About

Welcome

About Us

Hi! My names Josh, and I’m grateful you’ve decided to check things out here.

My goal with this space is to provide resources (and be one myself) so that wherever you’re at with God, you can grow. If you’re a burned out post church kid skeptic, who’s had a hard run of things with some hard questions, I want to get into them with you. If you’re a spiritual leader in your community, and have a church or small group that you lead, I want to come alongside you so that together we can help people grow, so that they AND you can reach people with the good news of who Jesus is, and what he’s up to in our lives, and in the world at large.
I’m passionate about Biblical Community, and whether you’re looking for one, have one, or are looking to start one, this space will hopefully have something that can help you grow.
My wife Tamara and I have been at this for a little while, and we want to share what we’ve been learning along the way.
This should be fun!

FAQ's

Why the name?

Packing for Exiles comes from a Biblical understanding of the state of humanity, and specifically those who consider themselves to be Gods people. The theme of Exile runs throughout the narrative of scripture and is specifically used to describe existence in the here and now for people who follow Jesus. We're IN Exile. Our existence is uncomfortable, foreign, and intrinsically NOT HOME.
It's going to take some knowledge, direction, and mission for us to understand that Exile isn't something that we should hide from, fight, or absorb into ourselves. As a matter of fact, us not being home yet can make sense of so much of what we experience on a day to day basis, while at the same time, providing a mission and meaning to what we do with our lives in Exile. If we're not home, then we've got work to do. We're Packing for Exile, and we want to do it well.

Okay, that's a lot. Now what?

I know, and I'm sorry. That's also a great question!

First off, I'd say you should familiarize yourself with the site. There'll be blogs and insights that I've written that are supposed to help you frame various aspects of your life in terms of the Exiles framework. A massive one to start with would be how to view God in light of the state of things. Having an accurate read on him will help you get a read on so much that follows after.
Following that? It's really up to you. Do you want to focus on your own spiritual growth and questions you may have about that?
How about relationships you have with others? Specifically how to grow healthy ones that fall in line with Gods plans and your own spiritual formation.
Maybe you have a grasp on a lot of this stuff and you're looking to form your various friendships into a biblical community that represents Jesus well, and helps people become who they're supposed to be?
You get the flow.

Where do you get your information from? (Why should I trust you?)

Especially poignant. It's absolutely wise to question the messenger, especially if there isn't any prior experience with them.
I'll hit this from a couple angles.
I would say that first and foremost you should know that I'm a follower of Jesus, and if he was about something, I'm going to say that I'm about it as well. I believe that Jesus is God, and specifically that he's God who took on humanity so that he could save a broken and fallen humanity from the mess they'd made of things, the brokenness inside of them, and the just wrath that was coming for them. He entered into a state of exile so that he could offer a way to experience restoration for those who put their trust in him. Through the cross and his resurrection Jesus proved that what he'd been saying was legitimate, and just as he beat death, he was offering that same power to those who had previously been living under the fear of death. Death was swallowed up in victory. Death where is your sting, grave, where is your victory?

I'm interested in living that truth out on a daily basis, and I want to experience and show how that plays out throughout human history, and our lives personally.

I think the bible is a deep, beautiful, complex and true collection of narratives, history, poetry, prophecy and more. It is the de-facto way that God has chosen to communicate with humanity, and it is the primary way that we can grow and experience Jesus.

Beyond that? I have been trying to follow Jesus since I was fourteen. I haven't gotten it right (most of the time), but I haven't given up, and I've been blessed with a community of people around me who share the desire to see Gods will be done, here and now, as it's done in heaven.

People generally don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care, and I hope that you'll be able to experience how much I care as you read about what I know.

How can I get involved?