It was at school that I first discovered the beauty of music — in “Lo! How a Rose, E’er Blooming.” Seventh graders were required to take music class. We were not music enthusiasts, to say the least. There was about us all the sense of artistic compulsion, but in the cause of sheer endurance. NothingContinue reading “Mondays with Michael Spencer (+ a bonus!): December 21, 2015”
Category Archives: Michael Spencer
Mondays with Michael Spencer: December 14, 2015
From a sermon for the Third Sunday in Advent, 2006 Christians in America have a preference for people like themselves. In this, we’re not unlike most human beings, but that’s exactly the problem. Most 4th graders would be able to give the correct answer to the question “Who is my neighbor?” As obvious as theContinue reading “Mondays with Michael Spencer: December 14, 2015”
Mondays with Michael Spencer: November 30, 2015
The story of the prodigal son is often judged as the most effective of Jesus’ parables. Certainly it is the most emotionally powerful, as it touches close to circumstances that are timeless. One of my personal treasures in a copy of Rembrandt’s “The Return of the Prodigal Son,” which was the subject of Henri Nouwen’s excellent book onContinue reading “Mondays with Michael Spencer: November 30, 2015”
Sundays with Michael Spencer: November 22, 2015
From Thanksgiving, 2006 Around hundreds of thousands of Thanksgiving dinner tables, millions of Americans will take a moment and share with one another what they are thankful for in the past year. Because Thanksgiving doesn’t require any particular confession of faith, it’s close to a universal experience for Americans, and one that most of usContinue reading “Sundays with Michael Spencer: November 22, 2015”
Sundays with Michael Spencer: November 15, 2015
Today in chapel, one of my co-workers told his life story. That’s pretty common at our ministry, but this was anything but common. Doc [not his real name] came to us about three years ago, along with his new bride. Middle-aged and a recent Bible college graduate, looking for a beginning in ministry. Of course,Continue reading “Sundays with Michael Spencer: November 15, 2015”
Sundays with Michael Spencer: November 8, 2015
Note from CM: The other day I told my wife that it was probably time to empty the lateral file that sits in our bedroom. It has a blanket over it and our TV and other AV equipment sits on top of it now. Hidden beneath the blanket and inside the drawers are files thatContinue reading “Sundays with Michael Spencer: November 8, 2015”
Sundays with Michael Spencer: November 1, 2015
A church-planting friend just wrote me about a conference he’s attended in one of our state Baptist conventions. Plant those churches, boys, was the rallying cry, but stay out of those pubs. Take the Gospel into the world, but stay out of anyplace that serves beer. That’s someone’s version of how the Gospel applies toContinue reading “Sundays with Michael Spencer: November 1, 2015”
Reformation Week 2015 — Michael Spencer on the Reformation
Reformation Week 2015 Reformation Day is October 31 Note from CM: We begin our Reformation Week posts with an excerpt from a 2007 piece by Michael Spencer, called “Letting Some of the Air Out of the Reformation Balloon.” • • • My reading on Luther and the Reformation has changed my mind about a lotContinue reading “Reformation Week 2015 — Michael Spencer on the Reformation”
Sundays with Michael Spencer: October 25, 2015
Note from CM: It is, of course, time to re-post one of Michael’s Halloween rants about what evangelicals did to a simple, old-fashioned American tradition. Happy Reformation Day (and Halloween). • • • As October 31st looms, it’s time for true confessions. I grew up among Southern Baptist fundamentalist Baptists. The KJV-only, women can’t wearContinue reading “Sundays with Michael Spencer: October 25, 2015”
Sundays with Michael Spencer: October 18, 2015
A Jesus Prayer by Michael Spencer Jesus, you don’t build institutions. You don’t write catechisms. Or Systematic Theologies. Or critiques of someone’s theology or refutations of their catechism. You don’t have a blog. You don’t moderate debates. You are the bread of life who gives himself for the salvation of the world. You are theContinue reading “Sundays with Michael Spencer: October 18, 2015”
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