Carol, thank you so much for sharing this story! So often, we can have a grand theology of what justice means and what justice should look like, but then we turn our eyes to the people that God places before us. Thank you for sharing your experiences, and may we all learn to open our hearts and eyes to the people of God and those with whom we are called to share God's love today, in our own communities (and favorite restaurants).
Gareth, thank you as always for sharing your perspective. As someone who is very busy in both the summer and the school year, I often struggle to take a break - the week or two I am able to use to spend some time in the woods in the summer is always a welcome relief. I like how you mention the idea of "working from rest." I'll have to think about more ways that I can incorporate the idea of working from rest into the other aspects of my life. Something that came to my mind when reflecting on this, though, was: How can we "work from rest" when some work requires us every day? Tasks like caregiving, whether for children, parents, or other adults, aren't exactly tasks that people can Sabbath from. Similarly, many people have to work multiple jobs simply to pay rent and put food on the table. And millions of people in the world live in places where weekly habits of work and rest aren't possible (such as people who live in places of war, displaced persons camps, detention facilities, or people experiencing homelessness). Anyone have ideas of how to understand and incorporate the theology of Sabbath and rest in situations like these?
Dan, what a great point! I think music is an often overlooked vehicle through which people of all ages can learn about the love of Christ. And it's so fun that Forrest Frank is being played for little league games.
Mavis, thank you for sharing this! You are so right - so often things that may feel boring (tax policy) are things we can learn so much more from! A similar piece of media that I've consumed lately is the Strong Towns podcast. It's about designing effective traffic patterns and public transport - again, may sound boring, but actually the way that roads and such are organized says a lot about what a community values and is invested in. And makes me think about what I want to help guide my own community to invest and support!
Thank you for this wonderful post, Dr. Spoelstra! It's a great reminder for us to make sure we understand all sides of a conflict, as well as a reminder to be able to recognize what, exactly, is at the heart of a particular conflict and what exactly is at stake.
Thank you for these reflections, Anita! I always find it valuable to reflect on the beautiful places God has shared with us here in North America, and I also appreciate your challenge for us to evaluate how we can extend that hospitality with others, as well. And, in a similar vein, thank you for your reminder that our citizenship and identity is ultimately not on earth, but with God.
Dr. Spoelstra, thank you so much for sharing your reflections on Synod! I think for many folks, Synod is a hard-to-understand meeting that can seem detached from our everyday lives and everyday ministry. Thank you for helping me (and others) understand what really goes on at our denomination's annual meeting.
Gareth, thank you so much for sharing this post! It's so important for the church to continue to explore issues of how to engage with modern technology and the digital world as we move forward to continue to minister to and with others in the future. It also makes me wonder about your last paragraph: What exactly is the difference between "merely" telling others about Christ, and "making him known" to everyone that we meet?
Bev and Tricia, these are both such great points. It's so important to recognize how people's past experiences shape how they are able to interact with both God and God's people in the church. Finally, I also think the the church hurt / trauma is yet another hugely significant part of understanding how people interact with church. As a young adult, I see so many of my peers who have been harmed (or who have seen others harmed) by the church and then told that the harm they experienced isn't or wasn't legitimate. And, building further on this theme, there is so little available in churches for young (unmarried) adults, many of whom grew up in church but experienced hurt or harm, and would love to find church communities but there simply aren't any churches that are willing and able to work through the hurt that these people have experienced. Do either of you have any ideas or suggestions for how churches can address these issues in our current North American context?
Posted in: Hard Hearts and Open Hands
Carol, thank you so much for sharing this story! So often, we can have a grand theology of what justice means and what justice should look like, but then we turn our eyes to the people that God places before us. Thank you for sharing your experiences, and may we all learn to open our hearts and eyes to the people of God and those with whom we are called to share God's love today, in our own communities (and favorite restaurants).
Posted in: Getting Together After Summer: What Changes? What Has Changed?
Gareth, thank you as always for sharing your perspective. As someone who is very busy in both the summer and the school year, I often struggle to take a break - the week or two I am able to use to spend some time in the woods in the summer is always a welcome relief. I like how you mention the idea of "working from rest." I'll have to think about more ways that I can incorporate the idea of working from rest into the other aspects of my life. Something that came to my mind when reflecting on this, though, was: How can we "work from rest" when some work requires us every day? Tasks like caregiving, whether for children, parents, or other adults, aren't exactly tasks that people can Sabbath from. Similarly, many people have to work multiple jobs simply to pay rent and put food on the table. And millions of people in the world live in places where weekly habits of work and rest aren't possible (such as people who live in places of war, displaced persons camps, detention facilities, or people experiencing homelessness). Anyone have ideas of how to understand and incorporate the theology of Sabbath and rest in situations like these?
Posted in: The Contagious Excitement of Forrest Frank
Dan, what a great point! I think music is an often overlooked vehicle through which people of all ages can learn about the love of Christ. And it's so fun that Forrest Frank is being played for little league games.
Posted in: What Have You Been Reading This Summer?
We've had so many great posts this summer; here are a few of the top ones I've learned from:
Seeing God in Everything
They're Not Giving Less. They're Giving Differently.
Sent Together: Serving, Stewarding, and Laboring Side-by-Side
9 Disability Resources To Help Your Children's Ministry Welcome All Children
Why Multi-ethnic Churches Still Feel Like Guests Part I, Part II
Faithful in the Ordinary: Tending My Backyard
Sent Together: Living and Sharing Your Faith in the Office
"Do It:" The Last Thing My Mentor Told Me
When Worshipping Feels Like A Risk: Navigating Faith After Violence
The Christendom Hangover: Reclaiming the Neighborhood
Proud of the Tres: New Life in the Spirit
Let me know what some of your favorite posts this summer have been!
Posted in: What Have You Been Reading This Summer?
Mavis, thank you for sharing this! You are so right - so often things that may feel boring (tax policy) are things we can learn so much more from! A similar piece of media that I've consumed lately is the Strong Towns podcast. It's about designing effective traffic patterns and public transport - again, may sound boring, but actually the way that roads and such are organized says a lot about what a community values and is invested in. And makes me think about what I want to help guide my own community to invest and support!
Posted in: Now Available: 2026 CRCNA Giving and Worship Attendance Report for US Churches
Thank you for sharing this report!
Posted in: Now Available: 2026 CRCNA Giving and Worship Attendance Report for US Churches
Dr. Spoelstra, great question! I've reached out to our stewardship and giving staff.
Posted in: Matthew 18 Is Not Acts 15: Church Conflict, Classis, Synod, and Theological Discernment
Thank you for this wonderful post, Dr. Spoelstra! It's a great reminder for us to make sure we understand all sides of a conflict, as well as a reminder to be able to recognize what, exactly, is at the heart of a particular conflict and what exactly is at stake.
Posted in: Reflecting on Canada Day and the Fourth of July
Thank you for these reflections, Anita! I always find it valuable to reflect on the beautiful places God has shared with us here in North America, and I also appreciate your challenge for us to evaluate how we can extend that hospitality with others, as well. And, in a similar vein, thank you for your reminder that our citizenship and identity is ultimately not on earth, but with God.
Posted in: The Morning After the Storm: Reflections on Synod 2026
Dr. Spoelstra, thank you so much for sharing your reflections on Synod! I think for many folks, Synod is a hard-to-understand meeting that can seem detached from our everyday lives and everyday ministry. Thank you for helping me (and others) understand what really goes on at our denomination's annual meeting.
Posted in: "Sent" Into the Digital World As Well?
Gareth, thank you so much for sharing this post! It's so important for the church to continue to explore issues of how to engage with modern technology and the digital world as we move forward to continue to minister to and with others in the future. It also makes me wonder about your last paragraph: What exactly is the difference between "merely" telling others about Christ, and "making him known" to everyone that we meet?
Posted in: Trauma-Informed Gospel
Bev and Tricia, these are both such great points. It's so important to recognize how people's past experiences shape how they are able to interact with both God and God's people in the church. Finally, I also think the the church hurt / trauma is yet another hugely significant part of understanding how people interact with church. As a young adult, I see so many of my peers who have been harmed (or who have seen others harmed) by the church and then told that the harm they experienced isn't or wasn't legitimate. And, building further on this theme, there is so little available in churches for young (unmarried) adults, many of whom grew up in church but experienced hurt or harm, and would love to find church communities but there simply aren't any churches that are willing and able to work through the hurt that these people have experienced. Do either of you have any ideas or suggestions for how churches can address these issues in our current North American context?