In one month my first book will be yours to read.

Pre-order it wherever and whenever you buy books!

Last night, my wife and I finished reading aloud Telling Secrets by Frederick Buechner. I love this book and have read it many times, but it was a special joy to read it aloud. 📚

Happy to have my article “Finding Our Way Back with Christ: Four pathways for preaching in Lent” featured in the latest CT Pastors email. It should be open for all to read, not just subscribers.

In the latest episode of “Field Notes for Pastors,” Daniel Grothe shares the importance of place in ministry and life. We explore agrarian imagery for ministering over the long haul. It was such a joy to host Daniel in this episode: “Rooted: The Power of Place in Ministry.”

These words from Jesus stop me in my tracks every time: “On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matt 9:12-13)

As we begin Lent, I’m looking forward to journeying into the tears of Jesus recorded in Scripture—tears of compassion, frustration, mercy, anger, anguish, and trust. This teaching series emerges from my own spiritual journey with tears.

Here is “The Weekend Wanderer” for 21 February 2026 - a weekly curated selection of news, stories, resources, and media at the intersection of faith and culture for you to explore through your weekend.

“The only real, practical, hope-giving way to remedy the fragmentation that is the disease of the modern spirit is a small and humble way—a way that a government or agency or organization or institution will never think of, though a person may think of it: one must begin in one’s own life the private solutions that can only in turn become public solutions.”

• Wendell Berry in The Unsettling of America, p. 25.

“When we consider Jesus as ‘the image of the invisible God’ (Col 1:15), it is worth paying attention to the moments recorded in Scripture when Jesus weeps. Each time Jesus weeps we encounter a different angle on the being of the Christian God.” Read more in “When Jesus Wept.”

Just finished reading Train Dreams by Denis Johnson aloud with my wife, Kelly. Had to read it before watching it. 📚

Are we nurturing our souls, or just surviving the demands of ministry? In the latest episode of “Field Notes for Pastors,” Shanthini Baskaran sheds light on the often-overlooked importance of soul care for those in ministry. How do we prioritize spiritual growth amidst it all? Listen here.

It was a huge privilege to join the UpWords Podcast with John Terrill of Upper House/SL Brown Foundation, talking about my book The Pastor as Gardener: A Renewed Vision for Ministry.

I hope this book is an encouragement to pastors and all those in ministry. You can preorder it here.

In divided days, what is it that God asks of His people? Is it merely exorbitant worship or something else? I wrote about this in “The Three Strands of God’s Calling: a word from Micah 6.”

Listen to the latest episode of the “Field Notes for Pastors” podcast with Steve Smith, founder of Potter’s Inn and the Soul Care Institute,” speaking about “Recovering Our Souls in Ministry: From Performance to Presence.”

Here is “The Weekend Wanderer” for 7 February 2026 - a weekly curated selection of news, stories, resources, and media at the intersection of faith and culture for you to explore through your weekend.

I wrote a prayer-reflection on experiencing the healing presence of Christ in our lives called “Trace It Down.”

Here is the latest episode of “Field Notes for Pastors” with Greg Marshall exploring “The Stories We Live By: The Metaphors That Shape Ministry.”

“I read so many times or hear on podcasts, ‘How do you avoid burnout?’ I don’t think that’s a helpful approach. I think a more positive approach is how do you find and retain your true self?” - Mandy Smith

I wrote about “Hope Beyond Optimism: Living Christ’s Future into the Present.”

In this week’s episode of “Field Notes for Pastors” Mandy Smith reminds us the journey from self-sufficiency to reliance on God is essential. We can embrace our vulnerabilities and allow them to empower our ministry. Listen to “Ministering from the True Self with Vulnerability and Creativity.”

I’m thrilled to host Dr. Vince Bacote on Monday night, Jan 26, at 7 PM at Eastbrook Church for a discussion of the new documentary, “Black + Evangelical.” If you haven’t seen it yet, I highly recommend viewing it here.

Here is “The Weekend Wanderer” for 24 January 2026 - a weekly curated selection of news, stories, resources, and media at the intersection of faith and culture for you to explore through your weekend.

“To be hurt is unavoidable in this world, and we have choices to make as to how we will handle it.” - Dallas Willard in The Scandal of the Kingdom

I love that feeling when I read an article that I think is really interesting and then realize that I know the author. Had that feeling today when reading Trey Clark’s “Black Contemplative Spirituality: A Personal Journey” in Conversatio, remembering when we met at a Willie Jennings’ seminar.

I wrote about how “Our Faith is Personal But Not Private” - a reflection on the public nature of our faith and discipleship