The Christian Courier is a Canadian Christian newsletter where I began my practice of spiritual writing. In October CC celebrated 75 years of publication. I wrote some of my reflections about writing for them, about starting as a timid columnist, and the gift of working with the late editor, Bert Witvoet as well as the current editor, Angela Reitsma Bick.
You can read that article published in the Christian Courier here.
I’m a bit behind in posting this, but in September I wrote an article for The Banner entitled “Churches Need Hugs and Consent, and They Can Have Both.” Church is an important source of physical contact for many people. I think we often underestimate how deeply many of us need these points of connection. In my own life, outside of family, the church has been the biggest source of physical affection. However, sometimes that affection is not offered in ways that make people feel safe and comfortable. You can read more of my reflections on this here.
Over the past few years I’ve been on the continuing and unending journey of sorting through stuff I’ve inheriting, as well as some of my own childhood stuff I stuffed in the attic of the family home I grew up in. It’s a bit overwhelming at times.
Somehow the process of sorting through so many things that I’ve inherited–stuff I want and stuff I’d like to just ignore–brought to mind the ways in which we inherit privilege, whether we want it or not, whether we want to deal with it or not. I wrote a piece a few months ago about checking our privilege as spiritual practice, and I think it’s an essential ongoing exercise for white Christians. You can check it out in The Banner here.
I’ve been honoured to be a contributor at The Banner, a Christian Reformed Church publication, for the past two years. I write four times a year for a column called “As I Was Saying.” Most recently I’ve written about my unabashed affection for personality typographies and tests. I love them. So do many Christians. But they have some limits and drawbacks. I take a quick look at some of their strengths and weaknesses in my article “The Limits of Personality Typography.”
To peruse some of the other pieces I’ve written for The Banner online, go here.
In keeping with the parenting during pandemic theme, I wrote this article back in March and Plough magazine published it. “When the Sickness is Over” looks at parenting a toddler while in social isolation, as well as some reflections on the theological concept of already-not-yet.
Melissa Kuipers 