A Study on John Michael Talbot's The Lessons of St. Francis.

There is an intro and ending chapter of the work that deal with who St. Francis was...these will serve as our prelude before delving into the Spiritual Formation end.
Before reading this reflection and commenting please read Chapter One of the book, it is titled "A Tangible Saint"

Comments:

p.1 I always enjoy comparisons of today's world with times gone by, and the idea that the traditional organizational structure may not work (quirky fact: the last successful church plant in Calgary was a monastic community-in 2004).
Just think of what kind of world existed in the means of violence and oppression (a good example is an inner-city life, or the kind of world that exists for those of lower castes in the 2/3 world).

p. 3 first full paragraph: Reword this as you read it for your own life, as a prayer--God make me like Christ, let me be as St. Francis was---a fool in the World's eyes, but the Gospel written on my heart to serve those who need love the most.

p.4-5 The Nativity Scene was first created as a means to tell the story for all to understand, take some time, reflect and scribble ways your church can SHOW the Gospel....a good practice is to write out the quote "Preach always. If neccesary use words." and post it where you work & in your Bible as a simple reminder, that telling people about Jesus does not work, living Jesus--changes the world around us.

p. 7 I like the examples used to explain Sunday Christianity to an adult audience; what are some examples that we can use to communicate to our youth what being a Christian is not? (i.e. it is not a skatepark pass--)

last full paragraph-his prayer...how many times when we are lost in misery we cry out to God about the unfairness, or the what the is going on...but going back a few pages to the quote of Celeno--striving to bend our will to God's will. If you accomplish this feat how does that change the way you would look at the way your life unfolds?

p.8 What does it mean to radically love as Francis did during the Crusades, in the post-9/11 War of Terror world in which we live? Silently ask God to open your heart to his will and what it means to live this drastically different

p. 9 last paragraph:

imagine the pageantry of the Vatican--and this ragamuffin ensemble dressed worse than beggars coming to be ordained as a religious order from the Pope...with the man deemed mad by his town. Just imagine the smile on Christ's face when we throw away cultural norms and just be the love.

p. 10 I love the Pope's response, shifting from the guilt trip, to realizing that a life of simplicity focused on Christ does something new--brings us back to original innocence. (go to Genesis 1-2 what does original innocence mean to you?)

reflect on the G.K. Chesterton quote on this page (he wrote an amazing biography on Francis if you have a piqued curiousity read it, if time is short, read Robert Kennedy Jr.'s faboulous children's book: A Life of Joy)

pages 10-13 Talbot reflects on the challenges in general to the Christian walk in North America, in his case America, there are many challenges in Canada as a social-capitalist nation, that the church downloads its responsibility for care of the poor to the government for instance.
There are many generalizations that can be listed but it would be intriguing to reflect on your life of transformation under God and if you feel so called to share what transformations have taken place in your own life:
I freely admit to enjoying a pint every so often, but I am no longer a drunkard thanks to God.
I no longer use drugs.
I am no longer a sex addict
Addicted to the thrill of the fight
No longer a violent man.
Thanks to God I am no longer a materialist with my highest concern being how much money I have.
Thanks be to God for leading me to Franciscan spiritual formation materials, thanks be to God for loving me no matter what, thanks be to Christ--for being my replacement.

This is merely the first reflection some good further resources to glance over are:
www.tssf.org
www.franciscans.com
www.franciscansinternational.com
http://pclouse07.blogspot.com/
http://www.franciscansinternational.org/about-fi/francis.php
http://www.franciscansinternational.org/resources/prayint.php
http://whitman.webster.edu/~barrettb/canticle.htm
To get a well rounded flavour as we do have time.I hope everything is well with everyone and looking to responses so we can perculate discussion.
-Hoody in AB