Chaplainmike

Signs of Spring in a Midwestern Winter

Nouwen on Ministry and the Wilderness

Lent 2012: A Journey through the Wilderness Nouwen on Ministry and the Wilderness The question with which I started this exploration of desert spirituality and contemporary ministry was: “How can we minister in an apocalyptic situation?” In a period of history dominated by the growing fear of a world that cannot be won and anContinue reading “Nouwen on Ministry and the Wilderness”

Saturday Ramblings 3.3.2012

Welcome fellow iMonks! It’s time for the weekly venture into the leftovers here at the iMonastery. We fix a lot of food during the week and try to give you hearty main dishes twice a day (if possible). But there are some things we just don’t get around to, so we gather them all upContinue reading “Saturday Ramblings 3.3.2012”

Wilderness Remix

One interesting feature of the Hebrew Bible is its use of doublets — stories that duplicate others. Well known narratives such as the creation, Noah and the flood, and Abraham passing off Sarah as his half-sister are not just told once, but twice. This used to be seen as evidence for multiple sources behind theContinue reading “Wilderness Remix”

Wandering the Wilderness of Falsity

Lent 2012: A Journey through the Wilderness Wandering the Wilderness of Falsity “Our false selves are the identities we cultivate in order to function in society with pride and self-possession; our real selves are a deep religious mystery, known entirely only to God.”—Thomas Merton I don’t know why this is such revelation to me. You’d think aContinue reading “Wandering the Wilderness of Falsity”

In The Desert, You Can Remember Your Name

Lent 2012: A Journey through the Wilderness In the Desert, You Can Remember Your Name In a tradition dating from at least as far back as the 7th century, Irish religious practice acknowledged a division of three martyrdoms: the red, the white, and the green. Drawing from the established tradition of the Church about theContinue reading “In The Desert, You Can Remember Your Name”

Jesus in the Wilderness (Video)

Lent 2012: A Journey through the Wilderness A Video of Jesus in the Wilderness I came upon this evocative video through a link by Tod Bolsinger on Facebook. The illustrations are wonderfully simple, the story profound. Take a few moments today and join Jesus in the wilderness.

The Wilderness of Life Under the Law

Lent 2012: A Journey through the Wilderness The Wilderness of Life Under the Law • • • Proposition One: The word “Torah” (often translated “law”) means “a father’s instruction” — it was given to teach God’s people about God’s ways and how to walk in God’s wisdom. Proposition Two: The Torah (the first five booksContinue reading “The Wilderness of Life Under the Law”

Denise Spencer: Winter Wilderness

Lent 2012: A Journey through the Wilderness Winter Wilderness (Denise Day Spencer) Photos by Denise Day Spencer • • • When crinkled leaves drop from the trees, it’s then you see what lay hidden. Or so they say. The creek rushing beyond rough, bare branches. A birds’ nest lodged in the forked crook of limbs.Continue reading “Denise Spencer: Winter Wilderness”