Flood Church responds to cyclone devastation in Malawi
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Flood Church responds to cyclone devastation in Malawi

Named the longest running cyclone in the southern hemisphere’s history, Cyclone Freddy made multiple landfalls in Africa over 34 days in February and March. Worst hit in southeastern Africa was the nation of Malawi, where the death toll has risen to over 1000 people. More than 560,000 Malawians are displaced from their homes due to…

The quiet arrival of the Kingdom
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The quiet arrival of the Kingdom

I didn’t grow up with itinerant preachers or tent revivals. I don’t belong to a charismatic tradition which regularly seeks outward manifestations of the work of the Spirit of God. So I am a bit mystified and, if I’m honest, cynical about the strange attraction of Christians with the revival at Asbury University in Kentucky…

An immigrant family camping adventure
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An immigrant family camping adventure

Author, outdoors activist and founder of @BrownPeopleCamping (brownpeoplecamping.com), Ambreen Tariq relates the fictional narrative of the Khazi family, Indian immigrants to the United States who go camping for the first time. The youngest child, Fatima, has had a hard week at school. Her classmates teased her about the food she ate for lunch and the…

My virtual hearth
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My virtual hearth

There was no possibility of meeting in person that day. The pandemic had brought with it risks so new, and an uncertainty so deep, that gathering the lectio divina group in the same room was now out of the question. A few minutes before 8:30 a.m., I settled my infant daughter and her toddler brother with their…

Is your Bible study biased?
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Is your Bible study biased?

This is a rigorous, concise and entertaining book for anyone interested in the history and function of Scripture, and how the current approach to study and interpretation of the Bible can be improved. Hahn and Wilker pull you into history to show how apparently old theological and political disputes are relevant to Biblical studies today….

Strays, orphans and exiles
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Strays, orphans and exiles

“What does being a church look like in the twenty-first century?” The Strays, Orphans, and Exiles podcast of Two Rivers Church based in Guelph, Ontario seeks to answer this question. They describe themselves as a diverse community of people, some “connected to church for many years,” others having left but “cautiously returning” and still others…

Fred Reinders (1930-2023)
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Fred Reinders (1930-2023)

Fred Reinders is a man whose work has blessed the lives of thousands of Christian Courier readers, and he did this by creating shelters for their study, work, worship and play. Philosopher Calvin Seerveld, who was born in the same year as Reinders, wrote that “God’s firm covenantal grip . . . has provided society…

Ponce de Leon and Me
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Ponce de Leon and Me

“Explore” comes from Latin, “to cry out.” It is the surprise and joy of discovery, the cry of Eureka! Being an explorer ties into my life metaphor of pilgrimage. Lately, I have been exploring Venice, Florida as I begin retirement. I’ve walked, biked and done a little boating. In Punta Gorda I discovered a statue…

Nothing is more important than stopping climate change
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Nothing is more important than stopping climate change

A pair of activists recently threw soup at a famous painting by Van Gogh. A week later, protesters threw mashed potatoes at a painting by Claude Monet. The reason for these actions? The protestors wanted to see if the protection of art is more vital than the protection of our climate. Whether you agree with…

The Fires of God’s Love
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The Fires of God’s Love

I get the text message in Brussels, while lying on the floor of the airport, my backpack serving as my pillow. I’m on my way to West Africa; soon I’ll board the last leg of my journey into Freetown, Sierra Leone. Aiden, my oldest son, has messaged me. It’s two in the morning back home…

It’s time to put the ‘art’ back in Christian art
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It’s time to put the ‘art’ back in Christian art

I was driving home from work flipping through radio stations when I stumbled upon Praise 106.5, the local Christian radio station here in B.C. Instead of flipping the channel off like I frequently do, I decided to give the station a chance. Much to my disappointment, my scepticism was justified as a boring pop-rock song…

An American virus infects Brazil
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An American virus infects Brazil

No, this is not about COVID or some other physical malady. It’s about how excessive political polarization is negatively affecting two of the world’s largest democracies in a way that threatens to erode their political institutions. The United States has one of the oldest functioning constitutional documents in the world dating back to 1787, when…