not my own. Yet one of the joys of reading Christian fiction, is that the stories do more than entertain. They contain a deeper message that can impact the soul. Whether that message is overt or subtly woven through imagery and metaphor, the aroma of Christ is there. However, if my only intention as a reader is to be entertained, how easy is it to miss the deeper message God intends for me? I love how this liturgy reminds my spirit to be awake through the reading process–awake and welcoming of what God wishes to teach.
How has God spoken to you through fiction?
Oh, and if you need a book to try out this liturgy on, I just happen to have one on sale this month. The first novel in my Patchwork Family series, More Than Meets the Eye (ebook) is on sale for only $0.99 through Feb. 29! Some retailers have it for only $0.79! Love, adventure, cowboys, and a pet hog. What could be more fun?
“More Than Meets the Eye captured my heart from the start.
This story is easily the best Inspirational romance I have read in years,
if not the best Inspirational romance I have ever read.”
~ All About Romance
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Karen I love all your books you keep me with enjoyable reading material. I just finished More than meets the eye and loved it. Just bought the second book. Thanks keep it up.
Thanks, Tish. What a blessing you are! I hope you continue to enjoy them. 🙂
I love the idea of reading, even when it’s for entertainment, with more intentionality. Great post, Karen.
Thanks, Deb. I believe that God can speak to our hearts even through secular entertainment, but how much more powerfully through stories produced by Christian writers.
Thank you for sharing those words. I appreciate the Christian messages woven into fictional stories. I loved More than Meets the Eye. The ways your heroines deal with their adverse circumstances are inspirational.
Thank you, Rebecca. Sometimes I wish I had more of my heroines in my real, daily self. 🙂
I absolutely love the “Before Beginning a Book” liturgy! Amen!!
I thought it was a wonderful way to approach a new read. Inviting God to touch our hearts through what we encounter in the pages.
I love that prayer! Honestly, I have had more life-changing moments while reading fiction than non-fiction, so that prayer feels particularly apropos. Thank you for sharing!
I’m with you, D’Ann. Fiction is a powerful medium because it connects with our hearts, the place where Christ dwells.
I finished reading Courtney Walsh’s book “If For Any Reason” earlier this month and one of the characters said:
‘People will tell you God will never give you more than you can handle. I disagree. God allows us more than we can handle so we have to rely on Him. After all, if we could handle everything life throws at us, why would we need God at all?’
It was if God spoke to me personally through this because my mom had a stroke at the time I was reading this book. Thankfully, she’s suffered no debilitating effects other than some speech issues, but both myself and my mom relied (and continue to do so) on God like never before and He’s proven time and time again He can bear all our burdens and give us His strength to bear them, too.
What a beautiful testimony, Amy! I love when a phrase jumps off the page and straight into our hearts. That’s God’s divine power at work, I’m certain. So thankful your mom is doing relatively well and that God is providing strength to you both.
We are taught to read the Bible this way, so why not fiction or anything we read? One of my favorite pastors stressed that every time we read scripture, we can get a different meaning from it, we can see it in a different way. Opening our hearts and minds can allow the Holy Spirit to give us different insight, at the times we need it.
Great post.
I so agree, Betty. God always has something new to teach us if we will just open ourselves to the Spirit’s voice.
Your second book in the Patchwork Series, More Than Words Can Say, was just this way for me. That book catapulted you to being my favorite author! God spoke to me left, right, and center through that book and I couldn’t believe you were able to sow/sew so many life lessons and bible verses into each chapter. You inspire me! I do think that we should approach each area of our lives with our hands open and asking ‘God, what do you have for me? I want to know you more. Show me where you are in this and draw me closer to you.’ Thank you, Karen, for blessing me through your books and your blog. Do you ever do writer’s workshops?
A fellow Texan,
L.
Lorinda – You have blessed me so much with this note. Thank you! It never ceases to amaze me how God can speak to people through story. I’m so encouraged to hear how he did that for you through Zach and Abigail’s story. He’s so good, isn’t he?
Oh, and yes, I do occasionally do writers’ workshops. Mostly at conferences, but sometimes I’ll speak at libraries or other venues.