> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.reyes-chow.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Been AWOL, But I'm Back - URL: https://www.reyes-chow.com/been-awol-but-im-back/ - Published: 2026-08-26T12:20:19.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-27T06:27:50.000Z - Description: A quick update about where I've been and what's hitting the bookstores - Author: Bruce Reyes-Chow - Tags: Prophets Priests Pastors Poets, personal update, professional update I know it's been a beat since I've posted, but I am back. While I've never been a "Once x-task is done, things will slow down, and I'll have more time" kind of person, because isn't there always something? Anyhoo, in this instance, I am pretty sure that now that a few things are done, I will indeed have more time and will be back to our regular Amalgamation programming. I am still 3/4 time as the Transitional Pastor at [Pasadena Presbyterian Church](https://ppc.net/?ref=reyes-chow.com). It has been some good and tough work, but this community is doing[ some difficult and faithful work](https://bit.ly/PPCLetterAugust2026?ref=reyes-chow.com). It is my intention that whoever arrives next will be grateful I was here. At some point, they will be searching for a new Pastor and Head-of-Staff, so if you are soon to be in a season of searching, keep an eye on PPC. I basically work my tail off for PPC on Tue, Wed, Thu, and Sun, and spend Mon, Fri, and Sat [putting yummy SoCal eats in my pie hole](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcKLgLQSZoB/?utm%5Fsource=ig%5Fweb%5Fcopy%5Flink&igsi=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==), working on writing projects, and generating The Amalgamation and social media content. Two big things have been taking up my time, and now they're behind me. **I moved.** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/f8/dbf829b6-514b-4fc5-9764-dc1c6c47b780/content/images/2026/08/PXL_20260825_052821030.jpg) After spending the first 2.5 months in temporary housing, I have finally moved into the place where I'll be for the next 9-ish months. I can finally unpack and get settled. Never fully unpacked, my living surroundings have been boxes of chaos since I arrived. For those of you who know me, having my space in a state of turmoil is anxiety-inducing. Granted, the final move took place in nearly 100-degree weather; I'm moved, and now I can settle in. Thanks to the legacy of generous Presbyterians, I have way-below-market housing during my brief time in Pasadena. Renting in Pasadena is as ridiculous as the Bay Area, and there is no way I could be here without this housing. Some of you may recognize this place from when I lived in Pasadena in 2024 while serving [Love Community Church](https://www.facebook.com/azusapreschurch/) (formerly Filipino Community United Presbyterian Church). It has gotten pretty fancy since then, now having solar and e/v chargers 😄 **But most importantly, I submitted the manuscript for my last contracted book project** 🎉🎉🎉 [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/f8/dbf829b6-514b-4fc5-9764-dc1c6c47b780/content/images/2026/08/PXL_20260825_042610262.jpg)](https://chalicepress.com/pages/bruce-reyes-chow?srsltid=AfmBOopiy1M%5FjsyTfiDwCyoQd34-KeYtFiSD0yyiPbXNeiz0Tn3NUCsY&ref=reyes-chow.com) [Pre-order anchor book and Advent devotional from Chalice Today](https://chalicepress.com/pages/bruce-reyes-chow?ref=reyes-chow.com) This past weekend, I turned in the Lenten devotional, *Beckon*, which is the third and final piece of the [Prophet, Priest, Pastor, & Poet](https://chalicepress.com/pages/bruce-reyes-chow?ref=reyes-chow.com) project with Chalice Press. For whatever reason, this devotional was more difficult to write than the Advent one, *Possibility*. Each of the 40 days + seven Sundays has a core word, a reflection, a text interpretation, an invitation, a question, and a prayer. Beckon also has a brief preaching prompt for Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and all Sundays, including Palm Sunday and Easter. And everything fits on one page each. (Preemptive apologies to my editor). **From the unedited introduction** [***Beckon: Our Lent Journey with the Prophet, Priest, Pastor, & Poet***](https://bookshop.org/a/82176/9780827203471?ref=reyes-chow.com) **(December 2026)** > If you are like me, you have words that give your life depth and texture. Two of mine are "depth" and “texture” along with “latte” and “big.” A recent addition to the “Words Bruce likes and uses too much” is the word “beckon.” There is something compelling about being beckoned. Through the lens of faith, beckon is not a command from God, but an invitation. A grandparent inviting a descendant to sit with them and share stories, a loved one reaching out a hand as an invitation to take a walk, and yes, Jesus inviting us to be more like him as we move through the world in relationship with ourselves, with others, and with all of creation. Well, as long as I'm shilling my wares, before you pick up Beckon for Lent, be sure to grab your copy or 20 of [***Possibility: Our Advent Journey with the Prophet, Priest, Pastor, & Poet***](https://chalicepress.com/products/possibility?ref=reyes-chow.com) **(September, 2026)** > Advent signals the beginning of a new church year. And yet, in 2025- > 2026 the world is living in a constant state of political and social turmoil. > Solutions seem few and far between. One cathartic and healing act > of resistance could be to view our current time through the lens of > “possibility.” In this daily devotional, I invite you to embrace and embody > possibility, that is, possibility grounded in the fullness of Jesus. Not only > the Jesus we prefer to see, (the One who often looks a lot like us), but the > Christ in His fullness: Prophet, Priest, Pastor, and Poet. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/f8/dbf829b6-514b-4fc5-9764-dc1c6c47b780/content/images/2026/08/PPPP-Three-Covers-1.png)](mailto:theteam@reyes-chow.com) If your church or book group decides to read PPPP, Possibility, Beckon, or any of my books and purchases at least 10 copies, I will Zoom in for an hour to meet with your group. Get in touch with us if you want to grab a time. [Email Team BRC ](mailto:theteam@reyes-chow.com) And, while *Possibility* and *Beckon* can stand on their own, both will make much more sense paired with the foundational book, [***Prophets, Priests, Pastors, and Poets: Being and Becoming the Resurrected Christ***](https://chalicepress.com/products/prophets-priests-pastors-and-poets-being-and-becoming-the-resurrected-christ?ref=reyes-chow.com) ***(Also September 2026)*** From the Preface... > In all honesty, this has been a difficult book to write, not because I do not care about Jesus—I do (good thing as a pastor)—but because it is difficult to hole away, sit down, and focus on what feels like a detached and futile endeavor while our country’s socioeconomic and political chasms are widening, countless people are subjected to government-sponsored terror, and people of faith and privilege like me are being called to the street. I wish this was just another example of drama and hyperbole, but at the completion of this book, about a year into the second presidential term of Donald Trump, the number of truly horrifying events that have taken place over that time would be comical if those events were not so tragic. And from the introduction... > After nearly thirty years of ministry, I am still on the same journey as so many others in understanding and following Jesus, meaning that my faith is always in flux. My personal and communal understanding and experiences with Jesus shift, change, and adapt as the world’s circumstances dictate. While some see a change in theological understanding as a weakness, I see it as a strength. Just as my actual muscles need to be stretched and strengthened as my physical body moves through different stages of life, my spiritual and theological muscles must do the same when my experience of the world expands. I am constantly amazed by the revelations about my faith that abound when I embrace the idea that I will never be done getting to know the one we call Jesus the Christ. In short, this book is as much about my own exploration and learning as it is about yours. So welcome and thank you for taking me along. At this point I am not under any book contract, so in this season, I'll be generating regular content for The Amalgamation, increasing activity on The Amalgamation Discord, and fleshing out my next book idea, [How to Grow a Church](https://www.reyes-chow.com/an-invitation-to-how-to-grow-a-church/). That's it for now. Thanks for your patience through the ebbs and flows of my gigging life. Peace, ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/f8/dbf829b6-514b-4fc5-9764-dc1c6c47b780/content/images/2026/07/BRC-Signature-Bruce-2026.png)