Author Archives: Chaplainmike

Holy Week with Duccio: The Entry into Jerusalem

Source: Web Gallery of Art “The scene Entry into Jerusalem is unusual because of the attention given to the landscape, which is rich in detail. The paved road, the city gate with battlements, the wall embrasures, the slender towers rising up above and the polygonal building of white marble reproduce a remarkably realistic layout, both urbanistically andContinue reading “Holy Week with Duccio: The Entry into Jerusalem”

Holy Week: There is Always a Day Before (iMonk Classic)

NOTE: As we begin Holy Week, this classic Michael Spencer post from November, 2009 reminds us that each day, each week is a journey into the unknown. We never know if the cross is waiting for us this Friday. Michael wrote these words shortly before he learned that he had a terminal illness. * *Continue reading “Holy Week: There is Always a Day Before (iMonk Classic)”

Saturday Ramblings 3.23.13

Pardon me if I am a bit distracted as I ramble today, iMonks. I am celebrating Basketball Christmas as I write this. Yes Virginia (and Washington, D.C.), there is a Santa Claus, and his name is Florida Gulf Coast, my new favorite college basketball team. I love upsets, especially by teams that, before the tournamentContinue reading “Saturday Ramblings 3.23.13”

Recommended Reading: Provocative Posts I’ve Spotted around the Web

Tim Gombis ran a most interesting post at his blog this week, discussing a phenomenon he has observed when teaching the Bible to evangelical people in various settings. Gombis remarks that he has become puzzled, for he keeps hearing a particular comment from evangelicals when they learn something new from the Bible. When I began teaching evangelicalContinue reading “Recommended Reading: Provocative Posts I’ve Spotted around the Web”

Difficult Scriptures: The Sermon On The Mount

I saw it coming, just like you sometimes see a car wreck coming. The preacher used the verses in Matthew’s account of Jesus’ most well-known sermon dealing with divorce to talk about marriage. He talked about strengthening our marriages and how important marriage is to God. How the family is the first institute ordained byContinue reading “Difficult Scriptures: The Sermon On The Mount”

A Brief Allegory Of The Communion Of Saints

From time to time on Internet Monk a commenter will express discomfort with the Orthodox and Catholic tradition of acknowledging the communion of saints.  Someone will object to “praying to Mary” or “worshipping saints.”  Let me offer a parable in response. Imagine a young woman who meets and falls in love with a man –Continue reading “A Brief Allegory Of The Communion Of Saints”

Swimming The Tiber, Or Just Taking A Quick Dip?

There is an understandable lovefest surrounding the new pope, and not only from Catholics. Anglicans, Orthodox, and evangelical leaders are all praising the new servant of the servants of God. Jewish rabbis are looking forward to stronger relations with the Vatican because of Francis. Even Baptists are cautiously optimistic that this new pope will proveContinue reading “Swimming The Tiber, Or Just Taking A Quick Dip?”

Money and Power: The Elephant in James MacDonald’s Room

NOTE: Thanks to Ryan Mahoney and Scott Bryant for this look at one of the prominent scandals in evangelicalism in recent days. James MacDonald graduated from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 1988, the same year I did. That year he founded Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows, IL. He is also known from his radioContinue reading “Money and Power: The Elephant in James MacDonald’s Room”