Morning Mike Check

Episode 123: Book Notes – Companions of Life – What We Must Unlearn

Clapham Institute — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 09:30:52 +0000

Our summary comes from an interview with Philip Jenkins in 2007 titled, “Companions of Life: What Must We learn, and Unlearn?” in Books and Culture (March/April 2007, Volume 13, No. 2, 18-20).

Episode 122: On Being Certain

Clapham Institute — Mon, 15 Jan 2024 09:22:20 +0000

Robert M. Burton, On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You’re Not (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2008)

Episode 121: Book Notes – Bad Religion

Clapham Institute — Mon, 18 Dec 2023 08:36:25 +0000

Today’s conversation is centered around Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics by Ross Douthat.

Episode 120: Book Notes – Back of the Napkin

Clapham Institute — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 09:42:13 +0000

Today’s conversation is centered around The Back of the Napkin (Expanded Edition): Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures by Dan Roam

Episode 119: Three Frames of Church History

Clapham Institute — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 08:41:56 +0000

Last week Mike mentioned that Christians think about church history primarily in three frames. In this week’s conversation, we discuss what those frames are and how they inform much of what Christians believe we ought to strive for in “reviving” the church.

Episode 118: Book Notes – Don’t Think of an Elephant

Clapham Institute — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 08:13:12 +0000

Today’s Notes come from Don’t Think of an Elephant!: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate–The Essential Guide for Progressives Paperback – September 1, 2004 by George Lakoff

Episode 117: Book Notes – Triumph of the Therapeutic

Clapham Institute — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 07:31:37 +0000

Mike and I are spending some time going through several books and bringing this content to the listener. These are books many probably won’t read but have value in understanding the times.

Episode 116: Tensions

Clapham Institute — Mon, 04 Sep 2023 07:45:43 +0000

Mike and I continue down the rabbit whole of attention, but from a different angle in this conversation. We actually start out discussing tensions and end up overlapping with our last conversation about attention. Tensions are helpful in pulling us beyond ourselves and what we pay attention to, has a certain effect on us.

Episode 115: Selective Attention

Clapham Institute — Mon, 21 Aug 2023 08:38:15 +0000

Today’s conversation is a great doorway into a deep rabbit hole. While Mike and I discuss a recent news article, the conversation touches on many of the ideas Mike has been writing about for years. In this conversation we talk about why it’s important to pay attention and be selective about what we pay attention to.

Episode 114: Building Community

Clapham Institute — Mon, 31 Jul 2023 07:57:51 +0000

Continuing the train of thought on the path forward, this conversation ventures into the notion of building community and how to do it as we begin to understand the times we are in.

Episode 113: A Path Forward

Clapham Institute — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 07:33:35 +0000

At times I find myself wondering, with all that Mike and I have talked about, what is our path forward. What do I do with my work, my family, my community to bring glory to God? In this conversation Mike provides an answer; one that is, in his usual fashion, quite provocative.

Episode 112: Contentment

Clapham Institute — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 07:47:40 +0000

This week Mike and I discuss contentment and what is has to do with godliness. Paul mentions in 1 Timothy 6 that godliness with contentment is great gain. What does that imply? Does the call to contentment mean we should accept our circumstances and stop looking to change them?

Episode 111: Poetry and Human Nature

Clapham Institute — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 07:05:59 +0000

Last week we ended our conversation on three great debates, the final debate regarding human nature. This week we pick up where we left off and talk about how this debate affects what is beautiful, good, and true.

Episode 110: Poetry

Clapham Institute — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 07:32:11 +0000

As Mike has been writing about poetry lately I thought it would be good to bring that into our conversations. In today’s conversation we talk about just that – poetry. We look at how it relates to human nature and widens our faith.

Episode 109: Feelings

Clapham Institute — Mon, 15 May 2023 07:42:01 +0000

In my spheres, I’ve picked up on this underlying notion of feelings being “valid”, “real”, and therefore “true”. Yet I have found myself qualifying my own statements with, “this might not be how I should be feeling, but I feel…” I was curious if this self suspicion had merit and related to some of the conversations Mike and I have had.

Episode 108: The Next Ascent

Clapham Institute — Mon, 08 May 2023 07:52:52 +0000

Mike recently wrote about making his next ascent. In this conversation, we look back at the meadows Mike has been through and the lessons he’s learning as he makes his ascent into the next meadow.

Episode 107: Artificial Intelligence

Clapham Institute — Mon, 01 May 2023 07:32:57 +0000

Mike and I talk about artificial intelligence, what its implications are, and what we ought to be mindful of moving forward.

Episode 106: Suffering Well

Clapham Institute — Mon, 27 Mar 2023 07:33:36 +0000

Does God call us to suffer? If so, how do we suffer well when He does? This is no easy question to answer, but as Mike and I stumble our way through it, the Martial Gospel offers hope.

Episode 105: The Good Life

Clapham Institute — Mon, 13 Mar 2023 08:33:00 +0000

Many have an end game, the end of the road, the “good life”. It’s what we pursue, and why we do the things we do. I was curious how Mike viewed the “good life” and how his view has changed over time. We spend time talking about his early days in college ministry, planting a church, discovering Augustine, and many more steps along the way.

Episode 104: Layoffs

Clapham Institute — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 08:33:42 +0000

You read about layoffs in the news a lot these days. The surprising headlines of course have been large tech companies many of us thought were insulated from economic challenges. We read what happened, but we often don’t know how it happened. How can companies manage layoffs while still respecting the dignity of the individual? How ought individuals respond when receiving a layoff notice? These are hard questions to answer. Naturally, that’s why I asked them to Mike.

Episode 103: Christmas in Babylon

Clapham Institute — Mon, 26 Dec 2022 08:41:52 +0000

What should we expect Christmas to look like in a culture that decreasingly celebrates its true meaning? Do believers today celebrate Christmas the way we ought to? Mike addresses these and several other questions related to what Christmas is like in Babylon.

Episode 102: Oneness

Clapham Institute — Mon, 12 Dec 2022 08:48:11 +0000

Jesus prayed that those who believed in him would be one. What does that mean and how do we reconcile that with our multitude of denominations and expressions of the faith?

Episode 101: Advent

Clapham Institute — Mon, 05 Dec 2022 08:15:38 +0000

Many churches celebrate Advent around the world but how many Christians know why we do? What can we do to bring this season to life for our children so they learn to engage in it early? In today’s conversation Mike, as always, steps back to shed light on the “why” behind Advent and offers helpful advice for how to celebrate this season well.

Episode 100: What To Do About Polarized Government

Clapham Institute — Mon, 14 Nov 2022 08:13:29 +0000

Recently I stumbled upon an article noting the rise in state government trifectas over the past some fifty years. My heart broke, thinking about the continued trend of even more heightened, modern polarization. In this episode, I seek Mike’s advice on what can be done to steer us towards a healthier political atmosphere.

Books mentioned in this episode:

Perelandra – C.S. Lewis
Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter – Michael White & Tom Corcoran

Episode 99: Starting an Ambidextrous Business

Clapham Institute — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 07:46:12 +0000

Ambidextrous organizations think and operate using both right and left hemispheres. You can find a good little video on establishing an ambidextrous infrastructure at https://claphaminstitute.org/businesses-with-an-ambidextrous-infrastructure. While the context of the conversation for this infrastructure is often bringing it into existing businesses, I wanted to get Mike’s advice on how to start a business with this infrastructure.

Books mentioned in this episode:

Thinking, Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman
Joy at Work – Dennis Bakke
The Management Myth: Debunking Modern Business Philosophy – Matthew Stewart

Episode 98: Choosing a Good Education

Clapham Institute — Sun, 09 Oct 2022 07:40:27 +0000

As our kids grow up, how do we give them a strong start in gaining cultural capital? Are private schools better suited for this than public schools? In our conversation, Mike talks about the history of public education, its flaws and advantages.

Books mentioned in this episode:

Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work – Matthew Crawford

Episode 97: Fairness

Clapham Institute — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 07:30:02 +0000

That’s not fair! I’m reminded of my time as a kid thinking this way, yet admittedly it’s not only a childhood expression. What is fairness and why is it often an unhelpful way to approach the world? This is the question I pose to Mike in today’s episode.

Books mentioned in this episode:

Joy at Work – Dennis Bakke
The Management Myth: Why the Experts Keep Getting it Wrong – Matthew Stewart

Episode 96: Student Loans and a Left-Brained World

Clapham Institute — Mon, 05 Sep 2022 10:38:28 +0000

Today’s episode coincides with Mike’s column today. What does a left-brained society have to do with student loans? Mike offers some perspective.

Books mentioned in this episode:

Other People’s Money: The Real Business of Finance – John Kay

Episode 95: Insecurity – Part 2

Clapham Institute — Mon, 29 Aug 2022 07:30:27 +0000

This is a followup episode to our first conversation on insecurity. Mike and I talk about insecurities and flaws, how solitude can help overcome insecurities, how insecurities are shaped in people and what communal/cultural practices might help avoid that.

Episode 94: Insecurity – Part 1

Clapham Institute — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 07:43:21 +0000

In today’s conversation, Mike and I discuss insecurity. We end up turning to the Psalms and discover that insecurity has a deep connection to idolatry.

Episode 93: A Refresher in Cultural Capital – Part 4

Clapham Institute — Mon, 11 Jul 2022 07:10:19 +0000

Taking cultural capital seriously changed the trajectory of my life and helped me discover a new frame in which I can live out my faith. I thought it might be helpful for Mike and I to revisit this idea, for our audience as well as for me personally. This is a complex topic with many layers. Mike and I will be pulling those layers apart over the next few weeks.

This is the final part in our series and I spent some time recapping my experience following Mike down this rabbit hole of cultural capital. This episode became a good example of what Mike calls “scripting”. As I tease out my experience, Mike picked up on a specific word choice I used and we spent time unpacking the non-conscious influences shaping that word choice. It’s an example of the regular conversations Mike and I enjoy.

Books mentioned in this episode:

Joy at Work: A Revolutionary Approach To Fun on the Job – Dennis W. Bakke

The Metaphysical Club: A Story of Ideas in America – Louis Menand

The Master and His Emissary – Iain McGilchrist

Episode 92: A Refresher in Cultural Capital – Part 3

Clapham Institute — Mon, 04 Jul 2022 07:04:51 +0000

During part 3 of this series, Mike and I spend some time noting a few examples of individuals who have taken cultural capital seriously.

Books mentioned in this episode:

The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind – Mark A. Noll

Episode 91: A Refresher in Cultural Capital – Part 2

Clapham Institute — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 08:58:54 +0000

In part 2 of this series, we continue to drift this topic, hitting on how daunting of a task it can feel when you start to take cultural capital seriously and how it is not about “reclaiming America” or fighting culture wars.

Books mentioned in this episode:

Network Power: The Science of Making a Difference – David John Seel Jr
After the Ball: How America Will Conquer Its Fear and Hatred of Gays in the 90’s – Marshall Kirk
The Spirit of the Disciplines – Dallas Willard
The Master and His Emissary – Iain McGilchrist

Episode 90: A Refresher in Cultural Capital – Part 1

Clapham Institute — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 07:50:33 +0000

Episode 89: False Narrative

Clapham Institute — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 07:27:12 +0000

I’ve heard the phrase “false narrative” a few times now and it’s stood out to me for some reason. I pick Mike’s brain on why. Is “false witness” a better phrasing?

Books Mentioned in This Episode:

Bearing False Witness: Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History – Rodney Stark

Episode 88: Roe v. Wade

Clapham Institute — Mon, 09 May 2022 07:42:26 +0000

With the recent Roe v. Wade leak, my question to Mike is simple. How do we make sense of or read the times?

Books Mentioned in This Episode:

The Master & His Emissary – Iain McGilchrist

Episode 87: Video Games

Clapham Institute — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 07:37:03 +0000

Many of us loved playing video games as a kid. Now that we’ve all grown up, we still play. A lot. In this episode Mike and I talk about video games and the significant use of them common among grown men today.

Books Mentioned in This Episode:

Amusing Ourselves to Death – Neil Postman
The Master & His Emissary – Iain McGilchrist
Personal Knowledge: Towards a post-critical philosophy – Michael Polanyi

Episode 86: Divorce

Clapham Institute — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 11:04:15 +0000

Divorce feels more common among my personal relationships as I see friends or friends of friends begin to contemplate its possibility in their lives. My question to Mike was simply, “how do I help”. In this episode Mike and I talk about divorce, marriage, and what it all has to do with the marital gospel.

Books Mentioned in This Episode:

Uncoupling: Turning Points in Intimate Relationships – Diane Vaughan
Our Body’s Tell God’s Story – Christopher West

Episode 85: Fasting

Clapham Institute — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 07:45:42 +0000

In light of the Lenten season, Mike and I talk about fasting. We discuss topics like why and how should we fast as well as fasting’s connection to silence and solitude.

Episode 84: Ukraine

Clapham Institute — Mon, 07 Mar 2022 08:34:22 +0000

There’s a lot to comprehend with the invasion of Ukraine. What’s the motivation behind it, what are the global politics involved in it, how do we respond to it as a nation and as individuals. In this episode, Mike tackle’s some of those questions and sheds light on how we could respond as believers.

Mentioned in this episode:

That Hideous Strength – C.S. Lewis
The Liberation Trilogy – Rick Atkinson

Episode 83: Raising Children

Clapham Institute — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 08:36:54 +0000

In this episode, Mike and I discuss raising children. Mike shares some examples about how he was raised, how he raised his children, and why embodying the faith is so important.

Mentioned in this episode:

Sugar – Elizabeth Abbott

A River Runs Through It – Norman Maclean

The Limits of Empathy – David Brooks

Episode 82: Homes & Neighborhoods

Clapham Institute — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 08:26:20 +0000

Work today is increasingly remote. What has long been core to where we live is fading away for many and our options for where to live have increased significantly. In this episode, I ask Mike’s take on where one ought to live. How do we make that decision in today’s remote world and what wisdom may help guide it?

Episode 81: The Great Resignation Part 2

Clapham Institute — Mon, 10 Jan 2022 08:18:52 +0000

During our last conversation Mike and I talked about the Great Resignation from the perspective of the employee or the individual contributor. In this conversation we shift to the employer or manager perspective and talk about how to better retain people.

Episode 80: The Great Resignation

Clapham Institute — Mon, 27 Dec 2021 11:29:32 +0000

The Great Resignation has been reported on by a number of sources and marks a unique trend today with many leaving their place of employment, often for another, seemingly better, place to work. Mike and I discuss meaning, monetization, and how this may be an indication of where believers ought to be salt and light.

Books mentioned in this episode:

The Search for God and Guinness – Stephen Mansfield
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism – Max Weber
The Master & His Emissary – Iain McGilchrist
Other People’s Money: The Real Business of Finance – John Kay

Episode 79: Cloud of Unknowing

Clapham Institute — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 11:40:28 +0000

In this episode, Mike and I discuss the Cloud of Unknowing and how it leads to humility but doesn’t dissuade confidence.

Books Mentioned:

The Lost History of Christianity: The Thousand-Year Golden Age of the Church in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia–and How It Died – Philip Jenkins
The Discarded Image – C.S. Lewis

Episode 78: Seduction?

Clapham Institute — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 08:36:54 +0000

Mike and I go down the rabbit hole a bit in this episode, discussing the Marital Gospel and how marriage can point us to something higher. We talk about why we long for our spouses and hope for that longing to be returned as well as how that can be distorted into seduction and lust.

Episode 77: Thanksgiving & Advent

Clapham Institute — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 08:07:26 +0000

How do we see Christmas as we ought? How do I help guide my own children to do this? Mike and I talk about Thanksgiving as a preparation for Advent, the importance of spiritual disciplines during the season of Advent, and how gratitude can be embodied.

Episode 76: Meta

Clapham Institute — Sun, 31 Oct 2021 10:51:00 +0000

The metaverse has arrived! Join today! In this episode, Mike and I talk about Facebook’s rebranding, what’s behind the word “meta” and why we should be wise in our use of technology today.

Books mentioned in this episode:

A Secular Age – Charles Taylor
The Discarded Image – C.S. Lewis
The Metaphysical Club: A Story of Ideas in America – Louis Menand
Perelandra – C.S. Lewis

Episode 75: Enjoying the Holidays

Clapham Institute — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 07:53:41 +0000

Thanksgivings, Christmas parties, get togethers, gifts, expectations. It’s easy to get lost in the shuffle during the holidays. How do we enjoy them instead? During this episode Mike and I talk about relationships, friendships, love, boundaries, and what it means to prepare for the upcoming holy-days.

Books mentioned in this episode:

The Spirit of the Disciplines – Dallas Willard
That Hideous Strength – C.S. Lewis

Episode 74: Filling My Tank

Clapham Institute — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 10:18:34 +0000

Out of patience? Needing to fill your tank? Running on empty? These are all common phrases I hear and find myself using. Recently it dawned on me that something is off with this frame. I wanted to hear Mike’s take on it. In this episode we talk about what this frame misses and what might we imagine to replace it.

Books mentioned in this episode:

The Screwtape Letters – C.S Lewis
The Spirit of the Disciplines – Dallas Willard

Episode 73: Solve Problems and Manage Conditions

Clapham Institute — Mon, 04 Oct 2021 08:00:09 +0000

I took an opportunity to do some live scripting with Mike during this episode in order to prepare for an upcoming meeting where I would like to establish confidence with my leadership. This is unrehearsed and may be helpful to listeners to experience a bit of what it’s like to script out a conversation ahead of time with Mike.

Books mentioned in this episode:

American Icon – Alan Mulally
Proper Confidence – Lesslie Newbigin

Episode 72: Stress

Clapham Institute — Sun, 19 Sep 2021 07:45:12 +0000

I grew up learning there was good stress and there was bad stress. Life’s recipe calls for a bit of both but that imagery, when coupled with things like “work/life balance”, isn’t the most helpful frame to live life by. Today we find ourselves often discussing our increased levels of anxiety. Why is that so common, particularly in the church and what can we do about it? In this episode Mike sheds light on a different frame and how a better path forward is an embodied one.

Books mentioned in this episode:

Coddling of the American Mind – Jonathan Haidt, Greg Lukianoff

Episode 71: Sadness

Clapham Institute — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 07:41:21 +0000

Sadness seems to be something we attempt to escape today. As I’ve spent time with Mike, I’ve questioned whether or not we ought to escape it. In this episode Mike and I discuss how opening our bodies to sadness is actually rooted in our faith tradition.

Books mentioned in this episode:

A Good Man is Hard to Find – Flannery O’Connor
The Master and His Emissary – Iain McGilchrist
Reading Lolita in Tehran – Azar Nafisi
The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini

Episode 70: Triggered

Clapham Institute — Mon, 09 Aug 2021 07:41:15 +0000

You may find yourself noticing trigger warnings these days. Mike helps connect the dots on the relationship between “being triggered” and conscience and how we ought to be mindful of the idols we’re likely blind to.

Books mentioned in this episode:

Idols for destruction – Herbert Schlossberg

Episode 69: Suspicion of Authority

Clapham Institute — Mon, 02 Aug 2021 07:33:04 +0000

There are many out there who are suspicious of the COVID-19 vaccine but this connects to a much larger trend: the overarching suspicion of authority. In this episode, Mike sheds some light on why this suspicion exists and how it’s only a recent manifestation of a much older characteristic of western civilization.

Books mentioned in this episode:

A Great and Godly Adventure – Godfrey Hodgson
The Metaphysical Club: A Story of Ideas in America – Louis Menand
The Free World: Art and Thought in the Cold War – Louis Menand
Slouching Towards Bethlehem – Joan Didion

Episode 68 – Overflow vs Output

Clapham Institute — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 08:35:55 +0000

I used to view my faith as an overflowing bucket with the point being to go to places and let my faith spill over. More recently I’ve realized the image in my head is more of a sponge, absorbing the pain and suffering around me. Mike provides some good feedback on this take and its connection to spiritual formation, knowledge, and discipleship.

Books mentioned in this episode:

The Master and His Emissary – Iain McGilchrist
Our Bodies Tell God’s Story – Christopher West

Episode 67: Unions & Empowering a Workforce

Clapham Institute — Sun, 04 Jul 2021 10:33:26 +0000

Once unheard of, unionization has become a novel trend in the tech world. On this episode, Mike and I discuss some of the history of unions, how “returning authority” is a truer naming than “empowerment”, and how one might go about institutionalizing a return of authority.

Episode 66: For the Grandkids

Clapham Institute — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 05:51:14 +0000

Mike’s mentioned a few times now, he’s doing this all for his grandchildren. In this episode we talk about why and what he hopes for them as they grow up in the faith.

Books Mentioned In This Episode:

The Strange Death of Europe – Douglas Murray
The Madness of Crowds – Douglas Murray

Episode 65: Good Bones

Clapham Institute — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 07:42:08 +0000

If you haven’t read Mike’s post on good bones, you may want to start there. In this conversation we go a bit deeper into Mike’s faith background, what makes for good bones in a church, and what we ought to put our hope in moving forward.

Books Mentioned In This Episode:

A Secular Age – Charles Taylor

Episode 64: Dying Mission Statements & Values

Clapham Institute — Mon, 14 Jun 2021 07:34:33 +0000

In a previous conversation, Mike said once you codify a mission statement, it dies. In this episode I ask what he meant by this and how we ought to make sense of corporate mission statements and values.

Books Mentioned In This Episode:

On Reading Well – Karen Swallow Prior