Chaplainmike

Reconsider Jesus – What was Jesus Like?

On Fridays we are taking a journey with Michael Spencer through the Gospel of Mark. We have found many of his writings and sermons on Mark and are editing and compiling them into a book: Reconsider Jesus – A fresh look at Jesus from the Gospel of Mark. The following is a blog post writtenContinue reading “Reconsider Jesus – What was Jesus Like?”

Summer Sounds from CM: The List

The List by Roseanne Cash, 2009 When Roseanne Cash was a teenager, she was on tour with her father, Johnny Cash. One day as they were talking about songs, he realized that she did not know some of the songs that he considered essential for any singer-songwriter to know. So, he gave her a listContinue reading “Summer Sounds from CM: The List”

On Peter Rollins: Deconstruction Is Not Enough

The Idolatry of God: Breaking Our Addiction to Certainty and Satisfaction By Peter Rollins Howard Books, 2013 – Part two of a two-part review and meditation * * * It is dangerous to put a chainsaw in the hands of a preacher. We live in a house that is 112 years old and this hasContinue reading “On Peter Rollins: Deconstruction Is Not Enough”

Losing The War Part Two—Hell On The Installment Plan

This post is about the sin of acedia. It is known by a lot of other names, none of which entirely capture or circumscribe this sin; ennui, anomie, alienation, despondency, carelessness, boredom, but the Fathers who describe it called it by its Greek name, acedia. It is an old word. meaning literallyContinue reading “Losing The War Part Two—Hell On The Installment Plan”

Living In The Land Of The Real

We should be grateful to the Lord our God, for putting us to the test, as he did our forefathers. Recall how he dealt with Abraham, and how he tried Isaac, and all that happened to Jacob in Syrian Mesopotamia while he was tending the flocks of Laban, his mother’s brother. Not for vengeance didContinue reading “Living In The Land Of The Real”

Good News from Peter Rollins: God does not exist, is not sublime, and has no meaning

The Idolatry of God: Breaking Our Addiction to Certainty and Satisfaction By Peter Rollins Howard Books, 2013 – Part one of a two-part review and meditation * * * Peter Rollins thinks that much modern Christianity has become, in essence, idolatry. Today the “Good News” of Christianity operates with much the same logic. It isContinue reading “Good News from Peter Rollins: God does not exist, is not sublime, and has no meaning”

The Homily

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish? (Psalm 22:1, NIV) About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli,Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) (Matthew 27:46, NIV). Breakfast at the Savoy thisContinue reading “The Homily”

Saturday Ramblings 8.17.13

Good morning, iMonks. How is your coffee? Want another sweet roll? Here, let turn the page of the newspaper for you. Comfy? Good. Now, wake up from your dream and grab a broom. It’s time for the weekly clean-up around here we call Saturday Ramblings. (And we have a great bonus video for you thisContinue reading “Saturday Ramblings 8.17.13”

Reconsider Jesus – Once Saved Always Saved?

The following is an excerpt from Michael Spencer’s upcoming book: Reconsider Jesus – A fresh look at Jesus from the Gospel of Mark. This week we are continuing with some of his thoughts on The Seed and the Soil from Mark 4:1-8; 13-20 that we introduced two weeks ago. Michael Spencer’s thoughts on Mark ChapterContinue reading “Reconsider Jesus – Once Saved Always Saved?”

I Can’t Get No…

I was perusing the IM Archives the other day and came across a post I wrote two years ago. It was simple and short, based on a sentence by Dallas Willard I had read in a book on spiritual formation. I didn’t know what to make of it then, but it arrested me. Well, theContinue reading “I Can’t Get No…”