February 2023
Download a full pdf of this issue below or find links to every feature, news, column, review, and Our Shared Ministry article included in this edition. Not the date you wanted? Find issues back to January 2016 here or use the search function at the top to find articles going back to 2005. To find something even older, The Banner archives are maintained at Calvin College's Hekman Library.
Features
Meaning in the Margins
Reflections on Ash Wednesday and Easter SundayREAD MOREChrist descended into the margins, became dust, and died for us.
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If sensuality was an obstacle in 2006, it’s a crisis now. And not just for men. This also is an issue for women.
News
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About half of the congregants of The Loving Church in Tucson, Ariz., live without permanent homes. On Nov. 13 the church celebrated 10 years of ministry and inducted its pastor, a recent graduate of the Christian Reformed Church’s Korean Institute in Ministry program.
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Cindy Verbeek, a Christian Reformed deacon in British Columbia, is project manager for an A Rocha nature center renovation that received a $105,000 grant.
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CRC members Jenny McAlister and Jerry Bouma were presented with Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee medals.
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Learning from people who are engaged in prayer and leading prayer circles throughout the Christian Reformed Church, denominational prayer shepherd Jon Hoekema wants to encourage cultures of prayer.
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Bert Adema, executive director of Indigenous Christian Fellowship in Regina, Sask., received a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal.
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Brothers Alex and Derek Koops, members of Faith Christian Reformed Church in Sioux Center, Iowa, were publicly acclaimed as "Domino Masters" in 2022.
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A Michigan congregation raised $83,000 in three months in order to supply a modular home for a family in need and drill a well with Kenya Hope.
In Memoriam: Rev. John Calvin Rickers
1926-2022READ MOREA ‘kind and humble pastor with a servant heart and a deep love for Jesus and for people,’ John Rickers died Dec. 1, at age 96.
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“When I first started coming to the camps, they thought I was an undercover cop. … When I kept coming, they thought I might be an undercover social worker. … When I took a couple people to church, they realized I was a pastor.”
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A report looking at the religious makeup of the new U.S. Congress finds it predominantly Christian. Among those senators and representatives are Christian Reformed members from Michigan and Iowa.
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A death by suicide of a fourth-year Redeemer University student who identified as queer has spurred advocacy from friends and community and “fast-tracking” of mental health initiatives from the Ancaster, Ont., Christian school.
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A former gas station turned community hub, The Garage seeks to be “a beacon of joy, hope, and recovery for our neighbors” near Terrace (B.C.) Christian Reformed Church.
Columns
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Sometimes we find it easy to overlook God.
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It’s a good thing that when God created heat, he also created rules for heat to follow.
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No one can simply write a letter to synod unless they have standing to do so and have followed the prescribed procedures for submitting material for synod’s agenda.
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I have loved animals my whole life, so working in an animal hospital seemed like an obvious choice for a career.
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I know big technology companies keep track of our every move online, but what about privacy among family members and friends online?
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Reformed Christians need to look more deeply at these texts in particular and at Scripture as a whole.
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Get some of our top picks for reading, watching, and listening in February 2023.
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My Bible and I were searched for illegal substances and subsequently released when nothing was found.
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See how readers responded to recent Banner issues, articles, and columns.
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Singing together is an essential activity when we gather for worship, lifting the spirit and nourishing the soul. But sometimes the sacred shows up elsewhere.
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What I’m describing is a moment I never could see coming.
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We have shared this story over the years, labeling it as the most curious gift ever sent to missionaries.
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Through the decades, I have had to unlearn what was taught to me that night.
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Reggie Smith critiques a documentary examining the craft and power of African American films released in the landmark era of the 1970s.
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Many think Jesus’ cleansing of the temple was a display of harsh anger and violence. However, Mark’s account shows otherwise.
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Assuming God did predestine only a select few to be saved, why would he bother creating people he did not elect for salvation?
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Muchos piensan que la purificación del templo por parte de Jesús fue una muestra de ira y violencia. Sin embargo, el relato de Marcos demuestra lo contrario.
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많은 사람들이 예수님의 성전 정화 사건이 예수님의 거친 분노와 폭력을 보여주는 일례라고 생각합니다. 그러나 마가의 기록은 그렇지 않음을 알려줍니다.
Our Shared Ministry
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There are diverse ways to worship and walk with God.
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A version of founder’s syndrome lies behind our reluctance to invest in emerging leaders.
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A group of 37 people representing congregations from California, Iowa, New Mexico, and parts of Canada traveled Oct. 19-25, 2022, to the southern United States to explore racial reconciliation
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Jesus prepared leaders to take over ministry after his ascension.
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Manoj and his family were some of the only Christians in their village in India.
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Canadians preparing for ministry through Calvin Theological Seminary no longer face the decades-long hurdle of the exchange rate between the U.S. and Canadian dollar.
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Una versión del síndrome del fundador está detrás de nuestra renuencia a invertir en líderes emergentes.
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신흥 리더에게 투자를 꺼리는 심리 배후에는 설립자 증후군이 깔려 있습니다.
