Author Archives: Chaplainmike

What did Jesus mean? — “Salt of the Earth”

In a post at First Things, called “Salt of the Earth” Peter Leithart challenges Christians to consider the negative metaphorical implications of Jesus’ saying. Was Jesus, in fact, pronouncing judgment on a sinful world through saying, “You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13)? First of all, he notes what many have observed: that JesusContinue reading “What did Jesus mean? — “Salt of the Earth””

Damaris Zehner: The Undeserved Grace of a New Beginning

The Undeserved Grace of a New Beginning A Villanelle by Damaris Zehner God blesses me with gifts of time and space To feel the rising warmth of one more day And from the darkness see the dawn of grace. Each spring green growth and birdsong will replace The gloom and bitter cold that once heldContinue reading “Damaris Zehner: The Undeserved Grace of a New Beginning”

Thank you for supporting Internet Monk

Thank you for your support. I really mean this. Internet Monk is a labor of love. We who write have “day jobs” and contribute articles to the site as we can. I, Chaplain Mike, oversee the iMonastery and do my best to take the lead writing responsibility. None of us gets paid, nor do weContinue reading “Thank you for supporting Internet Monk”

Sundays with Michael Spencer: January 18, 2015

Note from CM: 2015 will mark five years since the death of Michael Spencer, the Internet Monk. Today, we continue our “Sundays with Michael” series with an excerpt from post that was originally published in January 2009. • • • A good and dear friend recently updated me on developments in her recent spiritual journey. Let’sContinue reading “Sundays with Michael Spencer: January 18, 2015”

Saturday Ramblings, January 17, 2015

Hello, imonks, and welcome to the weekend.  Ready to ramble? Make the Bible the State Book?  A bill in Mississippi (expected to pass) would do just that.  The article notes, “Lawmakers say designating the Bible as the state book would be completely symbolic and nobody would be required to read it.” So, basically it wouldContinue reading “Saturday Ramblings, January 17, 2015”

Adam Palmer: Embracing and Excluding

Our churches have a people problem. I’m as guilty as anyone, I guess. I would consider myself a “progressive” person, fairly open-handed in my theology, craving diversity when I gather with the church on Sunday morning. I want these things, sure. If they were to show up on the doorstep of our church’s gathering place,Continue reading “Adam Palmer: Embracing and Excluding”

Semi-Open Mic: What conversations should we have in 2015?

Fuller Seminary has a nice page suggesting “15 Conversations the Church Needs to Have in 2015.” In his introduction to this page, seminary president Mark Labberton says, Our faculty are always thinking deeply about the issues, challenges, current events and pressing realities we need to grapple with in order to be the hands and feetContinue reading “Semi-Open Mic: What conversations should we have in 2015?”

Richard Beck: The moral implication of interpretive pluralism

Unpublished: Being Biblical Means Being Doctrinally Tolerant Richard Beck • • • Richard Beck gets down to brass tacks in an excerpt from an unpublished article he had written about how doctrinal gate-keeping can be a delusional exercise. The first sentence states an obvious point that is somehow ignored regularly by those who insist mostContinue reading “Richard Beck: The moral implication of interpretive pluralism”