iMonk Classic: I Have My Doubts

Classic iMonk Post
by Michael Spencer

I Have My Doubts: The Many Reasons I Don’t Believe (undated)

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

Let’s start with bugs.

Bugs have always….well…bugged me. They bite me. Wasps hate me. Mosquitoes swarm around me. Gnats head for my ears and eyes like some bad remake of “The Birds.” There are a thousand varieties of bugs that all seem dedicated to devouring me. When I was a kid, my friends called me “bug eyes” because of this curse. Now, I can go for a walk and look up to see a swarm of bugs like a cloud over my head.

Is this right? I mean, even if there is a curse on creation, didn’t mosquitoes always drink blood? Aren’t they designed that way? So why would God make the little bloodsuckers? Why make wasps that sting? Why make me in such a way that bugs want to appropriate my body for their own purposes? Sure, the wonders of biology speak of intelligent design, but wasn’t there some way to do this to the glory of God without eating, stinging and killing me?

It’s one of those thoughts that hit me a few dozen times a day. One of those thoughts that make me wonder if God is real, or if I am a fool to believe that God created and runs this universe of mosquitoes and gnats.

Continue reading “iMonk Classic: I Have My Doubts”

Truth Is Stranger than Fiction

By Chaplain Mike

Just the facts…

  • Conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh, age 59, married Kathryn Rogers, 33, on June 5 in Palm Beach, Florida.
  • It is Limbaugh’s fourth marriage, after three divorces.
  • Limbaugh’s friend, Ken Hutcherson, a former NFL player, African-American, and outspoken “pro-family” pastor from Redmond, Washington, officiated.
  • When asked how he could perform the ceremony for someone divorced three times, Hutcherson replied, “The Buffalo Bills went to the Super Bowl and they lost a lot of times, but they never gave up. Rush Limbaugh never gave up on the institution of marriage.”
  • The wedding singer? None other than Sir Elton John, gay pop singer, who was reportedly paid $1 million for his evening’s work. That John would sing at the wedding of someone like Limbaugh has raised quite a stir in the gay community and blogosphere.

I thought I might want to say something about all of this.

But folks, to be honest, I got nothin’.

Cue “Twilight Zone” music.

Saturday Ramblings 6.19.10

Take me out to the ballgame, take me out to the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack … reach into your box of Cracker Jack and see what your prize is. Why look! You got Saturday Ramblings!

Just in case you went into hiding after the Reds lost two out of three games to the Kansas City Royals, the story you missed this week that has been well-discussed here and here was the lightning strike that burned the King of Kings statue in front of the Solid Rock Church in Monroe, Ohio. What more needs to be said about this event? Well, nothing that would make me any new friends in Monroe.

We also wrote about setting sail from safe harbor out into the deep waters where we see the great things of God. Perhaps we did not emphasize strongly enough the dangers of the deeps. Abby Sunderland was attempting to become the youngest person to sail solo around the globe when she encountered heavy seas that capsized her boat. She could have stayed safely near the shore, but Abby knows that is not what boats are built for.

Continue reading “Saturday Ramblings 6.19.10”

A Rosary By Any Other Name … Is For What, Now?

Editor’s Note: Alan Creech is a longtime friend, sponsor and contributor to the Internet Monk community. I asked Alan, in light of recent news stories about celebrities and gang members wearing rosaries, to help us understand the true usage of this oft-misunderstood piece of Christian “gear.” You can visit Alan’s web site to see the prayer beads he designs and sells.

By Alan Creech

First of all, I want to say that I’m honored to have been asked to write a little something on the actual Internet Monk blog. I guess I have been a part of this little “family” of sorts for a while. It’s just cool to be able to put up a post.

Michael Spencer was my friend. He was always very supportive to me, and I’m grateful for that. Even though he certainly had his issues with the Catholic church and some of her belief systems, he was, as I liked to call him, the great “Pimp” when it came to my little rosary business. He went so far as to rake in quite a number of negative comments and posts written about him for his support of the “demon beads.” He was persecuted for his support of me. Thanks, Michael. Oh, and pray for me. 🙂

Continue reading “A Rosary By Any Other Name … Is For What, Now?”

Open Mic: Pastoral Care in Today’s Church

By Chaplain Mike

OK, it’s happened again. Over the past few weeks I’ve had at least half a dozen patients tell me that their pastor has not visited them and that the church has dropped the ball when it comes to keeping in touch with them during their illnesses (in these cases, terminal illnesses).

What’s going on with pastors and churches today?

  • One of my elderly patients has been a member of her church since she was 14 years old, raised her children in the church, she and her family had stayed active and been contributors in many ways throughout the years. Her son looked me straight in the eye and said, “They’ve been sh***y shepherds.”
  • Another had actually been the church secretary in her congregation, as well as the organist for 50 years! Yet when her husband was dying, she could not get the pastor to return her phone calls. He never did visit. They ended up asking another minister they knew to do the funeral.
  • Yet another woman asked me yesterday to do her husband’s funeral, because the pastor of their church, who had married them just a few years ago, never called or came by to see them when the man became a hospice patient. I had called on their behalf, left message after message, including a detailed one about them wanting contact. Never happened.

These examples come from more traditional churches, with a background in which it is understood that the pastor visits or oversees a program of care for his parishioners. He himself may not visit everyone, but one aspect of his pastoral responsibility is to make sure that the sheep are cared for in time of distress and need.

I’d like to open this up to our IM audience today.

In your setting and experience, what is the state of pastoral care and visitation in the church today?

  • Pastors and church leaders, chime in. Let’s hear from all traditions, and all forms of churches.
  • Parishioners, let us hear from you. Has the church provided good pastoral ministry for you and yours in times of need?
  • Professors who train ministry students: What is being taught in our schools and seminaries about the duty of pastoral care?
  • Friends from different cultural backgrounds and in other places around the world: How does this aspect of ministry work out in your culture?

I’m pretty discouraged about what I’ve seen as a hospice chaplain, working with families and churches. Few do this well. Many don’t seem to even have it on their radar.

Let’s talk.

IM Book Review: Evolving in Monkey Town

By Chaplain Mike

If there is one thing I know for sure, it’s that faith can survive just about anything, so long as it’s able to evolve.

Evolving in Monkey Town, p. 17

Rachel Held Evans is from the community of Dayton, Tennessee—”Monkey Town U.S.A.”—so named because it hosted the infamous 1925 Scopes trial, which debated the teaching of evolution in public schools, and which was dubbed “the trial of the century”.

Like most of the folks around her in Dayton, she was a self-described Christian fundamentalist. Her worldview taught her, “Good Christians. . . don’t change their minds.” However, as Rachel Evans grew up and began to think honestly about the world and life and faith, she found that worldview wanting. And so she embarked on a journey “from certainty, through doubt, to faith.”

She evolved.Continue reading “IM Book Review: Evolving in Monkey Town”

Big Butter Jesus, Part Two

Editor’s note: Many were offended earlier this week when Chaplain Mike wrote about the statue outside of Solid Rock Church in Monroe, Ohio burning down. Chaplain Mike referred back to a quote from John Piper, and some were upset that we would dare to touch the “third rail” by being even slightly critical of Piper. The comments got rather heated and offensive. If you were offended by Chaplain Mike’s post on Tuesday, you will not want to read this post. Skip this one entirely. It is guaranteed to make you think.

I was traveling on Tuesday when I heard the news that lightning struck Big Butter Jesus and burned it to the ground. I laughed so hard I could hardly see the road. I laughed until I cried. How is it that I could laugh at tragedy? Well, if you had ever seen that monstrosity, you may not have considered it a tragedy. People referred to the statue of Jesus rising up out of the water, hands raised into the air, as Big Butter Jesus after the lyrics of song by Heywood Banks. It looked like one of those butter sculptures you see at the state fair. And being right by one of the busiest interstate highways in the nation, lots of people got to see Big Butter Jesus every day.

Was there anything wrong with a statue of Jesus in front of this church? Well, again, I though it was a very poor work of art. But art is very subjective. You might be reading this now and saying, “Wow, Dunn, if this is the best you can write, maybe you ought to stick to lawn care or some other profession.” There is no accounting for taste. Just because I say it is a poor work of art does not mean that needed to burn down.

Continue reading “Big Butter Jesus, Part Two”

Courage The Cowardly Christian

“Hello, my name is Jeff, and I am a spiritual coward.”

(Chorus) “Hi, Jeff.”

This is me, a spiritual coward. It is not easy for me to admit this, and many who know me might question the accuracy or sincerity of this tag. But it’s most certainly true. Those who know me may say, “But you seem to always be so confident in what you are doing.” Sure. But how much faith does it take to grab the low-hanging fruit? Do you see me sailing out into the deep waters, or skimming skillfully along the shoreline?

When it comes to risking all or playing it safe, I am one of the safest safety-oriented Christians you will find. When presented with a risk, I have most often taken the path marked “prudence.” I will say I am processing, examining, gathering information, trying to make a wise decision. The truth is, most often I am just plain scared to make a move in case I fail.

Continue reading “Courage The Cowardly Christian”

Shaped By Jesus I

By Chaplain Mike

Now that Michael Spencer’s book has been released, and people are reading about “church-shaped” spirituality vs. “Jesus-shaped” spirituality, I’d like to explore more of what it means to be shaped by Jesus.

For this series, the Gospels will be our main source material. These will not be in-depth studies but sign-posts pointing to Jesus’ teaching and acts as the soil from which Christlike discipleship grows.

Our Lord’s “discipleship program” is described in his calling of the apostles in Mark 3—“And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, and to have authority to cast out demons.” The key phrase is “to be with him.” Companionship with Jesus—watching him at work, listening to him teach, asking him questions, assisting with his ministry, being entrusted with ministry of their own—this was the original approach. It was apprenticeship; learning in life.

The Spirit enables us to be with Jesus today as we live our daily lives in the context of the Biblical story. As we contemplate the words and acts of Jesus, and as we live in a conversational relationship with him, our minds and imaginations discover that Jesus is the Way—not only the Truth we believe, and the Life we receive—but also the pattern of life which shapes ours.Continue reading “Shaped By Jesus I”