About Me
These days my motto is: Because a pulse doesn’t mean you’re alive.
What gets me up in the morning is a desire to help people live out their faith in practical ways today. Oh, and also my family. My three kids get up early and want breakfast!
I’m a husband, dad, and the pastor at Westminster Church.
I love Jesus, my family, the Bible, writing a daily devotional called “Up!” (you can read current issues and/or sign up here), songwriting, blogging, ketchup chips, and flavored coffee.
If you meet me at Starbucks you might find me with a tall peppermint Latte.
Oh, and one day I hope to own a rowboat. Just because it seems awesome.
My pet peeves are TVs in restaurants, wet socks, out-of-date websites, mosquitoes, hangnails, and DVDs that won’t play because they have too many scratches.
In 2015 I served as the Teen Week Chaplain at Glen Mohr Camp, and received an award for “Best Blog” by the Canadian Church Press. How encouraging!
Recently I’ve been interviewed on the “Spirituality for Normal People” Podcast hosted by Matt Brough, and the “Young Church Leaders” podcast hosted by Grant Vissers.
Plus, I serve on the national Church Doctrine Committee and have had a variety of articles published in the past few years by These Days Magazine and The Presbyterian Record.
In fall 2017 I’ll be publishing my first book: Turbulence: How to navigate the storms of life (Because no one gets a free ride).
I should also say that on my days off I like to wear track pants, play Lego, and make pancakes. Sometimes they have chocolate chips. But only when I’m feeling crazy.
Raised in Bracebridge, it was all about hockey. And then by high school it became all about music. I’ve worked as a rock musician, mostly for the band Meraudio, and as a political aide at Queen’s Park. I hold a B.A. (York U, 1999, summa cum laude) and a Master of Divinity (U of T, Knox College, 2008, Gold Medal).
Here’s a few fun facts: I…
- Served as an extra in a Ni
colas Cage movie (No, I didn’t get to meet him. Bummer.)
- Appeared as the guitar player in Deric Ruttan’s hit video “When You Come Around” (He’s my big bro!)
- Performed at Canadian Music Week and two Mariposa Folk Festivals
- Did a 3-song publishing deal with Song / ATV Tree Music Publishing
And then there’s this. I believe…
- In prayer and that humans do have wings (they’re called knees)
- That the castle of your character is built one brick at a time
- That if you have a life-changing faith your faith should be changing your life
- And that you can’t lead from the middle
Why not follow along with The Up Devo? I have fun writing it, and I think you’ll be encouraged reading it.
My heroes are Jesus (from Nazareth), my wife (from my life), Thomas More (from A Man For All Seasons), and all the people whose faith makes a difference in the world each and every day.
My two favorite Bible verses right now are:
- John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I [Jesus] came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
- Mark 13:31: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Jesus).
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Contact
If you want to contact me feel free to:
- Comment on one of these blogs
- Email me at matthew [at] matthewruttan [dot] com
- Follow me on Twitter: @MatthewRuttan
- Search for me on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/MatthewRuttanUp), LinkedIn, and Instagram (matthewruttan5)
Didn’t know about the rowboat!
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I remember you singing “shooting star” years ago and I think it may be on your cd that I have from years ago. Nice to bring back those memories.
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Hi Judy, thanks for the note. I still really like that song and play it from time to time. Thanks for listening!
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Like your profile !!
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wonderful blog! I look forward to following.
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Thanks for the kind words. I look forward to sharing!
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