The Sistine Chapel and Creative Writing

 
Through the years I've had to be a "churner" in terms of writing, at least to a degree, as most clergy must be. I always enjoyed sermon writing, but the roughly 1800 words a week was relentless. Then there were special services in the liturgical year, and funeral homilies, reports for meetings, presentations. And don't forget blog entries for the past dozen years. 

I've tried to be both as creative and faithful as possible, but this is a lot of cumulative holy blah, blah, blah piling up in the corners of life. There just isn't the time to craft every phrase and develop every thought in a way which does them or God justice. I've often yearned for a good editor.

I read the beginning of an article in the Wall Street Journal which I can't access in full because I'm not a subscriber. It's written by Cullen Murphy and it's called The Sistine Chapel: A Rare Behind-the-Scenes Look at How Its Masterpieces Are Maintained. The first few sentences impressed me and served as a reminder that the careful crafting of words is a discipline, and for clergy should be a spiritual practice:


The user’s manual for the Multitel SMX 250 self-propelled tracked platform, known as the Spider, does not contain an operational setting for “reverence,” but the Spider’s telescopic arm extended toward the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, 68 feet above, at a gently liturgical pace. My vestments consisted of a safety helmet and a full-body harness secured to the Spider’s basket by a chain and carabiner.  

This is brilliant, in my humble estimation and I wanted to read more.
 
There is a place for extemporaneous and Spirit-infused speech in communities of faith. And there has to be grace for those who fulfill the thousand tasks of ministry. Still, taking the time to write as though it really matters for the recipients' eyes and ears is something to which we can aspire. Paint-by-numbers has its place, but surely the Sistine Chapel is our lofty goal.

Thoughts?