Exploring baptism through stories
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Exploring baptism through stories

As the pastor of Granite Springs Church in California, Kevin Adams engaged in a yearlong study of baptism with the members of his church community. Much of what they discovered is included in Adams’ compelling narrative in which he invites readers to enter into the mystery of the sacrament: “Baptism tells us we are beloved….

New graphic novel tackles the horror and heroism of WWII
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New graphic novel tackles the horror and heroism of WWII

In this fictional, historically-based graphic novel for juvenile readers, author R. J. Palacio fleshes out the background of characters she first introduced in her previous works, Wonder and Auggie & Me, especially that of Julian and his ancestors.  Julian is assigned a project to write an essay about someone he knows for his humanities class. He facetimes with…

Love in the midst of tragedy
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Love in the midst of tragedy

The parents of 16-year-old Miriam have no income. She enters a relationship with an older man so she will be provided for. She becomes pregnant, but her relationship has given her more than daily provision. It has also given her HIV/AIDs. In order to not pass the virus onto her child, she does not nurse…

Glimpsing God’s astounding creativity
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Glimpsing God’s astounding creativity

Self-taught British illustrator Jean Claude brings to life Cecil Frances Alexander’s well-known hymn, “All Things Bright and Beautiful,” which was first published in Hymns for Little Children in 1848. An acclaimed poet and writer of hymns, Alexander also wrote “Once in Royal David’s City” and “There is a Green Hill Far Away.” Jean Claude’s detailed,…

Frontier romance, spiritual thriller and end-times horror
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Frontier romance, spiritual thriller and end-times horror

Over the last several years, many people have questioned the definition of “evangelical.” The term has many meanings. It’s caused heated conversations. It’s a highly controversial yet pertinent topic. And because it has to do with identity, it’s a question worth discussing. In the middle of these conversations comes Daniel Silliman’s Reading Evangelicals: How Christian…

More than mere play
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More than mere play

Take a moment to remember the last time you shared a game with someone, such as Monopoly, Scrabble, or Poker. It could be a recent rousing game with a child or spouse. Or maybe it’s the actual last time you played with someone who has since died – a cherished grandparent or friend. Perhaps you…

Kids Speak Up, Step Out, Dig In, and March On!
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Kids Speak Up, Step Out, Dig In, and March On!

Young Jayden loves nature and sees it everywhere in the large city where he lives. Squirrels scrounging for nuts, cardinals calling from the trees, and the beauty of fluffy snowflakes falling from the sky bring joy to the boy’s heart. When his mother makes him stay inside after school, he tries to convince her that…

Preaching the love and welcome of God
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Preaching the love and welcome of God

By my early 20s, I had developed a spiritual disorder for which I don’t have a name. It consisted in the ability to wring from any biblical text the worst possible news, even when this meant adopting theological positions that I wasn’t wholly convinced of, or that contradicted each other. Be ye perfect, as I…

Are we actually doomed?
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Are we actually doomed?

Vaclav Smil is a Czech-Canadian scientist and policy analyst. He is Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Faculty of Environment at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The title of his most recent book may be a little misleading. The book is not primarily for ignoramuses like me who wish to understand how our modern…

Savoury reads
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Savoury reads

Where to start with the foods I’ve enjoyed eating over past weeks? There was pan-seared (Alaskan) halibut with pesto pasta and roasted cherry tomatoes. Bircher muesli for breakfast with fresh blueberries. Moose Tracks ice cream (thank you, Kawartha Dairies!). Fresh scones with butter and a warm cup of coffee. Thinking of this wonderful food only…

The beauty of betterment
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The beauty of betterment

What does it mean to be “good?” Michael Schur, an established television writer and producer (The Good Place, The Office, Parks and Rec), is fascinated by humanity’s many answers to this question. How to be Perfect is his unconventional and conversational moral philosophy primer. With cheeky wit and gracious, self-aware insight, Schur ponders the theories…

So that all can come to God
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So that all can come to God

Intrigued by the description of Rohadi Nagassar’s book When We Belong: Reclaiming Christianity on the Margins, I read the book eager to learn more about enfolding those on the margins into the church. For ten years I was a chaplain and pastor to people on the margins of our society: those who live in Long…