Here’s a quick run-through on the facts of my situation.

1. I have cancer and I am receiving treatments for it. On Christmas Eve, a small mass was removed from the back of my brain. That’s the balance center, so my main symptoms are balance, nausea and appetite issues. That are all improving. I have 5 radiation treatments to go on the post-op and then it’s on to several rounds of chemo a bit closer to home.

2. At this point, writing for IM is pretty much out of the picture, and will be for a while. But I have some restoration of keyboard ability and that’s a very positive development. Meanwhile, Chaplain Mike is doing an awesome job and I especially appreciate the helpers.

3. Denise: Denise is Jesus. That’s about all I can say. One flesh. Servant. Agape love. It’s all there. Pray for her and our children. [Continue reading]

Today’s post by guest blogger Chaplain Mike.

Christianity Today ran an article by Collin Hansen today called, “The Top Ten Theological Stories of 2009.”

Honored at #10 was our very own Michael Spencer’s series of articles called, “The Coming Evangelical Collapse.”

Here is what CT had to say:

‘Coming Evangelical Collapse’ Predicted A fixture of evangelical discourse, the jeremiad issues from a prophet who warns of judgment unless true believers repent of their sins and turn to God. Michael Spencer rejected the prophet label and professed doubt that he would be correct. But his posts on “The Coming Evangelical Collapse” nevertheless spawned a new round of soul-searching for a movement that appears to be splintering in several competing directions.

Congratulations to Michael for the recognition of his important thinking and writing on this issue.

I encourage you to read these articles again, think through them once more, and share any updated (or first-time) comments you might have on these important thoughts.

Here is a link to the original posts, with a few notes and clarifications by iMonk.

Read them and return here to comment.

Today’s post is by guest blogger Chaplain Mike.

Please keep praying for our Internet Monk, Michael, as he rests in the hospital and continues to undergo tests and wait for results. For updates from Michael and his family, please refer to his page on Facebook.

Today, let’s talk about Christmas carols. I love ‘em. In fact, from the first Sunday of Advent until the end of Christmastide, I only listen to Advent and Christmas music. There are no other playlists on my iPod. This is one of those rare times of year when it seems like everything in life, including the music that is being played even in the world’s public spaces, works together so that my whole world and all my attention can be focused on one theme: the Incarnation. Even the secular holiday songs, though obviously deficient in theological content, can fit in to form part of the “frame” for my days during Advent and Christmas and help create a sense of expectation in my heart.

However, it is always a good spiritual habit to examine our practices and traditions from time to time. I found a provocative and helpful article over at Credenda Agenda, in which Peter J. Leithart reflects on N.T. Wright’s insights about Jesus and expresses the realization that most of our “Christmas carols” have gotten it wrong.

First, go read the article, then come back for discussion.

[Continue reading]

Continue to pray for the iMonk and health concerns.

Today’s guest post is from Chaplain Mike Mercer…

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people…” (Luke 1.68, NASB)

In his wonderful book on pastoral ministry, The Jesus-Driven Ministry, Ajith Fernando quotes a classic seventeenth century manual of pastoral care by George Herbert. Herbert sets forth the exhortation that the good minister…

…holds the rule that nothing is little in God’s service; if it once have the honor of that name, it grows great instantly. Therefore neither does he disdain to enter into the poorest cottage, though he even creep into it, and though it smell ever so loathsomely. For both God is there, and also those for whom God died.”

[Continue reading]

Guest post today by Chaplain Mike Mercer…

Happy New Year!

If you or your church follows the Christian Year, you know what I am talking about. Yesterday was the first day of the church calendar, the first Sunday in Advent. The Advent season stretches over four Sundays and ends on Christmas Eve, when the celebration of Jesus’ birth arrives in full flower.

Advent is a time of anticipation, when we remember God’s promises and expectantly look for him to fulfill them in Christ. It is also a time of preparation, when we ask God to make our hearts ready to receive Jesus at his coming. Themes of Advent (which means, “the coming”) involve not only Christ’s first coming, but also his ultimate return to reign, when “every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess” that he is Lord.

Marking Advent can be one of the most counter-cultural activities in which Christians may participate. As the world around us works itself into a frenzy trying to keep up with holiday demands, believers can use this time for contemplation, spiritual practices, and simple good works of love for our neighbors.

The following video, “Christmas 101,” featuring Fr. Eric Dudley of St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Tallahassee, gives an overview of this season from a Christian perspective. I think you will find it winsome, engaging, and practical. Part 2 is due Dec. 6th.

I’d also love to hear from you about how you, your family, and your church practice Advent and prepare for Christmas.

MOD NOTE: Those of you from liturgical traditions: please help the uninitiated by defining terms and explaining practices that might be unfamiliar to those from other communities.

MOD NOTE: Has anyone watched the video? Responses? Would love specific feedback on Fr. Dudley’s teachings.

Christmas 101, Part I from St. Peter’s Anglican Church on Vimeo.

Like any and all Riffs, these are simply some of my thoughts inspired by other posts and discussions. Not a throw down, etc.

This morning at evangel, Joe Carter voiced some of his frustration at the way the “law/Gospel” distinction sounds to his ears. I’ve wrestled with this myself on this site. Then, in the comments, Carter responded to Jared Wilson- and quoted him- in regard to the relation of the Gospel and sanctification, which he described as “behavior change.” (Quote follows)

Indeed, you did and I think you did a good job. But I also think you added in some stuff that leads to the very problem I’m referring to. For example:

Then, why, for the love of God, do we preach all manner of behavior modification, none of which could save a single one of us, when only the gospel saves.

You seem to be implying that “behavior modification” (i.e., sanctification) is not important. Now I know that this is not what you are saying. But how should other people who may think this statement is to be taken quite literally, be expected to respond? You are creating what could be considered a false dichotomy. Yes, only the gospel saves. But does that mean that Christians are not required to modify their behavior?

[Continue reading]

I’ve been trying to emphasize the Gospel as the foundational content of the Christian life for many years. While I’ve worked at fresh articulations of the Gospel, there are a lot of familiar articulations of the Gospel that show up in my preaching and teaching with high school students and the adults in chapel and in my classes.

For example, these are four different Gospel articulations that I’ve used repeatedly in speaking and teaching. They are not definitions or creeds. They articulations that summarize and balance the content of the Gospel as I understand it. It’s language I want my hearers to hear frequently. Sometimes in phrases. Sometimes in whole sermons or lessons.

Announcement: The Gospel is the glad announcement that God himself, through Jesus, has done everything necessary to rescue his broken world and save its broken people from judgment and ruin. All persons are invited to believe this glad announcement, to be forgiven and to become a disciple of Jesus who is King and Lord. [Continue reading]

Today’s Gospel reading was Mark 13:1-8. There’s a chapter with “Can o’ Worms” written all over it.

When I deal with this chapter, I try to show that the parts of the chapter that are easily understood plainly give us instructions on what we are to be doing and not doing. Hope this message is helpful for you. I didn’t read all of the chapter but that would be helpful for you as you listen.

Preaching for Grown-ups is my lectionary preaching at a small Presbyterian Church where I am privileged to supply. It’s the one time during the week I’m not preaching to mostly or exclusively teenagers, hence the name.

Listen to: “Mark 13: What to do While the World Falls Apart.”

Originally published at the Steve Brown, Etc. Guest Room Blog. You also might enjoy “The Great Pumpkin Proposes a Toast,” from deep in the IM archives. Here’s a good post on “How to have a great Catholic Halloween.” No Protestants are harmed. It’s OK. The best article on Hallloween remains James Jordan’s “A Different View of Halloween.”

As October 31st looms, it’s time for true confessions.

I grew up among Southern Baptist fundamentalist Baptists. The KJV-only, women can’t wear pants, twenty verses of “Just As I Am,” Jerry Falwell, Jack Chick, twice a year revival kind of fundamentalist Baptists.

We were serious about things like beer. By sheer quantity of attention in sermons, drinking beer was the most evil act one could describe. We were serious about movies, cards, and something called “mixed bathing,” which normal people would call “swimming.”

We were serious about the Bible, Sunday School, suits and ties, and walking the aisle to get saved.

And we were big time into Halloween. [Continue reading]

UPDATE: Comments are closed.

Welcome to IM’s popular feature, “The Liturgical Gangstas,” a panel discussion among different liturgical traditions represented in the Internet Monk audience.

Who are the Gangstas?

Father Ernesto Obregon is an Eastern Orthodox priest.
Rev. Joe Boysel is an Anglican (AMiA) priest and professor of Bible at Ohio Christian University in Circleville, Ohio. (Ask him about famous alumni.)
Dr. Wyman Richardson is a pastor of a First Baptist Church (SBC) and director of Walking Together Ministries, a resource on church discipline.
Alan Creech is a Roman Catholic with background in the Emerging church and spiritual direction.
Rev. Matthew Johnson is a United Methodist pastor.
Rev. William Cwirla is a Lutheran pastor (LCMS) and one of the hosts of The God Whisperers, which is a podcast nearly as good as Internet Monk Radio.
Eric Landry is the editor of Modern Reformation Magazine. In addition, he is a PCA church planter in southern California.

Here’s this week’s question: How does the theme and practice of spiritual warfare relate to ministry in your tradition? Where are the boundaries of your own “comfort zones” in the practice of spiritual warfare? [Continue reading]

I’m very happy to have Keith Williams, one of the editors of the “Mosaic” Bible (NLT) that I’ve recently promoted here at IM, answering some of your questions about the NLT and the special Mosaic edition.

You can find the entire Mosaic Blog tour schedule here. Check out the various sites and all the questions and answers that have been published. The NLT Mosaic web site is a great resource. (Want a Christian year calendar for your Google Calendar?) You can buy the Mosaic Bible at Amazon. You’ll find all these links and resources behind the clickable ad on the sidebar.

So let’s get down to some of the questions contributed by IM readers for Keith and his answers.

How will the Mosaic Bible help someone coming from a Free-Church background (ie, Baptist) who is completely unfamiliar with the Christian Year as well as other elements of liturgical worship connect with broader Christian tradition and incorporate them in his or her devotional life? [Continue reading]

I need to be very clear at the outset: we won’t be having a discussion on the theology of baptism. I will be talking about the place of baptism in liturgy, and I will be doing so from the standpoint of a credobaptist describing the Protestant liturgical worship service.

Most formal worship spaces, even simple ones, will have a baptistry or baptismal font. In those churches where the baptistry/font is a permanent part of worship architecture, there is a constant reminder of the place of baptism in the Christian life.

In my tradition, faith unites us to Christ, but baptism is the “confession” of Christ before men that initiates participation in the gathered people of God. The baptistry/font is frequently a part of worship as baptisms are performed and confessions of faith given in the waters of baptism. [Continue reading]

FIRST: Read “Evangelicals and Science” at Tim Stafford’s blog. Niki is fictionalized, but not much. I am hoping this post will make one point: the Gospel combined with anything- a view of science, political opinions, convictions on gender, etc.- becomes a non-Gospel. Let the Gospel be what Paul describes in I Cor 15!

Her name is Niki. (Not her real name.) She’s a Japanese student who lived with an American family for a year and attended a Christian school. She took a year of Bible. She attended worship and heard lots of preaching. The Gospel was explained to her many times. She was well liked and sociable.

A very smart girl. A great student, much advanced over the average American student. She made A’s in everything, including Bible.

She left America after graduation and went back to Japan. [Continue reading]

I discovered last night that the large church I’d passed several times this week here on Sullivan’s Island was an Episcopal church with a 10 a.m. Wednesday Eucharist service. After checking the church’s web site, I noticed that one of the contributors at Mockingbird, John Zahl, was a pastoral associate at Holy Cross. IM readers know of my appreciation for what these Lutheranized Anglicans are doing, so I hoped that John would be leading this weekday service.

I was delighted to discover that I was right, and that Pr. Zahl was the minister preaching and leading the service. [Continue reading]

Dear Well-Meaning Non-Evangelical Friend,

Please sit down, have a cup of tea or coffee…and listen.

I see that you’ve responded to some of us who are pilgrims in the evangelical community and who are on a journey within and perhaps beyond evangelicalism. You’ve offered up some “help” in the form of advice, comments, explanations and so forth.

If possible, I’d like to encourage you to consider a few matters that could prove useful to our shared ultimate goal of knowing the Trinitarian God and following Jesus.

1. It’s possible you may be able to claim a few of us for your particular church by arguing with us over the specifics of doctrine. There are some among us who are in the mood to be convinced. But you are making a mistake, in my view, in regard to most of us with this approach. Your assumption that we need to be battered with the clubs of better logic and more knowledge is not the pleasant experience you apparently remember it to be. Let us have a process that operates under our terms and with our perception of the leadership of the Holy Spirit. If this is an episode of Bounty Hunter, tell us. [Continue reading]