A Peek

The first and sixth Reflections in this series relate what I’ll call instances of “synchronicity.” Other less striking events have occurred. One of the first was in 2018, early in my journey. I had written a nun who was at Lewinski’s first parish, St. Frances of Rome, in the early 70s. I asked if she would be willing to help me on my quest. She responded, “Surely, anything I can do. In fact, the other day one of the sisters came by and said ‘I'm getting rid of my stuff.’  She had some things from St. Francis including pictures of Ron.  And I thought Gosh! It was that very same day that your email arrived about who you are and what you're going to do.”   

During these Reflections, I’ve shared with you some of my experiences while writing The Pivotal Pastor. I’ve also shared some insights into the story.  I hope that, while reading these reflections, you’ve felt a bit of the mystery, surprise, fun, and challenge that I encountered on my journey. I think you’ll experience some more of that while reading the book.  

In my first Reflection, I said that before the book is published, I’d let you know. The time is approaching. The release date is less than two weeks away.  

If you’re the type of person who likes to know a little more about an item before buying it (even at a very reasonable price), you can take a peek here at an early chapter. (It inspired Reflection #4. It is not the first chapter.)  At the end of this Reflection, you’ll find the table of contents.

The Pivotal Pastor is the most detailed story about this part of the parish’s history that has been written. The book contains insights into aspects of leadership, teamwork, communication, and spirituality. What else is in the book? Some of the content is what I’d call “fly on the wall” material: things that were said or done that haven’t been publicly shared. An example is the difficulty of choosing which design best represented the requirements given to the architect. Parishioners saw only one design, but less than a month prior there were three options.

The book is also the most unique accounting of many events. That is because, while researching and writing the story, I had access to resources that no one else has.  

In my next Reflection, I’ll share some more thoughts and let you know how you can get a discounted copy of the book. Or maybe a free one. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

Prolog

1 9 9 3

The Little White Church

1 9 9 6

An Epiphany

Preparing Vision

Sharing Vision

1 9 9 7

Getting Focused

A Campus Walk-through

Staying Focused

1 9 9 8

Day 762

Taking the Temperature

A Masterplan Revealed

Getting Educated

The Powerhouse Team

The Stars and Sands

A Special Invitation

A Team of Horses

Nature and the Sacred

Finding Funding

Never Look Down

1 9 9 9

The Third Wave

The Temple

Silent Viewing

The Look of Revelation

2 0 0 0

Walking a Tightrope

Groundbreaking

2 0 0 1

An Explanatory Exploratory

Isn’t that great!?

2 0 0 2

Cross Blessing

Cornerstone Dedication

Dedication Day

Epilogue

Afterword

Glossary

End Notes

Bibliography

About the Author

Index

Send me your comments/questions.

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