update on my friend, michael spencer

I received this update from Denise Spencer about her husband and my friend Michael (the Internet Monk):

It is with a heavy heart that I bring my latest update on Michael. We have learned that his cancer is too advanced and too aggressive to expect any sort of remission. Our oncologist estimates that with continued treatment Michael most likely has somewhere between six months and a year to live. This is not really a surprise to us, though it is certainly horrible news. From the very beginning, both of us have suspected that this would prove to be an extremely bad situation. I don't know why; perhaps God was preparing us for the worst all along by giving us that intuition.

The combination of the cancer and the chemotherapy is keeping Michael in a very weakened state. He is in bed all day, getting up once or twice only to eat a "meal." His meals consist mostly of Ensure, with occasional mugs of soup, dishes of ice cream and milkshakes. He's still taking fluids well, currently preferring Sprite and ginger ale. His tastes do change slightly from time to time, and I try to be ready to jump in whatever direction they seem to be moving. He is in no pain at all, for which I am unspeakably grateful.

Michael went through a period of depression, as I'm sure you would expect. He seems to have come through that now, for the most part. He knows he is dying, and he says he is at peace. Though he will still say with unashamed honesty, "I don't want it to all be over at age 53!" he has the confidence of knowing that he has run the race God set out for him. He believes he has done the work our Lord intended for him to do, and if the last task God has for him in this life is dying, then he will do that to the best of his ability.

Through all of this, in every phase of illness, diagnosis and treatment, Michael's faith has not wavered. I know most readers love Michael for, among other things, the transparency of his writings. If I may be allowed such honesty for just a moment, I will confess that I have been amazed at how strong Michael has been spiritually and emotionally from the very beginning of this ghastly journey. Day by day I continue to see the Holy Spirit at work in him, molding him, softening him, giving him a more childlike faith than I believe he has ever known. When the moment comes, I am assured Michael will be ready. I am the one who doesn't want to let go.

Words can never express our gratitude for every thought, every gift, every note, every prayer you have blessed us with. Please pray for continued peace and strength for Michael, for me, and for Noel and Clay. This is the most difficult thing we have ever been through, and only with God's help can we make it.


michael has been a unique and extraordinary voice for the christian community for many years now. if you have not read his writings, i encourage you to go to internet monk and peruse the archives. you will be encouraged.

and as god brings him to mind, pray for peace for michael and his family.


today's van gogh
the end of the day (after millet)
november, 1889

choose joy

i continue to concentrate my blogging efforts these days on michael spencer's site, to help him while he undergoes treatments for cancer.

i know he would appreciate your continued prayers.

thank you for understanding my relative neglect of this site. i encourage you to check out internet monk to keep up with what i'm thinking and writing about these days, as well as the contributions of others.

you're especially invited to join the new discussion on a post i put up today, entitled, "choose joy."

Join the Conversation at Internet Monk

I am hosting an ongoing conversation on Eugene Peterson's new book, Practice Resurrection: A Conversation on Growing Up in Christ, over at Internet Monk.

Please join us!

available now for pre-order

michael spencer, aka "imonk," has written a book, and now the publisher and amazon.com has posted it for pre-sale. 

it will be available to purchase in september, 2010. 

i am convinced this will be one of the best books of the year, filled with insightful commentary on the impoverished state of american evangelicalism and wise counsel for better ways forward.

i encourage you to pre-order it today!

for awhile...visit internet monk

i'm trying to help my friend, michael spencer, aka the internet monk, as he goes through some health problems and consequent adjustments in his work.

so, i won't be posting as much here on "weak on sanctification" for awhile.

i will continue the sunday posts so that we can all keep up with the church year together, but will not add much more until it becomes clear that michael is back for good.

thanks for your interest in the blog. you can still read what i write...you'll just have to go to the internet monk site to find it.

see you there!

praying for friends who are sick...

for those of you who might be interested...

i am guest-blogging at internetmonk while my friend michael spencer deals with some personal health concerns.

i know he and his loved ones would appreciate it if you would mention his name in prayer to our lord for help in his time of need.


here is a wonderful petition from the book of common prayer that we can pray for those who are suffering sickness:

O God of heavenly powers, by the might of your command you drive away from our bodies all sickness and all infirmity: Be present in your goodness with your servant ______ , that his weakness may be banished and his strength restored; and that, his health being renewed, he may bless your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Book of Common Prayer)

today's van gogh
the garden of saint-paul hospital, 1889

have a culture-war christmas!

ponder anew has a post worth reading, called, "a season of wonder, a season of silliness". here's an excerpt:

The whole Advent season leading to Christmas is all gospel, tinged with wonder.

For the past few years, the beginning of the Advent season has also marked the beginning of the battle cry from Christian culture warriors.

You know the drill. Somebody gets all in a lather over store clerks wishing people “happy holidays” or as in Kentucky, calling a Christmas tree a “holiday tree.” Buttons are worn and bumper stickers are placed and “sign this and pass it on if you believe in Christmas” petitions are circulated on the internet.

And now, Focus on the Family has actually developed a web site called Stand for Christmas. The basic idea is that costumers can log on and rank various businesses as “Christmas-friendly”, Christmas-negligent” or “Christmas-offensive”. There’s a constantly updated percentage for each category listed for dozens of businesses, and as soon as someone sends their comments, an e-mail is automatically generated to the business itself.

...OK. But…really? Is this the primary thing that those of us who have received the gospel gift want to broadcast during this season?

count me out. how about you?


today's van gogh
half figure of an angel (after rembrandt), 1889

mark galli on "transformation"

a wonderful interview with mark galli, senior managing editor of christianity today, has been posted over at the ever-interesting mockingbird blog.

a couple of paragraphs caught my attention as appropriate to share here, because they deal directly with the subject of being "weak on sanctification."

preach it, mark!

The other thing is the whole business of “transformation.” I notice how often that word comes up—our lives can be transformed, our churches can be transformed, our culture can be transformed. We imagine if we do everything right according to what the New Testament teaches us, that things will be completely changed. And if they aren’t completely changed, I’ve either bet my life on something that’s not true, or the Gospel itself is not true.

I just keep on coming back to Luther’s truth that we are simultaneously justified and sinners. I keep on looking at my own life, and at church history, and I realize that when the Gospel talks about transformation, it can’t possibly mean an actual, literal change in this life of a dramatic nature, except in a few instances. It must be primarily eschatological; it must be referring to the fact that we will in fact be changed. The essential thing to make change possible has occurred—Christ died and rose again. (And in this life we will see flashes of that, just like in Jesus’ ministry there were moments when the Kingdom broke in and we see a miracle. And these moments tell us there is something better awaiting for us and God is gracious enough at times to allow a person or a church or a community to experience transformation at some level.) But we can’t get into the habit of thinking that this dramatic change is normal, this side of the Kingdom. What’s normal this side of the Kingdom is falling into sin (in big or small ways), and then appropriating the grace of God and looking forward to the transformation to come.

click on the following link to read galli's article, "the scandal of the public evangelical," in which he expounds further on "the long-standing evangelical myth that there should be something different about the christian."


today's van gogh
field with poppies, 1889

imonk interview

our friend, michael spencer, aka the "internet monk," was kind enough to ask to do an interview about my work as well as my perspectives on evangelical pastoral care for the dying.

of course, since he asked me to speak on a subject about which i am passionate, i couldn't stop talking. you can read the interview in all its verbose glory at the imonk website.

thanks, michael, for the opportunity to share.

my prayer is that many will be encouraged and helped as they think through how to minister to those who are in the final season of life. and may we be ever mindful of those who are mourning in our midst.

today's van gogh

the garden of st. paul's hospital, 1889

the weekly discussion—october 4

i am going to ask you to do a little homework before you respond to this one.

• read tim stafford's blog post, "evangelicals and science"

• read michael spencer's post at internetmonk, "niki made her choice and, apparently, so did we"

both articles tell stories from the personal side of the creationism vs. evolution debate.

• stafford gives two accounts of christians with vocations in science, and the troubles this caused them with their christian communities. both became increasingly detached from their christian friends and the life of the church because of the disapproval they felt from fellow believers in light of their work as scientists.

• imonk tells about niki, a brilliant student from japan exposed thoroughly to christianity while pursuing her education here in the states. yet, she returned to japan an atheist. why? here is her explanation: “when people here explained to me what they must believe as christians, I always ask them about evolution, and they say 'you cannot be a christian and believe in evolution.' so i cannot be a Christian, because I believe that evolution is true.”

what would you tell her? can a person be a christian and accept evolution? can a bible-believing follower of christ affirm that evolution and other scientific paradigms, at this point in our understanding, present a legitimate portrayal of the origins and development of the universe and life?

in my opinion, the church needs to talk. now. this is serious.


today's van gogh
starry night, 1889

"his story"—big picture of the torah

the third study has been posted on my bible study blog, "his story."

this is another "big picture" look at the torah (the first five books of the bible) and how, by standing back and looking at some of its overall characteristics, we can gain insight into its meaning.

take some time and check it out!


today's van gogh
still life with bible, 1885

his story—bible study blog up and running

my bible study blog is now up and running. the first two posts give an overview of the bible's structure and story, and a lesson on reading the torah.

hope you'll read along and bring your questions and comments with you.

today's van gogh
still life with bible, 1885

coming soon...

i have begun working on a new site where i will post bible studies. it will be called, "his story," and i hope to announce the address and first posts in the next week or so.

it is my intention that these will be serious, though brief, studies of the entire bible. posts will include "big picture" studies of larger portions of the bible as well as closer looks at individual passages and chapters.

as always, i will welcome your involvement and responses to these studies. i realize that there are many resources out there, but perhaps you will find a friend here to guide and interact with you as you walk through the pages of god's book.

it's my prayer that our lives will be shaped by his story as we take this journey together.

today's van gogh
still life with bible, 1885

you must read...

the article i'm recommending for you to read today represents "weak on sanctification 101". if you want to know what the title of this blog means, or go deeper into the meaning of simul iustus et peccator, here is a great place to begin.

michael spencer, aka "the internet monk," is a favorite blogger of mine, and every once in awhile, i go beyond the current posts, dive in to some of his archives, and find words that are even more remarkably profound and helpful. tonight i found his piece called, "when i am weak: why we must embrace our brokenness and never be good christians," in which michael lays out the lies we tell ourselves and others about sanctification. here's a sampling:

It's remarkable, considering the tone of so many Christian sermons and messages, that any church has honest people show up at all. I can't imagine that any religion in the history of humanity has made as many clearly false claims and promises as evangelical Christians in their quest to say that Jesus makes us better people right now. With their constant promises of joy, power, contentment, healing, prosperity, purpose, better relationships, successful parenting and freedom from every kind of oppression and affliction, I wonder why more Christians aren't either being sued by the rest of humanity for lying or hauled off to a psych ward to be examined for serious delusions.

Evangelicals love a testimony of how screwed up I USED to be. They aren't interested in how screwed up I am NOW. But the fact is, that we are screwed up. Then. Now. All the time in between and, it's a safe bet to assume, the rest of the time we're alive. But we will pay $400 to go hear a "Bible teacher" tell us how we are only a few verses, prayers and cds away from being a lot better. And we will set quietly, or applaud loudly, when the story is retold. I'm really better now. I'm a good Christian. I'm not a mess anymore. I'm different from other people.

What a crock. Please. Call this off. It's making me sick. I mean that. It's affecting me. I'm seeing, in my life and the lives of others, a commitment to lying about our condition that is absolutely pathological. Evangelicals call Bill Clinton a big-time liar about sex? Come on. How many nodding "good Christians" have so much garbage sitting in the middle of their lives that the odor makes it impossible to breathe without gagging. How many of us are addicted to food, porn and shopping? How many of us are depressed, angry, unforgiving and just plain mean? How many of us are a walking, talking course on basic hypocrisy, because we just can't look at ourselves in the mirror and admit what we a collection of brokenness we've become WHILE we called ourselves "good Christians" who want to "witness" to others. Gack. I'm choking just writing this.

You people with your Bibles. Look something up for me? Isn't almost everyone in that book screwed up? I mean, don't the screwed up people- like Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, Hosea- outnumber the "good Christians" by about ten to one? And isn't it true that the more we get to look at a Biblical character close up, the more likely it will be that we'll see a whole nasty collection of things that Christians say they no longer have to deal with because, praise God! I'm fixed? Not just a few temper tantrums or ordinary lies, but stuff like violence. Sex addictions. Abuse. Racism. Depression. It's all there, yet we still flop our Bibles open on the pulpit and talk about "Ten Ways To Have Joy That Never Goes Away!" Where is the laugh track?

What was that I heard? "Well....we're getting better. That's sanctification. I've been delivered!" I suppose some of us are getting better. For instance, my psycho scary temper is better than it used to be. Of course, the reason my temper is better, is that in the process of cleaning up the mess I've made of my family with my temper, I've discovered about twenty other major character flaws that were growing, unchecked, in my personality. I've inventoried the havoc I've caused in this short life of mine, and it turns out "temper problem" is way too simple to describe the mess that is me. Sanctification? Yes, I no longer have the arrogant ignorance to believe that I'm always right about everything, and I'm too embarrassed by the general sucktitude of my life to mount an angry fit every time something doesn't go my way. Getting better? Quite true. I'm getting better at knowing what a wretched wreck I really amount to, and it's shut me up and sat me down.

folks, i have been convinced for a long time now that we simply claim too much for "christianity" and know far too little of the actual good news. god displays his mercy in and through broken clay pots, not fine porcelain vases.

read michael's article. clink the link above, read it carefully, and think upon these things.

and may god forgive our triumphalism and pride.

today's van gogh
the novel reader, 1888

blog friend in the flesh

on our week away, gail and i had the privilege of meeting and sharing a meal with michael and denise spencer. michael, also known as "the internet monk," is one of the blogosphere's most read christian bloggers. denise also has a fine blog of her own, at denisedayspencer.

we had a nice dinner together and learned more about them, their family, and their ministry at oneida baptist institute in southeastern Kentucky, as well as discussing various issues addressed on the imonk blog and getting an update on michael's first book, which is in the final stages of revision.

above all, i wanted to thank michael for providing a safe place to discuss my thoughts and work through several theological issues with fellow pilgrims, especially after the transitions in ministry i have experienced in recent years.

i hope you will check out the imonk blog and denise's blog, listen to the internetmonk podcast (available at the blog and at itunes), and look for michael's book later this year. their writings have my highest recommendation, and i'm happy to say that they are just as delightful in person as they are in their internet presentations.

denise & michael spencer with gail & me
september, 2009

today's van gogh
congregation leaving the reformed church at nuenen, c.1885