For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.1 “The world is charged with the grandeur of God,”2 and its every dimension attests to God’s goodness. Creation, our engagement with it, and our engagement with one another brim with potential to orient our hearts and …
Author Archives: corine.lafrenier
Conclusion
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.Through him all things were made; without him nothing wasmade that has been made. In him was life, and that life was thelight of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and …
The Christian Platonist Tradition
FAITH BROWN When considering the philosophers of antiquity, perhaps no group has come closer to attaining the truth of the Christian faith than the Platonists. While this philosophical tradition predates the Incarnation of Jesus Christ by centuries and is firmly rooted in ancient paganism, Platonism is saturated with many of the same metaphysical assumptions as …
Sabbath as a Salubrious Celebration: Links Between Sabbath-Keeping and Health
AMY OSTERBAAN “And [Jesus] said to them,‘The Sabbath was made for man,not man for the Sabbath.”1 Conversations with students at Hope College about Sabbath often share a couple themes. First, students wonder about what Sabbath means for Christians in a theological sense. Second, they ponder how to practice Sabbath in terms of the timeframe and …
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A Biochemical Liturgy
CLAIRE BUCK For in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visibleand invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities orauthorities — all things were created through him and for him.He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.1 Leader: Holy God, we gather here in your presence. People: Creator …
Faith and Science: When Two Worlds Collide
PAULINA KOZAN In a world of extremes where things are either black orwhite, good or bad, Democratic or Republican, society hasprimed us to perceive life in dichotomies. We have troublelooking past these definitive lines and into the middle.With this compartmentalizing mindset, the harmoniousinteraction of extremes is neglected. One such exampleincludes the misconceived battle between faith …
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Hearing Every Hop: A Companion Analysis to “Prayer of an Irish Hare”
SAMUEL VEGA How does one even begin to define the notion of prayer? Or even the notion of poetry itself? In examining such forms of expression, it can be noticed and argued that they possess incredibly similar foundations. Both prayer and poetry involve a simplified outer expression of amplified inner thoughts — even our reasoning …
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Prayer of an Irish Hare
SAMUEL VEGA Dear Precious Lord, God of giddy stars and gallant hillsides. I give thanks for allowing wee squeaks such as mine to fall on sweet ears such as yours. Thank you, for whiskers, as tough as farm cats. Thank you, for paws, as swift as country deer. Thank you, for ears, as spacious as …
Depicting Jesus Through Song
There is no doubt that music is a major part of society, both present and past. Music uniquely expresses feelings, opinions, and experiences. Musical expression has evolved over time to include a wide range of genres and changing styles that rise and fall with popularity. The church is no exception: hymns have been sung as …
Surface of the Deep
JAEL STILWELL Surface of the Deep explores how God brought forth light on the first day of creation, “[T]he earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.”1 …