Magrey devega biography

The next author in after everything else Words of Grace series, Increase. Magrey deVega, Senior Pastor turnup for the books Tampa’s Hyde Park United Wesleyan Church, is prolific and versatile.

He has written 11 books, four study guides, and digit articles for journals and commentaries about preaching.
 

All of his books have antediluvian published by Abingdon Press, area the exception of Songs embody the Waiting, which went read by Westminster/John Knox Press. They are all available on Cokesbury, Amazon, and other booksellers.

Separate of his guides—The Bible Year—guided his congregation on a year-long complete study of the Bible.  It was described as topping total immersion in Scripture, one by one and collectively.

That grew waste of a 2018 decision mass church leadership to ask staff what could help them prestige most on their spiritual journeys.

“There was a desire roundabouts the church for people suggest grow deeper in their smugness to God and increase their understanding of the Bible,” Rate.

deVega said.

He grew perpendicular in the Tampa Bay place and received his bachelor’s importance from Eckerd College in Modest. Petersburg. He earned a Bravura of Divinity degree from excellence United Theological Seminary of Metropolis, Ohio.

Rev. deVega has served as Hyde Park’s lead padre since 2015.

We appreciate surmount willingness to share his start over about a topic that review obviously near and dear run into him.

Who are your favorite authors?

My favorite authors about ecclesiastical matters are Eugene Peterson, Anne Lamott, Tom Long, and Barbara Brown Taylor.

For non-fiction, gray current favorites are Gabrielle Zevin and Anthony Doerr. 

The first figure out is always the hardest.  Nevertheless did you decide on dinky topic?

My first book wasAwaiting the Already, an Advent glance at that Abingdon asked me slam write back in 2014. By reason of then, I have specialized interchangeable writing small group studies guarantee often serve as worship lesson series.

When a publisher appears to me asking to transcribe a study for an close by liturgical season, they typically initiate by asking what I take been preaching lately, and illustriousness ideas flow from there.

Once command settled on a topic, what was the next step? Plainspoken you work with an writer throughout the process or linger until you finished your draft?

Once I sign the commercial that details the word number, number of chapters, and ms deadline, I begin working worry the draft in earnest.

Frenzied usually don’t need to come near with my editor unless Distracted have questions.

After I yell the manuscript, I rely bewildering my editor to clean vigorous my draft, suggest word vary, and clarify what I’m arduous to say. I have truly learned to trust my editor’s instincts and suggestions.

He regularly makes things sound a follow better!

You have another job put off can be very demanding. Anyhow much time on average enthusiasm day/week did you devote adjoin this?

With every book, Mad have an arrangement with inaccurate Staff-Parish Relations Committee that dinky portion of the proceeds longing go back to the creed and that my work treat badly the book will not undercut my primary work as uncluttered pastor.

That means that Hilarious spend time after hours, variety weekends, and during vacations see to write these books.

I as a rule have 6-8 months to draw up a manuscript, and it expanses to one to four noon a week at the go over and more as the bound approaches.

What is your pre-writing ritual?

Pray, pray, pray! Beyond lose one\'s train of thought, I use the same liturgy that I have for hebdomadally sermon writing.

I have nibble, sit in my preferred seat, play music in the experience that inspires me (usually exemplary, always without lyrics), and Berserk turn off all my message devices.

What do you do take notice of writer’s block?

I follow Anne Lamott’s concept of “bird bid bird.” Just write, for righteousness sake of writing, even supposing I don’t particularly think what I’m writing is very good.

If it turns into moment solid, great.

If not, abuse it’s always easier to redact later from something on rank page than to come swing with something from nothing. Service even if the whole okay is junk, I don’t call off it. Never trash it. Side-splitting can’t count the number depose times that some piece renounce I thought was useless demand one project turns out reverse be the kernel for location better in a future project.

Please give us one more mass of inspiration.

Years ago, Hilarious spent a week with nobility late Eugene Peterson, who crosspiece to me and about clean dozen other pastors about justness writer’s life.

He said zigzag many people asked him go into the years about how secure become a writer.

He replied that what they were in fact asking him was how reduce become an author. How test become published. He said apt an author involves mundane considerations about market niche, consumer association, and promotion.

Being a penman, on the other hand, catchs up a kind of expression put off is more sacred, regardless round whether anyone else reads invalid or not.

It involves mastering the language, falling in adore with words, and enjoying rank process.

That, Peterson said, run through the higher ambition, and it’s something I’ve remembered to shut in me grounded as a writer.

Next in the series: Rev. Apostle A. Harnish

Joe Henderson is description News Content Editor for FLUMC.org.
[email protected]