Welcome to my Substack

Thank you for visiting my Substack. I am the pastor of Redeemer Hudson in Union City, NJ, a church just across the Hudson River from midtown Manhattan. I love spiritual formation. Whether I’m writing about it, preaching on it, or discipling people towards it, that’s the best part of my job.

I have written a book on prayer, where I show how the psalter can be used as a prayerbook. I grew up thinking that the Psalms were sometimes-inspiring poetry, or possibly just un-singable hymns, but God actually gave his people those prayers to form their spirituality in a particular way. That’s what I explore in When You Don’t Have the Words: Praying the Psalms. I’ve also written for The Gospel Coalition, Bible Gateway, and others.

I have always been drawn to the desert fathers and contemplative spirituality. At the same time, I find myself a pastor in a Reformed Presbyterian denomination. I appreciate both traditions. I love the mystery of the former and the simplicity of the latter. They are in tension, but not irreconcilably so.

This Substack is a place where I will publish essays that are personal to me, so thanks for being part of my faith journey.