The Shroud of Turin An Immersive Experience

 

Issue No. 664 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (Dec. 4, 2025) spotlights a “double feature” today: a “museum” review and a stunning book on evidences for a creator God. Plus, click here for recent issues posted at the NEW site for John Pearson’s Buckets Blog, including CEO Ready: What You Need to Know to Earn the Job—and Keep the Job. Also, check out the 20 management buckets (core competencies). The Shroud of Turin: An Immersive Experience opened Nov. 19, 2025, on the campus of Christ Cathedral in Orange County, Calif. (Read my “review” of this stunning museum and 3-theater experience.) Pop Quiz! #1. What is the most studied artifact in history? #2. What bestselling nonfiction book—with more than 400,000 copies sold—was just published in English in October? #3. Why is John Pearson writing a “review” of his recent visit to the campus of Christ Cathedral (the former Crystal Cathedral)? ANSWERS: #1. The Shroud of Turin is the world’s most studied artifact. (You read that right! Read more.) #2. With more than 400,000 copies sold, GOD: The Science, The Evidence—The Dawn of a Revolution, by Michel-Yves Bolloré and Olivier Bonnassies, was just published in English on Oct. 15, 2025. (Read my review here.) #3. Well…I’ve written a few movie reviews over the last 20 years in this eNews, but I’ve never described a stunning “immersive experience” for my readers. It’s time! And just in time, “The Shroud of Turin: An Immersive Experience,” a $5-million, 10,000-square-foot museum dedicated to the world’s most studied artifact, opened to the public on Nov. 19, 2025. Last week, we visited this landmark museum—the largest of its kind—and immersed ourselves into the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth. The experience (plan on about 90 minutes) presents compelling evidence on the purported burial cloth Jesus left behind. More info here: The Shroud of Turin An Immersive Experience Crystal Cathedral Campus, Garden Grove, Calif.   Think of this SPECIAL ISSUE of Your Weekly Staff Meeting as a double feature: The Shroud of Turin coupled with an extraordinary book on evidence for a creator God. (Note: the book does not address the science behind The Shroud—but I believe it’s the perfect companion for any “detective” looking for evidence. For books, videos, and resources about The Shroud, visit this webpage.) Last weekend, my wife, Joanne, and I joined a group of 26 people (maximum number per group) and were stunned (did I mention “stunned”) at the "immersive experience" theater encounters—three unique experiences: • In the “Immersive Life of Jesus,” the first theater (with swivel seating for 26 people only) features 360-degree immersion technology. Images projected onto the walls and floor recount 12 short stories about the life of Jesus, including the Nativity, when He walked on water, the Transfiguration, and more. Stunning! •  The second small theater showcases the “Interactive Shroud of Jesus”—a re-creation of Jesus’ tomb. This immersive experience will bring you up-to-speed on the latest scientific evidence about the Shroud and features a short documentary with testimony from Shroud expert Fr. Robert Spitzer, S.J. (former president of Gonzaga University). I won’t issue a spoiler alert here—but just this hint: think “resurrection.” Oh, my. • The third intimate theater, “Immersive Risen Jesus,” places you in an ancient chapel in Jerusalem during the first century. Projected onto the theater walls are stunning frescoes by gifted artists including Caravaggio, Michelangelo, and da Vinci. (And—oh, my—those frescoes come alive with special animation that spotlights the post-Resurrection stories of Jesus.)  Following the three immersive theater experiences (about 18 minutes each), you’ll have time to follow your personal interests in the museum exhibits—five featured areas: Scripture, Passion, History, Science, and the Reflection Room.  The Reflection Room (take your time here) includes a full-size, backlit Shroud replica. You’ll also appreciate a new bronze sculpture by Italian artist Luigi Enzo Mattei. The corpus depicts how the Shroud of Turin suggests Jesus looked: a bearded man about 5 feet, 11 inches tall.  Note: The original shroud is in Turin, Italy and is not currently on display (the history of how it arrived in Turin is fascinating). Also stunning: the first photograph by photographer Secondo Pia in 1898—“an effort that first uncovered the startling face of a man whose features are consistent with traditional depictions of Jesus of Nazareth.” The Shroud of Turin: An Immersive Experience is located on the campus of Christ Cathedral, in Garden Grove, Calif. (Orange County). It is a collaborative outreach ministry of Papaian Studios, Othonia Inc., and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. In 2019, the former Crystal Cathedral was dedicated as Christ Cathedral, the spiritual home of the Bishop of Orange. PERSONAL NOTE. My readers will give me sufficient elbow room, I pray, to give a shout-out here to my son, Jason, and daughter-in-law, Melinda, who have been instrumental in seeing The Shroud of Turin: An Immersive Experience come to fruition—so that people of all faiths and persuasions (including atheists and agnostics) will visit this remarkable museum and ask themselves the primary question of The Shroud and of life: “Who do you say that I am?” Through their company, FiveHive Studios, Jason and Melinda, along with Kris Hull, are recognized at the museum for their “creative genius.” (Did I mention? I’m stunned at the creativity!) Our grandson, Anderson Pearson, and co-worker Noah Nims, also labored long hours at FiveHive Studios in the final months before the opening. TO ORDER TICKETS, visit The Shroud: An Immersive Experience website here. More informative about The Shroud here. Read the press release. Read what the L.A. Times and other news outlets are saying. Watch the teaser (1 minute, 16 seconds).   YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS: 1) The author of the book, Clear Thinking, quotes Charlie Munger (1924-2023), “I never allow myself to have an opinion on anything unless I know the other side’s argument better than they do.” Can you articulate the basic objections to a creator God, and also the evidences for a creator God? 2) According to the book, God The Science The Evidence (see page 296), the authors cite a 2003 study: "Between 1901 and 2000, the 654 Nobel Laureates belonged to 28 different religions. A majority of them (65.4%) identified as Christian." How would you answer the question from Jesus: "Who do you say that I am?"       SECOND READS: Fresh Solutions From Classic Books You have changed—and your problems have changed—since you read this the first time! Book #34 of 99: Call of the Chair For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by featuring Book #34 of 99 in our series, “Second Reads.” The big idea: REREAD TO LEAD! Discover how your favorite books still have more to teach you and the people you’re coaching and mentoring.   Call of the Chair: Leading the Board of the Christ-centered Ministry by David L. McKenna (March 31, 2017) McKenna writes: “The chair for a Christ-centered ministry must be called of God as well as elected by the board.” (That would eliminate the speed-voting trick that lands you at the head of the board table—when you’re out of the room. Yikes!) “When the time comes for a board to elect a new chair,” McKenna adds, “all business should stop while the members reflect in silence and ask that the Spirit of God might give them discernment in their selection.”    • Reviewed in Issue No. 363 (June 28, 2017).    • Read my review on Amazon.    • Order from Amazon.    • Management Bucket #14 of 20: The Board Bucket. Short and substantive, McKenna has more—and it’s convicting:    --4 assessment questions for the board chair    --5 deficient ways that boards elect chairs    --Commenting on the “Rotator chair scenario,” McKenna notes: “The idea is that the ministry can survive incompetence for a short period of time.”    --1 priority: why being board chair must be that person’s number-one priority    --9 board chair roles: Missionary, Model, Mentor, Manager, Moderator, Mediator, Monitor, Master, and Maestro    --3 results when the board chair fails to focus on the clarity of the mission: “mushy, muddled, and almost meaningless”    --60 words in 30 seconds: Jesus’ elevator speech!   CLICK HERE FOR BOOKS BY JOHN      Mistake #3 of 8: “Recruiting Unqualified Board Members & Not Dating Board Prospects Before Proposing Marriage!” Read more in the new workbook, The 8 Big Mistakes to Avoid With Your Nonprofit Board—and complete the pop quiz on page 30: “The 4 Phases of Board Recruitment & Engagement.” GIFT IDEA! Oak Street Treehouse: The Day They Played Christmas For your 4- to 8-year-old kids or grandkids, here’s an early Christmas gift idea from Dick Daniels and Mollie Bozarth (Illustrator)—the latest book in The Oak Street Treehouse series, The Day They Played Christmas. (Yes—the same Dick Daniels that writes leadership books!) MORE RESOURCES: • Pails in Comparison Blog • Subscribe: Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews • John Pearson’s book reviews on Amazon • Management Buckets website • Governance of Christ-Centered Organizations Blog 562 Pages! Read my review of the international bestseller, God, the Science, the Evidence: The Dawn of a Revolution, by Michel-Yves Bolloré and Olivier Bonnassies. (Warning! 562 pages!) Or listen on Libro (15 hours, 6 minutes). Listen here to the two-minute purpose of the book. Find more reviews at my Pails in Comparison blog. Note: This is the NEW location for John Pearson's Buckets Blog. Slowly (!), the previous 650+ blogs posted (between 2006 and 2025) will gradually populate this blogsite, along with new book reviews each month