Your Kingdom Come

Your Kingdom Come: Tear Another Strip Off Me, by Lisa Smouter, chalk pastel, original size is 16×20, prints available.

Many of us will recognize such a familiar phrase as “Your Kingdom Come” from the Lord’s Prayer, and I am thankful it is that – a prayer – because asking God to do it is much easier than trying to achieve it myself. I have recently discovered just how deeply personal this petition is, how the Kingdom of God exists right inside of each Christian, transforming fragile paper-like creations into strong, beautiful new ones as we grow in love and knowledge of God.

Sometimes growth and transformation is painful, like when you learn an unexpected life lesson that exposes how not-nice you really are. Not-nice is an understatement, the more you compare it to how we’re designed to be . . . how we will be, one day, living in a New City made of pearls and jewels and precious stones.

  • Lisa Smouter (n. Vanderwoude) is an artist working in Hamilton, Ont. and an alumnus of Redeemer University College (‘06). She has mastered various mediums including oil and acrylic, and typically works in a realistic style. Lately her work has expressed theological and philosophical themes that connect Christian confessions with life and motherhood.

You just read something for free.

But it didn’t appear out of thin air. Writers, editors and designers at Christian Courier worked behind the scenes to bring hope-filled, faith-based journalism to you.

As an independent publication, we simply cannot produce award-winning, Christ-centred material without support from readers like you. And we are truly grateful for any amount you can give!

CC is a registered charity, which is good news for you! Every contribution ($10+) is tax-deductible.

Give Now

Similar Posts

Indwell’s ‘Knowable’ Communities
|

Indwell’s ‘Knowable’ Communities

Indwell is dedicated to helping people in Ontario with disabilities – including those with mental health diagnoses and/or addictions – by creating affordable housing communities that promote, according to its mission statement, “health, wellness and belonging.” Their “knowable” communities are deliberately small, with 40-60 apartments per building. The organization dates back to the 1970s, when a number of Christian Reformed (CRC) churches in the Hamilton area, under the visionary leadership of John and Siny Prinzen, began what was known then as Homestead. Harry Van Belle was one of its early Board members.

Designing Humans
|

Designing Humans

Last fall, Chinese scientist He Jiankui claimed to have edited the genes of two newborn twin babies. As reported late last year, He recruited couples for an “AIDS vaccine development project” at a university in Shenzhen, China. After creating embryos from the eggs and sperm of the couples, He used a technique called CRISPR to attempt to delete part of a gene named CCR5. Scientists have discovered that a broken CCR5 gene conveys resistance to HIV infection, and so in theory intentionally damaging the gene could provide the same resistance. However, the use of CRISPR on human embryos that will be born is untested and almost certainly unsafe, which is why He’s work was immediately condemned by scientists and ethicists around the world.

‘God wins’
| | |

‘God wins’

Griffioen Vanderleeuw has an artist’s statement that reflects her love for God and his direction in her life: “Life’s journey takes many twists and turns, and so do my paintings, as they move with me along that journey. I paint for the pure joy of creating, and experiment continually, whether with Realism, Impressionism, or in a Contemporary style. I use each type of medium to articulate my feelings for my subject. I stand in awe of the beauty of creation and my Creator, and live to create.”

Science in Real Time
|

Science in Real Time

Most of us acquire our science from others either through classes and textbooks or on TV shows We learn about facts that are generally accepted by the scientific community. Then these facts are integrated into theories that explain our world within some overarching framework. This static textbook view of science may include the histories of current theories and the explanations they replaced, but the information is presented as final, accepted truth.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *