And yet, and yet...

I Made a Fire

Growing up, I understood that a fireplace in Texas was a lot like a Texas creek. Just like you couldn’t assume that something called a creek in Texas would ever have water in it, you couldn’t assume often that the elements would line up well enough to actually make a fire in a fireplace. Cold…

matthewcgillum

January 24, 2026

Uncategorized

beauty, bible, christianity, faith, fire, god, jesus, metamodernism, outdoors

The Erasing of a Workaholic

If you know me, you know that my mind is usually running on 5 different rails with various tasks popping up at different times. It’s both the blessing and the curse of an Executive Pastor that every day has variety and responsibility. As part of my survival, I rely on a whiteboard that I keep…

matthewcgillum

January 20, 2026

Uncategorized

bible, calling, christianity, faith, god, jesus, metamodernism, workaholic

A Tasty Communion

This past Sunday as our church did Communion, one of my children after drinking the cup of grape juice quietly said, “Mmm. That was good.” It made me laugh, generally because when it comes to Baptist Lord’s Suppers, I’m not sure tasty has ever been high on my descriptor list. The little papier mache cracker…

matthewcgillum

January 15, 2026

Uncategorized

bible, christianity, communion, faith, god, jesus, metamodernism

Grace Isn’t Safe

As I’ve started reading through the Bible this year with our staff, I ran across a perplexing statement in the book of Genesis, particularly 27:20 in an exchange between Isaac and Jacob: But Isaac said to his son, “How is it that you have found it so quickly my son?” Jacob answered, “Because the LORD…

matthewcgillum

January 12, 2026

Uncategorized

bible, faith, family, future, god, inheritance, jacob, jesus, rebel

Life, Death, and Gas Stations

I want to let you see what a pastor sees. A few weeks ago, I noticed that my gas tank was low so I pulled over to the side of the road at a gas station to fill up (and grab a Red Bull). As I stood at the pump with the sound of rush…

matthewcgillum

January 7, 2026

Uncategorized

bible, births, christianity, faith, funerals, god, grieving, hospitals, jesus, mourning, weddings

Maybe You’re Here

Having worked in ministry for a long time, I often latch onto strange phrases that become part of the normal language of ministry. We can do this with other churchy words like sacrament and doctrine and liturgy, etc. One phrase in particular that makes me stop in my tracks, but which I hear almost every…

matthewcgillum

January 5, 2026

Uncategorized

beauty, bible, calling, christianity, faith, god, jesus, love, mental-health, metamodernism

Bricks

A few weeks ago I had the chance to teach a seminary class at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Frightening, I know. But one of the cool things about when I return to the campus at SWBTS is seeing some of the legacy from my wife’s family there. Her father and grandfather both led the Physical…

matthewcgillum

December 31, 2025

Uncategorized

beauty, bible, calling, christianity, faith, family, jesus, life, love, metamodernism, ministry, writing

War and Peace

(Photo credit: Chris Barton) Having grown up in church, I’ve heard the passage from Luke 2 many times where Scripture shows us the announcement of the birth of Christ. We’re exposed to angels telling people not to fear, pronouncing good news, and singing of peace on earth and goodwill to men. In my mind, this…

matthewcgillum

December 24, 2025

Uncategorized

beauty, bible, calling, christianity, christmas, faith, god, jesus, metamodernism, ministry

The Light That Is Felt

I got electrocuted by Baby Jesus. So in my life, I have gotten mildly electrocuted not a few times. Cleaning walls, changing fire alarms, messing with electric fences, and once as a kid out of basic curiosity examining an outlet. It is a strange feeling, like getting shaken, the wind knocked out of you, and…

matthewcgillum

December 22, 2025

Uncategorized

bible, christmas, christmas lights, electrocution, faith, god, jesus, light

The Thrill of Hope

Ever get bored of Christmas? It can appear in many forms: watching Charlie Brown Christmas Special for the 500th time, going to the same Christmas party every year, singing the same carols over and over again, putting up with Mariah Carey yelling about what she wants for Christmas. We love Christmas, but if we’re being…

matthewcgillum

December 16, 2025

Uncategorized

advent, beauty, bible, christianity, christmas, faith, god, jesus