Dealing with the Wayward Damaris Zehner Recently on iMonk we discussed how a church responded to a young man who confessed to a sin. We tossed comments back and forth referring to Matthew 18 and both the Gospel and the letters of John. Most of us seemed to be in agreement that the church’s handling [...]
The Blessings of Boredom
31 Jan by
NOTE FROM CM: Though Damaris’ post is not about sports, it does address our culture of entertainment and “hyperstimulation” in which sports plays a part. As an example, having spent hours in the Super Bowl Village over the weekend, I can safely say it was a sensory extravaganza — all stimulation all the time. What’s [...]
What’s the Point?
30 Oct by
I’m generally pretty pragmatic. Before I do something, I like to know that it’s a good use of my time and resources. I like to be able to anticipate a return for my effort. I’m aware that I can’t do everything, so I try to choose deeds that will count, will really make a difference. [...]
The Life Of Faith
23 Oct by
One of my favorite hymns, I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say by Horatius Bonar, outlines beautifully the process of the Christian life in three stanzas. The first stanza begins with my most pressing need: rest. I am “weary and worn and sad,” battered by the world, by work, by relationships, by senselessness and violence [...]
Idleness
16 Oct by
This Sunday I have a more whimsical poem for you. Read it carefully, putting aside for a moment any tense insistence on perfect doctrine or scruples passed down from Puritan forefathers. Maybe, when you’re done reading it, you can turn off the computer and go outside for a half-hour or so, just leaning on the [...]
Decline And Fall
10 Oct by
There’s been a lot of discussion over the last 1500 years or so of what led to the fall of the Roman Empire and ushered in the Dark Ages. Such discussions are hard to conduct because already there are those (and I am among them) who want to point out that the eastern half of [...]
The Open Door
9 Oct by
After a week of ordinary and inevitable failures, sins, and missed opportunities, I’m content to remember in whose hands salvation lies and who invites us in to his Sabbath rest. Psalm 84 talks about being a doorkeeper in God’s house. I suspect I’ve occasionally been more like the malodorous bum lying on the steps, preventing [...]
The Descent to God
2 Oct by
This month, while Chaplain Mike is on sabbatical, Jeff has asked me to provide some Sunday meditations. I find that daunting. I’m not a scholar or a preacher, but I’ll give you the best I have. Ironically, the best I have is other people’s words, but these are words that have taken up residence in [...]
Anger At The Poor
15 Sep by
So many people these days seem to be angry at poor people. I hear comments by journalists, by so-called pundits, by television and radio talk-show hosts, and by the people who call in on those shows. The poor, according to these professionally angry people, are getting a “free ride;” they’re part of an “all-out war [...]
Lest We Forget
28 Jul by
Too many good books go out of print, and too many good writers are forgotten. From time to time we here at InternetMonk need to remember these lost treasures and pass them on to the next generations. With that in mind, I would like to introduce you to one of my favorite writers. I see [...]
