Author Archives: Chaplainmike

Ground Rules: Blogroll Psychology 101

Ground Rules are a series of posts reflecting on what I’ve learned in some of my controversies and conflicts with other bloggers. Who’s on your blogroll? Your RSS reader? What are you saying by including or excluding them? Somewhere in my future volume called “Blog Psychology: The Behavior of Bloggers Explained” I will have aContinue reading “Ground Rules: Blogroll Psychology 101”

Fifty Things You Didn’t Know….and one outright lie

UPDATE: Blast you Kyle Potter! You’ve read this blog for 7 years. You’ve read my confessional essays. You’ve got the bio memorized. Your iPod has the podcast all the way back to episode 1. You’re confident you could pass any quiz on the life and times of the iMonk. You’re wrong. Welcome to fifty thingsContinue reading “Fifty Things You Didn’t Know….and one outright lie”

Five Questions for Noel Heikkinen on the Mark Driscoll “Confessional.”

One of the most talked about posts in the blogosphere this week is Mark Driscoll’s report on his exhaustion, health problems and current explosive growth church situation. Reformed Catholicism and others wrote excellent responses. When I read Driscoll’s post, I decided I wanted to get the reaction of one of the pastors of one ofContinue reading “Five Questions for Noel Heikkinen on the Mark Driscoll “Confessional.””

The Strange Case of the Missing Scripture Lessons

Josh at eucatastrophe and Pirate (at the BHT) have been writing about the public reading of scripture, something that is strangely absent in the worship and preaching of the vast majority of evangelicals. If you wanted examples of preaching that completely left out the Bible and any reasonable use of it, I could keep youContinue reading “The Strange Case of the Missing Scripture Lessons”

Riffs 3:19:07: Responding to Dan Edelen’s “The Holy Who?”

“I’m not a supporter of the Emerging Church, but I’m sympathetic to some of the reforms they’re calling for in the Church as a whole. Yet I’m utterly mystified that a reform movement could be so lacking in any concept of the Holy Spirit. Pneumatology in the Emerging Church? I’ve not heard one peep aboutContinue reading “Riffs 3:19:07: Responding to Dan Edelen’s “The Holy Who?””

iMonk 101: Jesus, Tongue Piercing and The Culture War

About a year ago I wrote this piece on one-culture warrior’s evaluation of the phenomenon of tongue piercing. You will find a link to another IM piece on a similar subject as well. Posts about tattoos, piercings, fashion in general and other stereotypical attempts to portray the missional church as a collection of immature punkContinue reading “iMonk 101: Jesus, Tongue Piercing and The Culture War”

Thoughts and Review: The Unseen by Craig Wright

The Unseen by Craig Wright, March 16, 2007, Actor’s Theater of Louisville, Humana Festival of New American Plays. It will probably be a long time before you have the opportunity to see Craig Wright’s stunning short play, “The Unseen.” If you get the chance, it will probably be at a university theater performance where someContinue reading “Thoughts and Review: The Unseen by Craig Wright”

Southern Baptists and the Emerging Church: Friends or Foes?

Mark DeVine, theology professor from Midwestern Seminary (and a man who knows his Barth), has looked seriously and deeply at the emerging church and suggests some directions for SBC interaction, avoidance and further study. A measured and competent essay, worth your time. [Or you can watch the video below. It’s more of a summary ofContinue reading “Southern Baptists and the Emerging Church: Friends or Foes?”

Missional Leaders: Right There All Along?

Hmmmm. He doesn’t look like he’s trying to be cool. Is this the face of the controversial and misunderstood missional church leader we keep talking about? Could it be that “missional” leaders have been right there all along, but our hang-ups on the subjects of culturally compromised churches led by twenty-somethings have fogged our vision?Continue reading “Missional Leaders: Right There All Along?”