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A bit ago, I posted about writing a book on the Samaritan Woman at the Well. It’s underway but has evolved, grown, and shifted. I need more time with her. The story of where the idea began and where it is now is, to me, an interesting journey. So, aside from sharing that story, I also want to lay out the basics of the plan. Afterward, I talk about some Drunk Pastor updates.
Backstory: How It All Started
A decade ago, I was in Moscow, Idaho, working at a church that had a love for biblical scholarship and relational ministry. That’s where I grew a lot in preaching and deepened my understanding of the Bible. I was part of this “Sermon Club” where we’d dissect upcoming sermons, and it allowed me to explore Scripture in a way that felt much freer.
I had just made an infographic about the structure of Hebrews, so naturally, I started one on John. (The unfinished version is below and I plan on completing it as part of this endeavor—though there’s so much more, and I’d do it differently now.) When I came across John 4, the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, a couple of things really jumped out. The imagery cracked open a whole new perspective for me on just this one story in John.
I ended up writing a blog post on her, which did decently well. That New Year’s, I made a resolution to write a book about her. (Side note: That was the second-to-last New Year’s resolution I’ve made—the other was two years of developing grit. And by the way, never make New Year’s resolutions.)
Fast Forward to Now
Since then, a lot has changed. My family was called to plant a church in Missoula. We launched, but then I fell headlong into alcoholism. It wrecked the church and my family. After two stints in rehab and some heavy drinking in between, I’m now three years sober, but there’s still a mountain of wreckage from my past sins.
John never left me though, if that makes sense. He’s been a passion and a curiosity I’ve not been able to shake. And as I’ve gotten serious about Drunk Pastor, I’ve also gotten serious about tackling the Samaritan woman again. But I’ve been sorting through my beliefs and worldview, no longer a card-carrying “Evangelical.” Theology and evangelicalism are not just abstract concepts but are tied to real people, relationships, and our journey with Jesus. John kept that truth planted even in my broken psyche.
A New Approach
Recently, a book crossed my path that opened even more my perspective on John. It’s not something that would appeal to most Evangelicals, but it opened up a side of first-century culture that I think could reshape how Christians read John and the rest of their Scripture. The research that will be coming out in the next decade will continue to fracture and unsettle more denominations. The book isn’t some mysterious source I’ll be pointing to, but it did challenge a lot of my prior views on this Gospel. As I write through John, both the historical content in the book and the book will be shared and discussed. I don’t share it now because I do not want anyone to think this book is what I base John on – it is not.
I read a bit like a mad hatter—juggling about four books at a time, sometimes more. I’ll circle back to books after weeks or months. It’s this messy dance of fact-checking, curiosity, familiarizing myself with new ideas, and making connections with other things that I love – studying. It’s just how my mind works. Ideas are interesting and the people behind them are. We all are able to hear ideas that we don’t agree with and still learn something. In fact, it is how we learn.
While writing about John 4 and working through posts for Drunk Pastor, I kept stopping to process things. I was writing an intro to John and realized: “Crap, I need to write a full commentary on the Gospel of John.” For some, that might seem like a simple realization or even an audacious idea, but to me, it was a huge calling. It’s daunting—imposter syndrome kicked in hard—but it’s happening.
The Current Plan
So far, I’ve written a Prologue and outlined an Introduction to John’s Gospel. There are actually three drafts of an introduction! For the Samaritan woman specifically, I’ve got a good chunk of writing started.
Here’s the basic plan:
- Write an Introduction to the Gospel of John.
- Outline the first three chapters of John.
- Finish the book on the Samaritan Woman.
- Circle back to the broader commentary on John.
Some of this content will make its way into blog posts here on Drunk Pastor as I work through it. I’m not committing to any timeline right now—I’ve learned that mistake. This will take the time it takes. It will have to work with the current demands of the schedule and as a part of the whole.
Drunk Pastor Updates
In the “real world,” there’s been a lot happening with Drunk Pastor, so here’s a quick rundown:
- Not A Bible Study: I’ve decided to postpone this for now. It’s been tough getting people to show up consistently, and honestly, the name isn’t helping—it doesn’t really explain what it is. A few of us are talking about relaunching it with a new vision. We’re thinking about meeting at the UM library on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m.
- As far as content, we’ll be exploring the relationship between Genesis and John, something I’ve been teaching for a couple of years and improved over time.
- Every Man’s Journey: One of the most meaningful things I’ve been a part of lately is a men’s group we started here in Missoula. The plans are bigger than just the group—there’s a concept, framework, and curriculum that I’d like to develop into something more. After this group wraps up, I hope to write a journal and other materials for it. I’ve also got a client who has a Ph.D. in social work with a passion for men’s issues, and we’ve talked about collaborating on something. Who knows where it’ll go?
- Newsletter: Ugh, I know I need to make one. Ideally, I’d love to be making money creating content and doing what I love, but right now, my business (which I also love) takes priority because bills need to be paid. The newsletter is on the to-do list, though.
- Drunk Pastor Services: This is something I’ve chewed on for a while, and I’m putting it out there. At this point, I finally feel comfortable offering help to people going through things I’ve been through. Between my pastoral experience, my own personal struggles, my education since, and my mental health journey, I’m in a position to help others. In Missoula, I’m also offering suicide prevention training as a certified QPR trainer. I had everything ready to apply to be an addictions counselor, but that didn’t pan out. With my experience, I’m set up to help people in some areas:
- “Spiritual Counseling” & Life Coaching: Addiction, Spirituality, Leadership, Trauma, Suicidality, Personal Development
- Church Consulting: Addiction, Trauma, Team Culture, Leadership, Relational Ministry, and Marketing.
- Patreon: It’s there. I’d love to grow Drunk Pastor to the point where I can spend more time on it, and Patreon is part of that plan. Right now, though, I need to focus on writing and building. But if you want to be my first Patreon supporter, you can start at $10/month.
- Guest Blogs: I’ve been writing and submitting guest posts to other sites. Two have shown interest, and I’m just waiting to see when they’ll be published. Stay tuned.
- Website: It needs some love—My Bookshelf, Now page, Services, FAQs… honestly, ugh, the whole thing needs an update. Over the next six months, I have a couple of small goals for the site:
- Free Resources Page: I have random church materials and will be adding more.
- Digital Products: I’ve got some ideas and would love to create direct-to-print resources. Being in marketing and enjoying graphic design, I think it could be a good fit. I wouldn’t complain about a little bit of revenue.
Well, that’s enough for now. Not exactly a “fun” or “nerdy” post, but still genuine. If you don’t follow Drunk Pastor on Instagram or Facebook, consider it for more quotes, thoughts, and content.
