Bad News and Great News
Here's why you need to plan a trip to Midland, TX in October
Hello! Hope you’re well. Here’s the latest:
Season 3—One Week More
With deep apology, I’m sorry to say that the Season 3 hiatus during which I’ve been hard at work on Season 4 will last one more week. I’d planned to restart the Season 3 release schedule today with Episode 9, but for various reasons I need a bit more time. I’m choosing to trust that my wife is right about you, and that you will offer grace and welcome the chance to trade 7 days’ delay for my long-term sanity. Thank you in advance.
With that being said, I am very much looking forward to getting this episode into your ears on July 18—it’s the story of King Ahab (of Israel) and King Jehosphaphat (of Judah) entering an interesting alliance and navigating an unpredictable prophet named Micaiah. That turn of events may sound somewhat vanilla, but I assure you—this story is anything but. In fact, as I was reading through the text I had to stop and write in my notebook, “This story is BANANAS.”
Can’t wait to share it with you on Monday.
Holy Ghost Stories LIVE
Ready for the huge announcement I’ve been promising you for the last few months?
Here it is:
The first Holy Ghost Stories Live Show is happening this Fall. 🎙👻🔥🎉
This will not be a live recording of the podcast, but rather an in-person experience of Holy Ghost Stories. We’ll gather in a beautiful space, I’ll share two incredible stories with live cello accompaniment, and there will be other surprises for you I can’t divulge quite yet.
A lot of planning and collaboration has gone into this already and I’m telling you: THIS NIGHT WILL BE MAGIC. My goal is to give you an encounter with Yahweh you will never forget; and thanks to some incredibly talented and generous people, I think that’s exactly what you can expect.
I’ll have much more to share with you in the coming weeks, but here’s your official save the date:
Time: Sunday October 30 @ 7pm
Place: First Methodist Midland
Cost: Free; But tickets (available August 1) are required and very limited.
I am unbelievably excited about this, and I’m so very grateful to Ty and the fine folks at First Methodist Midland who reached out to me about this months ago. Ty (their student pastor) listened to his first episode of HGS (“The Lion, the Witch, and the War Zone”) and immediately went back and binged the 17 episodes before it within the space of a few days. I love that. He and the team at FMM have become invaluable patrons by sponsoring and hosting what I pray will be the first of many HGS live shows.
Keep an eye out for more details because I have great details to share.
A Bonus For You
Since you’ll have to survive one more week without a new episode of HGS, here’s a present. One of the bonuses patrons enjoy is remixed scenes—Holy Ghost Stories moments recut with modern music. This one’s a scene from “The Giver and the Taker” (the story of Eve and Yahweh) scored with a song by Ben Rector called “Extraordinary Magic.”
I love the way it feels like the lyrical POV of this song moves from Adam-to-Eve to Yahweh-to-Eve-&-Adam to Eve-&-Adam-to-Yahweh and finally to Yahweh-to-Eve.
If you dig it, become a patron—there’s a lot of good stuff waiting for you.
The Second City
Had a chance to get away to Chicago for a few days with my family and inlaws. What a place! And that archictecture tour on the river—I’ll do it every time I visit. No regrets.
2 Cool Things
Look to Love: A Better Way to Read the Bible (Group Study Workbook) - So many of you have read Look to Love, the fantastic book from JL Gerhardt about how we might be approaching Scripture the wrong way. Now’s a great time to go through it with your small group, Bible class, etc, because Gerhardt just released a group study edition. It includes most of the book’s original text along with loads of excellent conversation and meditaion prompts. You’ll love Gerhardt’s blend of humility and wisdom, story and Scripture, insight and encouragement.
Founding Brothers - With some extra car time this week, my family and I are listening to Joseph Ellis’s 2002 book on Colonial America’s unlikely (and inevitable?) genesis. Fascinating stuff. (We’re also finding it impossible not to take periodic Hamilton soundtrack listening breaks).
That’s the latest! Thanks for your patience as I finish work on Episode 9; don’t forget to enjoy the Eve Remix while you’re waiting.
Gratefully,
Justin
*Know someone who needs this newsletter in their life? Pass it on to them.