Department: Author: Martin WilesMy daughter and I left for an overnight backpacking trip on the Flat Laurel Creek Trail near Canton, N.C. We hadn’t backpacked in 19 years. She had aged. So had I. We planned to set up camp after three miles, then pack a day bag and hike to a nearby mountain bald boa
Department: Author: Corey Van Huizen“I just want to be happy.”Have you ever thought that, said that, or heard someone else say it?In some ways we all just want to be happy—to have a jump in our stride, a smile on our face, a warm feeling in the chest. It's part of what it means to be American. The
Department: Author: Karen WilkAre We All Missionaries?Imagine a speaker in a church or at a Christian conference asking listeners to raise their hands if they consider themselves to be a Christian. Every hand goes up. Next, the speaker asks how many consider themselves devoted disciples of Christ.
Department: Author: Anding ShenA new type of vaccine has almost always been met with skepticism and fear. When Edward Jenner inoculated an 8-year-old boy with the newly invented cowpox vaccine against smallpox in 1796, people were imagining that cow heads would grow out of the noses, arms, and legs
Department: Author: Shiao ChongMi comprensión del término "evangélico" ha cambiado con el tiempo. Cuando viví en Malasia siendo cristiano, mi pastor era de firme creencia calvinista. Todo lo que oliera a arminianismo, el sistema teológico opuesto al calvinismo, era de sospecharse. Me inculcó la id
Department: Author: Shiao Chong“복음주의적”이라는 이름표에 대한 저의 이해는 시간이 지나면서 변했습니다. 제가 말레이시아에서 교인일 때 저의 목사님은 굳건한 칼빈주의자였습니다. 칼빈주의에 반대되는 신학적 시스템, 소위 알미니우스적인 낌새가 보이는 것은 어떤 것이든 의심받았습니다. 저의 목사님은 복음주의의 미국인 후계자인 빌리 그래함이 알미니우스주의자라고 강조했습니다. 따라서 젊을 때 저는 복음주의를 신뢰하지 않았습니다.이 복음주의에 대한 경계심은 제가 유학하러 캐나다에 갔을 때에도 따라다녔습니다. 그리고
Department: Author: Jenna C. HoffTwenty-five years have passed, and still I think about a small boy I never met. I wonder how he is doing. I wonder if he has lived up to his father’s long-ago dream for his life. I wonder if as he grew up he gained the ability to utter a single word.How I learned of
Department: Author: Justin Ariel BaileyIn our North American context, the number of “nones” is on the rise. Norms of Christian morality have lost their purchase in the wider culture. Our corner of the world is becoming increasingly pluralistic and increasingly secular.These are slippery terms, so a
Department: Author: Parry StelterAs I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily reflect the
Department: Author: Judy Cook I grew up with the admonition, “If you’re not ready to mate, you’re not ready to date,” meaning don’t date until you’re ready for the long commitment of marriage. How do I convey this principle to my teenagers when their friends have girlfriends?Clearly the above pri
Department: Author: Shiao ChongOver the years as editor, I have come across questions from interested new readers about how to get a copy of The Banner. I have also received questions from some readers that arose out of outdated information about who receives and how people receive The Banner. Ther
Department: Author: Mary Li MaAs I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily reflect the vi
Department: Author: Laurie Kreller PluimerLiving among the bluffs and cliffs of Wisconsin’s Niagara Escarpment gifts me with gorgeous trails for running and hiking. On one particular five-kilometer run, I found myself inadvertently part of High Cliff State Park’s 50K Ultra trail run. Now, I’m no sl
Department: Author: Ryan Faber A lot of things, including many worship practices, have changed in the congregation where I worship because of COVID-19. We no longer pass offering plates and communion trays. With worshipers seated in every other pew, serving elders in appropriate protective gear n
Department: Author: Shiao ChongMy understanding of the “evangelical” label has changed over time. When I was a Christian in Malaysia, my pastor was a strong Calvinist. Anything that smacked of Arminianism, the theological system opposed to Calvinism, was suspect. He impressed upon me the idea that
Department: Author: Justin Ariel BaileyAs I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily refle
Department: Author: Matt LundbergIt was recently reported that a very prominent billionaire paid only $750 in federal taxes in 2016 and 2017. Is it right for Christians to try to reduce their tax burden to a bare minimum?We all depend upon governmental structures and services—parks, roads, law enfo
Department: Author: Rev. Aaron VriesmanAs I Was Saying is a forum for a variety of perspectives to foster faith-related conversations among our readers with the goal of mutual learning, even in disagreement. Apart from articles written by editorial staff, these perspectives do not necessarily refle
Department: Author: Susie Vander VaartEagles are amazing birds. God designed them to have beautiful markings, strong beaks, and fierce talons (claws). Their power impresses peoples all over the world and many cultures revere them as a particularly special creature. In fact, the eagle is the nationa
Department: Author: To send letters to the editor, please see our guidelines at thebanner.org/letters.Walking WellI’d like to express my appreciation to Laurie Krieg for her article How to Walk Well Alongside LGBTQ+ People (June 2020). Thanks, Laurie, for writing with compassion, conviction, and lo