Embracing Stillness: Paul’s Prophetic Call to a Quiet Life

Last updated on: April 21, 2024 at 11:30 pm By Jeff McLain

The call to live a quiet life may feel both appealing and impossible in the demanding, loud hustle and bustle of our highly anxious and fast-paced society. However, a socio-economic study reveals that society was relatively as anxious, loud, and fast in Thessalonica when Paul wrote his timeless challenge, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life,” to the Thessalonian church (1 Thessalonians 4:11, NIV). Into a culture of abundance, Paul challenges the persecuted Thessalonian Church to ambitiously and... Read more

Lead a Quiet Life: A Journey to Unravel the Ties of Consumerism in a World and Church Obsessed with Excess

Last updated on: October 20, 2023 at 3:53 pm By Jeff McLain

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Though it feels like a different lifetime, a few decades ago my entire existence could be contained within the confines of a backpack and a blue Samsonite suitcase that was covered in bumper stickers of the artists that I had worked with, festivals I had attended, and places that I had visited. I experienced liberation, I was not shackled by what I owned, because I had few personal possessions to be responsible for. Something in that era possessed a certain... Read more

Restorers Podcast: Homelessness and Pastoral Care

Last updated on: September 16, 2024 at 9:04 pm By Jeff McLain

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In an interview on the Restorers Podcast, I explore the intersection of homelessness and pastoral care through my work at Water Street Mission. I have been serving as the Director of Pastoral Ministries at Water Street Mission since June 2020. After years of pastoring a church full-time, I felt called to lead a different kind of life as a pastoral leader (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12). As the Director of Pastoral Ministries, I oversee a range of spiritual and educational activities, including... Read more