The heavy prison door slammed behind him. Suddenly the cold, clammy cell triggered feelings that frightened him.
Features
Ask almost any Christian Reformed person what he or she knows about the Canons of Dort or the Belgic Confession, and you’ll probabl
How to Be Catholic
Helping Calvinists recover from the notion that we’re “the one true church”It was an afternoon in the late 1970s, and I was attending a meeting of the Faith and Order Commission of the National Council of Churche
On the next few pages you will find the annual presentation of candidates for ministry in the Christian Reformed Church.
If you’ve ever recited the Athanasian Creed in a worship service, please send me an email to tell me about it!
Faith Amid the Fog
“Faith is being certain of what we do not see.”Faith can sometimes seem like the dirty little secret behind Christianity.
Shaping a Youth-Friendly Church
Taking cues from natural teen traitsIf you work with young people in the church, it’s almost guaranteed that someone will ask you for help or advice in reaching their
A Proverbs 31 Life
It's not just for women"Grace is deceitful and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth Jehovah, she shall be praised. Proverbs 31:30” (ASV).
Neal Plantinga once asked us to imagine a world in which theology was a cause for casual conversation, the way people might discuss the m
Every spring I get a call from Jeannette. I’ve never actually met her, but she phones me faithfully once a year.
Young and Undocumented
A Christian's experience of moving to the United States from MexicoJuan*, now 27, moved with his family to the United States from Mexico more than 13 years ago.
Many people make the honest mistake of referring to the most famous creed as the “Apostle’s Creed” (note the placement
Last April The Banner asked readers to tell us what your churches have been up to in caring for the environment—in keeping with God
When older folks get together, the conversation often drifts toward ailments, surgeries, and medications.
When to Stop Being a Christian
One really good reason to forget about our faithI was about 12 years old. I woke up on a Sunday morning, trying to process a dream from the night before.
Welcome to a brand-new column. Sorry, we’re not going to dish out juicy “tell-alls” here.
Life-giving Death
Hospice care helps people say “good” goodbyesI knock on Mary’s door with no more than a name on a chart. My hospice badge prompts her husband to let me inside.
Lavish Frugality
The secret to an abundant life“I wish he’d get rid of all that junk!” my mom often said of my dad when I was growing up.
Our Need for Beauty
How it connects us to God and each otherBeauty has increasingly become a stranger to many of us.
Have you ever listened to a broadcast of a NASA launch?
Which Disability is the most prevalent in North America: Down syndrome or spina bifida? Autism or cystic fibrosis? None of the above.
In a community as widespread and diverse as the 㽶Ƶ, reading a survey about its members can be a l
Be Perfect?
Does God really expect perfection from Us?Are you a perfectionist? Is your boss one? Perhaps you have a perfectionist parent or sibling?
How (Not) to Talk About God
What one church learned by practicing “Pub Theology”Every once in a while, it’s good to ask yourself, “When was the last time I had a real conversation with someone who doesn&rs