There is a famous quote by G.K. Chesterton in which he observed this. He said,

the Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting, it has been found difficult and left untried.

Alice Willard was one of many people who used that to say, hey, I think we've gotten the approach to Christianity and particularly our sales pitch, if you will, to people wrong.

I think people need to be told that the way of Jesus is going to

take everything and it is worth everything. And in this week's podcast that's what we're going to talk about.

So welcome back, friends.

Welcome back.

We are just delighted to be here with you week after week.

John and Alan back in the studio this week,

here in the week of February 26th.

Thank you.

Alan's just got to orient me often. I want to riff on that Chesterton idea. I think there are some really, really big things happening in culture, in the human soul and frankly in Christian discipleship that we need to just kind of lay on the table and say can we be honest about this? Can we talk about this?

But before we get there, let's do what we do every week

because the pause that we take at the opening of the show

is intended to bring you into a monastic experience. It is intended to deliver you from the world and it's chaos and from the kingdom of darkness and it's chaos and bring you back like

literally back into your own body and out of dissociative chaos and to ground you in the presence of God.

So this is very intentional and there's a reason we keep this up week after week it is for your soul.

So let's pause.

So Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit,

I need to stop for a moment. I just need to check in on my breathing.

Why am I breathing short shallow breaths Lord? Why is my body tense?

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit.

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