The contract is ready.
The final essay almost done.
And Real Live Preacher is putting his real name (and picture?) on his book. His choice.
He already gets more hits and links than almost any other god-blog.
He has a domain URL ready to go.
Huge changes coming for you Preacher. More readers. Fans that have never read a blog will flock over. His book fans will use his legal name in the blog comments, comment on his church, etc.
We who have read him from the beginning have to accept the influx in his life and changes, as he will.
I’m sad. I was so ok with the pseudonym, beginnings, and concept of RLP. His blogging voice was/is authentic. And although chosing to using his real name, picture, etc., probably won’t make his blog less a blog, I predict that within a month or two of the book coming out, the deluge of email to RLP may require an assistant. Or an understandable non-response to email.
The attention may create unforseen problems that cannot be predicted by any writer/blogger.
Those of us who use a pseudonym may find ourselves under pressure again to ‘do what RLP has done’ and come out from behind our screen name.
Real Live Preacher got a book contract because he is a unique gifted American who will sell well in the marketplace, and I don’t even need to wish him success. It’s a done deal. He could be huge in all that publishing calls success. Thousands of people will be cheering him on as old readers and new fans.
I’m happy for RLP, but mournful. A book published takes on it’s own life; not unlike a blog, and as hard as his paid writing was to complete, the book sales will be a different experience. I won’t be surprised if there are more RLP book contracts soon.
I feel like I want to write the Preacher a farewell email because once that book is out, volume, business issues and time will probably prevent a ‘Hi BD, pray for me at the blogging rock’ email.
So Preacher, I’ll use this post.
Good-bye Real Live Preacher. Thanks so much for all you’ve done for your fellow god-bloggers and readers. I’ll keep reading the blog and remember your roots and contributions in this medium.
As you prepare to say hello to your new fame, allow me to say good-bye to your blog beginnings and the spirit that led you, and hello to the new paths you’ll be taking.
God keep you. May He use your talent to reach new audiences and bless you in all the mediums of your life.
Thank you so much for starting out with us bloggers. Thanks for wanting to commit to do all you can to stick with the blog. Thanks for being you, RLP.
I’ll keep lifting to the throne of mercy at the blogging rock, in front of this computer and everytime God’s spirit whispers your name.
Blog on!
Speaking of professional writers Blog on the Lillypad is a wealth of information for those wanting to publish. Jeri has published several books and Moody Publishing is releasing some new work. As informative as her writing advice is, I most admire her posts on her journey out of a strange home grown group of Baptists and away from her roots at Bob Jones U. She has stood up to this group at great cost and with clear insight, righteous indictation, strong discipline learned in martial arts, and inspite of the fundies crimes and vices, with mature wit and clarity gained through pain.
The women in ministry debate prevelent in the US has made the rounds again in the god-blogs.
A British female vicar, theologian and song writer has some of the wisest, boundary setting, practical posts I’ve seen on this subject. A must read for female pastors, and a treat for male pastors and believers who understand women have a place in formal ministry.
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From what I’ve read of Jeri’s blog (quite a bit) and her accompanying fiction, I don’t think she equates the “strange home grown group of Baptists” with BJU. You might want to check with her before you connect the two. They are different in essence, and I believe Jeri distinguishes them in her writing, even as she debunks the former.
Bene,
I appreciate your honesty here. You and I have enjoyed an email friendship and shared prayer. I must tell you that this scared me to death AND made me so sad. I found MYSELF saying goodbye to Real Live Preacher, but let’s please wait before the Eulogy.
First, I am DETERMINED to keep writing at the blog, just as I do now. How long? Who knows, but I can make as much of a commitment as anyone. None of us can say how long we have the energy to write and post. Blogs die all the time. At the beginning of 2003 I thought I could see a year ahead and felt I had a year of blogging that I could count on.
I think I can say that I’ll be blogging for 2004. Maybe forever, but who knows.
It is true I don’t know what will happen when the book comes out. I personally feel that it will sell some copies and be modestly succesful. I don’t think it will change me that much. There is a chance that any book could “hit,” but that has more to do with luck than quality. (Witness Jabez and Left Behind)
Ultimately I have to set my own boundaries. I intend to be the man I am now. I pastor who writes and loves and lives. That’s all I want to do. Write and love and live for Christ.
The chance to write a book came my way. I prayed and felt a calling in that direction. I said, “yes.” But I don’t want to be dead yet, you know what I mean?
I hope that rumors of my demise will prove to be greatly exaggerated. We’ll have to see. Your is a worst case scenario. Please pray with me that it does not come to pass. I have made my self vulnerable to such a worst case scenario. And I am frightened of that.
But nothing much comes in life unless you are willing to follow your heart and be vulnerable.
love,
rlp
Oops. “A Pastor who writes and loves and lives.”
Guess it’s been awhile since I’ve been over to RLP. His book is nearing completion then?? How great for him!! I think you may be right Bene. This will probably catapult him into further fame. And that will likely mean that he is less able to blog. But, life is full of change….though it is painful for those involved.
Btw, if the pressure to reveal your true name does come…DON’T DO IT! Stick to your guns!
Rich:
This blog will always be cared for by Bene Diction, as long as it runs.:^)
My technican and family know my wishes and my circumstances and the ‘worse case scenario’ should somone wish to harm. We all face different vulnerability. My circumstances are far different than Real Live Preacher, and I respect his choices and his gifts to us. I remain grateful that others respect mine.
Blog on!
Hey Bet:
I know Jeri has great courage, and you’ll have to forgive my confusion with the people she writes about.
I know there is a institution called Bob Jones University, and in reading her posts, I’m genuinely not clear yet on who got educated where and how it all sorts out.
Perhaps I was amiss in calling the group she calls to accountability a strange group of Baptists. It is merely strange and insular from my Canadian experience. Blog on!
Bene, you’re right about the strange group of Baptists she writes about…. but they are not the same as BJU…. it can be confusing, but I hate to see one group tarred by the excesses of the other. But she speaks for herself. I was just trying to make a distinction between the two. They’re not the same.
Thanks Bet.Appreciate it.
Thank you for the kind words, but yes, let me make a few corrections:
Moody Press is not re-releasing any previous books of mine. What I wrote for them is new. They have published a single novel, VALKYRIES, as a two-volume set. The first book (VALKYRIES: Some Through the Fire) has been nominated for a Christy Award this year.
The IFB-KJVO strata of Baptist churches that I write about is overall separate from BJU. There’s a little bit of overlap, but not much. The IFB-KJVO group suffers from an increasing number of incidents of gross sexual sin, which is left unconfronted and actually unacknowledged (for the most part) in the movement. This group, largely uneducated in the very Bible they claim to believe, has caused great harm to innocent people, (though of course there are good people still in the movement).
BJU will not make a clear break with them, as the “higher end” of the IFB movement has got some sound churches and good teaching in it. But neither does BJU address the rising tide of gross sin. At the same time, BJU is much better at keeping its own house clean.
As kooky as Bob Jones University may seem to outsiders, my experience with them (and I worked for their Security department when I was a student) was that they did consistently and fairly hold all people to the same standard. There was a lot of integrity in declaring and keeping up a moral standard of behavior. Their gross offense was that inter-racial dating rule, which they have at last rescinded and apologized for.
I disagree with BJU’s stance on several things, but I think we’re entitled to do that under the covering of our unity in Christ. I wish the pulpit at BJU would focus more on the plight of those abused and broken by Fundamentalist wackos, and I think there is a certain negligence there in not doing so. But I continue to hope that they will change and become more aware of the situation. In my experience BJU moves slowly to change, but it does change.
The biggest difference between BJU and the IFB-KJVO group is that BJU’s core of faith is that the Bible must be read, individually and privately. And while the IFB-KJVO group also says that, the leadership at BJU seems much better at actually doing it. Keeping the Bible open and well read makes them a lot more knowledgeable about what’s actually inside it.
If you read my blog you see that I can debate some of these IFB-KJVO pastors to a standstill on what the Bible says because they don’t know what’s in it, and I do. That would never happen with a Bible teacher at BJU. Those men really do know the Scripture. You may not like what they believe, but you’ll find they thoroughly know what they believe. I have a lot of respect for that level of scholarship and reverence for the Word of God.
Jeri Massi
Hi JerrI:
I was wrong, sorry about that.
I’ve corrected the sentence regarding Moody.
Thanks. Blog on!