Hi folks, I'm back at home now, and actually quite happy to be getting back to my regular rhythms, including morning prayer and intermittent fasting. I've had enough pasta, pizza, and gelato to last me a while, so fasting should not be too hard ;^)
Rome was great, and Assisi was beautiful (and I will be telling you more about that in the days to come) but I am grateful to have a comfortable home to come back to - one where the bed is not two really hard tiny beds shoved together, the shower is big enough to turn around in, and my coffee cup contains more than two sips of coffee.
So we're back this Saturday with our weekly Bible Study, THE JOURNEY, and within the month of July, I will be launching some new video content, ramping up to the "Meet the Fathers (and Mothers) of the Church" series in the fall. I'm also going to try experimenting with daily reflections based on insights that come from my morning prayer and Bible reading, but I don't want to force that, so I'm not going to promise that there will be something every day - we'll see how it goes.
Just a friendly reminder that if you have not yet become a supporter of our Original Church community, the major content of this community is for supporters, and especially to encourage dialogue and interaction. Since I always have comments turned off in my YouTube videos, this is the place for folks to enter into the conversation. So I want to encourage everyone to post comments and questions for conversation at any time.
I hope to see you Saturday for THE JOURNEY
Dear friends - Please take 10 minutes to watch this personal update from me:
I'm back, up and running, and ready to go - I should have a new JOURNEY episode within the next week or so - and because you are my loyal peeps, here is an exclusive, just-for-you, behind the scenes SNEAK PEEK into my new office:
I mentioned in The Journey that I wrote a song based on Isaiah 2, which is one of my favorite OT passages:
In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain, and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it. Many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, That he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.” For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations, and set terms for many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. House of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!
I hope you like the song!
The problem with us men is that often we don't have the wisdom to be a father until we're a grandfather.
This may sounds like some ironic statement that makes you nod your head in agreement but shrug your shoulders in resignation, thinking, well there's nothing we can do about that. But the practical application of that is that it demonstrates how important it is for kids to grow up around their grandparents. But as in our culture the family becomes ever more fractured and spread out, that is harder and harder to do.
Lately I've been thinking that part of the problem is the whole concept of college. It used to be that everyone thought a person had to go to college to make a good living. Not only is that not the case (truck drivers make more money than I do) but now college has gone from useless to actually ruining our kids. But when I went to college, what you were supposed to do is figure out what career you wanted (as if anyone knows that at age 18) and then go away to the college ...
And don't forget, if you would like to read my latest novel:
The Sword and the Clover - just let me know by email.
I'm happy to send you the PDF version, even if you haven't been a monetary supporter of the community - all I ask is that you don't share it with anyone else.
My email address:
Keep in touch!
JIm
If you haven't already signed up - this comes to your inbox no more than once a month, and will keep you updated when new books come out, or when we're leading pilgrimages, etc:
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