Author Archives: Chaplainmike

Wendell Berry on Being Caught in the Middle

This week, what we are doing (instead of listening to me) is hearing and discussing quotes from Wendell Berry’s 2015 book, Our Only World: Ten Essays. Today, Wendell Berry expresses a frustration many of us feel. We are comfortable with neither the left nor the right, today’s conservatism or progressivism (especially as practiced by the current politicalContinue reading “Wendell Berry on Being Caught in the Middle”

Wendell Berry on Local Economies

This week, what we are doing (instead of listening to me) is hearing and discussing quotes from Wendell Berry’s 2015 book, Our Only World: Ten Essays. On these weeks of the U.S. political national conventions, I escape to Berry to find fresh air to breathe. Fitting in neither of the binary categories our system seems to wantContinue reading “Wendell Berry on Local Economies”

Wendell Berry on the Commerce of Violence

This week, what we are doing (instead of listening to me) is hearing and discussing quotes from Wendell Berry’s 2015 book, Our Only World: Ten Essays. On these weeks of the U.S. political national conventions, I escape to Berry to find fresh air to breathe. Fitting in neither of the binary categories our system seems to wantContinue reading “Wendell Berry on the Commerce of Violence”

Wendell Berry on Knowing and Believing

I’m going to take a little time off from writing this week. To be honest, I’m tired and more than a little ready for a break. So, what we’ll do instead of listening to me for the next few days is hear and discuss quotes from Wendell Berry’s 2015 book, Our Only World: Ten Essays.Continue reading “Wendell Berry on Knowing and Believing”

Pic & Poem of the Week: July 24, 2016

(Click on picture for larger image) Blessing When the World is Ending Look, the world is always ending somewhere. Somewhere the sun has come crashing down. Somewhere it has gone completely dark. Somewhere it has ended with the gun, the knife, the fist. Somewhere it has ended with the slammed door, the shattered hope. SomewhereContinue reading “Pic & Poem of the Week: July 24, 2016”

Saturday Ramblings: July 23, 2016

Hey, in case you hadn’t heard, some people rambled over to Cleveland this past week for a little party. And next week, a few more folks will ramble to Philadelphia for a different party. Those who drive to these events probably do so in something not unlike our flag-bedecked ’58 beauty above. It’s just that someContinue reading “Saturday Ramblings: July 23, 2016”

“All them 1001 deaths have taught me”

I work with people who are grieving. Grief is our human response to loss. We normally use the word to speak of someone who’s lost a loved one through death, but grief is bigger than that. Much more fundamental to the experience of daily life than that. In fact, we might think of life itselfContinue reading ““All them 1001 deaths have taught me””

Another Look: Why I now love weddings

Note from CM: I’m officiating a wedding this week, one of several I’ve been asked to conduct this year. Thinking about the privilege of participating in these joyous occasions brought this post to mind. • • • I used to not like weddings very much. They seemed like a lot of trouble, and people tendedContinue reading “Another Look: Why I now love weddings”

Wednesdays with James: Lesson Eight

Note from CM: Updated post to use Kingdom NT translation. Thanks, Charles! Wednesdays with James Lesson Eight: Taking Responsibility, Receiving from God Today we will bite off a bit bigger chunk of the Epistle of James, looking at James 1:12-27. 12 God’s blessing on the man who endures testing! When he has passed the test, heContinue reading “Wednesdays with James: Lesson Eight”