I am continuing some of my pastoral reflections on forgiveness. One of the most useful insights I ever received into the subject of forgiveness came from meditating on the commands, “Love, pray and do good for your enemies,” and “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Jesus forgave perfectly. LikeContinue reading “The Journey of Forgiveness”
Author Archives: Chaplainmike
Jesus and My Stuff
My men’s Bible study has been reading and discussing John Piper’s book Don’t Waste Your Life. If you aren’t familiar with DWYL, it is a small book that Piper wrote to persuade college-age young people to live missional, Kingdom-building, God-glorifying and passionate lives. If you want to give the “Piper” experience in short form, thisContinue reading “Jesus and My Stuff”
On Repentance and Forgiveness
A friend called me the other day for some pastoral advice. A co-worker was making the case that, as a Christian, he was not obligated to forgive a person who doesn’t repent. In other words, repentance is the condition on which we forgive those who have wronged us. And, of course, she had a verse.Continue reading “On Repentance and Forgiveness”
Hit “Pause” On That Youth Ministry Bashing
I can be very critical of youth ministers. Trust me on that if you don’t know. That’s because I am one. I’ve got the gold watch. But I believe in youth ministry. I see what it is, where’s it’s gone wrong, and what it’s done right. The current “kicking spree” on youth ministry is simplisticContinue reading “Hit “Pause” On That Youth Ministry Bashing”
Premiere: Allelon-A Movement, A Resource, A New Web Site
I’m excited to tell you about the re-opening of one of the best websites I can recommend to you: Allelon- A Movement of Missional Leaders. This site involves a lot of people who you know and some you don’t (many from outside the U.S., esp Canada), but one of the main faces is the brilliantContinue reading “Premiere: Allelon-A Movement, A Resource, A New Web Site”
iMonk 101: Previous Posts on Missional Churches + Bob Hyatt + Ed Stetzer on Culture
Here are some previous posts on issues relating to the missional church. Missional Isn’t A Bad Word. This is my most extensive discussion of the missional church question. The Missionary Headache: Why Evangelicals Need to Support the Missionaries Among Us. This is a piece I wrote last year as I was beginning to grapple withContinue reading “iMonk 101: Previous Posts on Missional Churches + Bob Hyatt + Ed Stetzer on Culture”
Ground Rules: Are Missionals Undefined?
Ground Rules is a series of posts reflecting on my interactions with my critics. Critics say those advocating a “missional” church fail to define what “missional” means. They, on the other hand, are generally confident in their own descriptions of missional churches and ministers.
Internet Monk Radio Podcast #48
More on Romans 15:1-7. Where do you look for spiritual deepening? Would you want your pastor going to an Ash Wednesday service? + an Old Testament resource. This podcast is available on iTunes as a free download. Very convenient.
Southern Baptist Identity: A conversation (2)
I am continuing my conversation with Frank “Centuri0n” Turk concerning Ed Stetzer’s presentation of Missionalism and Baptist Identity. Here are Frank’s first, second and third questions. My first question is below, and now here’s the second.
Marcus Borg: Attempting Faith Between “Either” and “Or”
A previous post on surveying some Marcus Borg resources is here. My previous post on Wright’s views of Borg are at this post. On my bookshelves, I have nearly all of the books of Marcus Borg. That won’t surprise those of you who are already concerned about my theology. I enjoy reading people in theirContinue reading “Marcus Borg: Attempting Faith Between “Either” and “Or””
The Internet Monk Archives 