By ED VASICEK
I was thrilled in 1999 when the Kokomo Tribune allowed me to spread my wings as a local columnist! It was in November of that year when my first articles were published. Hopefully – 500 columns later – I have honed my skills.
To mark my 10-year anniversary, I thought I would share my experiences with writing through the years. I have always found writing pleasurable. In grade school, I was often the first to turn in creative-writing papers. In high school, I served as a news writer for our school paper. I decided against a career in journalism; in 1974 (when I graduated), it was difficult to find steady work in that field. Nonetheless, my dream of writing never faded.
I attended the local community college and pursued a lesser interest, electronics technology. I wrote a monthly column (representing the school’s Christian fellowship) for the paper – more experience in journalism.
Our college English teacher assigned a “persuasive paper,” but I was not willing to do the required work (Boy Scouts would say that the “wind of laziness” had blown my way). I decided to throw together an obviously falsified paper. I wrote about “why spaghetti is better than lasagna.” I had fun. I claimed a study involving 10 obese chefs put the issue to the test. Of the eight survivors, six favored spaghetti while only two chose lasagna. Then I confronted the argument that lasagna was superior because of its cheese. I challenged, “what are we, mice or men?”
I expected to get a poor mark on the paper (hoping for maybe a C), but the teacher loved it! She gave it an A-plus and read it aloud to the class! I’m not usually shy when it comes to enjoying attention, but that time I blushed.
After I received my EET degree, I enrolled at Chicago’s Moody Bible Institute (that’s a long story). I became a pastor in 1979, and – as do many pastors – I continued to study on my own. I tried to read in a variety of areas.
What makes me a bit different from the pack is my many interests – a few of them (like 1920s music, old time radio, cooking, dancing, history, art, social skills and joke collection) are off the beaten clergy path. In 1983, we moved to Kokomo, where I assumed the pastorate at the church I now serve. I occasionally wrote position papers, etc., for church use, and published a few articles for religious publications. Years of extensively researched sermon preparation also nurtured my writing skills.
Some of our members suggested we publish a monthly church newsletter. We initiated “The Body Builder” in 1995, and we still publish this in-house paper (both as hard copy and online). I contributed by preparing a monthly column. When we developed our church Web site in 1996, I began typing away like mad – paper after paper!
Our congregation has never been a big one. When I arrived in Kokomo in 1983, we ran about 75 folks per Sunday; now we are maintaining our all-time high, running around 200 per week. Not exactly a mega-church.
I was anxious for ways to multiply my audience. Through preaching, writing for our church newsletter – and especially our Web site – we were able to multiply our spiritual impact (some articles have been picked up by seminaries, for example), while the Kokomo Tribune provided an outlet for my thoughts about secular (non-religious) subjects. Yet even those subjects are interpreted through a Judeo-Christian world view. One goal I have is to demonstrate that all of life – even its trite aspects – can be interpreted through a Judeo-Christian perspective.
I appreciate the opportunity the Tribune has given me. I also appreciate you, my readers. Many of you have mentioned that you enjoy my columns, and I enjoy the relationship we have. Although you may not always agree with everything I say (even I know I can’t be right about everything!), thank you for considering my thoughts and allowing me to interact with you these 10 years.
• Ed Vasicek is pastor of Highland Park Church and a weekly contributor to the Kokomo Tribune.
