Chaplainmike

The Saturday Monks Brunch: March 10, 2018

OPEN MIC EDITION Your intrepid chaplain is away at a conference today and can’t break bread with you at Brunch. Sorry about that, I’m going to miss it. But there’s no reason you iMonks shouldn’t get together and share your thoughts about what’s going on in your lives and in the world this week. InternetContinue reading “The Saturday Monks Brunch: March 10, 2018”

A Breviary on Grief and Mourning

A Breviary on Grief and Mourning What we grieve, we must mourn. Grief is one’s complex inner response to loss. Mourning consists of the outward expressions by which we acknowledge our grief and work through it until it becomes more and more integrated into our lives. In addition, in the aftermath of loss we needContinue reading “A Breviary on Grief and Mourning”

Miracles and Science, Part 1 by Ard Louis

Miracles and Science, Part 1 by Ard Louis I would like to begin a reflection on a series of blog posts from BioLogos board member and writer Ard Louis on the subject of miracles. The blog posts can be found on the BioLogos web site archives here. The blog posts are based on a scholarlyContinue reading “Miracles and Science, Part 1 by Ard Louis”

Another Look: Show Me the Way to Go Home

Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God’s Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what wasContinue reading “Another Look: Show Me the Way to Go Home”

Scott Lencke: Story-Shaped Worship & Liturgy

Note from CM: Thanks to our friend, Scott Lencke, who blogs over at The Prodigal Thought, for this Lenten contribution on the beauty and power of liturgy to shape us. • • • I am currently teaching an online course entitled Worship Leadership. The course explores the church’s worship setting beyond just the songs ofContinue reading “Scott Lencke: Story-Shaped Worship & Liturgy”

Another Look: Cleaning Closets

Note from CM: This post was written nearly eight years ago, long before we even thought about moving. Well, now we’ve moved, and the birds have come home to roost. So, I thought I’d run it again, for my own motivation as much as anything. We were able to weed out quite a lot ofContinue reading “Another Look: Cleaning Closets”

Lent III: The Ultimate Thin Place

Sermon: Lent 3 The Ultimate Thin Place JOHN 2:13-22 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money-changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, bothContinue reading “Lent III: The Ultimate Thin Place”

The Saturday Monks Brunch: March 3, 2018

SILLINESS EDITION Sometimes, ya just gotta be silly. And so, we devote today’s brunch to the gracious, liberating practice of silliness. And where else to begin, but with one of the greatest silly sketches of all time? • And, in the same vein, Silly Olympics. My favorite event is the one involving chickens. • MEANWHILE,Continue reading “The Saturday Monks Brunch: March 3, 2018”

Demonic Silence?

Paul Wilkinson has a provocative post over at Thinking Out Loud on the subject of silence in worship services. As you know, Internet Monk has long been a proponent of silence as an essential part of a Jesus-shaped spirituality. We have encouraged that people intentionally experience silence both as a personal spiritual practice and asContinue reading “Demonic Silence?”

Testing Scripture: A Scientist Explores the Bible- by John Polkinghorne, Chapter 10- Profundity

Testing Scripture: A Scientist Explores the Bible– by John Polkinghorne Chapter 10- Profundity In this last chapter Polkinghorne desires to look at three New Testament passages he feels are of great profundity. He wants to explore their depth by looking at them from the viewpoint of a scientist who, as he says, “wishes to locateContinue reading “Testing Scripture: A Scientist Explores the Bible- by John Polkinghorne, Chapter 10- Profundity”