The news has just been received that last night Michael Spencer, the InternetMonk, passed away surrounded by his family.
I never had the opportunity to meet Michael face to face, I “met” him online at his blog about a year and a half ago. I quickly warmed to his blog and to his breadth of vision. He was a Baptist pastor, who read the Reformers, the Baptist Fathers, the Early Church Fathers, the Medieval Church Fathers, the Eastern Fathers . . . . Well, you get the idea.
Broadly quoted in both the national media and the “religious” media, he had the 12th most read Christian blog in the nation. He could be as prophetic as an Old Testament prophet, warning American Christians of coming downfalls, as rigorous in his theology as any Church Father, yet as loving as the father who waited patiently for the prodigal son. Because of his depth he drew bloggers to his posts like pollen draws bees. And, it was pollen that he gave out, because many people went to his blog to see what was going on, but when they left, they often unwittingly took something that he had said with them.
He shared his struggles openly, particularly when his wife became a Roman Catholic. Yet, even his struggles served to teach us something more about the grace of God or about the Scriptures or about our worldview.
In my case, he ended up liking my comments enough that he recommended this blog to his audience, something unheard of for a Baptist pastor to do for an Orthodox priest. More than that, he drew me in to his Liturgical Gangstas, a feature in which he posed questions to pastors from a liturgical background so that his audience could read our interpretation of Scripture and history as well. The critiques that I received on some of my posts at that site helped pushed to dip even deeper into the Church Fathers to see what they truly said, and not simply what I had been taught they said. I have ended up even more firmly Orthodox, thanks to those who pushed me to read and inwardly digest.
Evangelicalism has lost a great man. May God give rest to his soul. May God raise up more men like Michael in this modern America that is so in need of voices like his.
Amen.
I’d been following (and commenting on, and getting in arguments with) IMonk for close to five years.
He was one of those guys in the Christian blogosphere who had his head screwed on straight. Too many Christians both on and off the net remind me of Art Bell’s open phone lines.
Quite true, what you said. I will miss him through his writing very much.
Thanks for the tribute, Father. Michael challenged a lot of us.
And thank YOU for your part, Father Ernesto, in making it so interesting to continue following Michael’s blog. I always enjoyed your comments and the Liturgical Gangstas’ posts were both educational and entertaining.
Amen to that. I actually started reading your blog because of the Liturgical Gangsters. He truly was an amazing man in Evangelicalism who will be missed.
As sorrowful as this all is, I’m glad he got to celebrate the Resurrection with all of us here.
May Michael’s memory be eternal. His soul shall dwell with the blessed.
Fr. Ernesto,
Thank you for the words about Michael. I “met” you through him, and your insights whether from a strictly EO standpoint or not has helped me understand people of other traditions a bit better. You’ll continue on my blogroll for sure.
Thank you for sharing this, I did not know.
Memory Eternal.