By Chaplain Mike After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. (Luke 2:21, NRSV) eighth day and the baby cries hard tool cuts his flesh fulfilling all demands bleeding flesh by human handsContinue reading “Circumcision of the Christ-Child”
Author Archives: Chaplainmike
iMonk Classic: The Face of the Gracious God
Classic iMonk Post by Michael Spencer From January 25, 2009 Note from CM: I can’t think of a better way to start the new year than to contemplate our wonderful, gracious God and the gifts he has for us in Christ. Wash away those false conceptions of the God who’s out to get you asContinue reading “iMonk Classic: The Face of the Gracious God”
Saturday Ramblings 1.1.11
Look at all of those ones. It must be the start of a new year. For those of you who liked 2010, just wait until you see what 2011 has in store for you. I have no idea what it is, and neither, truth be told, do you, which is why you’ll just have toContinue reading “Saturday Ramblings 1.1.11”
A Thought for a New Year (Wendell Berry)
Suppose we did our work like the snow, quietly, quietly, leaving nothing out. From Leavings: Poems, by Wendell Berry
Another Look: Now in Another Wilderness
[Originally posted April 6, 2010, the day after Michael died] By Chaplain Mike I had been wandering in the post-evangelical wilderness for a long time. But I never knew what to call it until I began reading Michael Spencer. And I never knew a genuinely safe place to talk about it until I entered theContinue reading “Another Look: Now in Another Wilderness”
The Most Discussed Posts on IM in 2010
By Chaplain Mike Looking back on 2010, our first full year of writing on Internet Monk, I am humbled and grateful for the opportunities we’ve had to explore topics of interest and discuss them together. And I’m more convinced than ever: You make Internet Monk the great conversation that it has become. I remember talkingContinue reading “The Most Discussed Posts on IM in 2010”
Difficult Scriptures: The God Who Smites
God loves us. We learned that in Sunday School. So how do we explain God smiting people? I’m thinking of four incidents, three in the Old Testament and one in the New. In each case people were struck down, usually with death, once with leprosy. The Bible is very clear that judgment was from GodContinue reading “Difficult Scriptures: The God Who Smites”
Biblical Narrative and History
By Chaplain Mike One of my primary New Testament professors in seminary was Grant R. Osborne. I loved his infectious enthusiasm and approach to teaching, especially with regard to Greek. He believed that seminaries should be training pastors, and so our projects and examinations were always exercises in taking a passage in the original languageContinue reading “Biblical Narrative and History”
Joseph and the Way of Kindness
By Chaplain Mike “What is desired in a man is kindness” (Prov 19:22). If there is one major lesson I’ve learned in my six years of being a hospice chaplain, it is the importance and power of kindness. Basically, it’s my job to show kindness. I visit with patients and their families and offer toContinue reading “Joseph and the Way of Kindness”
Mary and the Contemplative Life
By Chaplain Mike “But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). The American evangelical church is renowned for its activism. We are a “can do” people, and in the Christian context that often means we see ourselves as “saved to serve.” We commend “being about the Lord’s business,” and valueContinue reading “Mary and the Contemplative Life”
The Internet Monk Archives 