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”
Category Archives: Open Thread
Open Mic: Why Do Women Want Moore?
By Chaplain Mike This week’s Christianity Today magazine has a cover feature on Beth Moore. I have not read all of it yet, but while I am in the process, I thought I would give our Internet Monk community a chance to answer the question the title implies: Why are people (especially women) so attractedContinue reading “Open Mic: Why Do Women Want Moore?”
Open Mic: Our Money, Our Neighbors
By Chaplain Mike Economics has been leading the news and preoccupying our minds for the past couple of years now, ever since the financial crisis that hit hard in 2007, with continuing effects on economies here and around the world. Some of you may be reeling from losing a job, not being able to findContinue reading “Open Mic: Our Money, Our Neighbors”
Open Mic: Short-Term Mission Trips
By Chaplain Mike According to Warren Cole Smith in his book, A Lover’s Quarrel with the Evangelical Church (full review to come later this weekend), short-term mission trips may be more of a problem than a productive way of doing the work of Christ’s Kingdom. He cites Robert Priest, professor of mission and intercultural studiesContinue reading “Open Mic: Short-Term Mission Trips”
Open Mic: Joel Hunter on Difficult Subjects in Church
Presented by Chaplain Mike The following is a brief video presentation by Pastor Joel Hunter of Northland, A Church Distributed, in Longwood, Florida. Though it was published by BioLogos, this video is not about issues of science and faith, except by application. It deals more generally with the subject of how pastors, churches, and churchContinue reading “Open Mic: Joel Hunter on Difficult Subjects in Church”
Open Mic: Pastoral Care in Today’s Church
By Chaplain Mike OK, it’s happened again. Over the past few weeks I’ve had at least half a dozen patients tell me that their pastor has not visited them and that the church has dropped the ball when it comes to keeping in touch with them during their illnesses (in these cases, terminal illnesses). What’sContinue reading “Open Mic: Pastoral Care in Today’s Church”
Open Mic: The Gulf Oil Disaster
By Chaplain Mike Though I’ve made my opinions clear about “culture war” political machinations, I have also tried to say that Christians should care about public issues. With that in mind, I’ve been waiting and watching for Christian spokespersons to weigh in about the Deepwater/BP oil rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico from aContinue reading “Open Mic: The Gulf Oil Disaster”
Open Mic: The Fading Glow of External Experience
By Chaplain Mike While I’m reading Skye Jethani’s superb book, The Divine Commodity, and preparing to review it, I thought I’d post this Open Mic question that grows out of a post on his blog, “What Should Worship Look Like? And why that question completely misses the point.” Jethani is responding to some who haveContinue reading “Open Mic: The Fading Glow of External Experience”
Gospel Definitions
By Chaplain Mike UPDATE: I have added an additional sentence to point #2 in my definition. Over at Rachel Held Evans’ blog, she is running a post with responses to the question, “What is the Gospel?” I encourage you to visit her site, read the entries, and enter the discussion. She asked me to participate,Continue reading “Gospel Definitions”
Reflecting on 50 Years of Charismatic Faith
By Chaplain Mike I’d like to have us discuss an interesting article in Christianity Today by David Neff. It is called, “Ardor and Order,” and it’s a reflection upon the impact of the charismatic movement on the mainline and evangelical churches over the past fifty years. I encourage you to read it before submitting commentsContinue reading “Reflecting on 50 Years of Charismatic Faith”
The Internet Monk Archives 