I wanted to blog about a really cool project we did at my church in Prattville. Each volunteer wrote a 200 word essay on a Biblical theme, the ones that are traditionally read at Lent, leading up to Easter. Your devotion could only be 200 words. If you are only using 200 words, you are going to have to get specific and narrow in your theme. You will not be able to point out the ancillary, the sideline or the parenthetical, because you are limited to 200 words.
The really cool thing about our project is that students, ages 13-17 participated. Their devotions were really insightful. When they started, I concurred with the editor, who said “Students do not have the breadth of life experience that someone who is over 35 has.” However, their devotions were touching, funny and human, all in 200 words. There were no rallies for the repeat, there were no run-on sentences, no parentheticals, and they made and accentuated their points very well.
Without proseltyzing for the faith, I should think that this was rather an exercise modelled on the microtheme. The microtheme is discussed in our print textbook, page 121. The editor was going for short, because it had to fit the dimensions of the devotion book. The point of the exercise was not to display the finer points of good writing and word usage. The point was for each volunteer to give a short lay perspective, a devotion to think upon further. But how truly amazing that our youth partners wrote their perspectives, dare I say, better than the adults. It was a proud moment to behold! Fresh narratives from the younger group that were more insightful and intelligently presented than we dared to expect.
Meadow and Farm 