You may have noticed I haven’t posted much this week. Why not? A lot has been going on.
LifeLock
First, I had one of my credit card accounts stolen this week. Thankfully, the credit card company caught it before it got too out of hand. The thief made almost $5000 worth of purchases online, but I think that since the company caught it so quickly, nothing was actually shipped out.
But as a result, I spent a good chunk of the week making sure all my other accounts were secure, signing up for LifeLock, and taking a few other steps to protect myself from this in the future. I am one of those “I never thought it could happen to me” people. But then it did.
And I am still recovering from it and holding my breath to see what else they got ahold of… I do recommend LifeLock if you don’t already have ID theft protection. They seem to be the best.
Writing
Second, I realized my book on the violence of God is getting out of control. WAY out of control. I am nearly at 100,000 words and only about half way through the book. What I have written on the flood is nearly 20,000 words all by itself. I’m drowning in the flood. That’s bad.
Also, I am getting somewhat bored with the topic, and if I am getting bored, I am pretty sure you might be getting bored with it too. I think what I might do is cut out the 20,000 words I have written on the flood, and summarize it down into 1000 words or so. What do you think of this idea? Of course, I have only posted about 5000 words so far of the 20,000 I have written, so maybe I should post the next 15,000 over the next two weeks or so, and then let you decide whether it is worth keeping….
While I was struggling with both these issues, I realized that I am basically writing a mini Bible commentary on Genesis 6-8, which reminded me that what I really want to be doing with my writing life is writing Commentary. I started off with Jonah, and got halfway through before getting sidetracked with this current project.
The problem with writing commentary, however, is that there is a lot of basic theology that forms the foundation of writing a Bible commentary, and this book I am writing on the violence of God is a foundational issue in Jonah because it helps explain the storm that God sent and the destruction that He threatened to pour out upon Nineveh….
John Calvin
It was then that I remembered something I heard somewhere in Bible college… that one of the reasons John Calvin wrote The Institutes of the Christians Religion was to provide a theological supplement for his numerous commentaries. He found that as he wrote his commentaries, he kept having to make the same theological points over and over, and so rather than repeat himself in his commentaries, he wrote The Institutes to serve as the theological foundation for what he wrote in his commentaries.
So maybe I need to do that…. which then reminded me of the project I started several years ago where I set out to summarize all the theology I had been taught in Bible College and Seminary, and then ask the question that I never had time (or courage) to ask… But after a couple dozen posts, I got sidetracked again….
Sigh….
And now I am wasting more time writing a post about all the writing projects I have on the back burning and why I am not getting any writing done… Ha!
Oh well, such is the life of a writer. Writing is a war where most of the battles are fought against yourself.
So anyway, this post is just an update on what is going on with some of my various projects. How about you? What is going on in your life right now? Share below!
Hey – Jeremy the Writer – congrats on knowing where you are. I have written one book reflecting on the psalms and their structures. The presentation of the data was my first priority. The impact of the psalms on me continues – I scarce know if I could formulate a ‘theology’ such as I have learned but from ‘life’ rather than a guild of any type. Right now I am reading – and reading – still on the psalms – and some on the NT (Caird on Luke) – If – If I wrote any more ‘theology’ or analysed more ‘poetry’, I don’t yet know what I would say – so I wait. I would like to write more on the music of the te’amim – but there too I must wait. Thanks for the invite to share a bit.
Thanks, Bob. Your book is still on my “To buy” list. I want to engage in a study on the Psalms, and your book will be one I use.
It sounds like you like to specialize in the Psalms. That is great! Maybe you could write a book on the theology of the Psalms or something like that.
believe me Jeremy – it is in my thoughts day and night. Such loveliness as is theology, yet so many distractions – history, language, literalism, etc. Thank you for the encouragement. For theological reflection – if you can find Rentdorff in a library – take him out for a read. (Rendtorff, Rolf. (2005). The Canonical Hebrew Bible, A Theology of the Old Testament.)
My major professor in graduate school had a rule – When he assigned a paper, he graded each paper, then deducted a full letter grade for each page over three pages (double-spaced). That is correct. A seven page paper received an F no matter how well written. In his opinion, if you really know and understand the topic, you can explain it concisely.
Ah yes. The rule was anathema to preachers. They thought if it could be said in three pages, it could be better said in ten or twenty. The professor said “Write as much as you like, then summarize it in three pages or less, and turn in that paper.” That would be my suggestion. Write as much as you like until you have thought through the topic, then summarize it with 1,000 or 5,000 words. Far more people will read that many words as opposed to 200,000 words
Yes, this is very true. I try so hard to be concise. I think part of my problem with this current project is that I am not certain of how to explain what I feel. I “feel” the theology that I want to express more than I know how to say it… So I keep writing and writing, hoping to get something that approximates the feeling, but so far…. it’s just a bunch of words.
It’s good to hear what you’re up to Jeremy and I enjoy your posts. Sharing your thoughts and bouncing ideas off other Christians is also a good discipline. Something John Calvin didn’t do. You don’t want to go down that route! 🙂
I think I am with Sam in this one, if you can fit it in less words when you are finished with the long letter, and still keep everything in there you want to say then that would be great.
Yes, I want to keep it shorter… thanks for the input and encouragement.
I know this feeling, Jeremy. There are so many things I want to write on, there is so little time, and it’s so easy to get distracted. Plus, as with you, my framework for theology is sufficiently unique that I often have to repeat the same points over and over.
This is where that whole theology in person over coffee would makes things a lot easier.
Chuck,
You need to write more! I love the way you think and write. I suppose that when your theology is unique, it requires the repetition of ideas.
I’d love to write more. I just wish I could figure out how to make more time.
Jeremy, I can relate! I want to write a book on the canonicity and historical reliability of the various books of the Bible, as a follow up to The Bible Can Be Proven. I have a large folder containing much research I have done as a result of many discussions with Bible skeptics, and I would love to make in into a book, but somehow I am going to have to make it concise or it will end up being 1000 pages!
And also, having the spare moments outside of my full time accounting job to do so!
Write it! Though maybe not 1000 pages, ha! You are right that finding time to write is one of the biggest challenges.
I am definitely going to write it, just a matter of time. I have the notes already. In fact, I would be starting with Genesis, and part of that commentary would be on the flood. Maybe I can put out some articles to get started.
Ha! No! Not at all! I am not fond of burning people at the stake who disagree with me….
I am not a conspiracy guy by nature but I fully expect – any day – to hear that the guys that started Life Lock are behind every ID theft – not saying they are, I don’t wanna be sued, just seems to fit the times. Sorry it happened to you.
My suggestion for your “flood” dilemma my not help you schedule but if you have that much on it already perhaps it is a book unto itself. Scale a bunch back to touch – briefly – in the “violence” book and the get “swept away” with a book just on the flood.
I am still working at just getting readers and comments at my blog. God’s timing and all, I know. But I am trying to finish a 15-20 page eBook titled “Pick a Direction and GO! Getting Out of the Stands and Into the Game” I too got side tracked but am now shooting to have it completed and ready to give away starting the 1 SEPT 2013 – so, I need to get off the internets and get busy writing.
Good Luck.
ha ha! I actually had that thought about LifeLock. They hire people to steal the cards and the IDs so that people sign up for LifeLock. In this way, they “created” the market for their product…. Sigh….
There have been instances of other identity protection companies who had dishonest employees. What a treasure trove – the company has all the bits of info. available on the individuals they supposedly protect that one would need to steal those individuals’ identities.
I have had the blog for years – well, mickholt.com only since this past May but I really started “really” writing in December if 2012 with real frequency.
Thanks for the compliment and encouragement. I know it can be a slow process – beyond frustrating at times. I’ll keep plugging away.
Yes. Beyond frustrating is right. Sometimes things that are out of your control are also frustrating. I get some traffic from search engines like Google, and while back, they dropped my site for about a month… I couldn’t figure out why. Then they re-added me (whew!), but now my fingers are crossed and hope they don’t drop me again.
Jeremy,
Now I just feel like “traffic” or “a hit” to you! Only kidding, I know you love me… ‘cuz you’re a Christ follower and you’re commanded too. 😉
Re: your flood disourse… please do post the next 15,000 words! To me, all of it does “approximate your feelings”, and they aren’t “just a bunch of words.”
Really, you have summed it all up several times (in posts and comment replies): Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever; He and the Father are One in their Spirit, and “they” created the universe; finally, all violence and judgement are simply a result of Him letting the love relationship run it’s course… that “soon” we all (judged in various ways) might be One with Him (cf. John 17; 1 Cor.13, etc.).
I believe, your theological “feelings” are rooted in knowing the Father, through the Son, Jesus.
Thus, all violent and merciful judgement (past, present and future) MUST and will culminate in proclaiming to creation Jehovah’s Love…
“that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
I do not think (as I once did… sort of) that this will be a forced subjugation/confession. Rather, that all will finally see that all our pride only served to deceive us (lies), and we will all be completely humbled… we will joyously want to be fully free (from our pride) in humility. There is no other way to answer His call to, “Come unto me…”
To sum up (and be concise, y’know… ah, too late for that, eh?), please post it all Jeremy!
I must be one of those “preacher” types from Sam’s graduate class. Actually, since I’m not wired to be concise, I do not make a good preacher (not with spoken words to a large group anyway). The best speakers (for the majority of people… or our wives) keep it short and sweet, eh?
Mark,
No, I value each and every reader. I wish we could all hang out and discuss Scripture together and then go live it! Someday!
I will go ahead and finish posting the section on the the flood. I think I have come to terms with the length of the book. It is going to take some explaining since the idea is so radical!