Chaplainmike

Wilderness Update, September 2013

It is decision time. The first Sunday in September was the last day of my summer internship in my home church. This concludes my year of practical and academic work for the ELCA and brings me to a point where I must write a candidacy essay and submit my application for final approval to receiveContinue reading “Wilderness Update, September 2013”

Random Thoughts from the September Grass

Ssssss… Several years ago, our congregation used to take summer mission trips down to the hills of eastern Kentucky, near where our pastor grew up. We worked with a mission, helping with their facilities and doing VBS for them. One of our pastor’s relatives lived near the mission, and he had one of the moreContinue reading “Random Thoughts from the September Grass”

The Homily

“I thought you might like these. They were Michael’s.” With that, Denise Spencer handed over a box of books that had belonged to her husband, our founder, Michael Spencer. There were baseball books and books on anger. But the books in the box that made me want to dance were the books by a formerContinue reading “The Homily”

Saturday Ramblings 9.7.13

InternetMonk is a labor of love by those who write, edit and maintain these pages. It is because of your generous gifts we can continue to keep the lights on in the iMonastery. I get an email each time someone donates thru PayPal (button to the right of these words), and I am always gratefulContinue reading “Saturday Ramblings 9.7.13”

Fr. Ernesto on the Syria Crisis

Note from CM: This was posted on Aug. 29, 2013 at Fr. Ernesto’s blog, OrthoCuban. He graciously gave permission to reproduce it here. When he wrote me, Fr. Ernesto added this update: Since my original blog post was written, the Eastern Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, who lives in Damascus, His HolinessContinue reading “Fr. Ernesto on the Syria Crisis”

Being the Church

Three and a a half weeks ago my college roommate from nearly 30 years ago went missing. Two weeks later he was found in his vehicle. Suicide. (I have withheld his name for privacy reasons.) I wish I could write a flowery tribute to him. I can’t. I had lost touch with him for manyContinue reading “Being the Church”

Now. On Earth.

Is that it? Is this the message? Is this what Jesus and the apostles announced? Are we in rehearsals? Is this prep time for the final exam? Are we taking batting practice? Is this pre-season and we’re sorting out the team, making the cuts, setting the roster? Are we humans given sixty, seventy, eighty orContinue reading “Now. On Earth.”

Losing The War Part III–Love In The Ruins (continued)

NOTE: Comments closed. All happy families are alike. Every unhappy family is miserable in its own way. Leo Tolstoy Last week I spoke about the ruins. This week I want to speak about the love. Specifically, I want to speak about marriage and sex roles. Please remember that I’m trying to share from something prettyContinue reading “Losing The War Part III–Love In The Ruins (continued)”

Doxology in Darkness

“… to give thanks in a state of interior desolation, to trust in the love of God in the face of marvels, cruel circumstances, obscenities, and commonplaces of life is to whisper a doxology in darkness.” —Brennan Manning, Ruthless Trust Recently, I made an unexpected business trip with my husband. It was an unusual requestContinue reading “Doxology in Darkness”

iMonk Class Review: Defining Evangelicalism and Post-Evangelicalism

Since Internet Monk designates itself as “Dispatches from the Post-Evangelical Wilderness,” it is important from time to time to recall what we mean by “evangelical.” Over at Jesus Creed today, Scot McKnight reviews a new book about Dallas Willard that includes a helpful sketch of evangelicalism, both in terms of its emphases and its historicalContinue reading “iMonk Class Review: Defining Evangelicalism and Post-Evangelicalism”