Well hello there.

My name is Matt. Welcome to Smatterings.

“Smattering” means “slight or superficial knowledge of something.” As in, “I know a smattering of French military history.” (For the record, I don’t.)

The word is not inappropriate for my general approach to learning about the world around me, and I hence thought it would make a good website. I’m fascinated by just about everything (except the Enneagram), but I don’t have the patience to delve too deeply into any given topic. I like reading and thinking about stuff enough to sound like I know what I’m talking about at a party, but I get easily distracted by the next interesting book, idea, or phenomena.

I also enjoy writing about what I’m learning and thinking. It helps me organize my thoughts and makes me feel sophisticated.

AND HERE’S THE KICKER, my name appears in the word “smattering.” Matt…smatt? Get it?

So here on this site you’ll find sundry thoughts on a smattering of subjects and books. (And WAY too much alliteration.) You’ll also find some personal stories and reflections that I’d like to think are not so superficial. But if you have a few moments to waste while sitting there on the toilet as I know you are, you can be the judge of that.

To give you some context, I’m a Christian pastor in St. Louis who leads a cool little inter-denominational church called Rooftop. (Sometimes certain wily members of my congregation call me Pastor Smatt.) I’m a family man but not a nice one, if you believe my daughter who is still angry that I won’t let her have a dog. If I could have any superpower it would be the ability to work through the night without sleeping, because there are so many things I’d rather be doing with my time, other than lying unproductively comatose in bed.

But we all have our limitations. In fact, much of my life thus far has been a matter of discovering and accepting mine. I suspect you know what I’m talking about.

Anyway, thanks for visiting.

-Matt Herndon (10/27/20)