Chaplainmike

Three Questions About Post-Evangelicalism

1. Why did you start using the term “post-evangelical?” Aren’t you aware of how that term is perceived in the discernment blogosphere? This will seem hard to believe, but I simply wanted a way to say I was moving past evangelicalism to something else, but that something else wasn’t what would cause me to sayContinue reading “Three Questions About Post-Evangelicalism”

Chaplain Mike Mercer: Evangelicals And The Pastoral Care of the Dying: The IM Interview

Chaplain Mike Mercer is one of the long-time faithful friends of this web site. Many of you will recognize him as a frequent commenter. Mike has gone the extra mile to befriend me and that has been a true gift. I wanted to do this interview because Mike is now involved in pastoral care ofContinue reading “Chaplain Mike Mercer: Evangelicals And The Pastoral Care of the Dying: The IM Interview”

Curious Minds Want To Know: Does the IM Audience REALLY Exist?

C.S. Lewis said that the person who tries to be unique never is, and the person who sets out to be original seldom is. I would suggest that the IM blog and IM radio podcast audience are made up of people who may, at least at some point, have felt they were “the only ones,”Continue reading “Curious Minds Want To Know: Does the IM Audience REALLY Exist?”

iMonk 101: Is Mental Illness Demonic?

I am continuing to repost my 2005 series on “The Christian and Mental Illness.” This post, “Is Mental Illness Demonic?” has been edited considerably from the original. This post will deal with some controversial ideas. I am not pretending to have the last word on any Biblical text or any person’s mental illness. My primaryContinue reading “iMonk 101: Is Mental Illness Demonic?”

Preaching for Grown-Ups: Mark 13

Today’s Gospel reading was Mark 13:1-8. There’s a chapter with “Can o’ Worms” written all over it. When I deal with this chapter, I try to show that the parts of the chapter that are easily understood plainly give us instructions on what we are to be doing and not doing. Hope this message isContinue reading “Preaching for Grown-Ups: Mark 13”

Internet Monk Radio Podcast #165

This week: Lessons from Chess. Get Over it. Gospel Cowards Support the IM sponsors: Restoring the Soul.com. Real help for restoring the pastor’s soul. New Reformation Press. Reformation theology for everyone. Rockbridge Seminary. Family, ministry and online seminary all coming together. Alan Creech Rosaries (or aids to prayer. You decide) The Ministry to Children blogContinue reading “Internet Monk Radio Podcast #165”

Riffs: 11:14:09: Patrol Magazine and Evangelicals Who Won’t “Get Over It”

I asked for permission to reprint an entire editorial column from the always provocative and frequently dead-on-target Patrol Magazine. It’s entitled “Get Over It.” It’s the latest installment in The Coming Evangelical Collapse, as far as I’m concerned. There aren’t enough ways to say “Yes” and “Amen” to this editorial. I’ll have more to sayContinue reading “Riffs: 11:14:09: Patrol Magazine and Evangelicals Who Won’t “Get Over It””

Eugene Peterson, Working the Angles and the Matt Chandler Bobblehead

Matt Chandler spoke at my alma mater this week (yes SBTS alumni, class of ’84 and more). You can watch the message here, but one of the Thinklings excerpted part of Chandler’s message and the words were very familiar. Chandler’s quoting Eugene Peterson, he who created the much vilified paraphrase “The Message” and who mostContinue reading “Eugene Peterson, Working the Angles and the Matt Chandler Bobblehead”

Gospel Cowards

A church-planting friend just wrote me about a conference he’s attended in one of our state Baptist conventions. Plant those churches, boys, was the rallying cry, but stay out of those pubs. Take the Gospel into the world, but stay out of anyplace that serves beer. That’s someone’s version of how the Gospel applies toContinue reading “Gospel Cowards”

The Evangelical Liturgy 23: The Postlude

I’ve served at two churches with exceptional pipe organs and organists. Some of my best memories of worship are about the postlude. The last amen had sounded, the congregation was leaving the worship space and the organist, with the help of Bach, was taking the roof off the building. I absolutely soaked it in. CouldContinue reading “The Evangelical Liturgy 23: The Postlude”