One of my favorite movie scenes of all time, from Woody Allen’s film “Broadway Danny Rose,” reminds me of church, starting with the crazy characters who come together at Danny’s house each Thanksgiving for frozen turkeys — the stuttering ventriloquist, the blind xylophonist, the balloon folder, the lady who plays the water glasses, and theContinue reading “Broadway Danny Rose and the Church of Acceptance, Forgiveness, and Love”
Category Archives: Parable, Metaphor and Illustration
The Coffee Cups
The night was long, his sleep restless. Two or three times he reached across the bed to feel her warmth. He reached and reached. Once, her absence bothered him so much he got up, put on his robe and walked downstairs. He sat in his chair and listened to himself breathe. An occasional car droveContinue reading “The Coffee Cups”
The Violin Guild, by N.T. Wright
To begin the new year, a story from Tom Wright to get us all thinking… See John 10:22-42. Video created by five staff members from Calvary Church, Santa Ana, CA.
iMonk Classic: The Playwright’s Son
Classic iMonk Post by Michael Spencer From November, 2005 Once upon a time there was a playwright. While this playwright was the best who ever lived, his passion was not for his plays, but for his son, the greatest actor of his time. The son loved to act, and to bring joy, truth and meaningContinue reading “iMonk Classic: The Playwright’s Son”
Show Me the Way to Go Home
By Chaplain Mike Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God’s Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their ownContinue reading “Show Me the Way to Go Home”
iMonk Classic: Lessons from a Lousy Referee
Classic iMonk Post by Michael Spencer From Sept 13, 2008 Note from CM: Since this is our national sports “holy week,” I thought I’d re-post one of Michael’s rare excursions into the use of sports to illustrate a spiritual point. I’m not usually the guy with sports illustrations, but this one couldn’t be passed up.Continue reading “iMonk Classic: Lessons from a Lousy Referee”
You Are What You Wear
By Chaplain Mike An illustration from my pastor’s sermon Sunday: Not too many years ago, my wife and I were on a rare date downtown Indianapolis. It was in the heat of August, so we were at an outside table on the sidewalk on Washington Street. There we were, enjoying the moment of closeness, whenContinue reading “You Are What You Wear”
iMonk Classic: Does the Story Matter?
Classic iMonk Post by Michael Spencer From Dec 22, 2004 The other day, we were talking about Jesus’ command to “judge not,†and I said this in a post about how I have learned to think about judging others. Connected to this is the humility that needs to accompany all claims of knowledge of otherContinue reading “iMonk Classic: Does the Story Matter?”
Drought
By Chaplain Mike We haven’t had a good day of rain where I live for over two months. Our lawns are past turning brown. Now they are brittle, straw-like. Weeds provide the only green at ground level. They proliferate. Hardy, demonically so, they thrive where all that is desirable dies from thirst. Farmers are cleaningContinue reading “Drought”
Salvation Stories
What is salvation like? Not, What is salvation? What is it like? Comparisons, though incomplete, are good. They enable us to comprehend things we’ve never seen or experienced; they enable us to generalize and categorize. They underlie almost all human understanding of God, whom we can’t experience in the same way we do created things. Continue reading “Salvation Stories”
The Internet Monk Archives 