My Forthcoming Book
It is my great pleasure to officially share a project I have been working on for over two years. I have written the manuscript of a book, and it is my hope to publish my work by the end of the year!
Two years ago, I had no intent to write a book. It was my last semester in seminary and the last year of my pastoral internship. I was struggling to manage my workload. As it so happens, one of my fondest tactics for relieving stress is to write. So while procrastinating on my seminary papers, I started writing a short reflection on the relationship of faith and logic. After a few hours and a few paragraphs, I was feeling better. But after a few days, I felt my mind wandering back to that reflection.
The next few weeks followed a regular pattern of revisiting the reflection, writing a few more paragraphs until I felt satisfied, taking a few days off, and then feeling my mind wander back to it again with a new question or idea. A conversation with a friend would remind me of something I had written and then push it forward. I’d read an article or hear a point in a sermon that would send my mind racing back to the project. Soon enough, it had grown longer than any seminary paper I wrote that semester.
I didn’t know what to do with it. It was too long to share as a single article. At the same time, I felt as though there was still so much left to say. So I made a commitment to myself: I would keep writing until I felt the project was done. No target length, no deadline, no intent to even share the work. I was going to let it evolve into whatever it became, and I simply asked the Lord to guide me as I wrote.
It’s been two years since I wrote those first few paragraphs, and I believe the work is now complete. It has taken the form of a small book: eight chapters with an introduction, conclusion, and brief appendix; nearly 34,000 words, and a little over 50 footnotes. I’ve given it the tentative title God’s Pyramid: Finding Rest in the Christian Worldview.
What is God’s Pyramid about?
This book begins by introducing the concept of a “worldview structure,” an architectural analogy to help us understand how we make sense of the world we live in. We’ll ask and answer questions like “What kind of worldview structure have I built for myself? How stable is my understanding of reality? What role do faith and logic play in building it? Where does God fit in it?”
The driving thesis of this book is that God reveals to us in his word the only “worldview structure” able to withstand the weight of reality.
God’s Pyramid is not a compilation of answers to “The Ten Hardest Questions for Christianity.” Nor is it an outline of the process I’ve learned to find answers to such questions. I have instead tried to outline foundational principles which “define our relationship” with God, the world, and truth.
By understanding what our relationship is with God and his word, I hope readers can arrive at an implicit posture of heartfelt trust in God, grateful submission to his word, and humble confidence in following him. That baseline trust, submission, and confidence is what enables one to ask questions of the Bible in good faith and experience rest in the answers they find in it. Without that foundation, answers to specific questions are often met with frustration, disappointment, and skepticism.
This book is the synthesis of my decade’s worth of ministry with a generation raised in a diverse, increasingly secular, and rapidly changing world. The arguments in my book are included because they have worked. I have done my best to articulate what my YoungLife kids, college students, and young adult congregants have found most compelling. In sharing this material, I have seen hearts shift from a baseline skepticism toward Christianity to a baseline trust in the Lord. More than that, I have been my own audience. My readers’ questions have been my own, and I have personally experienced the peace my book offers.
What is the plan for publishing?
The current plan for publishing is to find a traditional Christian publisher who is interested in taking on my manuscript. While I could self-publish (I have already self-published a few works by friends and family members, which you can find here), traditional publishers have the expertise and capacity to handle details I have neither the time nor ability to manage. More importantly, traditional publishers have a far greater reach. I genuinely believe this book is helpful and I hope to share it with as many people as possible.
I am currently in the process of reaching out to publishers with manuscript proposals. This process can take months, and most independent authors are low on the totem pole of publisher interest. Unfortunately, but understandably, publishers give priority to authors with an already established platform. Some degree of fame, or social media following, or academic credentials can go a long way in convincing publishers a person’s manuscript will cover the costs of publication.
Let me be realistic. I have a very small platform. I am a 30-year-old assistant pastor at a church of 200 regular attenders. I only have a Master of Divinity and have no intent of getting a PhD. I have no social media presence beyond a personal Facebook account with a few hundred friends. And while I am tremendously proud of this little website and its 1,200 monthly readers, publishers are looking for more.
Despite the challenges, I am still determined to pursue traditional publishing because, again, I genuinely believe the content of my book is worth sharing. This is in the Lord’s hands. I believe he guided me in writing it. I believe he wants to use this book to edify his church and to draw readers to himself. I will do my best to knock on the door of every potential publisher and give this book its best chance of getting picked up. I’ll trust the Lord to open and close doors as he sees best.
How can you help?
Here are three ways you can help get this book published!
1. Pray! Each time I have sat down to work on this project, I have asked the Lord to guide my head, heart, and hands. Now I need your help in doing the same with and for me. Pray that the Lord opens a door! Pray that my proposals can cut through the flood of dozens, if not hundreds, of other manuscripts. Pray that a publisher takes interest. Above all, pray that the Lord would feed his church and glorify his name by any means, even if it is not through this book.
2. Follow! One of the things many publishers look for in a manuscript proposal is a mailing list of those interested in the work. If anything about this project has piqued your interest, please sign up for my newsletter! You can sign up by submitting your email at the bottom of this page. I’ll be sharing snippets of the work in addition to updates on my publishing journey. Feel free to share this page with friends and family who might be interested. Every registered name makes a difference!
3. Reach out! Maybe you have a contact at a publisher, or you have a friend who works as a literary agent. Maybe you volunteer for a ministry that might benefit from this book. Maybe you have a keen eye for editing. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me! I’m open to any and all forms of help.
Thanks for reading, and thanks for staying tuned! I’m excited to see where the Lord takes this.
