Time to get that first lift of the week in. Planning to go Tues/Thurs/Sat this week.
Is anyone else having notification issues in iOS app? As in, there aren’t any? @manton any thoughts?
We have some bees sneaking into the house. So, today, the pest control company is rolling out. Hopefully, they can sort the issue quickly and completely.
I think about this quote nearly every day…
I am reminded almost every day that presence is the most important function of a pastor.
Not Lost, Not Alone

Listen to the unabridged sermon here: Not Lost, Not Alone
We don’t live in an easy world.
That’s not a particularly inspirational way to open, I know. But it’s where John 14 begins, and it’s where Jesus begins, so it’s where we need to start.
It might be weird for a pastor to post this, but it resonates with me on so many levels.
I appreciate the work of Chuck DeGroat. I think he gets to the heart of many of the issues in the contemporary church with this post.
This season The Pastor Next Door I am exploring de- and re-construction.
Listen here: The Pastor Next Door
This quote from James Clear’s newsletter today resonated:
“The measure of a life is not what you consume, but what you contribute.
Spend less time owning, consuming, taking. Spend more time giving, creating, making.”
This quote from St Bernard of Clairvaux really resonated with me. Perhaps it will resonate with you too.
“Blessed," he says, "are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God" (Mt 5:9). Consider carefully that it is not the people who call for peace but those who make peace who are commended. For there are those who talk but do nothing (Mt 23:3). For just as it is not the hearers of the law but the doers who are righteous (Rom 2:13), so it is not those who preach peace but the authors of peace who are blessed.”
- St. Bernard of Clairvaux, abbot/ theologian
Leg day is diabolical. I can barely traverse the stairs in my home. 😂
I see many posts aimed at pastors telling them how to create “effective teams.”
Those are great for CEOs.
We are to start with presence. Being present is not “efficient” or necessarily “effective.”
Being faithfully present in the lives of our teams creates a faithful culture rooted in love.
The new season of The Pastor Next Door has begun! Check out the full episode here: Deconstruction Is Not the Enemy
2.1 Deconstruction is Not the Enemy
Navigating Faith: Deconstruction and Reconstruction
Exploring the complexities of faith in our modern world.
Welcome back to another season of honest conversations on the Pastor Next Door podcast. This time, we dive deep into the concepts of deconstruction and reconstruction of faith, a journey many find themselves on when faced with challenging beliefs.