Chaplainmike

Ash Wednesday with Father Flynn

“It was a time of people sitting together, bound together by a common feeling of hopelessness. But think of that! Your bond with your fellow being was your despair. It was a public experience; it was awful. But we were in it together. “…When you are lost, you are not alone.” – from “Doubt” (ListenContinue reading “Ash Wednesday with Father Flynn”

When “Christian” Teaching Enables Abuse of Power

As Bill Gothard comes under increasing scrutiny for his personal behavior, some are beginning to talk about how his teachings enable and encourage such behavior. Case in point: Wade Burleson has written an excellent piece called, “Bill Gothard: His Umbrella of Protection Teaching Provides an Umbrage for Perverted Behavior.“ Burleson has been a strong voiceContinue reading “When “Christian” Teaching Enables Abuse of Power”

iMonk Classic: Looking For An Exit From The Journey With Jesus

First published in March 2009 Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?” Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? TheContinue reading “iMonk Classic: Looking For An Exit From The Journey With Jesus”

Outside the Camp

What I think I’m looking for and not finding is something that will give me hope. At this point, I won’t be persuaded by guilt or by empty platitudes. “You just need to do it because it’s what we all need to do” just isn’t cutting it. Having people tell me that it’s a brokenContinue reading “Outside the Camp”

Saturday Ramblings, March 1, 2014

Hello, fellow imonkers. Many thanks to Adam Palmer for pinch-hitting for me last week as I escaped the Midwest tundra for a week in Arizona to visit family. I hate family fights, and am therefore happy to report I successfully dodged all attempts to argue over the proposed Arizona Religious Freedom bill (vetoed on Wednesday byContinue reading “Saturday Ramblings, March 1, 2014”

What is Church?

Chaplain Mike declared in a previous post that he was a Liturgical Christian. I cannot say the same for myself. While I have a lot of respect for liturgical and sacramental traditions, my own significant spiritual growth did not come in a liturgical church setting. In fact, you could argue that it did not evenContinue reading “What is Church?”

Another Look: Willimon on Jesus – Vagabond, Peacemaker, Storyteller

Note from CM: This week we are focusing on Jesus-shaped spirituality. One thing I am doing is going back and taking a look at some of my favorite authors and books that have helped me know Christ and his way better. Here is one part of a review I did in 2011 of Will Willimon’sContinue reading “Another Look: Willimon on Jesus – Vagabond, Peacemaker, Storyteller”

Jesus-Shaped Spirituality: A Eucharistic Life

I am a liturgical Christian. By that I do not mean that I prefer a certain style of worship. Rather, it means that I accept the wisdom of the traditional pattern of worship. I have written about this in a post called, “The Order of Christian Worship.” The traditional pattern reenacts the drama of theContinue reading “Jesus-Shaped Spirituality: A Eucharistic Life”

Site Update – Feb 25, 2014

As you can see, we are out of Maintenance Mode and back online now. Unfortunately, we lost a few of our most recent posts in the process of moving to a new web host. I will be working to restore those today. I may not, however, be able to retrieve all of your comments. SorryContinue reading “Site Update – Feb 25, 2014”

iMonk Classic: What Is Jesus-Shaped Spirituality?

Note from CM: Recently, a reader suggested we reiterate and shore up our understanding of Michael Spencer’s iconic phrase: “Jesus-shaped Spirituality.” Here is Michael’s post from February 2009 in which he outlines its characteristics. * * * What Is Jesus-Shaped Spirituality? A Classic Michael Spencer Post, from Feb. 2009 The past year and a halfContinue reading “iMonk Classic: What Is Jesus-Shaped Spirituality?”