--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not a preacher, and I'm certainly not…" description: "\"I'm not a preacher, and I'm certainly not a good example, but I have my own feelings about God. I'm kind of a nature guy. My cathedral is forests, or t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/neil-young-969_beach_i-m-not-a-preacher-and-i-m-certainly-not_2720514.jpg" --- # I'm not a preacher, and I'm certainly not a good example… ![“I'm not a preacher, and I'm certainly not a good example, but I have my own feelings about God. I'm kind of a nature guy. My cathedral is forests, or the prairies, or the beach.” quote by Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/neil-young-969_beach_i-m-not-a-preacher-and-i-m-certainly-not_2720514.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/neil-young-969_beach_i-m-not-a-preacher-and-i-m-certainly-not_2720514.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/be8/neil-young-969_beach_i-m-not-a-preacher-and-i-m-certainly-not_2720514.jpg) > “I'm not a preacher, and I'm certainly not a good example, but I have my own feelings about God. I'm kind of a nature guy. My cathedral is forests, or the prairies, or the beach.” [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He expresses personal reverence for nature as a sacred space, rather than formal religion. **In simple terms:** Nature is his cathedral. Key Takeaway Find sacredness in the natural world. Themes spirituality nature personal belief Mood reflective contemplative Type personal spiritual When to use this quote - hiking - conservation - personal reflection - eco‑tourism Key Concepts environmentalism subjective spirituality Questions to Reflect On - How does nature inspire your sense of the divine? - What places feel sacred to you? A Different Perspective May not resonate with organized religion followers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beach/) [Cathedral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cathedral/) [Cathedrals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cathedrals/) [Example](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/example/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Feelings God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings-god-2151024/) [Forests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forests/) [God Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god-kind/) [Good examples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-examples/) [Guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guy/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Kind Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind-nature-623884/) [My own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/my-own/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Prairie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prairie/) [Preacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preacher/) [Preacher Certainly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preacher-certainly-2877544/) ## Related quotes > [“When people treat you ill, blame your conduct, or report anything to your disadvantage, enter into the very soul of them ; examine their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius-the-meditations-by-marcus-aurelius/when-people-treat-you-ill-blame-your-conduct-or-report-anything-to/) [Marcus Aurelius "The Meditations by Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius-the-meditations-by-marcus-aurelius/) > [Surely the fates are forever kind, though Nature's laws are more immutable than any despot's, yet to man's daily life they rarelyseem rigid, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/surely-the-fates-are-forever-kind-though-nature-s-laws-are-more/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Surely the fates are forever kind, though Nature's laws are more immutable than anydespot's, yet to man's daily life they rarely seem rigid, butpermit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/surely-the-fates-are-forever-kind-though-nature-s-laws-are-more-2/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Your inner nature is your kind nature, when you give unconditionally, when you are inspired or feel truly motivated and full of vitality”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gyalwa-dokhampa/your-inner-nature-is-your-kind-nature-when-you-give-unconditionally/) [Gyalwa Dokhampa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gyalwa-dokhampa/) > [I just can't believe some people taking advantage of someone and their kind nature!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-just-can-t-believe-some-people-taking-advantage-of-someone-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Happy season of childhood! Kind Nature, that art to all a bountiful mother; that visitest the poor man's hut With auroral radiance; and for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/happy-season-of-childhood-kind-nature-that-art-to-all-a-bountiful/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [As the books of Job, Jeremiah, and Habakkuk clearly show, God has a high threshold of tolerance for what appropriate to say in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/as-the-books-of-job-jeremiah-and-habakkuk-clearly-show-god-has-a-high/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [On the whole, God’s love for us is a much safer subject to think about than our love for Him. Nobody can always have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/on-the-whole-god-s-love-for-us-is-a-much-safer-subject-to-think-about/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [I wish I was daddy's little girl, I would have a dance with him into his arms I'd twirl. I would have someone to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-wish-i-was-daddy-s-little-girl-i-would-have-a-dance-with-him-into/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Wasn’t I merely human, just a poor simple guy who had been drawn into doing things against my feelings that not even God would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/wasn-t-i-merely-human-just-a-poor-simple-guy-who-had-been-drawn-into/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [The feelings that Beethoven put into his music were the feelings of a god. There was something olympian in his snarls and rages, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/the-feelings-that-beethoven-put-into-his-music-were-the-feelings-of-a/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [Feelings are great liars. If Christians worshipped only when they felt like it, there would be precious little worship. We think that if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/feelings-are-great-liars-if-christians-worshipped-only-when-they-felt/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [“Nobody can always have devout feelings: and even if we could, feelings are not what God principally cares about.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/nobody-can-always-have-devout-feelings-and-even-if-we-could-feelings/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [Worship is an act that develops feelings for God, not a feeling for God that is expressed in an act of worship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/worship-is-an-act-that-develops-feelings-for-god-not-a-feeling-for/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [It's impossible to live a life totally free of feelings. God created all of us to be emotional creatures, and feelings are a big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-meyer/it-s-impossible-to-live-a-life-totally-free-of-feelings-god-created/) [Joyce Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-meyer/) ## More by Neil Young > [A lot of people that buy vinyl today don’t realise that they’re listening to CD masters on vinyl and that’s because the record companies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/a-lot-of-people-that-buy-vinyl-today-don-t-realise-that-they-re/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Let's roll for justice, let's roll for truth. Let's not let our children grow up fearful in their youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/let-s-roll-for-justice-let-s-roll-for-truth-let-s-not-let-our/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Don't feel like Satan, but I am to them. And I try to forgive them anyway I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/don-t-feel-like-satan-but-i-am-to-them-and-i-try-to-forgive-them/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [I never knew a man could tell so many lies, he had a different story for every set of eyes. How can he remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/i-never-knew-a-man-could-tell-so-many-lies-he-had-a-different-story/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [It's the woman in you that makes you want to play this game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/it-s-the-woman-in-you-that-makes-you-want-to-play-this-game/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Keep it moving. Don't hoard. Money's no good, get rid of it. Turn it into people doing things. Turn it into jobs. Turn it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/keep-it-moving-don-t-hoard-money-s-no-good-get-rid-of-it-turn-it-into/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [My dad passed away...and suddenly I found myself at the top of the tree and looking at the sky instead of at my mom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/my-dad-passed-away-and-suddenly-i-found-myself-at-the-top-of-the-tree/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [The Arabic states have to be integrated into the Iraqi reconstruction. We need the help of the Arabic community, which understands its culture. Americans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/the-arabic-states-have-to-be-integrated-into-the-iraqi-reconstruction/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Said the condor to the preying mantis, we're gonna lose this place just like we lost Atlantis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/said-the-condor-to-the-preying-mantis-we-re-gonna-lose-this-place/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [With Crazy Horse, it's all one big, growing, smoldering sound, and I'm part of it. It's like gliding, or some sort of natural surfing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/with-crazy-horse-it-s-all-one-big-growing-smoldering-sound-and-i-m/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [It doesn't mean that much to me to mean that much to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/it-doesn-t-mean-that-much-to-me-to-mean-that-much-to-you/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Cocaine eyes won't hide your face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/cocaine-eyes-won-t-hide-your-face/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Now I'm livin' out here on the beach, but those seagulls are still out of reach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/now-i-m-livin-out-here-on-the-beach-but-those-seagulls-are-still-out/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [I've always been better moving than I am standing still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/i-ve-always-been-better-moving-than-i-am-standing-still/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) > [Don't think. The worst songs I've ever written happen when I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-young/don-t-think-the-worst-songs-i-ve-ever-written-happen-when-i-think/) [Neil Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) [Explore all 317 Neil Young quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-young/) ## More Beach quotes > [I love being in Malibu. It's so cool there, and the water is just, it's nice and, and I love the beach. And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-evancho/i-love-being-in-malibu-it-s-so-cool-there-and-the-water-is-just-it-s/) [Jackie Evancho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-evancho/) > [I love the sea, but I avoid any sort of seaside resort that has skyscrapers or seaside entertainments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-blake/i-love-the-sea-but-i-avoid-any-sort-of-seaside-resort-that-has/) [Quentin Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-blake/) > [“I’ve always seen this in you, ever since you were a little girl — this hunger to love other people into their highest selves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-elisabeth/i-ve-always-seen-this-in-you-ever-since-you-were-a-little-girl-this/) [Jennifer Elisabeth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-elisabeth/) > [I've said many times before that Pebble Beach is a wonderful thinking-man's golf course. 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"The holiest sound on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-conroy/carolina-beach-music-dupree-said-coming-up-on-the-porch-the-holiest/) [Pat Conroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-conroy/) > [I like trekking and staying in tents, meeting new people and eating good food.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tripti-dimri/i-like-trekking-and-staying-in-tents-meeting-new-people-and-eating/) [Tripti Dimri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tripti-dimri/) > [The biggest part of painting perhaps is faith, and waiting receptively, content to go any way, not planning or forcing. The fear, though, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-carr/the-biggest-part-of-painting-perhaps-is-faith-and-waiting-receptively/) [Emily Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-carr/) > [If I'm on holiday, I'm active on the beach, I play tennis, I run, I swim a lot. 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I've always had this romantic image…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-carr/yes-there-was-one-thing-that-i-missed-not-being-able-to-do-walk-on-a/) [Liz Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-carr/) [Browse all 2,185 Beach quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beach/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm not a preacher, and I'm certainly not a good example, but I have my own feelings about God. I'm kind of a nature guy. 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