Prayer: Lifeblood, Strong Wall, and Fortress of the Church

Last updated on: September 16, 2024 at 3:35 pm By Jeff McLain

In the life of the local church church, prayer must be more than an individual practice or liturgical habit. For the church trying to lead a quiet and faithful witness (1 Thess. 4:11-12), Prayer becomes the lifeblood, strong wall, and fortress that sustains and protects the community. Prayer plays a crucial role in uniting and fortifying the church against challenges, and may even foster a resilient and thriving church community. Praying for our local church is scriptural. Toward the end... Read more

Walking with Others: Allowing Prayer to Transform Ourselves

Last updated on: August 27, 2024 at 9:41 am By Jeff McLain

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Prayer is not just about interceding for others; it’s also a powerful tool for personal transformation in how we intentionally find ourselves walking with others. In my last blog post, I unpacked the framework that I use to be more effective when praying for the people I walk alongside. There are many times in which I have seen prayer transform pain, people, problems, and probabilities in my own life – and in the life of others. Praying for others matters... Read more

Praying for Others: A Framework for Intercession

Last updated on: August 24, 2024 at 12:55 pm By Jeff McLain

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Over the past few weeks, I have been reflecting on what it means to effectively pray for those I work alongside. Praying for others is essential for any leader, or any follower of Jesus. As a pastoral leader, I have been considering the profound impact prayer may have or does have on the interactions we have with those we do life with. There are times when prayer is the only answer for the reason some breakthrough happened. I am reminded... Read more

Reflecting God’s Goodness Through Work and Stillness

Last updated on: August 14, 2024 at 4:00 pm By Jeff McLain

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This Lead a Quiet Life blog on Patheos focuses on a life lived in light of Paul’s command in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12. A few years ago, this verse became my key verse for this season of my life, and I have enjoyed examining it’s richness. This verse has a lot to teach us about finding contentment, and ultimately through that contentment, joy. In this blog post, I also want this passage not be only be something I examine, but a... Read more

Living in a Divided World: A Call to Faithful Presence

Last updated on: July 15, 2024 at 12:31 am By Jeff McLain

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On Saturday, violent acts were carried out against an individual who is a former president and current presidential candidate. Regardless of our political convictions or spectrum, such acts need to be denounced unequivocally as wrong. This is also a time to hear a call to be a faithful presence. As you may be aware, this Lead a Quiet Life blog on Patheos pursues understanding 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, and what it means to lead a quieter life at a slower pace, to discover a simple... Read more

Keeping A Daily Office: A Challenge from Solomon ibn Gabirol

Last updated on: July 7, 2024 at 6:45 pm By Jeff McLain

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Discontentment convinces us that contentment is found by acquiring something, but truthfully contentment is the act of learning to be happy and satisfied with what we already have, or what God gives to us each day. In the 11th Century, Solomon Ibn Gabirol, the renowned Hebrew poet and philosopher, once wrote, that the “[One] who seeks more than [one] needs, hinders [one]self from enjoying what [one] has. Seek what you need and give up what you need not. For in... Read more

A Call To Commit To Church Communities Leading Quiet Lives

Last updated on: June 19, 2024 at 9:29 am By Jeff McLain

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Last year, I attended a workshop for pastors on how to more effectively support those they serve who are going through the journey of mourning and grief. As the event began, the speaker engaged in some light-hearted small talk about the challenges of pastoring, using humor to make his points. One of his comedic reflections highlighted a paradox of modern-day ministry: while many people and polls about patterns of people claim that individuals desire smaller churches, fewer programs, and more... Read more

Simplest Influence: Father’s Day and the Power of Presence

Last updated on: June 17, 2024 at 12:40 am By Jeff McLain

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This past weekend we celebrated Father’s Day, a day in which we as dads also remember and celebrate our fathers, and we remember and celebrate those who have been like dads to us. For those of us who are fathers, we also find ourselves grateful for our children, the blessing they are, and we hopefully find ourselves grateful for the lives they are living. This year, after church, I was blessed to celebrate another Father’s Day by enjoying some Key... Read more

Beyond Materialism: Parenting What it Means to Live Simply

Last updated on: June 1, 2024 at 6:43 pm By Jeff McLain

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Today, June 1, is the Global Day of Parents. The Global Day of Parents is a day that is declared by the United Nations to celebrate and honor parents worldwide. Without a doubt, parents model a selfless and sacrificial commitment to their children. For many of us, this is one of many holidays that we probably ignore, or don’t even know about. Lately, I have been considering how a call to lead a quiet life influences my role as a... Read more

The Lord’s Prayer: A Help in Leading A Quiet Life

Last updated on: May 30, 2024 at 9:43 am By Jeff McLain

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The Lord’s Prayer is more or less the manifesto of Christian faith, it is a revolutionary prayer that reminds us of our relationship to God and it reminds us of all the teachings of Jesus. However, it is more than just a pattern of prayer for the follower of Jesus. In addition to being a trellis that we pattern our prayers by, it is a reflective theological practice that offers profound insights and reminders into how we can live more... Read more