SERMON: When It All Comes Crashing Down As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!’ Then Jesus asked him, ‘Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.’ When […]
About Chaplain Mike
Chaplain Mike works with a hospice organization in central Indiana. He has been in pastoral ministry since 1978, serving in churches in Maryland, Vermont, Illinois, and Indiana before moving into chaplaincy work. He is married to a wonderful gifted wife, Gail, and they have four children and three grandchildren. He thinks baseball is the greatest game ever invented, suffers annually as a Chicago Cubs fan, and is looking forward to putting on a cap again this spring to coach his grandson's Little League team. He loves a wide variety of music, spends way too much money on books, is happy to live in a place where there are four seasons, and is a "true believer" in Apple computers, having used them since 1988. Luther is his favorite theologian, Bach his favorite composer, James Taylor his favorite singer-songwriter, Chicago his favorite city, and hiking his favorite form of exercise. He would love to do more with photography and dreams of having a place in the mountains of Arizona some day. His heart has been captured by the grace of God in Jesus Christ and considers himself a post-evangelical disciple seeking a Jesus-shaped life and hoping to help the church do the same. He is forever grateful to his friend, Michael Spencer, for giving him an opportunity to write for Internet Monk.
The IM Saturday Monks Brunch: November 17, 2018
17 Nov by
The IM Saturday Monks Brunch: November 17, 2018 We’re less than a week from Thanksgiving and soon we’ll be moving into the Advent season. Here in central Indiana we had our first ice and snow event this past week (see the picture above), which was relatively minor and its effects soon melted away. We’ve had […]
That’s a Bad Idea (1)
14 Nov by
This is a book about wisdom and its opposite. • Greg Lukianoff & Jonathan Haidt • • • I am a big fan of Jonathan Haidt. We did a series of reflections on his book The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion back in July, 2017. The Righteous Mind is […]
Another Look: Thoughts on Veterans Day
12 Nov by
Another Look: Thoughts on Veterans Day Men go to war for a hundred reasons, But they all come back with the same demons. • Slaid Cleaves • • • None of us who have escaped our nation’s veterans’ experiences on the battlefields can ever truly relate to what they’ve seen and known. We pin medals […]
Sermon: The Widow’s Plight
11 Nov by
Sermon: The Widow’s Plight As he taught, he said, ‘Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honour at banquets! They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance […]
The IM Saturday Monks Brunch: November 10, 2018
10 Nov by
The IM Saturday Monks Brunch: November 10, 2018 Welcome to Brunch this Saturday. Snowflakes have been in the air ’round these parts this week, and although I took pictures like the one above just last weekend, now brown and gray are beginning to dominate nature’s color palette. With no baseball to buoy my spirit, a […]
November Visions from the Heartland
9 Nov by
Note from CM: Mike Bell has taken a sick day today. Enjoy these visions of fall in the heartland. Click on each picture for a larger image. • • •
For Election Day 2018
6 Nov by
Note from CM: It’s election day here in the U.S., as citizens go to the polls to vote in the midterms — the elections between our quadrennial presidential decision. Here is a simple reminder from over a century ago of the humble grandeur of this privilege we participate in as Americans. • • • If […]
Another Look: To Be Well-Spoken
5 Nov by
Another Look: To Be Well-Spoken Is not my word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? • Jeremiah 23:29, NRSV • • • One of my personal goals in life is to be well-spoken. I am tired of “lingo.” I reject group-imposed boundaries around how to express […]
A Prayer Liturgy for All Saints
4 Nov by
A Prayer Liturgy for All Saints This is the prayer liturgy I put together that we will be praying for All Saints in worship today. May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure this Lord’s Day. • • • As those who believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of […]
