Christian Superstitions

This post started out to be a joke (it still may end up as one, says you) or at least to be a mildly humorous look at some elements of Catholic and perhaps wider Christian practice.  The genesis or inspiration arose from a throw-away comment Jeff made in one of his Saturday Ramblings, and I typed a few random stream-of-consciousness notes off the top of my head into a Word document, then saved it and forgot about it.

Until today, that is, when Jeff asked for something and I was unprepared (hmm – hearing distinct echoes of “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee”) so I dug this out in desperation.  But there are a couple of things coalescing this week that encouraged me to try and treat the topic a little more seriously.

For those of you who haven’t heard, this weekend there is going to be a Reason Rally in Washington, D.C.:

“The Reason Rally is an event sponsored by many of the country’s largest and most influential secular organizations.  It will be free to attend and will take place in Washington, D.C. on March 24th, 2012 from 10:00AM – 6:00PM at the National Mall.”

It’s being sponsored and organised by a range of secular, atheist, humanist and such like groups, and it may be a large event; the organisers are saying that the Parks Service has upped its estimate of potential attendance to between 30,000 and 50,000, and they’re very excited, because it’s their chance to be visible, to gain publicity, to make themselves known to others.  Each of the organisations involved has its own agenda, naturally enough, but in the main I think the point of the whole affair is much like this atheist says:

“(T)o remind the people in their lives that they know atheists and that we don’t eat babies.”  She is also honest about her aims:

“When I’m being publicly atheist, my long-term goal isn’t to help atheists be tolerated (though I may take that on as a short-term goal).  My goal is for everyone to be atheists.  Except that doesn’t really mean very much, so I actually want for everyone to be virtue ethicists.  Or even more precisely, I want everyone to be good, aggressive, loving philosophers who will catch me out in errors, so we can all get closer to the truth together.”

(As a side note, I wish more atheists were like Leah Libresco in their engagement with believers; yes, she wants to convince us of the truth of atheism, but she wants to do so by, well, convincing us, not by calling us idiots and bigots.)

Continue reading “Christian Superstitions”

An Open Forum for New Commenters

This is long overdue.

For awhile, I’ve wanted to give opportunity for people who have never commented on Internet Monk to join the conversation.

So, today, the mic is yours. Welcome!

Perhaps you have been reading Internet Monk for years but have not added your two cents’ worth, for one reason or another. If you’ve ever felt like letting us know what’s going on inside that head of yours, now’s the time.

Maybe you just happened upon this site today or in recent days and you are still finding your way around. Please say hi and let us know how you found us.

You might be a bit shy. I’ll admit we can be somewhat intimidating at times. Just like church and Cheers, we have our regular gang, and some of us have developed ways of talking to each other that unintentionally shut others out. It might seem like a clique to you or maybe you think your point of view will get shouted down or dismissed. Here’s your chance to introduce yourself while the rest of us step back and shut up.

Maybe you don’t understand some of the things we talk about and you’d like to ask more questions, but you feel embarrassed. This is not a school and you need not have passed any prerequisites to join the class. Ask away.

There could be any number of reasons why folks don’t join the conversation. Whatever the reason, it’s OK. But we want to give you a chance today to join an open forum with others who are new commenters like you.

So, there’s only one rule — NEW COMMENTERS ONLY. If you are a regular commenter on Internet Monk, sit this one out. Today, you be the reader who listens in and lets others do the talking. I, Chaplain Mike, and the other writers will be available only to new commenters for this post.

Fair enough?

I can’t wait to make some new friends today.

Preparing For Easter – A Lesson From Wilderness Adventures

Lent 2012: A Journey through the Wilderness
Preparing for Easter: A Lesson from
Wilderness Adventures (Mike Bell)

• • •

There is a little patch of wilderness I like to call my own. Covering about 200 square miles along the southern edge of the Canadian shield, it is rugged terrain, where pristine lakes and rocky barrens were formed by the retreat of glaciers about 10,000 years ago. Here there are no interior roads, and after a day of canoeing, my companions and I can find a lake that we will have all to ourselves for the week.

These lakes have been a second home to me for 45 years now. My dad took me on my first adventure into the interior when I was three, and since then I have taken another twenty trips into the area.

My favourite times to visit are late August and mid-July. Most of my recent trips have been in late August, the bugs are gone, but the water is still swimmable. As the lakes were gouged out by glaciers, there are many places where we can jump from cliffs directly into the water. This is by far the activity most enjoyed by our children.

Continue reading “Preparing For Easter – A Lesson From Wilderness Adventures”

Lost in Gethsemani

Lent 2012: A Journey through the Wilderness
Lost in Gethsemani (Denise Spencer)

Weeks ago Chaplain Mike asked the writers and myself to contribute content on the theme of “the wilderness.” I submitted one short poem and promised a longer piece, then waited for inspiration. This week I was still waiting. So, having difficulty writing about a wilderness experience, I instead went out and had one.

I was on my way to visit my parents and sister and took advantage of the opportunity to detour to one of my favorite places — Gethsemani Abbey. The place so beloved by Michael. The place now loved by Jeff and Chaplain Mike, too. I knew I could only spend a couple of hours there, and one of the primary items on my agenda was walking one of the trails through the woods.

As soon as I arrived I changed into my dog-walking shoes. I had brought them in anticipation of this trek because I knew the ground would be muddy from all of the recent rain. I passed by the Stations of the Cross and through the wooden gate. I grabbed a walking stick and set off wearing a small backpack containing the lunch I’d brought along. I started up the hill marked periodically by small signs reading,  “To the statues!” (I add the exclamation point myself because…well… it just seems to belong there.)

When I got to my favorite little bench overlooking a lovely valley, I sat down and enjoyed my homemade bread, banana and yogurt. I prayed and meditated as the sun warmed my back and a gentle breeze swayed the tiny wildflowers at my feet. The distant bells called the monks to prayer and a couple of other hikers passed me on their way up the hill. It was wonderful. Carefully packing up the remains of my lunch, I donned the backpack and proceeded to complete the trail, carrying my leftover half-can of Pepsi.

I had walked this trail several times before. When I reached the end, I decided rather than retracing my steps I would circle around and go down by completing a big loop. I’d done this before, at least twice, in fact. I knew what I was doing, right?

Continue reading “Lost in Gethsemani”

Denise Spencer: Lost in Gethsemani

Lent 2012: A Journey through the Wilderness
Lost in Gethsemani (Denise Spencer)

Weeks ago Chaplain Mike asked the writers and myself to contribute content on the theme of “the wilderness.” I submitted one short poem and promised a longer piece, then waited for inspiration. This week I was still waiting. So, having difficulty writing about a wilderness experience, I instead went out and had one.

I was on my way to visit my parents and sister and took advantage of the opportunity to detour to one of my favorite places — Gethsemani Abbey. The place so beloved by Michael. The place now loved by Jeff and Chaplain Mike, too. I knew I could only spend a couple of hours there, and one of the primary items on my agenda was walking one of the trails through the woods.

As soon as I arrived I changed into my dog-walking shoes. I had brought them in anticipation of this trek because I knew the ground would be muddy from all of the recent rain. I passed by the Stations of the Cross and through the wooden gate. I grabbed a walking stick and set off wearing a small backpack containing the lunch I’d brought along. I started up the hill marked periodically by small signs reading,  “To the statues!” (I add the exclamation point myself because…well… it just seems to belong there.)

When I got to my favorite little bench overlooking a lovely valley, I sat down and enjoyed my homemade bread, banana and yogurt. I prayed and meditated as the sun warmed my back and a gentle breeze swayed the tiny wildflowers at my feet. The distant bells called the monks to prayer and a couple of other hikers passed me on their way up the hill. It was wonderful. Carefully packing up the remains of my lunch, I donned the backpack and proceeded to complete the trail, carrying my leftover half-can of Pepsi.

I had walked this trail several times before. When I reached the end, I decided rather than retracing my steps I would circle around and go down by completing a big loop. I’d done this before, at least twice, in fact. I knew what I was doing, right?

Continue reading “Denise Spencer: Lost in Gethsemani”

Sights along the Road… (3/18/12)

Giant Moose, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

O Canada!

Your collection of roadside attractions is simply amazing. So this Sunday, we’re taking a drive up into the north lands for our Sights along the Road post.

Michael Bell is our Internet Monk expert on all things Canadian, and we will highlight something he sent me in the spirit of coming Easter at the end of the post. [By the way, Mike will be contributing a “wilderness” post this week that we’re all looking forward to reading.]

In the meantime, we’ll have a a look at moose, lobsters, circus elephants, gigantic axes, and a Russian game that requires the death of at least 14 horses.

• • •

World's Largest Axe, Nackawic, New Brunswick

One of my friends who is doing good things these days, John Armstrong, is hosting a unique conversation in Chicago on Monday, March 26, at 7:00 p.m. at Wheaton College, a “Conversation on Unity in Christ’s Mission” . Here is the backstory:

Last year at this time, John had the privilege of visiting the Vatican. When he returned he had the opportunity to meet with Francis Cardinal George, the archbishop of Chicago, to discuss matters of missional-ecumenism. Reflecting on what came out of that meeting, he writes, “At the end of that lovely visit I asked the Cardinal if he would come to Wheaton and continue to discuss my thesis of missional-ecumenism in a public context. He agreed. But then the details had to be worked out. With profound gratitude I can tell you that Wheaton College allowed ACT 3 to use the largest facility on campus, Edman Memorial Chapel, for this special evening. Thus on Monday, March 26, at 7:00 p.m., Cardinal George and I will meet again but this time we will have our conversation in a public setting. You are cordially invited.”

Any of our readers in the Chicago area may attend this “Conversation on Unity in Christ’s Mission” in person. The event is free, but seating is limited. However, anyone can watch this dialogue via streaming over the internet at www.act3online.com by using the video link they will find there. John specifically asked me if I would invite our Internet Monk community to tune in, and I think the best way to do that is to let John speak for himself.

This is really good stuff, folks. Listen up.

A Conversation on Unity from Jake Mater on Vimeo.

Continue reading “Sights along the Road… (3/18/12)”

iMonk Classic: The Unresolved Tensions of Evangelicalism (4)

Lent 2012: A Journey through the Wilderness
The Unresolved Tensions of Evangelicalism, part 4
A classic Michael Spencer iMonk post from Nov. 2008

NOTE: On Sundays in Lent, we will run these classic essays from Michael Spencer on the evangelical wilderness.

I am continuing my series on The Unresolved Tensions of Evangelicalism.

Here is part 1 and part 2 and part 3.

Continue reading “iMonk Classic: The Unresolved Tensions of Evangelicalism (4)”

More Tired Rhetoric

This week Al Mohler threw another stone in the direction of those who don’t read the early chapters of Genesis in literalistic fashion like he and other creationists do. In Mohler’s message, “The Challenges We Face: A New Generation of Gospel Ministers Looks to the Future,” the president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary brings out the same tired rhetoric in order to sound the alarm that the heart of the Gospel is at stake if ministers don’t hold a strict “historical” position with regard to Genesis.

It’s starting to sound like the Republican primaries. Oh well, here’s what he said:

The current debates among evangelicals have reached a vital point – the intersection of Genesis and the gospel. We must affirm that the gospel requires a clear affirmation of the historicity of Adam and Eve and the historical reality of the Fall. The Bible’s metanarrative of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and New Creation requires the historical reality of God’s work in every movement of the story.

The Apostle Paul makes the historicity of Adam – and his federal headship – central to our understanding of the gospel. Those who insist that evangelicals must accommodate the gospel to the prevailing evolutionary dogma are actually insisting that the gospel be denied. If we get the story of the gospel wrong in the beginning, we will have what Paul condemned as another gospel in the end.

Let’s go over this again, shall we? We’ll take a look at the sentences I’ve underlined above.

Continue reading “More Tired Rhetoric”

Saturday Ramblings 3.17.12

Top o’the morning, iMonks! Happy St. Paddy’s Day! Time for the wearin’ o’the green. Except for me. Red and khaki is still the color choice at Target. Besides, I’ve been battling a virus for nearly two weeks now. I am sporting my own shade of green these days. So it’s our special St. Patrick’s Day edition of Saturday Ramblings. What’s so special about it? Well, we’re rambling, it’s Saturday, and it’s March 17. What more do you want?

Thanks to Adam Palmer for this list of Sir Isaac Newton’s sins. Poor Wilford. Poor Wilford’s towel.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams is stepping down from his position next January. Several potential candidates to be the new head of the Anglican church are already being discussed. So, do you prefer the way of most popes, who are chosen only after the death of their predecessor, or this way, where church officials will have most of a year to choose the next Anglican leader?

There is something troubling about a group of megachurch leaders teaching others how to deliver sermons. Oh, I’m sure they’re good at it. Very good indeed. And that is what troubles me. Am I making any sense at all?

Continue reading “Saturday Ramblings 3.17.12”

Songs in the Wilderness

Psalm 2, Chagall

The Book of Psalms is a wilderness book.

The final composition of Israel’s “hymnal” took place during and after the Babylonian Exile. In its final form, it stands as a book with a unified, coherent message; it is not simply a collection of songs and poems.

The first two psalms introduce the book.

  • Psalm 1 tells us what kind of book this is and instructs us how to read it. It is Torah — God’s fatherly instruction that sets forth “the way of the righteous”. A wise person will meditate on it day and night.
  • Psalm 2 tells us the main message of the book. Though God’s enemies plot and fight against him, he will establish his kingdom through his Son, the Messiah. A wise person will take refuge in him.

The Book of Psalms is the Torah of God’s Messiah. It tells us how God’s kingdom will come, how his will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Coming out of the Exile, the most devastating experience of Israel’s history, God’s people were hungry for this message. Having seen their kingdom disintegrate and fall apart, having watched God’s enemies sack their royal city and demolish God’s own palace, the Temple, having lived in foreign lands under the “counsel” of ungodly rulers, they were eager for God to reestablish his rule.

Those who dwelt in the wilderness of Exile longed for a new Exodus and “rest” in the Promised Land. Like their prototypical king, David, they tired of being pursued by their enemies, of mourning “by the rivers of Babylon,” far from their true home in desolate places. They hungered and thirsted to see Zion exalted and God’s Temple rebuilt and filled with glory.

And so the Book of Psalms was put together. In this five-part book (akin to the Torah of Moses), through songs that describe the sufferings and triumphs of David and which celebrate how the God of creation will so oversee history that his new creation will emerge, the message of God’s coming Kingdom is proclaimed.

Continue reading “Songs in the Wilderness”