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What If I Can’t Explain God?

Jennifer Grant’s thoughtful and playfully philosophical new children’s book opens with an illustration of a young girl in pigtails stretched out on a brightly flowering field. She looks curious and perplexed—but not necessarily unhappy. “God is hard to explain,” she matter-of-factly tells the reader

Music and Meaning with Charlie Peacock Podcast

Folks who read the liner notes of albums back in the 1990s saw the name Charlie Peacock show up quite often. Not only is he a singer-songwriter, but he was the co-writer and producer of Amy Grant’s smash hit “Every Heartbeat,” helping her to cross over to the mainstream and have a No. 2 hit on pop r

Reimagining Church: Embrace Small

Editor’s note: This article is the first in a three-part series on the missional church based on their book, Joining Jesus, by Moses Chung and Chris Meehan.At a conference several months ago, I (Moses) met pastor Andrew Yi and Sunna, his wife. They invited me to preach at an anniversary celebration

Is It Wrong to Continue Asking God for Something Over and Over Again?

Is it wrong to continue asking God for something over and over again? Is it a sign that the answer is “no” if you haven’t yet received it?There are many reasons why we might continue to ask God for the same things. First, we have ongoing needs. Every day we wake in the world as vulnerable creatures

Reply All: April 2024

To send letters to the editor, please see our guidelines at thebanner.org/letters.The Good Samaritan“Love and do what you want.” That’s from St. Augustine and shows the need for context. Clearly Augustine has in mind the answer given in Luke to the legalistic inquirer. A careful reading of the Good

Sit in the Sun and Other Lessons in the Spiritual Wisdom of Cats

The new book by the prolific Jon M. Sweeney is the cat’s meow. Really.Sweeney, known for studious explorations of St. Francis, has applied his intelligent noticing to the delectable world of cats. So what might my cat Livvie teach me about spirituality? Quite a lot, says Sweeney.Thoughtful lessons f

Origin

There are certain films that have changed the way Americans see themselves by addressing knotty issues about the history of this country. Films can bypass our defenses and bring us to places of awareness, such as To Kill a Mockingbird, Philadelphia, Glory, and Saving Private Ryan. These films prompt

Journey With Jesus: an Easter Story

Author Ann Ingalls’ rhyming verse and illustrator Steliyana Doneva’s energetic artwork meld to capture the emotions and passion of the first Holy Week: the crowds greeting Jesus on Palm Sunday, the Last Supper, Jesus washing the disciples’ feet, Judas’s betrayal, Jesus’ arrest in the Garden of Geths

Sharing Light, Power With Ukraine

As part of its mission emphasis week this year, First Christian Reformed Church in Orange City, Iowa, felt the call to help the people of Ukraine and give light to communities experiencing displacement and power disruption. The congregation teamed up with Dave Nonnemacher, president of New Horizons

For Infertile Couples, the Fate of Frozen Embryos is Deeply Personal

The Banner has a subscription to republish articles from Religion News Service. This story by Bob Smietana was published on religionnews.com March 6, 2024. It has been edited for length, Banner style, and to include a paragraph on the Christian Reformed Church’s teaching on life issues.When Ericka A

Called to Be a Friend

As I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily reflect the views of The Banner.During adoles

Walking by Faith: Planting Churches with Haitians

Si Dye vle.In Haitian Creole, it means “if God wills.”“I’ve learned that Haitians embody this attitude that you don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow,” explained Johnny Gryglewicz, a missionary with Resonate Global Mission. “If you’re saying goodbye to someone with plans to see them the next da

Having Your Say

Once a year, members of the Christian Reformed Church in North America are asked to respond to the denomination's annual survey covering things from giving and diaconal work to prayer and spiritual disciplines. A different set of congregations, representing 20% of the denomination, are asked to part

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store

In 1972, construction workers at a new housing development in Pottstown, Penn., discover a human skeleton, raising questions for law enforcement—to whom did the skeleton belong and why was it buried where it was found? When the police investigate, they question an elderly Jewish man named Malachi wh

Leave the World Behind

Consider yourself warned. The film Leave the World Behind will disturb you.“Think you that you are to go on/Forever pampered and untried?”This question in the 1916 poem “Cassandra,” meant to needle Americans, has haunted me since the day Mrs. Quinn taught it in English class. And now the Netflix fil

Monologue vs. Dialogue

It was Darrel Johnson, preaching professor at the seminary of Regent College, who modeled it. He would preach a sermon in class, then ask us students what we thought about it. At the beginning of the semester, we were all hesitant to speak up. After all, Johnson was quite well known for his preachin

Unity in Lego

As I sat cross-legged on the living room floor with a vibrant array of Lego bricks spread out before me, I felt a surge of joy at the prospect of building something special with my son. The colorful bricks scattered around us seemed to hold endless possibilities, and as we started piecing them toget

What Do I Do Now That I Have a Job I Didn’t Plan On?

It can be upsetting when you realize that your life doesn’t look the way you expected it to. When that happens, it is good to lament that you’re not using the gifts that God has given you in the ways you’d hoped. It is also good to remember that many people are disappointed by their jobs. Immigrants

Gracism

Building on 1 Corinthians 12:23, “The parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor,” David Anderson presents a Scripture-filled model for anti-racism in his 2010 book of the same title. This expanded volume continues the same conversation, and the concept of “gracism" still sou

Can I Borrow a Cup of Hope? How to Find Faith for Hard Times in 1 Peter

In her devotional book written for a female audience, author Amy Lively deals head-on with the difficulties Christians encounter by vulnerably sharing her own “The End of the World as We Know It” (TEOTWAWKI) experiences and narrating those of several other women. She asserts, “Following Jesus doesn’