John Grisham wrote a book called Skipping Christmas, which was later made into the movie, Christmas with the Kranks. It tells the tale of a couple, Luther and Nora Krank, who decided to go against the established traditions of their suburban community and forgo celebrating the Christmas holiday. The decision got them into all kinds ofContinue reading “Sunday Morning with the Kranks”
Category Archives: Church
A Conference I Recommend: Slow Church
UPDATE: A great place to start getting to know more about Chris and his church is with his book, The Virtue of Dialogue: Conversation as a Hopeful Practice of Church Communities. It describes how his inner-city congregation made conversation among themselves and with their neighbors a primary practice in the church. It’s available as aContinue reading “A Conference I Recommend: Slow Church”
MLK on the Church
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day January 20, 2014 Today, we present an excerpt from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, written April 16, 1963. King wrote this in response to a public statement that had been made by eight white Alabama clergymen, who disapproved of Dr. King and his methods of civilContinue reading “MLK on the Church”
A Defense of Megachurches
For those of you who just crawled out from under the rock where you’ve been hiding throughout the 2000’s, allow me to let you in on something: we have not been shy about criticizing megachurches here at Internet Monk. Yeah, and the Pope is still a Catholic, a lot of people like to watch aContinue reading “A Defense of Megachurches”
Pope Francis: Living “From the Heart of the Gospel”
I have downloaded and am reading through Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), the Apostolic Exhortation by Pope Francis on the proclamation of the Gospel in today’s world. The document reflects the emphasis in the Church regarding “The New Evangelization.” As the Pope states, Attentive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit who helpsContinue reading “Pope Francis: Living “From the Heart of the Gospel””
Being the Church
Three and a a half weeks ago my college roommate from nearly 30 years ago went missing. Two weeks later he was found in his vehicle. Suicide. (I have withheld his name for privacy reasons.) I wish I could write a flowery tribute to him. I can’t. I had lost touch with him for manyContinue reading “Being the Church”
Chris Smith: A Joyful and Vibrant Life: Cultivating Community as Slow Churches
Note from CM: My friend C. Christopher Smith is editor of The Englewood Review of Books, and author of several books, including the forthcoming Slow Church: Cultivating Community in the Patient Way of Jesus, (co-authored with John Pattison, IVP/Praxis, Spring 2014). You can, and are encouraged to connect with the conversation about Slow Church on ChrisContinue reading “Chris Smith: A Joyful and Vibrant Life: Cultivating Community as Slow Churches”
Negotiating the Mess
This is a report from the front lines. The battle. The church. The mess. On the one hand, I have had a wonderful summer filling in during my pastor’s sabbatical. Sundays, in particular, have been refreshing, as I have led worship, preached, distributed the Sacrament, and shared small talk with the saints around coffee andContinue reading “Negotiating the Mess”
The Problem with Grandpa’s Church
After World War II, through the 1950’s and especially in the 60’s-70’s and since, America’s culture has been more and more dominated by youth and youth-oriented themes, fashions, preferences, and images. An entire “youth culture” was created and its energy has filled the land. Churches, especially those who have bought in to church growth philosophies,Continue reading “The Problem with Grandpa’s Church”
Wanted: An Adult Faith in a Youth Culture
It struck me the other day that one of the reasons I have returned to mainline religion is because it’s so, well, adult. Contrary to what I hear around me so often, I want my grandfather’s church. I know, I know… there are characteristics of that old, traditional church that are not desirable: many hadContinue reading “Wanted: An Adult Faith in a Youth Culture”
The Internet Monk Archives 