By Chaplain Mike Come on, children You’re acting like children Every generation Thinks it’s the end of the world • Wilco, “You Never Know” I had a spiritual awakening as a teenager in a time when prophetic expectations were high. Israel was in her land and engaged in violent confrontations with her antagonistic neighbors. Issues [...]
Mark Galli on Being Protestant in This Moment
10 May by
By Chaplain Mike Mark Galli, Senior Managing Editor at Christianity Today, is writing a book that reflects on Rob Bell’s controversial Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. Adam Palmer, one of our Internet Monk writers will weigh in with his own review of Bell’s book [...]
The Gospel in Literary Terms
26 Apr by
By Chaplain Mike “When I forget why the gospel matters, I read Frederick Buechner.” (Barbara Brown Taylor) And here is one example of why I agree with that testimony. The following excerpt is the thesis statement of Buechner’s book, Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale. The Gospel is bad news [...]
“He Descended into Hell”
23 Apr by
By Chaplain Mike He descended into hell. • The Apostles’ Creed Today, we present several readings related to this most controversial article of the Apostles’ Creed, which expresses words appropriate for this Holy Saturday. I encourage you to contemplate these perspectives and discuss your understanding of this article of the faith from your own tradition [...]
Thirty Days and Counting…
22 Apr by
By Chaplain Mike “We learn from the Bible that Holy God plans to rescue about 200 million people (that is about 3% of today’s population). On the first day of the Day of Judgment (May 21, 2011) they will be caught up (raptured) into Heaven because God had great mercy for them. This is why [...]
IM Film Review: Humans 1, Angels 0
13 Mar by
By Chaplain Mike My first comment to my wife after watching “The Adjustment Bureau” was, “I don’t think John Piper would like it.” Turns out divine sovereignty is more malleable than we thought. However, on the other hand, free will isn’t all it’s cracked up to be either. There are doors all around us through [...]
The Insight of Nuns
6 Mar by
By Chaplain Mike Many years ago, I read an article about Bill Leslie, pastor of the inner city Lasalle St. Church in Chicago. This demanding ministry had brought him to a point of exhaustion. On the advice of a friend, he went to a nearby Catholic retreat center that the church had used and spoke [...]
Transformation a Myth? Clarifications
2 Feb by
By Chaplain Mike A relationship with God in Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit will change us. A church grounded in God will be transformed, and it will likely transform its surrounding culture. If living in Christ makes no difference, we of all people are most to be pitied. But my concern about [...]
The Evangelical Myth of “Transformation”
1 Feb by
By Chaplain Mike Go Galli, go! Mark Galli, senior managing editor of Christianity Today, is one of my favorite authors, and one of the most realistic and theologically grounded commenters writing about the church and Christian life today. Back in 2008, Michael Spencer reviewed his book on worship, Beyond Smells and Bells: The Wonder and [...]
“Big” Decisions and God’s Will
31 Jan by
By Chaplain Mike When I was a Christian young person, I heard a lot about “seeking God’s will.” This question was especially prominent at Bible college, where young men and women training to go into ministry were trying to discern God’s leading in several key areas. First and foremost, we were trusting God to lead [...]
