Hi friends,
So happy to be back with you this week. I spent this past weekend at the Christian Fiction Readers’ Retreat. It’s an amazing event and if you’ve never been as a writer or a reader, you definitely need to attend. It’s a day and a half of readers and writers coming together to celebrate the love of books.
This year, I was a keynote speaker. I shared on the Power of Christian Fiction and I thought it would be fun to share a bit of my talk with you. Many of the attendees asked if I would post about it so they could take notes or print out the points I covered and some I didn’t get to because of time restraints.
The amazing thing about Christian fiction is that it helps deepen our relationship with God, strengthens our walk and helps us grow in faith.
Christian fiction has played a pivotal role in my life ever since I was gifted The Protector by Dee Henderson from a friend. It was the first Christian fiction novel I’d ever read, and I was floored by how open and honest Dee was in writing characters who struggle and stumble in their walk with Christ just like me. After I finished her book, I went back and started the O’Malley series from the start and then binge read everything by her I could get my hands on.
The other thing that I adore about Dee’s books and many Christian authors, is the fact that they and their characters aren’t afraid to ask hard questions of God. If we’re honest, we too have hard questions….things we don’t understand and questions we come to His feet to ask and search out His truths. I asked Dee to share what the themes and questions that her characters wrestled with and she was gracious enough to share a few.
- The Negotiator covers the topic of God’s justice and mercy.
- The Guardian delves into the topic of prayer.
- The Truth Seeker deals with the topic of the resurrection, and some particularly hard questions.
- Taken is all about how to think about why bad things happen to good people.
This reminds me of the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, asking questions of Christ.
When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” –John 4:1-42
I love that Christ didn’t scold her for asking questions. He allowed her to ask and then he responded with love and compassion. Christian fiction, along with God’s Word, shows us that it’s okay to ask questions and that our loving Savior is only too good to answer us while showing love and compassion.
This is just one of the points I covered. I’ll be taking the next few weeks here on Inspired By Life and Fiction as well as my personal blog creatively named The Blog (LOL!) which you can find at www.danipettrey.com/blog
I hope you’ll join me as I continue through this series.
Question for you:
What is one thing you’ve learned from a Christian Fiction Novel?
I always look forward to hearing your answers.
Have a blessed day!
Dani
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I, too, have loved Dee Henderson’s novels exploring how God is relevant to and enriches our everyday lives. Reading Christian fiction as well as listening to Christian music and reading God’s Word keep me focused on God and His place in my life. Reading about Christian fiction and the actual fiction itself gives me a sense of Christian community–the church in the world, not just at my preferred place of worship. Thank you for your part in inspiring me to love and embrace God more and to serve Him better.
Hi Suzanne,
Thanks so much for sharing. What an encouragement to read your comment. Thank YOU so much. Christian community is a great blessing of Christian fiction I hadn’t thought of, but you are sooo right.
One eye-opening moment for me was in reading Colleen Coble’s Aloha Reef series. In it, the main character came to realize that her sin (unforgiving spirit) was hurting God more than it hurt anyone else, including herself. This hit me like a ton of bricks between the eyes. OUR SIN HURTS GOD!!! Wow, it still makes me rethink my stubbornness in continuing a sin that I think I am justified in doing. Thanks, all of you authors, that bring these truths to us!
Hi Suzanne,
Thanks so much for sharing. What an encouragement to read your comment. Thank YOU so much. Christian community is a great blessing of Christian fiction I hadn’t thought of, but you are sooo right.
I’m so glad you’re doing this series. A friend who is a Christian author was recently told by two Christian publishing industry professionals that he should write for the secular market because Christian fiction isn’t selling any more. But I know many people who only read classics and Christian fiction. I buy several Christian fiction books a year and know many others who do as well. I look forward to your future posts as well!
My very first experience with Christian fiction was Not My Will by Francena Arnold and then Janette Oke’s books. I came from a non-Christian home and became a Christian as a teenager. I discovered these books in my college and early-married years. It helped me so much to find people just like me who wanted to know God better, do His will, and apply His truth to life’s problems. I discovered Terri Blackstock and Dee Henderson while looking for books my mom might like. She was not a Christian and didn’t want to talk about spiritual issues, but she loved to read. We both loved Terri’s and Dee’s stories. I’ve discovered so many great Christian authors since then that have encouraged my walk with the Lord.
That’s so wonderful you shared Dee and Terri’s books with your mom. What a wonderful way to witness to her. I love Terri too. Predator is my favorite of hers.
I also enjoyed the O’Malley series. I appreciate your mentioning themed, it makes me want to reread them again!!
It is a fabulous series!
I too had a very similar experience as you did, the O’Malley series were the first Christian books I read myself. I was very fortunate to have grown up in a Christian home, my mom read us Christian books and we were taught that it was ok to have questions and talk about hard things. My dad was a pastor and as a PK I knew that my father would be judged by what his children did, so I was very conscious of the fact that I needed to be better for my dad. It was never anything my dad pushed on us, it was just something that we knew. So, when I read Dee’s books I saw real people struggling with real questions, some of the same ones that I struggled with, but didn’t feel I could talk about. The O’Malley’s, through Dee Henderson, helped me to realize that it was ok to struggle and because of my parent’s teaching I knew who to turn to. To this day the O’Malley books are my favorite, though I love everything that Dee writes, the years between the end of the O’Malley series and when Full Disclosure was published were torture. I love when Christian fiction challenges me in my walk and isn’t afraid to ask the tough questions that real people struggle with.
I agree wholeheartedly. It’s wonderful to understand that Christians do struggle and that it’s okay to ask tough questions because God is bigger than them all. Thanks so much for sharing.
Loved seeing photos of you at the retreat!
Thanks, friend. It was so much fun, but missed seeing you.
The Ashtown Burials series taught me in my mid-teens what nothing else had been able to, calming a fear I couldn’t seem to conquer;
they showed me that mortality isn’t something to fear, just a cup we all drink in the end, a cup who’s effects the Christ-follower is ultimately immune to, and also that life is not to be hoarded, but is meant to be spent richly in every moment as a weapon against darkness.
That moved and healed me mightily. It’s one thing to /know/ that kind of thing in your head, but frequently it takes something powerful like a book for our hearts to get it and soak it up.
That’s amazing, Bree. Thanks so much for sharing. You inspired me today!
That’s awesome that this little blip could inspire you; it certainly did for me!
I have read most genres of books. But the Christian books (romance, Mystery, etc.) are my favorite. There are books out there that don’t have sex in them and I always enjoy them. But, it is funny, as I will be reading and wonder why they didn’t include something that God had done for them in this certain section, when it was so obvious that He had been in there. But then I realize that I am reading a secular book.
I was raised on Grace Livingston Hill and had every book of hers at one time. As I grew older I branched out to other Christian books. I love books by Dee Henderson, Brandilyn Collins, and so many in that category. I also love your books.
Thank you.
Thanks so much, Beverly. Christian fiction is such a blessing and seeing God in the details along with the big parts of life through story is wonderful.
I have always said that what I love most about Christian Fiction is that although the stories are fiction, the Word of God is real. And it does not go void. Dee Henderson was one of the very first Christian Fiction books I ever read and immediately became hooked. The O’Malley series is one that I reread at least once a year. A few of my all time favorites are all of your books, Lynette Eason, Ronie Kendig, and Richard Mabry.
I’ve actually learned a lot! From you I’ve learned that I can travel to exciting places, read spiritually sound fiction, and meet cute men!
From Dee I’ve learned that you don’t have to read Christian Living to grow spiritually! Her books spur me on and remind me of the importance of prayer. I love her characters.
And from CFRR I’ve had the dream come true of meeting all my favorite authors (except Dee Henderson). YOU and Gohlke were the ones I was most excited to meet this year!!! I’ve also enjoyed meeting and cultivating friendships with so many fellow readers!!!
Faith and Christianity takes many roles in books. It’s unapologetic in a world where being a Christian woman isn’t always appreciated. It’s not afraid to show characters of Faith in an ordinary world. Because Christianity and contemporary women can and do coexist in fiction and reality.