Category Archives: Open Thread

UPDATE: Lauren Green on the two prayers. Bishop Gene Robinson- who needs no introduction, does he?- prayed at an Inaugural event over the weekend. Bishop Robinson got the gig not because he is a spiritual leader or is looked up to by Christians, but because he is the first openly gay bishop in the ECUSA.Continue reading “The Lessons of Two Prayers: Warren and Robinson”

Tonight’s “Open Mic” question is a simple one. If you don’t get it, I’m not going to help you. Catholics, I thought about this just being about your team, but that wouldn’t be fair. OK. Here it is. Tonight’s iMonk Cafe Open Mic Question: “Why are apologists….you know…..why are they the way they are?” SomeContinue reading “Open Mic At The iMonk Cafe: A Question About Apologists”

It’s traditional here at Internet Monk to have an open thread on the topic of your experiences in Christmas worship. We want to hear your stories. What was outstanding. What was awful. What was full of the meaning of the incarnation. What was lost, given up or thrown away. Was the great opportunity to focusContinue reading “Open Mic at the iMonk Cafe: Christmas Worship 2008”

D.A. Carson has a wonderfully thoughtful and well-written editorial in this month’s Themelios web magazine. It’s not particularly long and it will be a provocative way to think about this week’s open mic question, so go read it and come back. The Question is: How would you evaluate the overall effect of technology on yourContinue reading “Open Mic At the iMonk Cafe: Christians and Technology”

In my Bible classes, I often will come up with a topic that relates to what we’ve been studying, and I’ll ask the students to prepare to debate either side of a proposition related to what we’ve learned. I thought this week’s topic would make for an interesting topic of discussion. Our students, like anyContinue reading “Open Thread Discussion: Group Punishment/Blessing in the Bible”

UPDATE: This thread is sitting an IM record for posts in a short period of time. And some very interesting responses. One of the commenters in a previous discussion raised a very interesting, practical situation facing young families that would make for a good open thread topic. “Going to church” is very difficult for familiesContinue reading “Open Thread: It’s Sunday Morning…What’s A Family To Do?”

None of us know God’s ways and purposes beyond what He has revealed in scripture or in our own experience. But taking those lessons and “sanctified common sense,” we can think in terms of possibilities. For instance, I have my students answer the question: “What were God’s possible purposes in allowing Saul to be suchContinue reading “Open Thread: What Might Be God’s Purposes In A Major Economic Downturn?”

I’m reading some books on the de-churching of America, i.e. the drop in church attendance over the last 50 years. Research being what it is, I know that anything can be proven, but I have my own research tool: the IM readership. Without going into great detail, what have you seen in your own extendedContinue reading “Open Thread: The De-Churching of America: What do YOU Think?”

Here’s an issue that’s bound to have come up in some of your settings, especially if you’ve ever been in an art class or used Biblical art as illustration. Look at this painting of Adam and Eve. (Titian, later Reubens.) It’s a very common illustration of the Adam and Eve story. Are you offended? WhyContinue reading “Open Thread: Are You Offended?”