By Chaplain Mike I hope you will continue to put up with my ongoing journey into understanding the Lutheran way of practicing the Christian faith. In a comment the other day, someone asked if this is now a Lutheran site. Well, no. But since I’m walking on that path, what I’m learning is bound to [...]
iMonk Classic: Pentecost — The Third Great Day
23 May by
Classic iMonk Post by Michael Spencer Originally posted May 26, 2007 Act 2:1-8 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. (2) And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. (3) And divided tongues as [...]
How Do You Celebrate Pentecost?
18 May by
By Chaplain Mike There are four major holidays in the Christian Year: Christmas Good Friday Easter Pentecost We all know about Christmas. Not only is the story poignant and heart-warming (who doesn’t love a baby?), but it also fits with seamless perfection into our nuclear family-oriented, consumerist culture. Thanks especially to Charles Dickens, Clement Moore, [...]
iMonk Classic: Dr. StrangeLiturgy
11 Apr by
This weekend, as we mourn Michael Spencer’s passing, thank God for the hope of eternal life, and comfort one another in our time of loss, IM will feature classic posts from the Internet Monk. Dr. StrangeLiturgy I’ve got friends in high-church places. The humor of me standing in front of a Presbyterian Church, wearing a [...]
Easter Is a Season, Not a Day
4 Apr by
By Chaplain Mike. Many of us in our Christian traditions learned to celebrate Christ’s resurrection on a day—Easter Sunday. Easter is the great Lord’s Day, the climax of Holy Week, the high point of the Christian Year, marked by an explosion of color, wafting fragrance of lilies, majestic sounds of organ and baroque trumpets, bright [...]
Form for Confession in Lent
18 Feb by
Last night in our Ash Wednesday service we used the Litany of Penitence from the Book of Common Prayer. I was impressed with it, as a comprehensive form for confessing our sins before God. I plan on using it throughout the Lenten season in my daily prayers. Perhaps it can be useful to you as [...]
Instructed Anglican Eucharist
5 Feb by
From our friends at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Tallahassee, FL, here is another of their excellent teaching videos. In this one, Father Michael Petty leads a class on the meaning of the Eucharist in the Anglican liturgy. St. Peter’s also makes notes available to use while watching. Download notes here. (MOD: With regard to [...]
Redeeming a Dirty Word
3 Feb by
Today’s post is by guest blogger, Chaplain Mike Those of you with sensitive ears, cover them for a moment. I’m about to utter a dirty word. OBLIGATION. Let me give you another one. DUTY. I confess to being partially accountable for the fact that these are dirty words to many today, for I grew up [...]
Reminder & Review: Pocket Dictionary of Liturgy & Worship
17 Jan by
Since our posts and comments have referred a lot to liturgy lately, I thought it might be good to revisit a nice little tool to help people understand various aspects of liturgical worship. Our first look at this book can be found here. Today, we have a another look and review from Patrick Kyle of [...]
The Evangelical Liturgy 23: The Postlude
11 Nov by
I’ve served at two churches with exceptional pipe organs and organists. Some of my best memories of worship are about the postlude. The last amen had sounded, the congregation was leaving the worship space and the organist, with the help of Bach, was taking the roof off the building. I absolutely soaked it in. Could [...]
Eight Traits of a Responsible Ministry