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As Wesley Granberg-Michaelson concludes his seventeen-year tenure as general secretary of the Reformed Church in America, he has given to his friends around the world the gift of an autobiography, a story that carries him from the evangelical fold of the Midwest to the richly diverse halls of the global ecumenical movement. After reading the book, I emailed Wes--who has become a friend and colleague since his arrival as general secretary of the RCA in 1994--and reminded him that the…

Could a deep affinity for words hinder our appreciation of film? It is tempting to privilege text over images. But Calvin College English professor Roy Anker understands the power of light, the physical process of film projection that makes an impression on our retina, even burning into our brains. The cover for Of Pilgrims and Fire suggests how light might blind a moviegoer. The Apostle Paul was struck on the Damascus Road; Anker recounts the epiphanies he experienced at the…

We want our kids to be all that they can be. We read descriptions of "tiger moms," dictating their child's every move to gain maximum results. We observe the phenomenon of "helicopter parents," constantly hovering to protect, defend, and enable their children to achieve their heart's desire So how hard should we push? What kind of standards do we want our children to meet? In some circles, kids are supposed to train like Olympic athletes, study like Ph.D. candidates, perform…

The house where we lived at that time is long gone, as is the tiny kitchen where I stood, phone in hand, listening. The call had come in the middle of the day, in the middle of a lunch, our two kids were sitting beside us. It's now thirty-plus years later, but I will never forget standing there because I was reeling, yet confident that my being chosen for a waiter's scholarship--whatever that was--to the granddaddy of all writers conferences,…

I have seen this first question of the Heidelberg Catechism together with its majestic answer framed on the wall of many homes. What a way to begin a catechism: not with a stuffy inquiry followed by an equally dry rejoinder, but rather with a stirring profession that plumbs our depths. There will be 128 more questions to follow, and when we are finished, we will know we have covered the waterfront, just as Caspar Olevianus and Zacharias Ursinus intended years…

Frequent readers of Perspectives know that this journal appears in your mailboxes and is found on your web browser ten times a year due to a small and dedicated team of volunteers. These people behind the scenes, the editors and the board, do their work as a labor of love. The shared efforts of the co-editors and the board create a strong and vibrant collegiality. They are all committed to the vision of engaging in a sustained conversation on gospel…

I've had a great treat this summer: every Wednesday, I've gotten to spend the morning with a dear friend's 20-month old child. The official reason is to give my friend a little time for her own writing, but the real reason, if truth be told, is much more selfish on my part--I get to have an excuse to goof around for a couple of hours. Of late, my schedule has become almost unbearably busy, so this time has become a…

Compared to the beloved Heidelberg Catechism, feted in these pages and still recited on death beds, the Belgic Confession is a rather unremarkable Reformed document. The Belgic Confession is like that ordinary, stolid child who has the misfortune of spending life next to the bright, charming, and popular sibling. Although the various Dutch Reformed groups in North America all recognize the Belgic Confession as one of their doctrinal standards, it is pretty much a garden variety sixteenth century Reformed confession.…