Chaplainmike

Jason Stellman: I Fought the Church and the Church Won

Note from CM: This week we are featuring stories of friends who found their way into the Roman Catholic church. The post-evangelical journey takes many different forms, and this is one of them. Michael Spencer himself experienced this in his family when his wife Denise converted to Catholicism, and you will find many articles inContinue reading “Jason Stellman: I Fought the Church and the Church Won”

Prayer for Our Friend

Dear Internet Monk friends, I received the following update from Jeff Dunn the other day. With his permission I share it with you in order to encourage our prayers together. Well, about a month ago I woke up with congestion in my chest. By that afternoon I had a fever of between 101 and 103.Continue reading “Prayer for Our Friend”

Saturday Ramblings: Oct. 11, 2014 (Beatitudes edition)

We’re going to take a little more serious tack on Ramblings today. To guide us, we’ll organize our thoughts using several of Jesus’ pronouncements in the Beatitudes. Blessed are those who mourn . . . Here, in a nutshell, is everything that is wrong with “Christian” teaching today. June Hunt, radio host and founder ofContinue reading “Saturday Ramblings: Oct. 11, 2014 (Beatitudes edition)”

11 Years of Same-Sex Marriage: A Canadian Perspective

In yesterday’s post Chaplain Mike asked “How do you envision your pastor, church, denomination, tradition responding to this new reality?” I have a slightly different perspective on this, as being in Canada I can look backwards to see has transpired. In my home province of Ontario, same sex marriage has been legal for over eleven years.Continue reading “11 Years of Same-Sex Marriage: A Canadian Perspective”

The Balance Has Tipped

Comments on this post are now closed. Thank you for a good discussion. . . . It was a good week for same-sex marriage advocates. On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court denied petitions to review cases about the issue in states including Utah, Virginia, Indiana, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. But the effects are wider. Because theContinue reading “The Balance Has Tipped”

iMonk Classic: A Conversation in God’s Kitchen (3)

Part three of Michael Spencer’s classic essay on the Bible addresses the subject of interpretation. Read part 1, part 2. • • • Third, How do I Interpret the Bible? Ever think of the Bible as….a grocery store? I worked at grocery stores for a long time. People come into the store with their groceryContinue reading “iMonk Classic: A Conversation in God’s Kitchen (3)”

Pull the Plug on This Phrase, Please

Language matters. Let’s start there. Now, let me rant a bit. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not as intimately acquainted with the evangelical subculture as I used to be, so I don’t cringe as much about evangelical cliches these days. But there is a phrase I keep hearing that is driving meContinue reading “Pull the Plug on This Phrase, Please”

Fr. Stephen Freeman: There Is No “Bible” in the Bible

Note from CM: Thanks to Fr. Freeman for giving us permission to post this excellent article from his blog. Please be aware that he states his points strongly and even overstates some things (in my opinion). I anticipate that some of you will take strong exception to some of his claims and interpretations. (Many ofContinue reading “Fr. Stephen Freeman: There Is No “Bible” in the Bible”

Reflections on “Biblical” Preaching

I have preached and listened to preaching for many years (decades) now. Over time my understanding of “good” preaching has evolved. And my hunger for good preaching has increased.

Saturday Ramblings: Oct. 4, 2014 (I Wish We’d All Been Ready)

Life was filled with guns and war. And all of us got trampled on the floor. I wish we’d all been ready. Forgetting that my wife was on a trip with her sister to Arizona this week, I woke up and saw that I was alone in the bed. I wish we’d all been ready.Continue reading “Saturday Ramblings: Oct. 4, 2014 (I Wish We’d All Been Ready)”