Chaplainmike

Reaching the Rough and Tumble of Society: An Historical Example

By Chaplain Mike OK, so you have a heart to reach men for Christ—working class men, work with your hands and bring home the bacon kind of men, hard working and sometimes hard living “men’s” men, men who are not afraid to break a sweat and get dirty. These are not the kind of menContinue reading “Reaching the Rough and Tumble of Society: An Historical Example”

Driscoll, Masculinity, and the Missional Church

By Chaplain Mike Mark Driscoll. It would be easy to pile on right now. You know… The guy is full of himself. The guy’s language is crude and offensive. The guy can’t control his tongue. The guy is a bully. The guy is a misogynist. The guy is a homophobe. The guy is a looseContinue reading “Driscoll, Masculinity, and the Missional Church”

A Faith that Surpasses Abraham

By Chaplain Mike Ordinary Time Bible Study 2011 The Book of Ruth (5) In Ruth 1:1-5, we are introduced to a family that became beset by severe trials. Forced to leave their home and journey to a neighboring country during a famine, the patriarch of the family then died. Subsequently the two sons, who hadContinue reading “A Faith that Surpasses Abraham”

Do We Really Want God to Intervene?

photo © 2006 Jenny Bauman | more info (via: Wylio)By Chaplain Mike In today’s worship, we heard the Gospel parable from Matthew 13 about the wheat and the weeds. Jesus told them another parable: The Kingdom of heaven is like this. A man sowed good seed in his field. One night, when everyone was asleep,Continue reading “Do We Really Want God to Intervene?”

A Hymn for Ordinary Time (4): A Favorite Spiritual

photo © 2011 Steve Snodgrass | more info (via: Wylio)By Chaplain Mike We have talked a bit about discouragement this week. For some of us, music that points to Jesus and the Gospel can bring us refreshment. Among the great historical examples of this are the spirituals that grew out of the unjust and tragicContinue reading “A Hymn for Ordinary Time (4): A Favorite Spiritual”

iMonk Classic: The Conversion of the Evangelical Imagination

photo © 2008 Joya Wu | more info (via: Wylio)Classic iMonk Post by Michael Spencer December 9, 2005 NOTE from CM: With the release of the final Harry Potter film, I thought this little meditation from Michael Spencer would be appropriate today. Father Andrew Greeley may be writing with a wink when he wonders ifContinue reading “iMonk Classic: The Conversion of the Evangelical Imagination”

Saturday Ramblings 7.16.11

Oh my. Talk about a mess. The sink got backed up last week, so we weren’t able to do any of the dishes. And the leftovers in the fridge are about to turn. I think if you pick some of that green off of the bread it will still be good. Help us out here,Continue reading “Saturday Ramblings 7.16.11”

IM Recommended Reading: Mark Galli on Today’s Vulnerable Pastors

By Chaplain Mike Must Reading: The Most Risky Profession, by Mark Galli at CT. I do not have time to do a full post on this at the moment, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this article since I read it last evening. I encourage you to go read it tonight, comeContinue reading “IM Recommended Reading: Mark Galli on Today’s Vulnerable Pastors”

Take that, Milton

Blame Jeff, not me. Okay, blame me as well for all the quoting of Dante I do on here, which is probably what put the idea into his head. So now you are going to be afflicted with what is most definitely not a reasoned work of considered literary criticism, so beware and be warned.Continue reading “Take that, Milton”

Lose the Lists, Please, I’m Getting Discouraged

photo © 2008 Amanda Slater | more info (via: Wylio)By Chaplain Mike Let me start with the bad news. There is no “answer” for discouragement. You would never know that from listening to some preachers. I did a web search on “discouragement,” and here is an example of some of the typical results I found:Continue reading “Lose the Lists, Please, I’m Getting Discouraged”