Chaplainmike

Losing The War

The problem with going to war is that there is a very real chance you may lose. It was August 14, 1945 in the United States, but due to the International Date Line, it was already August 15 in Japan. The Japanese Empire was reeling. The United States had just obliterated two major cities, HiroshimaContinue reading “Losing The War”

Missions 101: or How to Be More Like a Soldier of an Oppressive Imperialist Nation

My all-time favorite Bible character (yes, yes, excluding Jesus) is the centurion whose story is told in Luke 7. I don’t know much about him, yet I’ve loved him to the point of tears since I was a child. I suspect that one reason is that he, like me, was an expatriate. Both of usContinue reading “Missions 101: or How to Be More Like a Soldier of an Oppressive Imperialist Nation”

Life and Death in the Promised Land

I was leaving without a qualm without a single backward glance. The face of the South that I had known was hostile and forbidding, and yet out of all the conflicts and the curses… the tension and the terror, I had somehow gotten the idea that life could be different… I was now running moreContinue reading “Life and Death in the Promised Land”

The Homily

In the same way one shepherd seeks after, cares for, and watches over his scattered flock, so will I be the guardian of My sheep. I will be their Rescuer! No matter where they have scattered, I will go to find them. I will bring them back from the places where they were scattered on that dark andContinue reading “The Homily”

Saturday Ramblings 8.10.13

Hot enough for you, iMonks? I’m thinking football. Why football in August? Two reasons. It’s hot here in Tulsa, and football means cooler weather. Well, ok, not until halfway through the season, but still. The other reason? My Cincinnati Reds are in the fast lane cruising toward Sucksville, so it is about time for meContinue reading “Saturday Ramblings 8.10.13”

Reconsider Jesus – An Ode to Michael Spencer

For the past number of Fridays we have been presenting excerpts from Michael Spencer’s upcoming book: Reconsider Jesus – A fresh look at Jesus from the Gospel of Mark. This week, one of our editors of the project, Scott Lenke, introduces himself, and tells us what drew him to Michael Spencer and this project. ScottContinue reading “Reconsider Jesus – An Ode to Michael Spencer”

Another Look: Some Thoughts on “Community”

This post was first published in August, 2010. Today, I heard an interesting interview on the NPR program, Fresh Air with Todd S. Purdum, national editor of Vanity Fair, who has written a piece in the latest edition called, “Washington: We Have a Problem”. For this article, Purdum spent a day at the White House with the presidentContinue reading “Another Look: Some Thoughts on “Community””

The Big Rip

One of the only benefits of having a one hour, one-way commute is that I get to download a lot of stuff off the Internet and listen to it during the drive. It is a great way to catch up on your “reading,” if you loosen your definition of reading enough. Of course, I listenContinue reading “The Big Rip”

My Early, Influential Albums

Today, I will share with you some of the formative music that shaped my life. To start, let me place myself: I was born in 1956, so that means I missed the fifties and didn’t become a teenager until the end of the sixties. Elvis was not my idol as a young boy, and thoughContinue reading “My Early, Influential Albums”

Negotiating the Mess

This is a report from the front lines. The battle. The church. The mess. On the one hand, I have had a wonderful summer filling in during my pastor’s sabbatical. Sundays, in particular, have been refreshing, as I have led worship, preached, distributed the Sacrament, and shared small talk with the saints around coffee andContinue reading “Negotiating the Mess”