'My Road Trip' outlines spiritual life outside organized religion.
Stan Norman has written "My Road Trip: From Religious to Spiritual and Back Home", details a decision to create a ministry of their own making, and living a monastic life outside the church.
(Courtesy photo)
The front cover of "My Road Trip: From Religious to Spiritual and Back Home", a new book by Stan Norman.
When a mainstream denomination wanted to move Stanley Norman and his co-pastor Gerri Harvill to another state and have them abandon the programs they had established in Sandpoint, they said, “No thanks. We like it here.” And, then they left the church, but not their faith.
"My Road Trip: From Religious to Spiritual and Back Home" details the reasoning behind their decision, and the fruits the decision has borne. They are still involved in ministry of their own making, and living a monastic life outside the church.
The basis of Norman’s life has boiled down to following the Rule of Benedict, a famous treatise written by St. Benedict in the sixth century. Norman’s simple examples lead the reader through the rule in a personal way, making the case that the rule is not to impair freedom, but to enhance it. "My Road Trip" highlights a straightforward outline of personal behavior; a framework for living a good and structured life.
Norman’s spiritual focus is on the example of Jesus, freely expressed throughout the book. His interpretation of the Rule, though, is transcendent. It could be applied to almost any life, and the result of following his version of the Rule would be positive.
"My Road Trip: From Religious to Spiritual and Back Home" is available at local bookstores and online at amazon.com at amzn.to/3ShLwf5.
The front cover of "My Road Trip: From Religious to Spiritual and Back Home", a new book by Stan Norman.