Should Christians be Zionists?
Christians agree that God promised land to Abraham’s descendants, but did God intend for that promise to extend forever? In a time of intense disagreement over Israel’s actions in response to Hamas, it’s helpful to consider our belief regarding the biblical case for and against Zionism.
Jesus’ attitude to disability
In encounters with people with a disability, Jesus shows us:
1. That a person with a disability has autonomy and will—“Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6).
2. That a person with a disability is not some angelic, sinless being, but like every human, is also in need of forgiveness—“Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5).
Autism and the church
Most of us know someone who is autistic, or you may be autistic yourself. Stephanie Fast, teacher and student, works to bring clarity to autism and presents ideas for making autistic people feel welcome in EMC congregations.
The storms Jesus calmed
The sun ebbed, reflecting off the Sea of Galilee. Water lapped against the small fishing vessel, and the familiar cry of seagulls echoed overhead. A young rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth, slept as his disciples conversed in low tones.
Then, in a moment, everything changed.
Personal, hope-filled and Spirit-empowered
I was twelve years old when my best friend at the time shared with me that there was a place where you could go where you would feel awkward for not raising your hands in praise to the Lord while you sang. Hearing this was revolutionary for me.
Navigating tension in the art world
Aside from my Christian faith, drawing, writing, and crafting are my defining feature. However, faith and art initially seemed incompatible. Many creative Christians live in this tension.
What does it mean to be aligned?
♪One of the tasks when I began my job here at the EMC office was to examine our external partnership: which were beneficial and which should change.
Citizens of heaven
♪Peace is your portion. Grace is your gift. Love is your language. Son or daughter is your identity. Heaven is your home. You are a citizen of heaven!
Ancient, continuous, and meaningful
♪As I struggled socially and intellectually in the church and with faith, I felt there was some other category that might better anchor me.
Art of imperfection
I gave up trying to make it look “correct,” fiddled with it a little longer to try and make it look intentionally impressionistic and—failing at that, too—walked away from the easel, defeated.
Is there hope for pastors and churches in conflict?
♪I have been involved in church life for nearly 70 years, half of those years as a pastor. I love the church except for one thing: churches and pastors don’t seem to know how to disagree agreeably. Too often when a church and their pastor cannot agree on how well he is doing, separation results. But must it be this way?
Are church and hockey at odds?
♪The NHL playoffs are finally upon us, and for many of us Canadian hockey fans this is the most wonderful time of the year. Teams are now finally prepared to push all their chips and truly do whatever it takes to get sixteen wins and hoist Lord Stanley’s glorious cup.
Why this young theologian was drawn to Reformed evangelicalism
♪At one point the title to Collin Hansen’s 2008 book Young, Restless, Reformed would have described me quite well. I was young (in my early 20s), restless (in many ways) and Reformed (drinking regularly from the well of the three Johns: Piper, Edwards and Calvin).
Dabbling to greater fulfillment
I love to dabble in different creative projects. Whether it’s carpentry or gardening or cooking or painting—it all brings me great fulfillment.
Sculpting a journey: art, life and faith
♪Hello there, my name is Andreas Huebert. I am a contemporary artist—a sculptor. I was born in Central Asia, in Kyrgyzstan 51 years ago. I started to sculpt at a very young age, but unfortunately, stopped doing it when I became a teenager.
Trusting God in loneliness
♪Loneliness can be a time of being depressed and feeling sorry for oneself or it can be regarded as a gift from the Lord to get closer to him. So much of life is in the attitude we have.
Heavenly citizenship: living as Christ’s ambassadors in a divided world
♪“You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
On not getting things done: a new measure of time
♪ Every Christmas Eve my children look forward to my purple plum torte. Along with roasted turkey and Walter C. Scott’s A Christmas Carol, the simple yellow cake crowned with plums and sprinkled in cinnamon sugar is tradition. Every year the challenge remains the same—in December plums are not grown in northern climes.