Author Archives: Chaplainmike

Internet Monk Radio Podcast #110

Church Quitting in Evangelicalism. Sunday Morning, Staying Home. Why I Walked Out of Church. Outstanding and on target. Julie Neidlinger is iMonk 2.0. You can post here whenever you want, Julie. My audience is yours. Seriously. Drop me an email because I would love to do a brief blog interview. Check out my other blogContinue reading “Internet Monk Radio Podcast #110”

Difficult Concept Workshop: Repeat After Me…”The Shack Is A Story”

Well here we are again, talking about The Shack. (Original Review. Follow Up. Driscoll. Witherington.) I’m going to start and finish this post with the same encouragement: TELL YOUR STORY. WRITE YOUR STORIES. TELL THEM YOUR WAY. IN YOUR WORDS. Don’t be afraid or intimidated. The story matters. Some will NEVER see it, but it’sContinue reading “Difficult Concept Workshop: Repeat After Me…”The Shack Is A Story””

What Could Southern Baptists (and other evangelicals) do to promote Spiritual Formation?

I mean, besides read their Bibles. Southern Baptists can’t really do anything about this kind of thing because, as any real Southern Baptist knows, the denomination isn’t a church and actually the “Southern Baptist Convention” only exists a few hours a year. When it gets together to elect officers, debate a few non-binding resolutions andContinue reading “What Could Southern Baptists (and other evangelicals) do to promote Spiritual Formation?”

Review: The Lord’s Supper: Five Views edited by Gordon Smith

I’ve never been particularly interested in those books that line up the advocates of different views on a selected subject, give one each an essay and everyone a response. It sounds like a very good idea, but I’m the kind of person who thinks through an issue more clearly with an all out advocate orContinue reading “Review: The Lord’s Supper: Five Views edited by Gordon Smith”

iMonk 101: Who and What Are Forming You?

I looked back in the archives and found this post from April of 2007: Who And What Are Forming You? It’s an earlier examination of the issues an evangelical like myself (and like many IM readers) face when seeking to grow in Christlikeness. This has proven to be a very volatile topic, which doesn’t surpriseContinue reading “iMonk 101: Who and What Are Forming You?”

Why Evangelicalism Drives Us Crazy, and Why We Need Each Other

In eight years, I’ve seldom launched a post off of a comment. No disrespect to commenters. They are fine folk, for the most part. But I almost never comment on another blog myself. The sort of person who chases down some phrase like “contemplative prayer” and then goes to battle in the comment threads ofContinue reading “Why Evangelicalism Drives Us Crazy, and Why We Need Each Other”

Open Thread: So Where Does A Baptist Go For Spiritual Formation?

UPDATE: My apologies for tolerating the troll. So….imagine that a Baptist (or other evangelical)- like my dear wife used to be, for example- were to decide that he or she wanted to deepen their spiritual life; to grow spiritually and in spiritual disciplines; to seek out spiritual direction and pursue spiritual formation. Where would theyContinue reading “Open Thread: So Where Does A Baptist Go For Spiritual Formation?”

Congregationalism First, Evangelicalism Later

In the November 2007 Issue of Touchstone Magazine, there’s a fascinating forum/symposium on “Evangelicalism Today.” It’s available in its entirety on the Touchstone website, and it is well worth your time. Such diverse voices as Russell Moore, Daryl Hart, John Franke and Michael Horton discuss a variety of topics of interest to the IM audience.Continue reading “Congregationalism First, Evangelicalism Later”