My Winter Faith See, amid the winter’s snow, born for us on earth below, see the tender Lamb appears, promised from eternal years. Lo, within a manger lies He who built the starry skies; He, who throned in height sublime, sits amid the cherubim! Sacred Infant, all divine, what a tender love was Thine; thusContinue reading “Christmas Eve 2020: My Winter Faith”
Category Archives: Spiritual Formation
Sunday with Michael Spencer: How J.I. Packer influenced Michael’s spiritual journey
Note from CM: In tribute to J.I. Packer, who died last week, we present this post from Michael Spencer about his spiritual journey, and how Packer’s book Knowing God played a pivotal role. • • • Sunday with Michael Spencer From “Jesus, the Glory of the Christian Journey” (2009) I can’t speak for anyone else,Continue reading “Sunday with Michael Spencer: How J.I. Packer influenced Michael’s spiritual journey”
Richard Rohr on Liminal Space
Richard Rohr on Liminal Space Liminal space is an inner state and sometimes an outer situation where we can begin to think and act in new ways. It is where we are betwixt and between, having left one room or stage of life but not yet entered the next. We usually enter liminal space whenContinue reading “Richard Rohr on Liminal Space”
Tuesday with Michael Spencer: On Solitude and Silence
Tuesday with Michael Spencer (from March, 2009) Next Reformation posted this bit of a 2008 CT interview with Richard Foster. (I mainly mention Foster to light up the radar of the discernabloggers. Boo!) What is the discipline that you think we need to be exploring more at this point? Solitude. It is the most foundationalContinue reading “Tuesday with Michael Spencer: On Solitude and Silence”
Scott Lencke: Lament in Silence
Note from CM: Thanks to Scott for this thoughtful reminder about the importance of lament prayers — an especially relevant topic during Lent. You can read more of Scott’s writing at The Prodigal Thought. • • • Lament in Silence by Scott Lencke The church has entered the season of Lent. This is a focusedContinue reading “Scott Lencke: Lament in Silence”
Another Look: Now there’s a story
One of my favorite stories in scripture is that of the patriarch Jacob. Or, “that rascal,” as I like to call him. From birth, Jacob was never anything but a piece of work. His entire life was one giant con. Born trying to supplant his brother’s place (which is the meaning of his name), Jacob lived asContinue reading “Another Look: Now there’s a story”
A blast from my so-called “biblical” past
The other day I had a reminder of my past evangelical life and the way I used to think and teach. Watching an online sermon from a local conservative evangelical Bible-teaching church with which I am very familiar, I was struck at the implicit (and explicit) theme that pervaded the message. It wasn’t the specificContinue reading “A blast from my so-called “biblical” past”
God’s Purpose and our Purpose
This morning I will be teaching to about 40 men in an addictions recovery program. I love these guys; they are very open, and very hungry spiritually. I will be going through Ephesians chapter 1, where the main idea is that our salvation is much broader than we usually understand, and also tied into God’sContinue reading “God’s Purpose and our Purpose”
Fr. Freeman: What kind of community fosters virtue in its members?
Father Stephen Freeman is doing a timely series of posts on “virtue” at his blog, Glory to God for All Things. In one piece, “A Crisis of Virtue — The Good that We Need,” he reflects upon lessons from C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, the early church, and experiences in his own family to remind usContinue reading “Fr. Freeman: What kind of community fosters virtue in its members?”
Another Look: A spirituality “not pressed through the pores”
Another Look: A spirituality “not pressed through the pores” A saint is capable of loving created things and enjoying the use of them and dealing with them in a perfectly simple, natural manner, making no formal references to God, drawing no attention to his own piety, and acting without any artificial rigidity at all. HisContinue reading “Another Look: A spirituality “not pressed through the pores””
The Internet Monk Archives 