The Lessons of Saint Francis

John Michael Talbot is an award - winning Christian musician, writer, television presenter, motivational speaker and itinerant minister to churches and parishes around the world. An early pioneer of contemporary Christian music, Talbot grew up performing in a country - rock band with his brother Terry before embarking on a spiritual journey that led him through Native American religion and Buddhism to Christianity. At this point he and Terry joined the Jesus Movement, recording the album Reborn on the Sparrow record label. He is now recognized as Catholic music's most popular artist with over fifty albums and four million copies sold. His songs are published in hymnals throughout the world. A member of the Jesus Movement in the early 1970s, Talbot converted to Roman Catholicism in 1978 after immersing himself in the life and teaching of St. Francis of Assisi. He then founded his own community, the Brothers and Sisters of Charity, at Little Portion Hermitage as an ''''''''integrated monastic community'''''''' with celibate brothers and sisters, singles, and families. Talbot is also the author of numerous books bringing the Christian monastic tradition to contemporary life, including The Jesus Prayer, Blessings of St. Benedict, The Way Of The Mystics: Ancient Wisdom For Experiencing God Today and The Music of Creation: Foundations of a Christian Life.