KnoxPriest

About this blog

I write from the perspective of an Anglican priest in Knoxville, TN, yet my interests are centered on what makes us human, especially regarding the inner life. My body, my soul, and my roots are in Knoxville, affectionately known as the Scruffy City. As a spiritual writer, I’m continually meditating on themes of place and the present moment. But there’s other interests, too. There will be some posts here inspired by time in my woodshop, flyfishing in East Tennessee rivers, and watching baseball.

Why Scruffy Hospitality Creates Space for Friendship is the most widely read article on my blog, so that’s a good place to start if you’re new to this site. I hope my meditations on life in my hometown will help you connect more deeply with the Triune God and the place where you live.

About Jack

I am a native Knoxvillian (Fountain City, to be precise) who never imagined that I would serve a church in my hometown. For the past 13 years, I’ve been honored to serve Apostles Anglican Church in west Knoxville and presently serve as Apostles’ Rector. Before serving at Apostles, I served Methodist churches in Knoxville and Gateshead, England. In England, I discovered my love for the Anglican tradition that later became my spiritual home. I was ordained an Anglican priest in 2008 on my 30th birthday. I prepared for ordained ministry by receiving a B.A. in History from Samford University and a Masters of Divinity from Duke Divinity School.

I married my beautiful bride, Emily, in 2007 and we have two children who bring us great joy. The four Kings are homebodies for the most part, most of the time, but we’re not hermits. Which explains why we built us a farmhouse on a few acres of farmland. Wherever we’ve lived, our homeplace has become a regular gathering place. That’s especially our desire for the farmhouse. Mrs. King has requested chickens, though I’m quite happy with our mini goldendoodle. When I’m not spending time with Apostles or writing, I enjoy growing herbs and vegetables in raised beds, then cooking with said fresh ingredients for my family. Most Sunday evenings our family is not available to socialize, for this is an immovable feast in our house: homemade pizza (crust made from scratch) while watching fine selections from PBS, especially All Creatures Great and Small (when in season) or other cooking shows, notably The Great American Recipe. From March to (hopefully) October, I nervously watch the Red Sox, who become a great source for learning the virtue of forebearance.

It has become fashionable in our time to describe oneself as a nerd. It’s less common that one offers substantive proof of one’s nerdery. Here are a few things I care too much about:

• My wood shop layout
• Homemade bread
• Fountain pens and ink
• Quality paper and desk accessories
• Gardening and landscaping design
• Keyboard shortcuts
• Notetaking methods
• Syntax (though I’m no sentence maven myself)
• Birdwatching
• Running

So there you have it. I am an old man (and nerd) in the body of a 46 year old. The comments section is available for clever jokes regarding all of the above. I grew up with two older sisters. Nothing phases me. Just glad you stopped by.