Pastor Josh

I just want to say thank you to everyone who responded to my IG stories about writing a book.

I was quickly met with old friends telling me they have been waiting, mixed with people who are not familiar with the entire story.

I will be blogging some during the writing process, really just for me, but will post these articles as I reflect almost from a third person point of view as I write. 

I do want to provide some context so there is an initial and clear starting point. 

I used to be a pastor, my dad was a pastor, my degree is in practical theology, and my masters degree is in pastoral leadership.

People mistaked my leaving as disdain. 

I loved being a pastor, and leaving was painful. 

I am who I am today because I was a pastor, and I am also who I am because I left. 

This book is about risk, being judged, and being accepted.

First for yourself, then by others. 

It’s about my religious experience, how it informed my worldview and how being an entrepreneur and father led me out of theological certainty. Which is the opposite experience that most people read about while being in the church.

I have been messaged over the years that I am going to hell, or that I am a bad influence, one person even messaged us about a dream that we were going to be in a bad car accident and to remind us about our faith.

I have all the screenshots.

I have had people plead me with me, “But you still believe in God, right!?”

This book is a theological critique to the extent that I have evolved from a religious place, and no longer claim anything that I used to. However, it is also a book of appreciation and thankfulness. I believe I was introduced to beautiful universal truths as a kid that allowed me to be a strong and expressive person. 

I also believe I was introduced to very damaging ideas, several that I have had to re-wire. 

Any critique is a reflection and study of tribalism, religion, psychology, and epistemology. 

There will be observations, and disagreements. 

No more than the ones I have about our political system, education system, or my perspectives after living on both the east coast and west coast. 

All my stories are my own, and I will speak freely. 

This book is about ideas, how our experiences shape our reality, and how our lack of experiences shape them even more. 

Ideas have consequences, and most *pastors and politicians are the same people without the self awareness and accountability of real founders. They don’t have real skin in the game. 

*There are some really good pastors and even a few politicians out there, doing a lot of good. 

However, if pastors or politicians are wrong about their ideas, it will impact you, not them. 

They create problems that only they can provide solutions for, or only Jesus or a policy can fix.

This book is equal parts theology, philosophy, business, and technology.

My book is a journey out of faith and into truth.

I am not a man of faith.

I want to write about how ideas are basically coded programs, and humans are super computers. How parts of our political systems and religious systems are outdated, and how we can all feel it.

Ideas are filled with ingredients, and quality ingredients create quality ideas. 

And the less ingredients the better. Just like our food.

My book is for founders, risk takers, parents, and anybody who wants to view ideas objectively and work them from the ground up. 

It will be filled with contrarian practices, systems, and ideas. 

Like how the future is beautiful and won’t be dystopian.

That tech will have the final say, that all of the bullshitters, gotcha journalism, and fake founders and leaders in our society won’t be able to function in an honest society.

Tech is going to make fools (truth tellers) of us all. 

So this book is my foolish story, my truth, that I have built with. 

I believe the future belongs to people telling the entire truth, and the tension of truth is that we have to build with what we know, while acknowledging we only learn new things by trying new things.

I looked foolish when I used to speak in tongues. 

I looked foolish when I was obsessed with bass fishing.

I looked foolish when I decided to leave the faith.

I looked foolish when I started my business.

I looked foolish when I crashed my dirt bike and Sara had to call our friend Troy to help haha. 

The history of this world, both in tech and the church, is filled with foolish people. 

I am one of them, and I hope to inspire you to be one too.