Breathless, Lily pauses and then warmly says, “Mary!” just as Jesus would have.
Columns
Read our regular columns on Faith Matters, Big Questions, Christian apologetics, Shiao Chong's monthly Editorial, the Discover page (especially for kids), the Vantage Point, the Other Six, and letters from Christian Reformed Church members and our readers. Our online-only columns are As I Was Saying and Behind the Banner.
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This Easter, there will be none of that. No large family gatherings around brightly decorated shared tables, no community egg hunts for excited young children, no overflowing churches filled with praise.
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Those involved in the dairy industry have lots to say on this topic, but their voices are often silenced in the discourse around sustainable farming.
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At the table, usually the emphasis was placed on the assurance of forgiveness of sins, but I often asked myself whether, through his Supper, our Lord also spoke to other burdens we might carry to the table.
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See how readers responded to recent Banner issues, articles, and columns.
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In this time of social isolation, of staying home and canceling gatherings, church has become the one dependable regular event in our family’s schedule.
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Here are some things I’ve noticed since COVID-19 was labeled a pandemic.
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In terms children can understand, how do you explain what it means to bless someone in the name of God?
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It is when crises in life happen that we face our unadorned self—the impoverished, isolated, insecure soul undefined by career success, honors, achievements, or approval.
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The COVID-19 coronavirus, declared a global pandemic on March 11, 2020, has affected everyone’s everyday lives.
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An eerie experience sparks curiosity
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The butterfly is a perfect example of how God uses change for good.
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While it’s overly simplistic to quickly quip, “You were created a human being, not a human doing,” it’s also imperative that somehow that message gets conveyed.
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The Spirit’s work in me is more often than not a slow series of micro-conversions.
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변화가 쉽거나 고통스럽지 않은 경우는 거의 없습니다. 그러나 저는 어느 쪽에도 절대로 나쁜 의도가 없었을 것이라고 확신합니다.
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Whereas trees held up by stakes and supports can potentially grow weaker, those that are left to “fend for themselves” against gentle and moderate winds grow stronger as their roots grow deeper.
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One of the underlying principles of Reformed polity is mutual accountability—that church members and leaders are accountable to each other
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As a child I loved to pull my parents’ wedding album from under the bookshelf that held the fiction. I would dust it off and page through, pausing at my favorites. My parents’ wedding color was red, matching the church’s Christmas trees decorated with white lights and red bows. Candles lined the aisle and everything glowed.
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It will take more time and money, but kingdom building was never going to be fast or cheap.
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The night I met the young street woman through whom God would open my eyes, the cold was especially penetrating.
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Even though this outbreak presents serious challenges to our faith and institutions, it is worth pointing out that this is not the first time Christians have encountered harmful contagious diseases.
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Recalling the story of Jesus’ birth in this season is fitting and good.
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See how readers responded to recent Banner issues, articles, and columns.
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When it comes to technology, why do people assume older folks like me don’t get it?