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A Sensible Response to Critics |
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Written by Maxine Marsolini
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Wednesday, 04 November 2009 |
 I grew up the second of four children. To make matters worse, I was the smallest of them all in physical stature. One day, just before my ninth birthday, someone needed to hang a blanket on the clothes line. Back then we lived on a farm and had a wringer washer but no dryer. Everything either dried on the clothesline outside on sunny days or on the back porch when it was too cold or rainy.
On that particular day my grandmother had said, "Maxine, please put this blanket on the line for me." But as I went to do the job my mother made a very different remark. "No. She's too small. She can't possibly hang that heavy blanket."
Critics can be among our family members, co-workers, friends, media, publishers, editors and lots of people we'll never meet. A critic either gives constructive criticism or finds fault with who we are and what we do.
Constructive critics express reasoned judgment with valuable input or observations. These people help us to advance what we do. We can trust them to have our best interests at heart. Compassionate constructive criticism is always appreciated.
On the other hand, harsh, fault-finding, destructive critics are hard to bear up under. Nothing they say is helpful. It's hurtful. A fault-finding critic is one who passes judgment without clear understanding; or one who does it to meet a self-serving agenda.
Jesus was plagued with critics. Mark 3:20─34 is a good example of the antagonists who came against Jesus. In this passage of Scripture Jesus has entered a house. A crowd has followed him. There is no time for him or his disciples to even eat. From verse 21 we learn that his family has been informed of what's taking place. We can assume his family is genuinely concerned for their loved one's physical health because they went to take charge of him. But their words, "He is out of his mind," are neither correct or kind.
And, at the same time Jesus is touching thousands of people with hope and healing, the Pharisees and teachers of the law work harder and harder to bring him down. For them, the quicker they can get rid of Jesus, the better. Verses 22 and 30 inform us that this particular gang of opponents takes the verbal abuse to a higher level by saying, "He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons...He has an evil spirit." Their outrageous accusations are neither true or courteous. They are downright mean-spirited.
Different kinds of critics but one sensible response
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Written by Dawn Shipman
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Sunday, 25 January 2009 |
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Thanks to everyone who responded about the currently operating critique groups with OCW members. It's great to hear so many of you are participating with others in honing your writing skills. |
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Written by Sue Miholer
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Sunday, 25 January 2009 |
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Want to connect with another OCW member but you don’t have his or her current contact information? In an effort to protect everyone’s personal information, we no longer make a roster available either electronically or in hard copy. But you can always e-mail the Membership Secretary at
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to get someone’s contact info. |
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Written by Sue Miholer
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Friday, 04 January 2008 |
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ADDRESS CHANGE: If you use US Mail to send in payments and/or to register for an event, please use this address:
OCW
1075 Willow Lake Road N.
Keizer OR 97303 |
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Written by Mary Hake
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Tuesday, 23 October 2007 |
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At our fall conference on Saturday, October 20, DJ Young asked to be released from the office of president. The OCW membership voted to grant his request and to have Mary Hake, whose term as program coordinator/vice president was ending, fill out the year remaining in the current presidential term, until October 2008. The annual planning meeting previously scheduled for November 17 had been postponed until January. The results of the election held at the conference business meeting are as follows: Maxine Marsolini, program coordinator (vice president); Sue Miholer, membership and corresponding secretary for a second term; and Pamela Rosales, recording secretary. Dawn Hill is our new critique group coordinator and Pat Wilhelm publicity coordinator. Thanks to all who have served and who continue to serve OCW. We are a volunteer organization and can always use our members’ help. Let one of the officers listed below know if you would like to become more involved. We especially need an assistant for the webmaster, since overseeing the OCW website is quite time-consuming.
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