When Michael Spencer and I first discussed the book he would write, I asked him, “If you could only write one book in your life, what would it be?’ He never hesitated. “I would write about Jesus-shaped spirituality.” As it turned out, Michael was only able to write one book in his life. And today, [...]
Ballyard Religion
22 May by
By Chaplain Mike I had a vision of the evangelical church today. While coaching at my grandson’s Little League game (6-8 year olds), the heavens opened and a lot of things became clear to me, especially: Why it’s so hard to be a Jesus-shaped follower of Christ in America today. Why the evangelical church is [...]
Open Mic: Spiritual Progress and the Church
7 May by
Question posed by Chaplain Mike Over at Out of Ur, Christianity Today’s ministry blog, there is an interview with Dallas Willard about how churches assess spiritual growth. Here is an excerpt from that post. In our Open Mic discussion today, I would like our iMonk community to respond to what he says. Q: How can [...]
Helping the Spiritually Helpless
7 May by
By Chaplain Mike Last week I visited a family in a common hospice situation. The patient was non-responsive and near death. The patient’s daughter, though saddened by the impending loss of her father, was even more concerned about his spiritual welfare. He had lived most of his life saying he was an unbeliever. He’d had [...]
Walking On The Moon
29 Apr by
I am a geek when it comes to the Wright Brothers and manned space flight, as much of this history goes through Dayton, Ohio (near where I was born and raised) and vicinity. I have several dozen books on Wilbur and Orville as well as the space program. I consider going to the Air Force [...]
Our Dangerous God
14 Apr by
Two and a half years years ago a friend of mine stepped forward in our Sunday morning service to share a message he had wrestled with for weeks. It was not a message he was excited to share, but knew that God was compelling him to do so. The word he shared that morning changed [...]
Found: A Gospel-Centered Church
14 Apr by
We frequently take shots here at the home of the iMonk at churches who have abandoned the Gospel for a message of self-help, or of prosperity, or of how to never again have a bad hair day. And we will continue to do so. Why? It is our calling to do so. And it’s fun. [...]
iMonk Classic: What Is Jesus-Shaped Spirituality?
9 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. What Is Jesus-Shaped Spirituality? (2/24/09) The past year and a half has been the most personally tumultuous time I’ve ever experienced [...]
