The upside of inflation
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The upside of inflation

Inflation has been a documented economic phenomenon since Ancient Rome, but it has not been much of a factor in the global economy over the last decade. Now, however, with Covid-induced labor shortages and “supply chain snarls,” along with loose monetary policy from central banks looking to prop up national economies, inflation has stepped back…

Canadian classes called to special meeting
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Canadian classes called to special meeting

For months now there has been a polite rumble among Canadian members of the Christian Reformed Church (CRC) about an obscure report called SALT. The Structure and Leadership Taskforce report (SALT), adopted by the CRCNA Council of Delegates (CofD) in May 2021, is on its way to Synod 2022. It is not headline news. It…

Food in small places
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Food in small places

I’m the proud owner of a small house. It was built in 1929 on a plot of land that was once an orchard, about a 10-minute walk from Victoria Park in the heart of Kitchener, Ontario. The architectural style is called “Germanic Cottage,” and it was designed by an architect named Edward Reitzel, whose blueprints…

A plumber and a discipler in India
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A plumber and a discipler in India

Ranchi, the bustling capital city of northeast India’s state of Jharkhand, is home to ReFrame Ministries’ on-the-ground partner ministry in India. When the ministry center there needed some plumbing work done, they called a plumber named Rajkumar, who lived in a small village about 15 miles away.  “People in Rajkumar’s village are quite poor and…

Cooperation among chaplains
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Cooperation among chaplains

As individuals specially trained to minister outside the structure of religious institutions, chaplains exemplify and inspire a more ecumenical world. Most chaplains provide ministry in a multi-faith context where they perform worship or sacred rituals for those of their own faith tradition as well as those of other faiths. Hospital and long-term care home chaplains…

Sticky metaphors and signature sermons
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Sticky metaphors and signature sermons

John P. Bowen, Emeritus Professor of Evangelism at Wycliffe College, Toronto, has given us a gift in his collection of sermons, essays, and reflections titled God is Always Bigger: Reflections by a Hopeful Critic. That was his goal as a theologian who is a self-described “collector type” – collectors must give away their collections to…