How does the Chinese church go about “being the church” in the face of significant government opposition in their country? What I want to do is present a very brief, decidedly un-scientific case study of the ways in which four different Chinese churches answer this question. I chose these four … ∞
It was 4:06 p.m. on a Tuesday afternoon when I got the call from Kevin. “There’s been a passing in my family, I don’t know if I can make it to the retreat anymore.” I was stunned. People I knew in his family came crossing through my mind. “Who passed?” … ∞
When we walk into our local library my kids race to the familiar shelves in the young readers section. They brush their fingers along the spines of the books, grabbing favorites as they go. I usually head in the opposite direction to browse my favorite aisle: Religion and Self-Help—which strikes … ∞
Troubled times or difficulties in life have been part of humanity since our creation, whether we personally are going through times of trouble, or know someone who is. We can conclude that they are not the best of times, or fun at all. During difficult times, it is in our … ∞
Studying systematic theology, apologetics, ethics, doctrine, etc. when done with the right mindset can be truly devotional and transformational. Although the practice itself is purely intellectual, this process of study can be approached from a spiritual direction. When we are studying theology, we are deepening our understanding of God. Theology … ∞
WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO CALVIN SEMINARY? HOW HAS GOD GUIDED YOUR JOURNEY HERE? I was actually first introduced to Calvin Seminary not because I was raised in the Christian Reformed Church, but mainly through the Facing Your Future (FYF) program, which has now been transformed into Dig: Uncover Your Future. … ∞
The sun rose early welcoming another beautiful day in the African countryside. The clouds saluted each other respectfully as they joined hands to embark on their daily sojourn across the vast and endless sky. The birds exchanged their morning greetings cheerfully as did the cows and goats on their way … ∞
During the reign of the communist government, there was severe Christian persecution in Ethiopia. We had our personal devotions in our own rooms and so were able to survive the communist anti-Christian pressure. Since its fall, there is comparative freedom to exercise faith on an individual or group basis, but … ∞
A few years ago a man named Frank wandered into our church for a hot cup of coffee. He had been drunk and sleeping on an old mattress behind the warehouse near our church. It was below-zero outside and Frank came in from the bitter cold. I know he had … ∞
In a workshop I attended a couple of years ago, the speaker asked his audience some questions about Christian leadership. After participants answered with a variety of interesting responses, the speaker offered his definition of a leader. Without entering into details, I found myself struggling with this speaker’s definition of … ∞
I am initially writing this article from Wittenberg, Germany, on a Reformation Tour with supporters of Calvin College and Seminary. I just walked (and almost tripped) over some of the same cobblestones where Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon walked. Would 1517 qualify as a difficult time for leading? I think … ∞
When our flight landed back in the States, Breanna and I were bombarded with the reality that the world had not stopped turning while we were in Fiji. In just two weeks being back stateside, the divisive events in Charlottesville rocked the news, and hurricane Harvey and Irma landed and … ∞
Last year I had no idea what CPE was; all I knew was that seminary people liked to throw around that three letter acronym. It wasn’t until I became very interested in pastoral care through Rev. Ron Nydam’s class that I began to look at what my options were for … ∞
I followed the others into the conference room with a tight knot in my stomach. This was the room at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services where the CPE students and supervisors would meet for twelve hours each week this summer. We would be learning by listening to lectures, sharing … ∞
When we think about “white flight” what do we imagine? Do we simply imagine white people leaving a community? Or do we consider dilapidated housing in segregated neighborhoods? Do we see the economic disparity created by the (primarily white) people who control the assets? White flight is a phenomenon which … ∞
