December 24, 2017 Chapters 17A and 18 The Light Has Come (Christmas Eve) Sharing Gifts (Sunday on or after Christmas Day)

Note: this post will cover two weeks. My next post will be January 8

Blessed Christmas Everyone:

This past Wednesday at The Longest Night Service that was held this year at Sellersburg United Methodist Church, Pastor David Neuen talked about the time as a kid when he celebrated his birthday. One year his grandmother baked him a cake and put candles on it. When he went to blow them out, they went out for a minute and then relit...This process repeated itself a couple of times before his grandmother explained that these were trick candles. Most of us have seen those candles. They can be a lot of fun on an unsuspecting recipient.

He went on in his message to make the point that Jesus is the inextinguishable light. Try as he might Herod could not put out the light. Try as he might Pilate could not put out the light. Try as they might the Emperors of Rome could not extinguish the light.

It would be nice to think that people have stopped trying, but they haven't. As McLaren points out anyone who works in darkness would be quite happy if the light of Christ were extinguished today. "From pickpockets to corrupt politicians, from human traffickers to exploitive business sharks, from terrorists plotting in hidden cells to racists spreading messages of hate, they don't welcome the light..." (page 79)

The light began small...a child in a stable. The light began powerless...a child in a stable. The light began innocent...a baby born to poor parents in a tiny, obscure village.

Today, however, the light is large. Today the light gives life to all who embrace him.

On Christmas we celebrate that light. McLaren also focuses his attention to exactly for whom that light has come. Foreigners came to see the light. Egyptians helped shelter the light. Why are we so quick to dismiss the foreigner, be that the foreigner by nationality or the foreigner of a different religion? Perhaps the magi and the Egyptian do represent that the light calls us beyond our safety net of country and creed to reach beyond to find aliveness wherever truth lives.

May God bless you and yours this Christmas Season.

Monday, December 18, 2017 Chapter 17 Surprising People

It has always been interesting to me when someone points out something new about the genealogies found in the Luke and Matthew.

I was especially intrigued by the phrase "Adam, son of God" of which McLaren writes, "to be the son of is to "find your origin in."

Adam finds his origin in God and so do we. We are all created Imago Dei--In the image of God. That Jesus is also the son of God...that Jesus also finds his origin in God is, as McLaren points out, a new Adam. And all of us who climb life in him are part of that new creation.

Like the women who appear in Matthew's genealogy, we too are the surprising people of today...not always good....but always redeemed through Christ.

All of this challenges me to live as a child of God, to live in God's image.

Monday, December 11, 2017 Chapter 16 Keep Herod in Christmas

One of the things I like about a religious writer is when they can take something quite complex and make it simple enough for me to understand. I thin McLaren does this in this chapter. On page 72 beginning with the last two paragraphs, he writes:


   Herod--and Pharaoh before him-- model one way: violence...

   The baby whom Herod seeks to kill will model another way. His tool will be service, not violence.

In many ways this is the simple message of Christmas. God invites us, through His son, to a new way of living. The "us" I talk about is not just "us Christians", not just "us as individuals" but the "collective us"--us as humankind.

Keeping Herod in Christmas is a reminder that we are made for more. And that this more will come only when we choose to service over violence.

Monday, December 4, 2017 Women on the Edge

I want to break away from my reflection on the chapter and share on one of the questions found at the end of the chapter.

Question number 2 invites us to share a story about a woman in your life who had a powerful influence. Of course, there are a lot from my own family: my grandmother Clegg ( who would be 107 today if she were still living), certainly my mom and any one of my four sisters. All of them were powerful influences on my life.

But perhaps more than any of them, Sr. Barbara Fiand, SNDdeN, has had the most influence on me as a priest. Sr. Barbara was my spiritual director in seminary. I was fortunate in many ways to go to a seminary that allowed women to serve in that capacity. According to the rules of seminary formation, spiritual directors had to be other priests. I guess the rationale was that only a priest could really help a young seminarian know the day-in day-out struggles, joys, heartaches of being a priest. However, Sr. Barbara was a person who understood people. She was challenging when I needed to be challenged. She was gentle when I needed her to be gentle.  She would never let me be complacent and always challenged me to be the very best person I could be. More than anyone else, she helped me to be the person I am today and the priest I am today. I was blessed to have her in my life.

What about you? Who are some of the women who have influenced you in your life?

November 27, 2017 Chapter 14: Promised Land Promise Time

We begin the second part of We Make the Road by Walking. McLaren set the book up so that part two would correspond with Advent. Normally Advent is about 4 weeks (depending on when Christmas falls). This year, however, because Christmas falls on a Monday, the fourth week of Advent is all of one day. So we are beginning this reflection this week (before Advent begins) to give us a full four weeks until chapter 17a which we are to read on Christmas Eve and chapter 18 which we are invited to read Christmas Day.

I like the season of Advent because it is a hope-filled time. At Thanksgiving, I discovered that one of my nieces is expecting her second child. It was fun to listen to the family talk about the new baby, each of my siblings giving their best argument for why the baby should be named after them. Advent is a lot like a pregnancy--full of expectation and hope.

When McLaren talks about Isaiah he says on page 64, "The prophet saw deep spiritual corruption and complacency among his people and warned them that this kind of behavior would lead to decline and defeat." I wonder if we aren't in a deep period of complacency in our Churches today. We see people leaving the faith in alarming numbers. When asked what religion they profess, a full 23% of Americans now say "none." The "nones" are rising but we don't seem alarmed, or if we are alarmed, we don't care enough to figure out why or how we might stem that tide.

There are lots of books on this subject (from a Catholic perspective): Rebuilt; Divine Renovation; Forming Intentional Disciples. In spite of that, there does not seem to be a lot of change in the status quo.

Perhaps this Advent we need an extra dose of John the Baptist...the wild hair, the strange diet...the persistent call. The call to make ready the way for the Lord...to prepare God's path. That is the message of Advent. That is the message of Hope.

November 20, 2017 Chapter 13 The Great Conversation

It seems as if McLaren is setting us for something today. As we close out part one of his book he is already preparing us for part 2. He tells us a little bit of the history of the Israelites, but more than that he takes us through how that history effects their understanding of their God. "As the people changed and evolved, their understanding of God changed and evolved." (page 57)

It seems that this is true for us collectively but it also needs to be true for us individually. I can remember as a child always believing that God was there to keep me in line, to make sure I would do the right thing. As I got older, I began to see God as this great power that caused me to feel wonder and awe. Today I see God as the "other" that I long for...that I desire to be with. Perhaps that is why my appreciation for Eucharistic Adoration has grown. I'm not sure who the Saint was but he/she was asked what they did in adoration and they replied something to the effect, "I look at Him and He looks at me, and we are both happy."

I believe that perhaps this is where McLaren is leading us as we move out of the first quarter of the book and into the second, which deals with the life of Jesus. We will see. But for me this was a good reflection on how I have seen God throughout the different times of my life. What about you? Has your understanding of God changed throughout your life?

November 13, 2017 Chapter 12 The Stories That Shape Us

Whenever I teach a session on the Bible I always encourage participants to ask the question: what does this story tell me about my relationship with God? McLaren seems to take that a good bit farther with his three-fold approach of critical research, the artist's eye, and a humble, teachable heart. In many ways I think it is that last one that might be the most important for me.

This past weekend at the 11:15 a.m. Mass, my fourth Mass of the weekend, I heard something in the first reading that I had missed at not only the other three Masses, but also each time I had read that reading in preparation for my homily this weekend. What I heard was this...not only does God invite us to search for wisdom, but wisdom is searching for us at the very same time. Somehow I had missed that. Wisdom is searching for us...

I tell that story because it reminds me of the need for a humble, teachable heart. You see, too often I gloss over the readings as I prepare to preach. I'll look at a reading for the next weekend and I'll read a couple of lines and I'll think to myself, "okay, I know that story..." and I'll stop reading. It is as if I already know all there is to know about that story. My heart is not humble nor do I allow it to be teachable...because I think I already know the story.

It is challenging to let the stories come alive again. It is challenging to think that a reading I have read and heard literally hundreds of time still has something new to teach me. And yet it does and it did this past Sunday.

I pray that I can have a humble, teachable heart!

November 6, 2017   Chapter 11 From Ugliness, A Beauty Emerges.

It’s always been somewhat of a struggle for me to reconcile parts of the Old Testament with the message of Jesus in the New Testament. I like how McLaren weaves the story together as one story. I guess I’ve always know that to be the case but I think his way of explaining it makes a lot of sense. The beauty of the life of Jesus was born from some of the ugliness of the Old Testament story.

I think we also see it played out in our world today. Unfortunately, far too often it involves tragedies like Las Vegas or Orlando or 9/11 where heroes emerge amid tragedies. A stranger pushes someone in a wheelchair to safety: ugliness to beauty. A man falls on a stranger to protect her from bullets: ugliness to beauty.

The more I think about it the more I realize that maybe it happens all the time and we just don’t notice it. The other day I witnessed an accident and four different people stopped to offer assistance: from ugliness to beauty. At the All Saint’s Day Mass last week, a time in my parish where we remember those who have died in the last year, I saw a woman crying as she grieved the loss of her loved one. She was sitting by herself until another parishioner noticed and went over  and sat next to her: from ugliness to beauty.

Perhaps this week might be a time for us to be more attuned to it. Perhaps you could share a story of where you have witnessed it in your day to day life.

October 30, 2017            Chapter 10 Getting Slavery Out of the People

Greetings Fellow Pilgrims:

Several things strike me about the readings for this week and it might seem a like a bit of hodgepodge.

Thought 1: Beginning with the scripture reading from Exodus...When I went to my Bible to look up this reading (normally I go to my phone), I had written a note in the margin of chapter 19 verse 7...which says, "...Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God..." At one time it struck me that part of their problem in the Exodus story is contained in that verse. Why did they have to go out of their camp to meet God? Why wasn't God in their camp? I think that one way out of slavery and into freedom is to make sure God is living with us in our "camp."

Thought 2: On page 42, McLaren writes: "We must remember that the road to freedom doesn't follow a straight line from point A to point B. Instead it zigzags and backtracks through a discomfort zone of lack, delay, distress and strain." I see this as a continuation of his comment that he often used in the last chapter...happily ever after right? Wrong. We never reach happily ever after on this side of heaven....there is always another road to walk, another journey to embrace.

Thought 3: McLaren writes (pg. 43) "Through the ten plagues, we might say, God led the people out of slavery. Through the ten commands, God got the slavery out of the people." I tell people all the time the 10 commandments are not given to us to keep us in line, but because when we follow them we are happier people. We are free.

Thought 4: Referring to communion, McLaren writes on page 44: "Around this table, we remember where we've been, where we are, whom we're with, and where we're headed, as we make a new road by walking...together." I think this is why Eucharist is so powerful for me. Every so often, usually because I'm a little sick and don't want to spread germs, I'll sit for communion and have someone else distribute in my place. I love being able to watch others go to communion...I love to pray for others as they go to communion. It always reminds me that we are united around the table.

Those are my thoughts...what are yours?

October 23, 2017 Chapter 9 Freedom

There have always been wisdom figures in my life. One such figure is a man named William Schaefer, Sr. I met Bill when I was pastor at Good Shepherd Parish in Indianapolis. Once, when we were talking about a project we were planning someone said, "We just need to 'let go and let God.'" To which Bill responded with this story. There was a man working out in his garden. It was a beautiful garden. Lush plants. Well trimmed. Just magnificent. Another man walks by, sees the garden and says, "My, what a beautiful garden God put here." To which the first man replied, "Yeah? You should have seen when God had it by himself."

Mclaren writes on page 37, "In other words, God gets involved by challenging us to get involved." There is a fine line between "Let go and let God," and "God helps those who help themselves."

One of the first truths of the Bible is that God works through the human person to create a world. We are privileged to be co-creators with God. First it was Adam and Eve given the right to name all of creation. Next it was Noah who assisted in humankind's salvation by building a boat. Followed that with Sarah and Abraham, parents of a great nation. Joseph and his role as reconciler with his brothers. And now Moses who renews creation by leading God's people to freedom.

God consistently chooses to work with us. The obvious question is: Do we consistently choose to work with God?

October 16, 2017 Rivalry or Reconciliation?

I grew up in a big family. There were ten of us kids and I was the seventh born. So I had older brothers and sisters and I had younger brothers and sisters. Growing up in a big family we had our share of fights and disagreements. We were competitive and we fought hard to stay on top. Today, however, I think that is all behind us...at least I hope it is.

Is it simply a sign of "growing up" or is there more to it than that? I think there is more to it. Like the stories of Jacob and Esau and Joseph and his brothers, reconciliation comes when we are able to see the face of God in one another. The older I get, the easier that is to do.

Each of my siblings in their own way shines the light of Christ. We are far from a perfect family...yet most of the time we are able to look beyond one another's faults to find the good that is in each one of us. It makes those childhood dramas seem a little silly.

Another piece of all this comes from Engage Activity 6. As I reflected on that it struck me how often I know I need the joy of being forgiven. When someone asks me how I can be a good confessor, I tell them that it is because I'm a good sinner. I know how much I need the forgiveness of God and others. And it is in that need for forgiveness, that I get any grace I have to be a good confessor.

Pope John XXIII was once asked how to get along with someone you disagree with in the Church and he said this: "See everything. Overlook a lot; correct a little." I try, even to this day, to do that in my family of origin, in the larger (universal) Church family, and in my own parish family. To not do so, is to often miss the face of God.

October 9 Chapter 7 It's Not Too Late

When speaking about the story of Abraham and Sarah, McLaren says God kept his promise and they received the blessing of their child, Isaac. Then he writes,: "You might expect a happy ending at this point, but it was not that simple."

That line resonates with me. How often do I think, "I'm glad that's over, things will be a little easier now." It seldom is. Because we are a people always on the journey. When we get past one situation a new one arises. If it were any other way, it seems to me that we would stagnate. Yes, Abraham and Sarah got by one hurdle (no children) only to encounter another (showing a new image of God as one who does not require human sacrifice).

As a parish we are venturing out to build a new church building, a new worship space. It will solve some problems, but there will be more. It seems to me that we should look at this as not a completion of everything but simply as another step on our journey. When we reach this goal, there will be more goals to achieve. But like Abraham and Sarah, God walks with us too.

Where has God led you on your journey? What things have you completed? What more do you hope to do?

October 2, 2017   Plotting Goodness

First of all, thanks to all who posted this week. Keep it up...and don't be afraid to comment on one another's posts as well...on to this week's post.


"When we drift from that high calling and start thinking only of me, only of our clan or our nation or our religion, our sense of identity begins to go stale and sour, even toxic." (Page 25)

When I am being honest, I catch myself thinking exactly this way: my parish, my faith, my religion. It's never overt, but too often it is there. How often do I push for my way under the guise of "it is for the common good?" Of course, I push hard for my way because I believe it is the best way. But here's the catch: Am I always sure it is God's way?

A couple of thoughts keep percolating in my head. The first is based on the Mark passage--the cleansing of the temple. In Divine Renovation, Fr. James Mallon reminds the reader that this was an intentional act...Jesus walked into the temple the night before, looks around, and then leaves. The next morning he comes back and cleanses the temple. He thought about it for the whole night. This was no spur of the moment decision. This was an intentional act to change the culture of the temple. For the last few years I have been thinking about how much we need to change the culture of our Church and of our own parish. We need to move away from an "our parish exists for us" mentality to an "our parish exists for the good of others--the common good" mentality.  A parish is one institution that exists not for itself and its members but for those that are not yet members. We are called to make new disciples. We exist for the common good. It is a tough culture to change.

The other thought that comes to my mind is this. There is a song in our hymnal and you'll find it in the "Patriotic and National" section. It is called "This is My Song." I really like this song because it speaks of the greatness of our country, but reminds us that we are only one country among many...I've copied the first two verses here because I think they are so powerful.

This is my song, O God of all the nations,
A song of peace for lands afar and mine.
This is my home, the country where my heart is;
Here are my hopes, my dreams my holy shrine;
But other hearts in other lands are beating
With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,
and sunlight beams on clover-leaf and pine;
But other lands have sunlight too, and clover
And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.
O hear my song, thou God of all the nations,
A song of peace, for their land and mine.

That too me is true patriotism...to remember that we are one nation among many nations. To believe that we exist not only for ourselves but for the other...the other person, the other parish, the other religion, the other country...We exist for the common good.

Abram and Sara were told that they would b e a blessing for others. My hope and prayer is that I and our parish will be a blessing for others as well.

September 25, 2017 Chapter 5: In Over Our Heads

I had to go back and read this chapter twice before I began to understand it and like it! I had an Old Testament teacher in the seminary who would often wonder if the entire Bible was written by one person. He said that because he believed it tied in so well together all the way from Adam and Eve to the great book of Revelation. in some ways I think McLaren would agree.

In this chapter he seems to be inviting us to see each story building on the previous story, as he would put is a move in the right direction. Noah teaches us one thing about God, but then the tower of babel another, then Joseph another and on and on right up to the life of Jesus, his resurrection and the great Pentecost event. these stories as ways of helping us to better understand God go hand in hand to help us become image bearers of God.

I think in many ways we can see this in our own families. My dad's parents did not graduate from high school, but my dad did. My mom and dad did not go to college, but several of their children did. Many of my nieces and nephews have gone to college, graduated and are now raising their families. What is in store for their kids? hopefully it will be a continual progression toward a little better life, a life a little more full.

But that fullness only comes when we are able to share with them the one thing that really matters: to pattern our life on the life of Jesus and to be better image bearers for our God.

September 18 (or there about), Chapter 4: The Drama of Desire

Greetings Fellow Pilgrims:

First of all, an apology for being late with this post. My earnest desire was to go to breakfast on Monday with my brother priests and then come home to write my blog post. Well, after breakfast a few of my brothers were going to walk the bridge. So I joined them.  When we got to the top of the bridge I knew something was wrong. I was short of breath, had a tightness in my chest and a numbness in my left arm. Exactly what I thought! So off to the emergency room I went. Several tests and a heart cath later, a new stent was placed in my Left Anterior Descending Artery. Modern medicine is amazing because I was home in less than 24 hours and feeling well enough now to resume many of my regular activities, including this blog. So here we go...

Last week we were talking about the patterns of life...and how to find ways to pattern our  life after the life of Jesus. Sticking with that theme I shared with your four patterns that I put on the walls of my classroom when I was teaching eighth grade. The idea being that any student who could figure out all four got a special treat. The first three were always discovered in the 1st week; the fourth one was never discovered. Here's the mystery one...8, 5, 4, 1, 9, 7, ... the next numbers are six, three, two and zero. I write them that way because the pattern is the single digit numbers in alphabetical order. Here's the thought. Everyone looks at the problem as a math problem, but there was another way to look at it, a word problem.

When looking for the patterns of Jesus' life, we have to sometimes "think outside the box." We can get so caught up in what we believe the patterns should be, or might be or must be that we limit our exploration of what the patterns could be. To truly understand Jesus...to truly pattern our life after his, we have to see him anew each day.

This week's reading capture that as well. Which tree do we desire: the tree of life or the tree of competition? Can we find contentment in following the pattern of Jesus or do we desire always the tree of what's next, what's better, what's in it for me?

I like the part in this week's reading where McLaren writes: "True, Adam and Eve grabbed for the chance to be like gods...but Jesus didn't grasp at godlike status...(pg 17)" this truth is given to us in the suggested reading from Philippians 2:5. "Have among yourselves the same attitude as Christ Jesus. Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness and found human in appearance."  It is easy for me to look back at my life and see when competition and the desire for something stood in the way of me seeing like Jesus would see, or being an image bearer for God.

But the good news is that like a stent in your artery makes blood flow again, the continual pursuit of a stronger faith, a better pattern of living, help us to become a better image bearer for God.

September 11, 2017  Chapter 3 A World of Meaning

Dear Fellow Pilgrims,

Long before I was a priest and a teacher at the High School level, I taught eighth grade at a parochial school in Indianapolis...Go SPN Chargers! Each year I would start he year with four different number patters on the four walls of the classroom. The first three were like the ones that started this chapter:

1, 6, 11, 16, 21, 26... or 1, 4, 2, 5, 3, 6, 4...  or 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21...

Then I added this one... 8, 5, 4, 1, 9, 7...

I would tell my students that the first student to complete all 4 puzzles would win a steak dinner at a local restaurant. No one ever got all four. I'll give you a chance before I reveal the answer next week. What do you think is the pattern to the last one?

I loved the following lines in this week's reading... "In John's Gospel, we are inspired to look for the pattern in a poor man traveling across the land with a band of students and friends, telling stories, confronting injustice, helping people in need. If we learn and trust the wisdom that comes in creation and in Jesus we will live our lives in a new way, John says." I have always maintained that most Christians know about Jesus but few know Jesus. I like that McLaren invites us to find the pattern in the Word made flesh...to find the pattern of the life of Jesus.

It is easy for me to give into other kinds of patters...the pattern of the good pastor....the pattern of a generous friend...the pattern of a dutiful priest...Sometimes those patterns fit the pattern of the Word mad flesh and sometimes they don't. How much better of a pastor, or friend, or priest would I be if I truly followed the pattern of Jesus?

I try now to live my life a little bit differently by rooting myself in the one who gives me life!

Fr. Tom

(PS...Only a couple of people have been posting thoughts...How about a few more of you jumping in and sharing your thoughts. If you aren't sure how, give me a call and I'll help you out.)

September 4, 2017  Chapter 2 Being Human

Dear Fellow Pilgrims,

For a while I taught seniors at Roncalli High School in Indianapolis. Every year around spring break I would have one of my students ask if they could confess what they were going to do so they could save time when they got home. (the answer was always no). The second thing they would tell me is that they were going to get a tattoo on spring break. I would always answer: "If you must get a tattoo, get one that says Imago Dei" Then I would explain that Imago Dei is Latin for in the Image of God.

It seemed appropriate for the readings of this week. We are created, each one of us, in the image of God. As McLaren points out that means above all that we experience the world through relationships. The readings for this week remind me to focus in on the relationships I have in my life. Try not to take them for granted. That can be difficult as we navigate this world in breakneck speed. But good to keep in mind nonetheless.

Question number three I find most interesting because I think there are so many people who reflect God's love to me.

There's Ethel who was a parishioner in Indianapolis. She was simple and holy and had a smile that radiated warmth. She could laugh at herself easily but was never too critical of another. Most of all, she was kind.

There's my friend, Tony, who has a passion for life and learning and growing. Tony is never satisfied and is always striving for more. I think God  is like that...always wanting more but more for us...

Members of my family show me God all the time. They put up with me! They let me be who am and challenge me to be more than I think I can be.

What about you? What strikes you about the readings this week? Who shows the image of God to you?

August 27, 2017 Chapter 1 Awe and Wonder

Note to Readers: I am still in Haiti but have scheduled this to be published on Sunday, August 27. Should be able to start approving posts tomorrow night (Monday, August 28).

Greetings Fellow Pilgrims:

Several years ago I was visiting my niece at Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA. We were sitting in the cafeteria overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It looked something like this:

 

It was evening and the sun was setting. We sat in silence for a long time and then Jessica said to me, "I don't understand people who think something like this is an accident!"

Isn't that the truth!

We live in an awesome world...formed at the hands of the Master Artist!

The second and third question in the reflection questions talk about discovering God in the beauty of creation. Having just returned from trip to Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks I was amazed once again by the beauty of our country. Indeed, the heavens declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1).

Here are a couple of pictures from Bryce (at the top) and Zion (on the bottom):

The pictures don't do them justice, but they truly are two beautiful places. What about you? What beautiful places have you seen that give glory to God, the Master Artist?

Fr. Tom

Greetings Fellow Pilgrims,

A couple of people have asked me how to comment on a post. I think this is how to do it. At the bottom of the post there will be a place that says: No Comments or 1 Comment or 2 Comments, etc. Click on that (even if it says No Comments). You can then be the first to comment. Your comments will not be posted until I have read and approved it, which should be fairly quickly...

I am inviting all those interested in attending an optional pre-discussion gathering to meet at my house on Wednesday, August 16 at 7 p.m. We will discuss the book; I will demonstrate how to comment and we will try to figure this out together.

You can email me, text me or call me to let me know if you are coming.

Fr. Tom
502 553-3770
tclegg@stjohnpaulparish.org

Greetings Fellow Pilgrims:

The book we will be using for this study is We Make the Road by Walking by Brian D. McLaren.

You can get it from me for $7.50 (paperback) or you can get a hardback copy or paperback copy at Amazon or your local bookstore.   I will have copies for sale at Church beginning the second weekend in July. Here is a copy of the cover to make sure you get the right book.

I am looking forward to walking this journey with anyone interested. In a few days I will post a piece by Mr. McLaren on why he wrote the book. I will also post the schedule as to what chapters we will read each quarter. If you have any questions you can reach me by email at tclegg@stjohnpaulparish.org   More to come! Good travels!

Fr. Tom Clegg

The Always on the Journey Blog is a help for me and other Christians to accompany one another realizing that indeed we are all "Always on the Journey."