I am David Tullock. I have lived in East Tennesse for almost all of my life, except for my days in graduate school in the early ‘80s when I lived in Louisville, Kentucky.

After graduating from Loudon High School, I received my degree in Religion while also studying music (B.A. ‘82) from Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City, Tennessee. In Louisville, I received a Master of Divinity (M.Div. ‘85) and a Doctor of Ministry (D. Min. ‘91).

In the Spring of 1992, I took a retreat at Gethsemane Abbey in Bardstown, Kentucky which changed my life. During a week of silence, I stayed where Thomas Merton lived before his death in 1968, and I was introduced to Richard Rohr, who was leading a retreat for the monks that week. His topic was Simplicity.

It was also during that time, that I became friends with John Killinger, John Claypool, and Will Campbell. All three of these men profoundly impacted my worldview, and I consider my work to be an amalgam of all three their works.

My Work. My Words. My Way.

My work has centered around Enjoying God, Studying Scripture, Following Jesus, and Helping Others.

Also, my work has been centered around words. Words have provided me a way to earn an income by writing, reading, listening, and speaking.

Writing. An early mentor in seminary advised me to write down all my thoughts. So, I have. I have notebooks, journals, and scribbles that have tracked my thoughts for over 40 years. I will be sharing these insights on this site.

Reading. During my college and graduate years, I read most of the classics of theology and philosophy. Since then, my focus has been in four areas of study: Christian Mysticism, Biblical Theology, Integral Theory, and The Enneagram. Authors like Thomas Merton, Richard Rohr, Ken Wilber, and Cynthia Bourgeault have been my companions along the way.

Listening. I am a clinically trained Baptist pastor. My focus during my doctoral study was pastoral care with an emphasis in death and grief ministry. My specialty was leading support groups for people suffering pain from the loss of a loved one. Leading a support group is 90% listening and 10% speaking. My site www.FirstXaris.net gives helpful insight gleaned from listening to people in pain.

Speaking. Among my skillset is public speaking. I have taught school from Kindergarten to Graduate School and have preached in churches, performed weddings, and officiated funerals in many different situations. Fortunately, most of my sermons and speeches are written. I’ll be sharing many of them so you can “read” me speak.

About You.

Primarily, this site is for you. I need your help building this site and others I host. What issues do you face? What do you find challenging in your life. What insights have you gleaned from your experience. Join me in the journey. After all, we are all in this together!