A quick word about celebrating the holidays like our Shire-Folk Friends.

The human heart desires culture and community- how do we create that in an era of atomization?

By hosting a party (sort of)!

We cannot build those things by only being against evil- we must live for the good. We become who we are meant to be when we embrace tradition for the sake of building meaningful communities.

-"A Long Expected Party"

-Aragorn becomes king, and Gondor recovers its identity

-Being for something

Our adult world is so full of problems and concerns, how can we find a way to become childlike in our love for God? The submission of the Hobbits to good authority is part of what makes them the absolute opposite of Sauron, and what makes Frodo an ideal Ring-Bearer. We can probably learn that and a lot more from their example.

-The proper use of authority

-The growth of the adult mind & the challenge of love

-The life of sainthood is a life of struggle- not a destination at which we arrive

Music by Gregory S.

The will-bending power of Sauron's ring is the shortcut to the thing he never had the patience for: Love. When we allow the Liturgy to work on us, we become what God means for us to be, rather than what we fashion for ourselves.

-A river and a ring

-Hell beneath a flooded house

-Walking away from the dumpster

We check in with each other and reveal the things that are pulling us away from the Shire. Most of them will probably sound familiar! Wishing all well in their own worthy pursuits.

If you've ever wondered if all this *stuff* in our lives is necessary, you're not alone! What do the Hobbits have to teach us about saintly living, giving up some worldly pursuits, and committing ourselves to an idea?

As we move through the Month of Souls, we discuss what it means to live alongside death and how to celebrate a good "Fourth Birthday." What does The Lord of the Rings have to teach us about death, redemption, forgiveness, and hope?

A "good peace" spans generations. We discuss what the Hobbits of Brandy Hall prioritize in order to accomplish that, how it benefits us in our own lives, and how to be the Brandybuck.

We continue with an examination of "good peace" and why we're looking specifically at the Shire as a model for life, rather than the world of Men.

The Lord of the Rings isn't just a foundational fantasy novel, but it also contains a blueprint for the best form of human life. We'll start here by looking at what Truth means in the Lord of the Rings.

"I am in fact a Hobbit (in all but size)."

- J.R.R. Tolkien

Special thank you to Gregory for recording the intro music.