Attention SBE Guest Blog Readers!

Michael Spencer February 11th, 2008

I'm Michael Spencer, the new blogger on the SBE Guest Blog team, and I'm going to introduce myself. Since this is bound to be exciting, why not call five other people and have them read along with you? Then you can all talk about the experience later, over some coffee and some dessert you should have given up for Lent.

Why am I part of this group blogging effort? Do I have the celebrity status of Tony Campolo? Do I have the gravitas of John Armstrong? Am I involved in legal and cultural issues like John Whitehead? Do I have the brilliant mind of a Hugh Ross?

Those of you answering "No; you don't," can take another bite of dessert. You win.

I'm a 51 year old campus minister at a large boarding school in southeastern Kentucky. (Yes, I do write with an Appalachian accent.) I've been preaching for 35 years – yes, started when I was 16. The Baptists are like that. I've been a youth ministry specialist most of my life, but I've also pastored Baptist and Presbyterian Churches, and served as campus minister where I am now for 16 years. I've got college degrees, a real seminary degree and some graduate hours towards a doctorate I'll probably never finish. Right now I teach high school Bible, oversee a large campus ministry and preach about 16 times a month to hundreds of students from all over the world who come to the school I serve.

I've been married to Denise for almost 30 years, so send her some kind of a love offering. She needs a break. We've got two great adult children. One's married and an Anglican and one's single and PCA, so you can see what kind of parents we were. One will be a teacher and the other is a poet. That means one has a job and the other would be living in my basement, but I don't have one. We are very proud of both of them.

Most people know me because I write at "IMonk Radio" for those who can't get enough. (You should be very concerned about those people.)

My deal at Internet Monk.com is promoting what I call "post-evangelicalism," which is one of those trendy "post" labels I thought I made up, but I found out I was a little late on that. Since Steve's given me the mic over here, I should probably say what this "post-evangelical" attitude is all about.

1) Evangelicalism, as we've known it in its classic "Spurgeon to Billy Graham" style, is over.

2) Most of what's still moving in evangelicalism is not good. From church growth to prosperity gospel to the culture war, I'm not a fan of what's happening in the evangelical camp.

3) There are some good things happening in evangelicalism, but it's unclear what the final mix is going to produce. I'm betting on an Osteen-style evangelicalism with a Mark Driscoll-style opposition. I'm hoping for a passion for missions and a deep love for the Gospel of grace.

4) Post-evangelicals are trying to find what's valuable in the wreckage, and that means going back, back, way back to the roots of the faith. So I'm all about the ancient church, the creeds, the Christian year, simple liturgy, real music and Robert Webber.

5) Powerpoint has ruined preaching.

That's about it.

What can you expect from me?

a) Honesty. I say what I think when I write. As Shakespeare said, we should speak what we feel, not what we ought to say. Amen.

b) Vulnerability. I believe the incarnation made it OK to be human and say so. I talk about the human journey. Especially the struggles and the hard parts. Apparently, I'm good enough at this that I have a "reputation" for being a bit too honest.

c) Humor. I'm not morose and I hate dull. I preach to students and I don't like to waste time. I can have a bit of attitude, but I want to show you the provocative side of the Gospel.

d) Stuff about Jesus. Denominational Christianity has just about driven me nuts. Jesus is the only thing that seems to cure that headache, so expect to hear about him. I love him and he's quite fond of me.

e) The Other Angle. I like to look at things from places most people don't. It makes me think and feel when I take some risks in thinking and writing. I will put on the atheist's shoes and I will take the side of the theological underdog even if I disagree with him. The game is to write so you will read, and for you to read so you will live differently. I'm up for it.

I'm an unapologetic fanboy of Steve Brown. His example has inspired me for years. What an honor to be associated with him and the other names of this blog venture. I promise I won't waste your time. You matter, and what we talk about here matters.

So until next time, thanks for reading.

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This entry was posted on Monday, February 11th, 2008 at 9:05 am and is filed under InternetMonk.com. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.