Your Voice

TAB photographer, writer shares how God opened doors of opportunity

By Tracy Riggs
Freelance photographer and writer

Growing up, I had two far-fetched dreams: to be a professional photographer and a published author. However, I wasn’t a risk-taker and pursued a teaching career instead.

While in college, I shot some weddings. I was paid, so technically I was a “professional,” but I felt like a fraud. I had no formal training and didn’t have “professional” equipment.

Later, as a single parent with a full-time job, I gave up photography work. I took photos of my family and penned long-winded journal entries, but I had no faith that my dreams would ever materialize.

Unbelievably, years later I found myself in a place in life where I could try to pursue full-time photography.

Another plan

At first paid jobs were rare, so I got a part-time job as a receptionist at a salon. The owner suggested taking photos of prom girls getting makeup and hair done and making them available to their parents.

I advertised through a display of my work. Though I never sold any of those images, God had another plan in mind.

One afternoon TAB Media President and Editor-in-Chief Jennifer Davis Rash came to the shop. While scheduling her next appointment, she noticed the display and said she needed a local photographer. Though extremely excited, I kept my composure and replied that I’d love to be considered.

Five months went by before I heard back from her. Was I still interested? Was I available? I quickly said yes to both.

That first shoot for TAB was nerve-racking. After detailed editing, I submitted the images and held my breath. That first assignment led to photographing the Alabama Baptist Pastors Conference and Alabama Baptist State Convention that year.

Four months later I asked if we could cover the “Not Alone Conference.” Focused on breaking down the stigma of mental health concerns in the church, I was passionate about this topic as I personally dealt with these issues.

The answer was yes, but there wasn’t a reporter available. I was asked to take notes, so someone else could write an article. But again, God had other plans.

Attending the conference ignited my passion for the topic. I summoned every bit of courage I had and asked about writing the articles myself. To my surprise, I got a green light.

I applaud TAB Media’s content editor, Carrie McWhorter, for her extreme patience. I fumbled around while learning the journalistic style of writing. But with each new assignment, I gained experience and saw improvement in my skills.

Since then, I’ve interviewed nationally known Christian performers, done some event reporting and written research-based articles.

But even after having my byline on numerous articles, part of me felt I still wasn’t an “author” because I hadn’t published a book.

I discovered Christian Writers for Life through a workshop called “The Writing Minister,” sponsored by TAB Media and taught by the group’s founder, Denise George.

When the group held a contest to be included in a published essay collection, I gathered my courage and entered.

In my heart, I still thought being published at all would be a fluke. I was completely amazed when my story was chosen.

“Triumph from Tragedy” doesn’t have my name on the cover, but it’s still a dream come true. God carved out a path I couldn’t have ever imagined to fulfill 35-year-long desires, even though I had no faith.

I’m so humbled now to see what He has done.

The importance of theology

Sometimes it can feel like there is a chasm between the great seminary-trained minds in the pulpit and the layperson in the pew.

Theology, however, is not limited to historical monks or ordained ministers.

The call is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matt. 22:37).

The Bible doesn’t say to love God with your podcast pastor’s mind or the Instagram influencer’s mind; you must engage with God yourself.

Every college freshman, every stay-at-home mom, every retirement-age accountant can and should be a theologian. …

No matter where you land in your investigation, it is essential that God’s glory and Christ’s exaltation remain the primary purpose and desire of your search. “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (2 Cor. 10:17).

Kelly Redding
“God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility: A brief history”
The-Scroll.com

Power of instrumental worship

One way to define worship is a rhythm of revelation and response.

God reveals himself through revelation, and his people respond in praise, awe, delight, love and obedience.

Jesus describes such a full-orbed response in Matthew 22:37 when He identifies the greatest commandment: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”

Instrumental worship seems to provide a unique avenue of response by engaging the whole person intellectually, physically and emotionally.

Furthermore, instrumental worship allows a group of skilled individuals to worship simultaneously, even as they support a larger group of worshippers corporately.

One reason why corporate musical worship is so powerful is because it allows large groups to easily rehearse the same truth in unison, and singing amplifies the sonic energy of the voice compared to speaking.

Adding instrumental participants not only increases the sonic energy of the gathering, but also allows instrumentalists to engage a different aspect of their being, even while it supports the involvement of the rest of the group.

In this light, the expansive use of instrumental worship throughout the Old Testament is understandable: it encourages a more full-orbed expression of praise both individually and corporately.

Timothy Lee Bandy
Associate minister of music, Whitesburg Baptist Church

(Excerpt from his Southern Seminary doctoral project, “The Developing Role of the Instrumental Ministry at Whitesburg Baptist Church in Huntsville, Alabama”)

Complaining reveals our view of God and His provision.

Tara-Leigh Cobble
Host, The Bible Recap podcast

We really believe God wants to use young people, and we are pleading with this generation to make their life count for Jesus — because He is worthy. There’s no greater cause than to live for Him and to make sure that in our lifetime that we give every person in the world a chance to hear about Him.

Jess Jennings, IMB missionary

“We have spiritual family members there [in China], and they are being persecuted,” said Voice of the Martyrs spokesperson Todd Nettleton. “They are suffering at the hands of the communist government. Let’s not just enjoy the Olympics and cheer on our country. Let’s use this as a reminder to pray for our brothers and sisters who live in China and who face persecution there.”

The most effective person at reaching a student with the gospel is another student that has a heart that beats with passion for Jesus, and that same heart is broken over the spiritual lostness of their own generation.

Shane Pruitt
National Next Gen Director, North American Mission Board

The power of the message of the Apostle Paul was not in his size, speech, education or pedigree. It was simply this: “For I bear in my body the brand-marks of the Lord Jesus” (Gal. 6:17). Could this be why the world is not listening to our message? We have no scars. Our Christianity costs us nothing. We are lacking scars that prove our love for Jesus. Where are your scars?

Terry Long, Associational missions director
Choctaw Baptist Association
From his sermon, “The Power of a Surrendered Life”

Parents, six additional minutes of reading a day will significantly improve your child’s reading performance. Just be sure you give them the classics to read. Teach them early, and they will fall in love with great literature.

Pastor Mac Brunson
Valleydale Church, Birmingham

From the Twitterverse

@drtonywolfe
Last week my 72-year-old Dad, pastor of a normative-sized SBC church, helped an 85-year-old church member clean up his overflowed toilet in his home because no one else would come. All his life he’s modeled for me what it means to be a servant-shepherd.

Love them, pastor, & you will serve them.

@jbwester
The biggest threat to the SBC today is not men lacking courage but men lacking character.

@ricklance
God writes with a pen that never blots, speaks with a tongue that never slips, acts with a hand that never fails. —Charles Spurgeon

@revandyfrazier
Our kids are a blessing from God, & discipling them is serious. It’s not our duty to disciple our kids into our dreams & ambitions for them, however good those things might be. We’ve been given the grace to disciple & love our kids to follow Jesus & His plan for their lives.

@GaryFenton07
Being passionate on social media about a particular Christian doctrine or a theological position is not the same as being passionate about the Christian faith. The Christian faith is to be lived with passion rather than argued with passion.

@MAusberry
Today, a woman shared with me, “Pastor I have not been in live service for over 2 years. Live streaming is nice, but there is nothing like being present in live worship. I’ve missed it so much.” There is something special that happens when we meet together for worship.

@pastorclint
You want to be a better thinker and theologian as a preacher? Try preaching through Hebrews. Goodness! Finding out just how much I don’t know! And I love it! Come on!

@JonTyson
I’m often amazed at how the people throwing the strongest critiques at others are often so fragile and defensive when critiqued themselves. Lord grant us a non-defensive spirit.

@GarrettMWalden
Just left a local Baptist association meeting where I was the youngest in the room by 40 years. There are 7 churches in our county currently looking for a pastor.

Aspiring pastor-friends, there are jobs. But you’ll have to be OK with rural obscurity like the +99.9% of history.