Author Archives: Chaplainmike

The Seventh Station: Jesus Falls the Second Time

Scripture “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4,5 withContinue reading “The Seventh Station: Jesus Falls the Second Time”

The Heart of the Kingdom

By Chaplain Mike “The kingdom vision of Jesus is a kingdom filled up with people who are noted by one word: love.” (One.Life, p. 48) The Apostle Paul put it this way: “For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faithContinue reading “The Heart of the Kingdom”

The Sixth Station: Veronica Wipes The Face Of Jesus

Scripture But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by everyone, despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. “He trusts in the LORD,” they say, “let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.” (Psalm 22: 6-8, NIV. AlsoContinue reading “The Sixth Station: Veronica Wipes The Face Of Jesus”

Imagining the Kingdom

By Chaplain Mike I have always considered evangelicals (including myself) weak in the area of imagination. The evangelical or fundamentalist tradition has been, by and large, a prosaic tradition, characterized by simple logic, plain spokenness, common sense, and an iconoclastic rather than an aesthetic ethos. There is a certain literalism at its heart that carriesContinue reading “Imagining the Kingdom”

The Fifth Station: Simon of Cyrene Carries the Cross

Scripture “A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the Father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross” (Mark 15:21 with references in the Meditation to Exodus 12:1-36, Matthew 16:24, Luke 23:26, Romans 16:13). Meditation Jesus staggers. The cross beam he isContinue reading “The Fifth Station: Simon of Cyrene Carries the Cross”

150 Years Ago, Today…

By Chaplain Mike Today is the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of what is considered the official beginning of the American Civil War—the bombardment and surrender of Fort Sumter, near Charleston, SC (April 12-13, 1861). Ft. Sumter was one of five Union forts that remained in the newly formed Confederacy. In the months preceding the battle,Continue reading “150 Years Ago, Today…”

The Fourth Station: Jesus Sees His Mother

Scripture In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,  to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.  The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is withContinue reading “The Fourth Station: Jesus Sees His Mother”

Embracing God’s Dream

By Chaplain Mike This week, in addition to the daily “Stations of the Cross” posts, I will lead us in considering ideas from some good books I am reading. We will continue exploring James Davison Hunter’s brilliant, To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World. In addition,Continue reading “Embracing God’s Dream”

The Third Station: Jesus Falls the First Time

Scripture “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6, with references in the Meditation to Matthew 27:27-31, Mark 15:15-20, John 19:17,18, Psalm 38:4, Leviticus 16:5-22, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 5:10, Ephesians 5:14). MeditationContinue reading “The Third Station: Jesus Falls the First Time”