A few weeks—ok, months—ago I started writing on what I see in general when I look at today’s evangelical church in America. I called the series The Naked Emperor. I have been kept from revisiting this by work and illness and … oh, lots of things. I do plan to finish what I started, butContinue reading “Christianity In America: A Crisis, or, The Evangelical Emperor Has No Clothes (as found on your library shelf)”
Category Archives: IM Recommended Reading
Dissident Discipleship: A Book Overview
Recently I read the book Dissident Discipleship by David Augsburger. He wrote it in 2006, but I think his topic is evergreen: What makes someone a true disciple of Jesus? Augsburger tells it from an Anabaptist perspective. Once we give assent to Christ’s lordship, recognize the necessity for and effectiveness of his shed blood to atoneContinue reading “Dissident Discipleship: A Book Overview”
A Simple, Winsome Intro to Advent
Discovering Advent: How to Experience the Power of Waiting on God at Christmastime, by Mark D. Roberts ✓ Ebook available from Amazon or Barnes & Noble • • • Mark D. Roberts blogs on Patheos at his site, “Reflections on Christ, Church, and Culture.” Over the years, he has become an admitted “Adventophile,” and hisContinue reading “A Simple, Winsome Intro to Advent”
Update: Tod Bolsinger thinks now is not the time for “chaplain” pastors
Tod Bolsinger disagrees with Mark Galli. In a post on his blog, Bolsinger writes, “We Need Chaplains…Just not More Of Them…Not Now.” He says he is right there with Galli when it comes to critiquing the megachurch model and the corporate-style leadership such congregations have. “If leader means “someone who makes the organization grow inContinue reading “Update: Tod Bolsinger thinks now is not the time for “chaplain” pastors”
In Praise of the “Chaplain” Pastor
Mark Galli is speaking my language (again). Every pastor and church leader needs to read his article, “Why We Need More ‘Chaplains’ and Fewer Leaders.” Much to my personal dismay, “chaplain” is apparently a dirty word — at least to those who claim to know what makes a good leader in a healthy church. MarkContinue reading “In Praise of the “Chaplain” Pastor”
A Witness to Vulgar Grace
The following is from Brennan Manning’s memoir, All Is Grace: A Ragamuffin Memoir. Drink deep and savor. This is the good stuff. My life is a witness to vulgar grace — a grace that amazes as it offends. A grace that pays the eager beaver who works all day long the same wage as theContinue reading “A Witness to Vulgar Grace”
Finding Ourselves in Jesus
Finding Ourselves in Jesus Why We Observe the Christian Year • • • During this Advent season, I will be using Walter Wangerin Jr.’s book, Preparing for Jesus, for daily readings to prepare my heart for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. As I was looking at it the other day, I was taken immediately byContinue reading “Finding Ourselves in Jesus”
N.T. Wright’s “The Kingdom New Testament”
Tom Wright has now given us a fresh translation of the New Testament: The Kingdom New Testament: A Contemporary Translation. In the preface, Wright explains that this is a translation, not a paraphrase. However, he also explains that, since “Greek often goes quite easily into English, but not always,” translators must make decisions about howContinue reading “N.T. Wright’s “The Kingdom New Testament””
Good News is Just the Beginning
Over the past decade, a cottage industry has grown and and is now flourishing among American Christian leaders and teachers that has focused on defining the Gospel. Many factors account for this. We live in a decidedly non-doctrinaire age, and the “Gospel” discussion has formed in response to that. Through the influence of the churchContinue reading “Good News is Just the Beginning”
Brennan Manning’s Last Words
There is something very haunting about Johnny Cash’s album, Ain’t No Grave. Cash finished recording it just a few days before his death in September, 2003. Listening to tracks on this album, you can hear death in Cash’s voice, making the songs even more poignent than ever. The same can be said of The Wind,Continue reading “Brennan Manning’s Last Words”
The Internet Monk Archives 