Author Archives: Chaplainmike

Losers Who Win

8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bringContinue reading “Losers Who Win”

A Bible You’d Never Find at the Christian Bookstore

By Chaplain Mike Let’s say you walk into your local bookstore looking for a Bible. You scan the shelves and examine various translations and editions. Many contain 66 books: 39 in the OT and 27 in the NT. In some Bibles there is a section between the OT and NT with additional books called, “Apocrypha”Continue reading “A Bible You’d Never Find at the Christian Bookstore”

The Contexts of Faith

Much Christian piety and spirituality is romantic and unreal in its positiveness. As children of the Enlightenment, we have censored and selected around the voice of darkness and disorientation, seeking to go from strength to strength, from victory to victory. But such a way not only ignores the Psalms; it is a lie in termsContinue reading “The Contexts of Faith”

The God of Second Chances

In the early 90s, when I was a fairly young seminary student, I was working on a paper for one of my New Testament Greek courses. I had gathered up all the commentaries and journal articles that I could find on the topic, and was starting to write my paper. While reading one journal article,Continue reading “The God of Second Chances”

Nouwen on Waiting

By Chaplain Mike For your contemplation today during this season of Advent, here are some words of profound insight from Henri Nouwen. Advent is the time when we practice the discipline of waiting. We focus our attention on the hope to come. We set our hearts on God’s not-yet-seen promises rather than our unfulfilling circumstancesContinue reading “Nouwen on Waiting”

Another Look At Voyage Of The Dawn Treader

Editor’s Note: I posted my review of Voyage Of The Dawn Treader Saturday evening. I did not care for the movie in the least. The set was cheap. The effects were boring. Character development, outside of Eustace, was non-existant. But my biggest complaints were how the story was twisted, and the author’s intent was turnedContinue reading “Another Look At Voyage Of The Dawn Treader”

A Favorite Children’s Advent/Christmas Book

By Chaplain Mike My entry for a recommended Christmas book is one we read for our children when they were young. It was written by one of my favorite authors, a woman renowned in children’s literature: Madeleine L’Engle. Her award-winning book, A Wrinkle in Time, is a classic that still captures my imagination. L’Engle’s ChristmasContinue reading “A Favorite Children’s Advent/Christmas Book”

The Imagination of Faith

By Chaplain Mike What part does imagination play in faith? Can “truth” be communicated through legend, folk tales, poetry, and music? Many Christmas songs have little to do with describing detailed historical facts. Instead, they evoke images from nature, the Biblical narratives, and the cultures from which they arise to help us not only understandContinue reading “The Imagination of Faith”