All Posts By

Steve Mathonnet-VanderWell

Blog

Thinking About the Departed

Just before gametime, a young football player received notice that his father had died unexepectedly. Given the tragic circumstances, his coach told him that no

Read More »
Blog

A CO Hero

On Veterans Day last year, Pete Peterson came to mind. Scrolling through social media, I saw all sorts of photos of fathers and grandfathers in

Read More »
Blog

Joe Biden’s Age

I turned 65 yesterday. Earlier this month I joined the very popular and successful government-run national healthcare plan. Thank you! This landmark birthday has caused

Read More »

Stand up

One person was rather noticeable at my mother’s funeral. He was a young Black man — the only one there. Afterward, I introduced myself. He

Read More »

2023 by the numbers

Is everything ultimately quantifiable?  Much as I hate to admit it, there is a little part of me that fears this question will someday become

Read More »

Don’t Be an Advent Snob

Was it this year’s unusual calendar? Or maybe it’s that I’m now retired from the pastorate? But it seemed like Christmas mirth and zaniness had

Read More »

Welcome to Coon Rapids

Welcome to Coon Rapids, Iowa. And why did my visit there remind me of the American church? I was in Coon Rapids last August to

Read More »

Pastors’ Appreciation Month

I always appreciated not receiving much appreciation during Pastors’ Appreciation Month. Invented by the sellers of greeting cards and trinkets, pushed by “Christian” media, it’s

Read More »

Driestarren — Three Stars

No one has ever called me a Kuyperian, and I’m okay with that. Then Kuyper scholar par excellence and RJ blogger, Jim Bratt, mentioned Kuyper’s driestarren

Read More »