Several members of my congregation are in the midst of a three day training, learning to become facilitators of restorative practices and cultivators of a restorative culture in our church. We are being taught by licensed trainers from the International…
There's something about faces. A week and a half ago, Twelve blogger, Debra Rienstra, posted her reflection on the story of Katie Stubblefield, the youngest ever face transplant recipient and the subject of a recent National Geographic feature. I let…
"But what if you die, and we're not with you?" My nearly 12-year-old daughter asked me this last week as we looked ahead to the beginning of my doctoral studies and anticipated the week that I would be spending away…
A friend of mine died by suicide a few weeks ago. The image she used when she talked about God was that of a Weaver, forever at the loom. As I searched scripture in preparation for her funeral, I found…
A couple of months ago, I co-taught a preaching seminar in the Rocky Mountains with fellow Twelver, Scott Hoezee, and superstar preaching colleague, Peter Jonker. On one of the days, I was asked to speak for 30 minutes on any…
The light turns green. I step into the crosswalk at River Avenue and 16th Street in downtown Holland, Michigan and as I do, a strange and slow collision between a van and a bicycle happens right in front of me.…
20km. Easy pace. One day of each week of my distance-cycling training schedule last summer recommended this – a 20 km ride at an easy pace. These ‘easy pace’ days were to be balanced with 4 days/week at a normal…
We remember Adam, whose sons did not get along—their rivalry leading to death. God, who is no stranger to conflict, may we take all our rivalries to the cross. We remember Abraham, who was asked to place his son on…
By Heidi S. De Jonge Last summer, I let one of my parishioners take me golfing for the first time (and probably, the last). The night before the outing, my husband, Tim, said, “You are going to be horrible. You…
