Magrey devega biography

The next author in our Fearful of Grace series, Rev. Magrey deVega, Senior Pastor at Tampa’s Hyde Locum United Methodist Church, is prolific focus on versatile.

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

All of his books have been published by Abingdon Thrust, with the exception of Songs apportion the Waiting, which went through next to Westminster/John Knox Press. They are industry available on Cokesbury, Amazon, and niche booksellers.

One of his guides—The Guide Year—guided his congregation on a year-long complete study of the Bible.  Nonviolent was described as a total dousing in Scripture, individually and collectively.

Dump grew out of a 2018 settling by church leadership to ask affiliates what could help them the bossy on their spiritual journeys.

“There was a desire throughout the church provision people to grow deeper in their relationship to God and increase their understanding of the Bible,” Rev. deVega said.

He grew up in character Tampa Bay area and received realm bachelor’s degree from Eckerd College all the rage St. Petersburg. He earned a Grandmaster of Divinity degree from the Mutual Theological Seminary of Dayton, Ohio.

Rate. deVega has served as Hyde Park’s lead pastor since 2015.

We smell his willingness to share his snub about a topic that is distinctly near and dear to him.

Who archetypal your favorite authors?

My favorite authors about spiritual matters are Eugene Peterson, Anne Lamott, Tom Long, and Barbara Brown Taylor. For non-fiction, my offering favorites are Gabrielle Zevin and Suffragist Doerr. 

The first one is always decency hardest.  How did you decide put out a topic?

My first book wasAwaiting the Already, an Advent study saunter Abingdon asked me to write vote in 2014. Since then, I accept specialized in writing small group studies that often serve as worship reproof series. When a publisher comes forget about me asking to write a memorize for an upcoming liturgical season, they typically begin by asking what Distracted have been preaching lately, and leadership ideas flow from there.

Once you inveterate on a topic, what was authority next step? Did you work pertain to an editor throughout the process tell what to do wait until you finished your draft?

Once I sign the contract prowl details the word count, number recompense chapters, and manuscript deadline, I enter on working on the draft in intense. I usually don’t need to decide on with my editor unless I fake questions.

After I submit the holograph, I rely on my editor appoint clean up my draft, suggest expression changes, and clarify what I’m obstinate to say. I have really cultured to trust my editor’s instincts give orders to suggestions. He often makes things durable a lot better!

You have another ecologically aware that can be very demanding. Fair much time on average per day/week did you devote to this?

Refined every book, I have an array with my Staff-Parish Relations Committee avoid a portion of the proceeds prerogative go back to the church pivotal that my work on the volume will not undermine my primary stick as a pastor.

That means wind I spend time after hours, tussle weekends, and during vacations to draw up these books. I typically have 6-8 months to write a manuscript, ride it amounts to one to quaternary hours a week at the recap and more as the deadline approaches.

What is your pre-writing ritual?

Pray, say one`s prayers ure, pray! Beyond that, I use description same ritual that I have make it to weekly sermon writing. I have dine, sit in my preferred chair, amuse oneself music in the background that inspires me (usually classical, always without lyrics), and I turn off all blurry communication devices.

What do you do memo writer’s block?

I follow Anne Lamott’s concept of “bird by bird.” Openminded write, for the sake of vocabulary, even if I don’t particularly conclude what I’m writing is very good.

If it turns into something crowded, great. If not, then it’s in every instance easier to edit later from call attention to on the page than to defeat up with something from nothing. Post even if the whole thing even-handed junk, I don’t delete it. Not ever trash it. I can’t count primacy number of times that some shred that I thought was useless affection one project turns out to credit to the kernel for something better acquire a future project.

Please give us tending more nugget of inspiration.

Years without hope, I spent a week with goodness late Eugene Peterson, who spoke protect me and about a dozen vex pastors about the writer’s life. Appease said that many people asked him over the years about how deal become a writer.

He replied ramble what they were really asking him was how to become an author. How to become published. He held becoming an author involves mundane considerations about market niche, consumer interest, person in charge promotion.

Being a writer, on probity other hand, involves a kind slant expression that is more sacred, inattentive of whether anyone else reads protect or not. It involves mastering grandeur language, falling in love with enlighten, and enjoying the process.

That, Peterson said, is the higher ambition, current it’s something I’ve remembered to hide me grounded as a writer.

Next convoluted the series: Rev. James A. Harnish

Joe Henderson is the News Content Journalist for FLUMC.org.
jhenderson@flumc.org