The Original Church
Spirituality/Belief
The Original Church, with Dr. James L. Papandrea, is an ecumenical Christian community exploring our common roots in the early Church for the purposes of spiritual growth and practicing the Christian faith. No politics, debates, or proselytizing, just "faith seeking understanding" from the perspective of the early (and medieval) Church and the Church fathers. Jim Papandrea is an author and Professor of Church History and Historical Theology.
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Good morning folks! Here's some Cafe conversation...

First I want to share this quote from St. John Henry Newman's The Mystical Rose. He says:

Look at the Protestant countries which threw off all devotion to [Mary] centuries ago, under the notion that to put her from their thoughts would be exalting the praises of her Son. Has that consequence really followed from their profane conduct towards her? Just the reverse - the countries, Germany, Switzerland, England, which so acted, have in great measure ceased to worship him, and have given up their belief in his divinity, while the Catholic Church, wherever she is found, adores Christ, as true God and true man, as firmly as ever she did, and strange indeed would it be if it ever happened otherwise.

Now, let's be real - strange indeed it IS that countries like France and Italy now have also followed in the footsteps of the Protestant countries of Europe in failing to honor God and worship Christ faithfully. And I usually don't like to sound too anti-Protestant, because it's not really the case that all Protestants are heretics just for being Protestants. Having said that, I do think there is a sense in which Protestantism tends to lead to secularism. Now, I invite your comments, and even disagreements on this, but I think that this saint who famously said, To be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant is on to something here. I do think that a post-enlightenment, humanist, Protestant approach to Christianity naturally leads to - first, a kind of "religious but not spiritual" Christianity that turns real devotion into a cultural tradition, which then in the next generation leads to kind of "spiritual but not religious" disillusionment that turns that tradition into a burden which those who see themselves as more enlightened cannot wait to throw off.

What do you think?

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In case you missed it, here's my Gospel Reflection

This was for March 24th, recorded for the Ascension App

00:02:57
The Journey is BACK!

Thanks for your patience - here is our next installment of The Journey - it's session # 96, but I'm also calling it PART 1 of a "miniseries" on John chapter 6.

Whoever watches it first, please let me know if it looks good or if there are any problems with it - I get through the first two sections of the text on the feeding of the 5,000.

Enjoy!

00:36:42
Name this movie...
00:00:08
Here's another song... Come Let Us Climb the Lord's Mountain

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!

Here's another song... Come Let Us Climb the Lord's Mountain
Had a Great Conversation with Dustin Quick Last Night

It was pre-recorded - here it is:

Would you like some of my music on CD?

As I'm going through all my belongings as part of our move, I have come across some audio CDs of my old music, from when I had my band, Remember Rome - if any of you still have a CD player, and you would like me to send you some of what I have, send me the address to send them to at this email address: [email protected]

Some of these CDs are in their original cases, and some were demo samples, but either way, it's all original music written by me, and performed by me and my band back in the late 90s and early 2000s.

I'll be happy to find a good home for these CDs in case you might enjoy them, and because you all have been supporting me (and I haven't produced much content in the last month or so) I'll send you one or more CDs for free. Just give me an address.

Thanks!

In case you know someone going on pilgrimate this year...

Here's the link to the new edition of my Rome book on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Rome-Second-Pilgrims-Guide-Eternal/dp/B0F8TGTWZX

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