Join Me on Substack

For the past few years, I’ve been writing on Patheos about what it means to lead a quiet life with conversations rooted in 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12. My personal website, JeffMcLain.com, has grown into a place for conversations about the Lord’s Prayer, spiritual formation, ancient Christian practices, simple Jesus communities, and following Jesus in ordinary life. Recently, I have been thinking more intentionally about where and how I show up or invest online.

Substack is one of those places I want to be more intentional about.

Over the past several months, I’ve significantly stepped back from social media. I’ve stopped posting on Bluesky, Mastodon, and TikTok. I’ve trimmed my Instagram account to fewer than twenty posts. Threads and X are still competing for my attention, while my activity on Facebook and LinkedIn has slowed considerably.

Part of this is simply wanting to be present in fewer places. But there’s something deeper happening, too.

I’ve noticed a growing expectation to post.

A pressure to join conversations, share something from everyday life, offer a reflection, or proclaim good news. Then there are the algorithms, posting schedules, and best practices to consider so that whatever we share actually gets seen.

Somewhere along the way, connection and conversation have become increasingly cheapened. Our relationships and connections are being monetized, penalized, weaponized, and measured. The divide seems to be growing, and the expectation to stay visible doesn’t seem to help.

I feel different on Substack, and that is why it is one of those places I want to be more intentional about.

Reading The Social Reckoning (2026) encouraged some sparks that were already there. Since then, I’ve found myself thinking about what it might mean to live differently.

I want to make room for conversations that don’t need to become content, experiences that don’t need to be documented, and thoughts that don’t need to be optimized for an audience.

I’ll still write. I’ll still share. You’ll find me on Patheos, Substack, and here at JeffMcLain.com. But I want to do so with greater intention and less expectation.

Substack: Continuing the Conversation

One reason I’ve been drawn to Substack is that it offers an opportunity to do more than simply publish another article. It creates room for conversation around the things we’re reading, writing, and wrestling with together.

I want to explore what it means to lead a quiet life, learn to pray the Lord’s Prayer, recover ancient Christian practices, and rediscover a rooted way of following Jesus in ordinary life. It is my hope to not only inspire others to do the same, but also to join the conversations around these matters.

Sometimes that will mean sharing a shorter reflection. Sometimes it will be an idea I’m still working through. Other times, I’ll point you toward something I’ve written here or on Patheos.

But I hope it becomes more than another place where I publish things at you. I’d like it to be a place where we can talk, ask questions, and learn from one another.

If you’ve been following my writing, I’d invite you to join me on Substack.

Subscribe to Lead a Quiet Life on Substack.

And I’m curious: Have you noticed a growing pressure to post, share, and stay visible? Has it changed the way you experience social media, or even ordinary life?

I’d like to hear what you think.

And join me on Substack.