Chaplainmike

How Clear and Solid the Doctrine

Monday Merton Musings, Nov. 21, 2011 How Clear and Solid the Doctrine All quotes are from The Seven Storey Mountain, by Thomas Merton • • • In the days when Thomas Merton began his graduate studies, he also began to feel the desire to go to a church for worship on Sundays. After some deliberationContinue reading “How Clear and Solid the Doctrine”

Five Days of Thanksgiving (1)

For the next five days, we will devote one post each day to giving thanks. No, we are not going all Osteen, “positive vibes only” on you. It is just that, whenever I come to the final Sunday of the Church Year, and at the time when Americans celebrate the Thanksgiving feast, I am remindedContinue reading “Five Days of Thanksgiving (1)”

My Debt to Evangelicalism

Just because I left evangelicalism as a church system and culture several years ago and was willing to hang around in the wilderness rather than go back doesn’t mean I’m an ingrate. People can move on without blowing up the bridge behind them and calling the whole sojourn in one’s former land a total waste.Continue reading “My Debt to Evangelicalism”

iMonk Classic: The Playwright’s Son

Classic iMonk Post by Michael Spencer From November, 2005 Once upon a time there was a playwright. While this playwright was the best who ever lived, his passion was not for his plays, but for his son, the greatest actor of his time. The son loved to act, and to bring joy, truth and meaningContinue reading “iMonk Classic: The Playwright’s Son”

Saturday Ramblings 11.19.11

Welcome to the Thanksgiving Week edition of Saturday Ramblings. This is your chief turkey rambling toward mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes (with marshmallows, of course), dressing, corn, and green beans with those crunchy things on top. (Save the green beans–just give me an extra helping of the crunchy things!) So, as we all do our tummy-stretchingContinue reading “Saturday Ramblings 11.19.11”

Ten Reasons to Love Luther

How the Lutheran Tradition Answers Many Post-Evangelical Concerns (5/conclusion) Thanks for participating in this week of reflections on various elements of Lutheran teaching that I believe answer specific concerns about contemporary American evangelicalism. There are others, and I’m sure we will discuss them in future posts. But we will conclude for now with a fewContinue reading “Ten Reasons to Love Luther”

How the Lutheran Tradition Answers Many Post-Evangelical Concerns (4)

This week I have been giving some examples to show how concerns I have had over the years about evangelicalism are answered by the traditional teachings of historic Lutheranism. We will finish this series up with two final posts. In the first, I want to discuss an emphasis that Martin Luther and his heirs haveContinue reading “How the Lutheran Tradition Answers Many Post-Evangelical Concerns (4)”

The Invasion Of Life

So last Wednesday night I had to ask Chaplain Mike to take my Thursday posts as I had no internet service, and I didn’t feel well enough to drive to a coffee shop, even if I could find one at nine o’clock that was still open and would stay open for two or three hours.Continue reading “The Invasion Of Life”

Discussing the Sheep and the Goats

It is time for us to consider another parable and teach one another as we study and meditate on its meaning. This week’s Gospel text from Matthew contains one of Jesus’ most familiar parables: The Sheep and the Goats (Matt. 25:31-46). I’m sure most of you have heard this parable many times, and perhaps haveContinue reading “Discussing the Sheep and the Goats”

How the Lutheran Tradition Answers Many Post-Evangelical Concerns (3)

Note: I was honored to see that Gene Edward Veith has linked to these posts. You can follow the responses and discussion at Cranach: The Blog of Veith. • • • This is now the third in a series of posts detailing some of the ways I have found that the Lutheran tradition provides solidContinue reading “How the Lutheran Tradition Answers Many Post-Evangelical Concerns (3)”