Pentecost Greetings!
Ten Year Anniversary Reflections: On August 11, 2011, my First Book The Adventures of Richard McMurphy was published and I, James O'Flannery, became a published author and self-publisher. This Wednesday August 11, 2021, Ohio Irish Lutheran Press will officially begin celebrating The Ten Year Anniversary of the Publishing of The Adventures of Richard McMurphy and this is revolutionary in nature, because it is a novel, which incorporates Holy Scripture and Christian Hymns. The Holy Scripture and the Christian Hymns are very important to the plot and the overall text of the story, because the characters read these passages of Holy Scripture and they sing these Christian Hymns. How many other novels have the characters reading so much Holy Scripture and singing so many Christian Hymns? I do not know of any novels besides my novels in which Holy Scripture and Christian Hymns play such a large role.
Now Richard McMurphy is both very Irish and very Lutheran. Both the Irish and Lutherans love to sing. Ireland is probably most famous for its beautiful music. The Lutheran Church, regardless of church-body, is known as "the singing church" and we, as Lutherans, love to live up to this nickname. It is only natural to have novel about an Irish Lutheran singing so many hymns, since St. Patrick wrote his one and only famous hymn St. Patrick's Breastplate aka I Bind Unto Myself Today the Strong Name of the Trinity and since Martin Luther wrote so many beautiful hymns. Christian Hymns are based off of Holy Scripture, because these hymns were written to teach us, what The Holy Bible tells us about the Triune God and the Love, Grace and Mercy of Yahweh, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. This is, why I shall continue to include passages of Holy Scripture and Christian Hymns within the texts of my novels.
You are a sinner and Jesus died to save you. Jesus told Nicodemus, that you must Born Again, which is a fancy way of saying, that you must experience Holy Baptism. Holy Baptism is water uniting with the Word of God and the Holy Trinity. In Holy Baptism, either you are immersed in water or you have water poured over your head three times "in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" to save you from all your own personal sins, death, Hell, Satan, Satan's demons, and Original Sin from Adam and Eve. Being baptized "in the Name of Jesus" also counts, if you are being baptized in a Trinitarian Christian Tradition. In Holy Baptism, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in you, you are connected to the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and Yahweh adopts you as His child. August 30, 2021 is the 17 Year Anniversary of my Holy Baptism and I am celebrating it all month long, as I am currently in my "How To Write a Thesis" class at American Military University. My goal is write a thesis about the History of Holy Baptism; more on that later.
The Ten Year Anniversary Edition of Adventures of Richard McMurphy: I have been busy hard at work since January 2021 on The Ten Year Anniversary Edition of The Adventures of Richard McMurphy, but, sadly due to many delays brought on by the Corona Virus and being busy working on finishing up my Master of Arts in Ancient and Classical History, I am not going to be able to get The Ten Year Anniversary Edition of The Adventures of Richard McMurphy out on the actual day of The Ten Year Anniversary of the Publishing of The Adventures of Richard McMurphy. Instead my goal is to have this special edition of my first book out in time for the 2021 Vaughnsville Craft and Vendor Show on Saturday October 30, 2021 from 11 AM to 5 PM at Vaughnsville Community Center at 115 E. Findlay Street in Downtown Vaughnsville, Ohio.
Let us read Psalm 96:
"96:1 O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth. 2 Sing unto the LORD, bless His Name; shew forth His Salvation from day to day. 3 Declare His Glory among the Heathen, His wonders among all people. 4 For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: He is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. 6 Honour and majesty are before Him: strength and beauty are in His Sanctuary.
7 Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength. 8 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His Name: bring an offering, and come into His Courts. 9 O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before Him, all the earth. 10 Say among the Heathen, that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established, that it shall not be moved: He shall judge the people righteously. 11 Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. 12 Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice 13 Before the LORD: for He cometh, for He cometh to judge the earth: He shall judge the world with Righteousness, and the people with His Truth" (KJV 1611).
MAILING CHECKS TO ME FOR BOOKS: I am now accepting checks through the mail for $15 for copies of each book: The Rising of The Moon Book 1: Changing Tides Part 1, The Rising of The Moon Book 1: Changing Tides Part 2, and The Rising of The Moon Book 2: Faith, Hope, and Love. $15 checks will cover the cost of each book and shipping. Please include a note with your check saying, which books you want to buy off of me with your check. Checks may be written out to me, James O'Flannery, and mailed to James O'Flannery 1524 Crayton Avenue Lima, Ohio 45805. I also can meet up with you, if you live in the following Ohio communities, Lima, Cridersville, Vaughnsville, Fort Jennings, Columbus Grove, St. Marys, Minster, New Bremen, Delphos, and Ottoville, and sell you books directly. For my latest book Martin Luther, William Tyndale, James Ussher, and their Work in Classics: With Other Christian Essays, I will be accepting checks for $20 and $25. The checks must be for $25 ($5 covering shipping if you don't live in Lima, Cridersville, Vaughnsville, Fort Jennings, Columbus Grove, St. Marys, Minster, New Bremen, Delphos, or Ottoville. If you live in any of those communities and if you're willing to meet up with me in any of those communities, then $20 checks via the mail or $20 cash in-person or credit cards and/or debit card payments for $20 in-person work too.
My Green Irish Angel Statues: My Green Irish Angel Statues are really cute! They are only $1 each and they make great gifts. I have three kinds: 1. Cross-Bearing Angels, 2. Praying Angels, and 3. Angels Holding Butterflies. I like the Cross-Bearing Angels the best, because they are carrying Crosses. Each one bearing a Cross reminds us, that Jesus died on the True Cross to save every single person from death, Hell, Satan, Satan's Demons, Original Sin from Adam and Eve, and their personal sins. They're available exclusively at The Menagerie behind Beer Barrel in the St. Marys Business Complex in St. Marys, Ohio.
Stores Carrying My Books: My books, which I’ve written and published, are also available at the following stores: Brunner News Agency on Flanders Avenue in Lima, Ohio, Jen’s Furniture and Collectibles (JFC) on High Street in St. Marys, Ohio, The Menagerie at 1178 Indiana Avenue behind Beer Barrel in the St. Marys Business Complex in St. Marys, Ohio, Readmore Hallmark Stores out at Eastgate Plaza and on Elm Street in Lima, Ohio, and in the Shop section of my website ohioirishlutheranpress.com .
Thank you!
James W. O’Flannery, President and Founder of Ohio Irish Lutheran Press (OIL Press)