Cover Reveal, Release Date ... And More

“Emerging From the Rubble” releases on June 18, 2023 - Father’s Day.

I wrote the book over the course of my dad’s 15-month battle with Stage 4 Colon Cancer and finished it shortly after he passed away on March 5 while holding my hand and my mom's hand.

In the book we take a look at 30 stories from the Gospel of Matthew and wonder about them through the lens of his first century readers who were living in the wake of Rome’s destruction of their Temple - the very center of their universe.

How might his readers have received the stories?

How might those stories have encouraged them?

Challenged them?

Helped them get up, brush off the ash, and take a step forward?

How might they have transformed their understanding of Jesus The Christ?

AND.

How might those stories help us do the same as we emerge from our own collapsed Temples, broken dreams, and universe-shattering losses?

I wrote it for the person who is living in the wake of a great loss, feeling alone, and struggling to find words to put on feelings and emotions that no words can possibly describe.

A broken dream?

A shattered relationship?

An unmet expectation?

A hope that never came to fruition?

Divorce?

Death?

Loss?

The changing of life’s many seasons?

Life’s changes and losses are many, right? I’m in the same sort of place wrestling with the same sorts of feelings and so maybe (just maybe) we’ll find some hope together along with the courage to take even a small step forward.

Here’s the announcement image I shared on social media to announce the cover, release, and all the things. I chose to set the release date for Father’s Day because.

Well.

This is a gift for my dad, a gift I so wish I could hand to him and (one more time) see that proud look in his eye and hear the words, “I’m so proud of you.” I have a recording of those words, though, saved on my phone and so on Father’s Day I’ll be listening to them over and over again as I imagine the smile beaming on his face as he admires his gift.

The book is self-published (check out a bit more about it on the NEW BOOKS PAGE of the website) - I wrote it, formatted it, designed the cover, and will release it via print and ebook on Amazon and possibly some other places as well (more details to come). I chose to self-publish because I enjoy creating things from scratch and setting them free into the world and I enjoy bucking systems, doing things my own way, and not really caring what anyone thinks about it.

The process.

The ideas.

The brainstorming.

The headaches.

The feeling of staring at a blank piece of paper.

The feeling of hitting the “publish button” a year later.

… It does something to me, something good.

“But you’ll make more money if you go with a publisher. You’ll have professional marketers doing the work for you. You’ll have endless resources. Your name will reach further.” All true, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with any of that.

Me, though?

I don’t really care about the money, the marketing, the endless resources, or where my name goes. What I’m most interested in these days (at 41 years old) is doing stuff that brings my heart alive … and this process of self-publishing does just that.

Want to join the street team to help spread the word? About 20 people are signed up and I’ll be sending out digital copies of the book towards the middle of next week so that people will have 30-ish days to read it and then leave an Amazon review on release day along with giving it a share on their social media pages (sign up link is below).

https://www.whatifproject.net/blog/streetteam

All that to say, this is the most important thing I’ve ever written as it’s quite literally a snapshot of my own wrestling match with grief and the many questions this loss has brought to the surface of my heart.

Foreword is by my friend Alexander John Shaia.

Endorsements from …

Brian McLaren.

Bart Ehrman.

Lizz Petters.

The Naked Pastor.

Chelsea Long.

Thomas Oord.

… and more.

I hope you’ll read it and I pray it’ll help you feel less alone in your own journey.

Thanks for the love and the support … many more quotes and thoughts and shares to come.

Dad, this one is for you - my Father’s Day gift. Team Siepert, always. 💔🙏🏻

- Glenn || SUPPORT THE PROJECT