Poetry and the Art of Naming
Creation, I believe, is the best place to begin when considering the art of poetry and why it matters. For every poem participates by invitation in that first creative act of God.
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The Body of Christ, The Bread of Stratification
At the messianic table, Christ invites us to participate in God’s imagination, to join a feast that reconnects us to food, land, and neighbor, and offers a way of remembering that confronts forgotten wounds, fragmented minds, and displaced bodies. Holding the bread of life, we present to the world the daily liturgy of eating as a profoundly communal, biological, spiritual, humanizing, and, as it turns out, counter-cultural act.
A Quiet Influence: Remembering Eugene Heideman
Just before Gene suffered a stroke in 2019, I was sitting next to him in church on a Wednesday morning at a men’s breakfast and book study. We were discussing the current friction in the denomination, which he was able to put into a much larger context of denominational history and the forces at work in society and culture. “I have come to the point where I think for the good of the church and for many Christians it would…
A Pandemic of Mistrust
I’ve been looking for a theory of everything, that explains not just Trump, sexism, and anti-wokeism, but also explains things as different as climate change denial, bad behavior on airplanes, Brexit, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, church splits, anti-vaxxers, threats of violence outside the homes of Supreme Court justices, and our tolerance of mass shootings. I know that’s asking a lot, but I think I may have come up with something.
The Real Question in the Abortion Debate
Beneath this contorted, soundbite driven, raging debate is, in my view, the real question: When does a fertilized egg in its development acquire, in the view of the state, the status of a full human being deserving constitutional rights and protections, like any other person?
The Human Sexuality Report: What Does Scripture Condemn and Condone?
Exactly what is the harm being done to anyone’s neighbor by the relationship of an LGBTQ couple? On the contrary, the harm we do to these brothers and sisters when we ostracize and condemn them is obvious. The HSR advises that the church declare that these brothers and sisters have no place in the church or the Kingdom of heaven. Shame on us if we make such a proclamation.
Latest from the Blog
Daily blog by our regular bloggers & guest contributors.
No Easy AnswersMy ten-year-old son asked me something I’ve been pondering ever since: “Mom, what is something you believe that maybe you could be wrong about?”
“Act Accordingly”“You’re going to be someone’s ancestor–act accordingly.” A big guy–I didn’t catch his name, but I’m sure he’s someone with...
In the MailThis is the reality of the CRC today -- confessional unity as a measure of purity and tool to divide, with local ministries handcuffed and rebuffed.
Intercessory PrayerDear Jesus, have mercy on us. Our demons, too, are legion. So we ask you to heal us.
Watch Your StepOur feet and our bodies carry a story as much as our mouths do. We draw people in, we push them away, simply by way of our posture, our gait, our demeanor.
A Liturgy for One Who Doubts God’s CallDear Reader,One of the great treasures in my personal and corporate prayer life has been Douglas McKelvey’s two volume collection...
The Right Time to LeaveI’m one of those people who finds it nearly impossible to leave anything.
Open and ClosedThe doors were closed for this discussion and vote. Synod’s action opens wide, however, another door: an exit door from the Christian Reformed Church.
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Latest Podcasts
Steve Mathonnet-VanderWell
In this episode, Jeff Munroe interviews Steve Mathonnet-VanderWell, co-pastor of the Second Reformed Church in Pella, Iowa and one of the original editors and writers for the Reformed Journal Blog. Steve chats with Jeff about his memories with his politically engaged father, his love for the Reformed Journal which began in his high school years, and his journey to co-pastoring with his wife, Sophie.
Doug Brouwer
In this episode, Kate Kooyman has a family conversation with her uncle, Doug Brouwer and her cousin, Sarah Brouwer. Doug and Sarah are both ministers ordained by the Presbyterian Church, and they discuss Doug's book Chasing after Wind: A Pastor's Life and reflect on their experiences in ministry and the generational changes they have observed.
“Bioluminescence” by Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
In this episode of the Poetry Edition of the Reformed Journal Podcast, Rose Postma interviews Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer about her poem "Bioluminescence." Rosemerry has been publishing her poetry daily on her website A Hundred Falling Veils for the last 10+ years, and is a co-host of the podcast Emerging Form.
Rebecca Koerselman
In this episode, Jeff Munroe speaks with Rebecca Koerselman, professor of history at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa and contributor to the Reformed Journal Blog. Jeff and Rebecca talk about Rebecca's journey from high school history teacher to scholar and professor, where she gets inspiration for her writing, evangelicalism in the United States, and her history-informed perspective on political and social polarization in 2022.
Kate Kooyman
In this episode, Jeff Munroe, editor at the Reformed Journal, talks with Kate Kooyman, author of the most viewed post in the Reformed Journal Blog, "I'm Sick of Appreciating Teachers." Kate is an ordained minister with the RCA, spent 10 years working in the CRC's Office of Social Justice, and currently serves as District Director for Michigan state senator Winnie Brinks. Jeff and Kate discuss Kate's path to becoming a minister, the role of social justice in Christian life, and…
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