Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical

2024-04-21T23:20:53-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Journeying Through Lent: An Invitation to Inventory

Last updated on: April 21, 2024 at 11:20 pm By Jeff McLain

0 Comments

The church is in the Lent season, a period of reflection, repentance, and preparation leading up to Resurrection Sunday. Though I did not grow up in church movements that celebrated Lent, nor was I shaped in a movement that had a regular practice of the liturgical church calendar, I have come to appreciate Lent. Even more, I have often thought of this as a season that invites us to do an inventory of our lives. Inventory is “an itemized list... Read more

General Christian

Relationships and Religion

Religion News

Lead A Quiet Life as Resistance

The Pilgrimage of Jeff McLain

Lent

Soul

2025-09-16T13:00:14-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A Soundtrack for Leading a Quiet Life

Last updated on: September 16, 2025 at 1:00 pm By Jeff McLain

0 Comments

Recently, this soundtrack has encouraged me to lead a quiet life. Music has consistently held a significant role throughout my life. I curate soundtracks and playlists tailored for road trips, vacations, and each distinct season of the calendar. Certain songs become fixtures in my life, echoing the sentiments of a particular moment in time, causing them to be played on repeat. Music, for me, at times transcends the ordinary and carries with it a divine connection to God, an instrument... Read more

General Christian

Home and Religion

Religious Art

Uncategorized

Denison Witmer

gratitude

It's Okay to Lead a Quiet Life

2024-04-21T23:21:40-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Embracing Downward Mobility: Choosing A Different Success

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

0 Comments

Downward Mobility? For generations, upward mobility has defined the American Dream. Upward mobility defines the way we, particularly as Americans, have placed importance on ascending the ladders of success, economic prosperity, accomplishment, fame, and material possessions. Not only have Americans valued upward mobility, but there has been a capacity and capability in the systems for individuals to effectively climb these ladders. For years, the professional and organizational cultures around us were driven by the rewards of upward mobility. An aspect... Read more

General Christian

Home and Religion

History and Religion

Lead A Quiet Life as Resistance

Choosing A Different Success in a Changing World

Downward Mobility

Embracing Downward Mobility

Lent

Photo by Rob Wicks on Unsplash.

2025-09-16T12:58:17-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Discovering God Podcast: The Pilgrimage of Faith

Last updated on: September 16, 2025 at 12:58 pm By Jeff McLain

0 Comments

For the past few months, I have been cohosting the weekly Discovering God Podcast with Rip Wahlberg. On this Discovering God Podcast, Rip and I address many different subjects – including the scriptures, theology, spirit-filled living, Christian living, matters of faith, and our spiritual journeys. For those of you interested, the audio version of our Discovering God Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and a lot of other podcast directories. You can also watch the... Read more

General Christian

Careers, Workplace and Religion

Business, Finance and Religion

The Pilgrimage of Jeff McLain

Contemplative

Discovering God Podcast

Evangelical

Forgiveness

General Christian

Spiritual Pilgrimage: Discovering God Podcast Interview

2024-04-21T23:25:05-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Embracing the Unfinished Journey: Insight from Martha & Mary

Last updated on: April 21, 2024 at 11:25 pm By Jeff McLain

0 Comments

Sometimes when I come home and look at the many repairs that I need to do on my house, I become defeated by the overwhelming amount of work that I think needs to be done. There are other moments in which I wake up and think about the many projects that I need to get to, but truthfully I never seem to be able to complete all of them. Many weeks, I am transparently overtaken with anxiety about what I... Read more

General Christian

Relationships and Religion

Family, Parenting and Religion

Lead A Quiet Life as Resistance

The Pilgrimage of Jeff McLain

Embracing the Unfinished Journey

Embracing the Unfinished Journey: Insight from Martha & Mary

2024-04-21T23:25:35-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

In Pursuit of Contentment: Lessons By Leo Tolstoy

Last updated on: April 21, 2024 at 11:25 pm By Jeff McLain

0 Comments

Besides Leo Tolstoy, many books have looked to address and hold a mirror to humanity’s struggles with consumerism. Perhaps none have addressed it as creatively as How Much Land Does a Man Need by Leo Tolstoy. Though a lesser celebrated work of Tolstoy, this book creatively portrays the timeliness and insatiable consumerism we often have at play in our lives and our relationships with our possessions. This 2010 release of How Much Land Does a Man Need was translated by... Read more

General Christian

Religious Art

Home and Religion

Reading in the Trenches

Book Review

Contentment

Evangelical

Faith and Mental Health

General Christian

Leo Tolstoy

2024-04-21T23:25:57-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Embracing Tranquility: The Art of Minding Your Own Business

Last updated on: April 21, 2024 at 11:25 pm By Jeff McLain

0 Comments

This week, as I took time to contemplate the “art of minding your own business,” I came across a quote credited to Betty White that said, “Just mind your own business, take care of your own affairs, and don’t worry about people so much.” Though I never was infatuated with Betty as much as many others, I still appreciate her gentle reminder to mind our own affairs. White is not the only individual of notoriety to ever suggest such a... Read more

General Christian

Home and Religion

Family, Parenting and Religion

Lead A Quiet Life as Resistance

Faith and Mental Health

2025-09-16T13:00:15-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

12 Scriptures That Help Us to Lead A Quiet Life

Last updated on: September 16, 2025 at 1:00 pm By Jeff McLain

0 Comments

In my previous post, I shared 12 quotes that offer an understanding of what it means to lead a quiet life as a follower of Jesus. Those 12 quotes have helped me on my journey to embrace stillness and navigate the journey towards a quiet life. I like to think that those quotes put some practical understanding around the timeless wisdom that Paul gives us in 1 Thessalonians 4:11. In this blog post, I accentuate 12 scriptures that I think... Read more

General Christian

Home and Religion

Careers, Workplace and Religion

Lead A Quiet Life as Resistance

2025-09-16T13:00:16-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

12 Quotes That Help Us to Lead A Quiet Life

Last updated on: September 16, 2025 at 1:00 pm By Jeff McLain

0 Comments

Through this blog, I have started the journey towards a quiet life by studying Paul’s timeless wisdom to lead a quiet life which was written to the Thessalonian followers of Jesus in 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12. In recent posts, I have begun to wrestle with the way busyness and consumeristic living have derailed us from understanding the contentment and significance of a quiet life. I have also explored how Paul’s idea of quiet is a Sabbath-like living of stillness. Without a... Read more

General Christian

Relationships and Religion

Home and Religion

Lead A Quiet Life as Resistance

2024-04-21T23:28:56-04:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Quiet Living: The Surprising Way Doing Less Achieves More

Last updated on: April 21, 2024 at 11:28 pm By Jeff McLain

0 Comments

This week, I came across an intriguing quote attributed to Craig D. Lounsbrough, that reads, “Greatness is born of ordinary men who decided to work extraordinarily hard” (GoodReads). For good or bad, Lounsbrough’s quote speaks to our innate human ability to pursue, actualize, and even produce success in our lives. Transparently, I do not know Craig or the context of his quote, but I do think this quote captures how a world of self-made men and women subconsciously believe that... Read more

General Christian

Home and Religion

History and Religion

The Pilgrimage of Jeff McLain

discipline

greatness

insatiable consumeristic hunger

pursuing success

stillness

tranquility

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What Christian group emphasizes "The Inner Light" as guidance from God?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Pentecostals Baptists Quakers Methodists

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category A Simple Church Way Hard Conversations Lead A Quiet Life as Resistance Reading in the Trenches Sacred in the Everyday Chaos Series: Advent Series: Bible Study Essentials Series: Four Walls of Gratitude Series: Postured Series: Reading Shelf Series: Sojourn Series: This Is The Lord's Table Series: Year in Review Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People The Holy Work of Parenting The Pilgrimage of Jeff McLain Theology in the Wild Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 June 2022

TRENDING AT PATHEOS Evangelical