Around the Fire is a new audio companion to The Compass, my Substack publication on contemplative Christian spiritual formation. Think of it this way: the weekly essays are the miles. This is the campfire at the end of the day that offers a few minutes to sit with something we’ve been carrying, go a little deeper, and let the day’s ideas settle.

Today’s episode builds off this week’s Compass essay on spiritual classics, which is anchored specifically to William Penn’s No Cross, No Crown, and follows one thread a little further into the dark. If you haven’t read the essay yet, it’s worth starting there before you pull up a chair here. It’s called “The Two-Foot Shelf.”

New episodes drop Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, usually seven to nine minutes, long enough to matter, short enough to finish before the fire burns down.

If you’re not yet part of The Compass community, I’d love for you to join us. Free subscribers get the full essay five days a week. Paid subscribers receive monthly practice tools, teaching videos, and live conversation.

Pull up a chair. I’ll see you around the fire.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit genemaynard.substack.com/subscribe