Category Archives: Jesus Shaped

Paul’s New Law—Or Our Identity In Christ?

Note from JD: In anticipation of many, um, interesting comments that will follow this post, I am donning my Simul Iustus et Peccator (At Once Justified and Sinner) t-shirt sent to me by our friends at New Reformation Press. I highly recommend you get one for yourself before you find me guilty of treason, blasphemy, orContinue reading “Paul’s New Law—Or Our Identity In Christ?”

Peterson on Jesus as the Way

By Chaplain Mike Yesterday, in the light of our “Disney-ization” post, a friend reminded me of an interview Eugene Peterson did with Christianity Today’s Mark Galli back in 2005 called, “Spirituality for All the Wrong Reasons.” This discussion between two of my favorite writers examines the “Jesus way” of living the spiritual life vs. variousContinue reading “Peterson on Jesus as the Way”

Mark Galli Uncovers Our Mixed Motives

By Chaplain Mike Mark Galli is one of those writers that seems to have insight into my soul. Almost every article or book of his that I read resonates deeply within me. Case in point, his current article in CT, “Insignificant Is Beautiful,” in which Galli asks the question, “Why exactly do we want toContinue reading “Mark Galli Uncovers Our Mixed Motives”

Profoundly Human

By Chaplain Mike In this morning’s Gospel lesson, we heard a story from Jesus’ lips about how the trappings of religion can keep us far from God. Oddly, the benefits of the religious life that enhance our thoughts, words, and actions, that re-order our relationships and priorities and bring us new purpose and direction, canContinue reading “Profoundly Human”

A Jesus Story in Song

By Chaplain Mike Jeff’s post on storytelling songs yesterday got me thinking about all the great musical artists I’ve heard over the years who have painted song-pictures in which my imagination could wander. A great storytelling song puts you right there in its scenes, and suddenly you are seeing, hearing, and feeling what the charactersContinue reading “A Jesus Story in Song”

Signs You Might Be Practicing Churchianity (1)

By Chaplain Mike There are plenty of funny church signs out there. I thought we’d begin to look around for signs that communicate something different—the possibility that a church might be advertising “mere churchianity” rather than a Jesus-shaped life. Note the key words—“might be.” When I show you a church sign like the one below,Continue reading “Signs You Might Be Practicing Churchianity (1)”

Redefining Greatness

By Chaplain Mike The older I get, the more my definition of “greatness” changes. For many of us who grew up in the age of mass media, great has often equaled “famous” in our minds. The great are those with public celebrity. Whose faces are seen in print and on screen. Whose words are capturedContinue reading “Redefining Greatness”

The Annual Internet Monk Family Series

By Chaplain Mike Hey, I have an idea. Let’s make this a Labor Day tradition. Since the Bible is our instruction book for family relationships, and since it spells out detailed instructions for every situation in life about how husbands ought to fulfill their roles as manly leaders, how wives ought to exemplify femininity andContinue reading “The Annual Internet Monk Family Series”

A Jesus-Shaped Challenge

A passage from Michael Spencer’s Mere Churchianity: Finding Your Way Back to Jesus-Shaped Spirituality struck me as I was reading it recently.  I’m going to offer it to all you faithful denizens of the Internet Monastery to consider. Here’s a simple example.  Think about yourself if you had just spent three years with Jesus.  HowContinue reading “A Jesus-Shaped Challenge”