Ryan Wekenman
7 min read ⭑
“While public speaking terrifies me, it is also a constant reminder for me to surrender and let God work through me.”
Ryan Wekenman uses creativity to engage people as they explore life’s biggest questions, including: Who am I, really, and do I matter? What does God want from me and my life? Can my prayers actually change anything? Am I enough?
As a teacher pastor at Red Rocks Austin (a church he founded with a few of his best friends), Ryan hears questions like this all the time. He addresses them through Scripture, humor and honesty in his sermons, on his podcasts, Afterthoughts and Stories in Scripture, and in his books: Single Today and his newest release, Free Me from Me.
Today, Ryan is getting honest about his favorite ways to indulge, the thrill of experiencing the Holy Spirit through downstream creativity and, ironically, his fear of public speaking.
QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT
Food is always about more than food; it’s also about home and people and love. So how does a go-to meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind your web bio?
I believe life is about balance. Which means I eat really healthy — until I don’t. When it’s time to tip the scale back to unhealthy, I can eat an alarming amount of deep-dish pizza. My go-to is a local Austin staple called VIA 313.
Last week, we ended 21 days of prayer and fasting at our church, and so naturally, I wanted to tip the scales a bit. I went to VIA 313 and had one of the most meaningful meals I’ve ever had. It felt like my taste buds got reset, and I was trying pizza for the first time all over again. This year, my goal is to approach every meal that way. Instead of rushing through it to get to the next thing, I’m going to try to stop and enjoy every bite.
Max Bender; Unsplash
QUESTION #2: REVEAL
What “nonspiritual” activity have you found to be quite spiritual, after all? What quirky proclivity, out-of-the-way interest or unexpected pursuit refreshes your soul?
I love to read fantasy fiction. My ideal day off involves leaving my phone at home and taking a long walk with a good book. I’ll stop at a park bench and read for a bit. Then I’ll go to a coffee shop and read for a while. Then, when I’m hungry, I’ll make my way to a diner (who still says diner?) and keep reading.
Escaping into another well-crafted world is a wonderfully freeing thing. Ironically, it makes me more grateful for the world that I do live in. When I was a kid, I remember wishing I lived in the Shire (from “The Lord of the Rings”) or got to go to Hogwarts (from “Harry Potter”). But the older I get, the easier it is for me to see magic in the mundane moments of our world — whether it’s good conversations, funny jokes with friends or, of course, a great bite of deep-dish pizza from VIA 313.
QUESTION #3: CONFESS
Every superhero has a weakness; every human, too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re all broken and in this thing together. So what’s your kryptonite, and how do you confront its power?
I’ve spent my whole life terrified of public speaking. Which is ironic, because I do it multiple times a week. You can always tell when I’m nervous because I try to make up for it with volume — the higher the decibel, the greater the spiral.
Public speaking is a big plot point in my new book, “Free Me from Me.” The book has a couple of funny stories about moments I wanted to quit before sermons. Looking back, those moments have ended up being some of my favorite reminders that it’s not about me. I’ve always resonated with 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” While public speaking terrifies me, it is also a constant reminder for me to surrender and let God work through me.
QUESTION #4: FIRE UP
Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your current obsession? And why should it be ours?
Mastery. In an age of short attention spans, I want to get really good at my craft. We live in a noisy world; I’m convinced the way forward is not to raise the quantity of what you create but the quality. Hone your craft. And enjoy every minute along the way. Finished products are great, but the true magic is in the process.
To get even more specific, for the fellow writers out there, I’m working really hard on my cadence. When you are speaking to a crowd, you can use all sorts of nonverbal cues to bring a story to life. With books, you don’t get any of those tools; all you have is words on a page. So I’m trying to crack the code and figure out how to make sure readers read my words the way I hear them in my head. Am I making progress? No idea. But I’m sure having fun trying.
QUESTION #5: BOOST
Whether we’re cashiers or CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need God’s love flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it’s God when it happens?
I call it downstream creativity. Most of my work feels like swimming upstream, but every once in a while, an idea will hit, and the creation process feels like floating down a river. It doesn’t happen all that often, but I’ve learned to trust that it will happen when it’s supposed to.
When I wrote my first book (“Single Today”), I experienced downstream creativity all the time. However, book number two (“Free Me from Me”) was the exact opposite experience. I spent three years writing it and was stuck for most of it. However, along the way, I learned my job is simply to keep showing up and putting in the hours. The Holy Spirit seems to honor a long obedience in the right direction (and yes, that concept found its way into the book).
QUESTION #6: inspire
Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied habits that open our hearts to the presence of God. So let us in. Which spiritual practice is working best for you in this season?
Most would say golf is a “nonspiritual” activity, but I beg to differ. In a world where we love to be inside, golf takes you outside. In a world where we tend to drift toward isolation, golf puts you next to three friends for five hours. Some of my most sacred conversations have come on the golf course. One friend decided to quit his job and take his life in an entirely different direction on the 15th green. That was five years ago, but we still talk about that round of golf to this day.
QUESTION #7: FOCUS
Looking backward, considering the full sweep of your unique faith journey and all you encountered along the way, what top three resources stand out to you? What changed reality and changed your heart?
Jon Tyson’s weekly email is a no-brainer. He is a refreshing combination of creativity, brilliance and humility and is a leading voice in the church today.
Every writer should subscribe to Writers Circle by Will Parker Anderson. Will is a brilliant editor at Penguin Random House and is really good at making writing look easy.
The Bible Project is a game-changer. I love all of their content, but their 10-minute recap videos for every book in the Bible are incredibly helpful.
Certain things can be godsends, helping us survive, even thrive, in our fast-paced world. Does technology ever help you this way? Has an app ever boosted your spiritual growth? If so, how?
The Dwell Bible App has been a lifesaver for me. In fact, I woke up at 2 a.m. last night in a bit of a spiral. I am in the middle of making a really big decision, and although I am faced with two good options, it’s still really difficult. My mind woke me up at 2 a.m. to tell me all about it. I usually don’t keep my phone in my room, but I’m glad I did. I grabbed my phone and started with Psalm 1, letting the Word of God bring me comfort.
This world is full of opinions. Which is why, now more than ever, we need God’s truth. So if you’ve ever found yourself spiraling in the middle of the night, the Scripture and Bible meditations on the Dwell Bible App can be incredibly helpful.
QUESTION #8: dream
God’s continually stirring new things in each of us. So give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?
I just tried stand-up comedy for the first time, and (I think) it went really well. I only did five minutes, but now I’m getting ready to do a 10-minute set for round two. It’s currently unclear to me whether this is my best idea or my worst. I used up all my good material the first time around, so now I have no idea if I’m going to crush it or bomb.
The good news is, my job as a writer and pastor is a lot easier when I have good stories to tell. I figure even if I bomb, it’ll be a good story to tell.
I think “Live a good story” is a great motto to live by. It’ll put you in a lot of uncomfortable and, at times, awkward situations. But rest assured, life will never be boring, and you’ll never run out of stories to tell.
If you ever need a reason to improve your craft — whether it’s writing, speaking, mentoring, cooking, analyzing numbers on a spreadsheet or something else — King Solomon has words of wisdom for you.
“Do you see a man skillful in his work?” he wrote thousands of years ago. “He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men” (Prov. 22:29, ESV).
But gaining recognition isn’t the only reason to hone the skills God has gifted to us. Our heavenly Father is a master Creator. He doesn’t cut corners — he always creates with brilliance and excellence. When we strive for mastery, we strive to be more like him.
While none of us can become God, of course, or ever reach his perfection in craft, what Ryan said still rings true: “I’m convinced the way forward is not to raise the quantity of what you create but the quality. Hone your craft. And enjoy every minute along the way.”
No matter who you are or what you do, you are an artist because you are a child of God. Let him shine through your work.
Ryan Wekenman is a storyteller and pastor who is passionate about finding creative ways to help people explore life’s biggest questions. He is the author of Free Me from Me and Single Today and the co-host of Afterthoughts, a weekly conversation about faith, culture and the church. Wekenman has a master’s degree from Talbot School of Theology and is the teaching pastor of Red Rocks Austin, a young, vibrant church he helped start with a few of his best friends. He lives in Austin, Texas.