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32 The Many Faces of 22 A Place Religious Persecution to Turn 38 December 2013 December Setting the Table for a Good Debate 18 Reinvention or Renewal? Year-End Giving Guide Denominational agencies The Banner Home Missions 800.777.7270 800.266.2175 recommended for financial www.thebanner.org wwww.crhm.org support See our ad on page 46 CRCNA World Literature Ministries 877.279.9994 (US) 800.426.8355 World Missions 800.730.3490 (Canada) www.librosdesafio.org 800.346.0075 (US) www.crcna.org 800.730.3490 (Canada) Denominational Ministries: www.crwm.org CRC Foundation Abuse Prevention See our ads on pages 3, 50 877.272.6299 616.224.0735 www.crcna.org/foundation www.crcna.org/abuse World Renew/CRWRC 800.552.7972 (US) Back to God Ministries International Chaplaincy Ministries 800.730.3490 (Cananda) 800.879.6555 (US) 616.224.0844 www.worldrenew.net 800.730.3490 (Canada) www.crcna.org/chaplaincy See our ad on back cover http://backtogod.net Disability Concerns Partners Worldwide Calvin College 616.224.0844 See our ad on page 61 800.688.0122 www.crcna.org/disability www.calvin.edu Dynamic Youth Ministries See our ad on page 48 Pastor-Church Relations 616.241.5616 616.224.0764 www.youthunlimited.org Calvin Institute of Christian Worship www.crcna.org/pastor-churchrelations See our ad on page 60 616.526.6088 www.calvin.edu/worship Race Relations See our ad on page 57 616.224.5883 www.crcna.org/race Calvin Theological Seminary 800.388.6034 Safe Church Ministry www.calvinseminary.edu www.crcna.org/safechurch See our ads on pages 58, 62 Social Justice and Hunger Action Faith Alive Christian Resources 616.224.0807 800.333.8300 www.crcjustice.org www.FaithAliveResources.org See our ad on page 56 See our ads on pages 5, 54 2 THE BANNER | December 2013 | www.thebanner.org Special Advertising Section Use this list of organizations advertising in this issue to help Christian Reformed plan your year-end contributions. World Missions Christian Reformed World Synodically approved Other important Missions partners with people, organizations advertising organizations churches, and organizations in this issue advertising in this issue to extend Christ’s reign (See the CRC Yearbook for a Barnabas Foundation among the nations: complete list) 888.448.3040 Crossroad Bible Institute www.barnabasfoundation.com • Multiplying believers 616.530.1300 See our ads on pages 48, 57 and churches www.crossroadbibleinstitute.org See our ad on page 58 Citizens for Public Justice • Equipping and 800.667.8046 connecting leaders Dordt College www.cpj.ca 800.343.6738 See our ad on page 51 www.dordt.edu • Reaching teachers See our ads on pages 49, 55 COAH and students with 888.844.2624 a biblical worldview The Kings University College Coah.org See our ad on page 49 800.661.8582 • Strengthening churches http://www.kingsu.ca/ See our ad on page 6 Exxel Publishing and organizations 877.939.1999 Kuyper College http://www.exxelpublishing.com See our ad on page 53 See our ad on page 49 1-800-346-0075 (USA) 1-800-730-3490 (Canada) Pine Rest Foundation Holland Home 616.455.8680 616.235.5000 www.crwm.org/125 www.pinerest.org www.hollandhome.org See our ad on page 51 See our ad on page 52 Redeemer University College Providence Life 800.263.6467 708.342.8100 http://www.redeemer.ca www.providencelifeservice.com See our ad on page 47 See our ad on page 44 Trinity Christian College Talking Bibles 866.TRIN.4.ME 760.745.8105 www.trnty.edu [email protected] See our ads on pages 52, 59 See our ad on page 4 Worldwide Christian Schools Timothy Leadership Training 616.531.9102 Institute 800.886.9000 616.957.6094 www.wwcs.org www.tlti.org See our ad on page 55 See our ad on page 55 www.thebanner.org | December 2013 | THE BANNER 3 A Bible for Those Who Can’t Read INTRODUCING The Solar Talking Bible The new Talking Bible is built to work in the most difficult of overseas field conditions. Solar powered, it charges in less than four hours and plays for up to two hours continuously. The high quality speaker is loud enough for as many as 200 people to hear the message of the Gospel—in their heart language. People with vision and hearing loss love listening, too! A transformed new believer becomes a “gentle” missionary to Hindi speaking women. India: Nima, an Indian woman, became a believer early in 2013. She was given a Hindi Talking Bible by a church planter and started listening to it daily in her home. Her neighbors, Hindus and Muslims, heard her playing the Talking Bible and wanted to listen too. By playing the Talking Bible, Nima became an evangelist to non-believing, unreached neighbor women. God is using Nima, a soft-spoken, shy, non- reader to do outreach to women who would never have heard the good news of God’s redeeming love without the Talking Bible. Will you help people like Nima expand the outreach of the Gospel this Christmas by making a gift to place Talking Bibles in areas untouched by the Word of God? Each Talking Bible costs only $35. Please go to our website to make your Christmas gift of one or more Talking Bibles so Jesus can be shared with those who walk in darkness. Please donate today at: www.talkingbibles.org. WWW.TalkingBibles.ORG Enhancing Trust Talking Bibles International • 419 East Grand Avenue, Escondido, CA 92025 Telephone: 800-318-7262 or 760-745-8105 Come Together in Prayer Seeking God’s Face offers a user-friendly approach to the “daily office” form of prayer and devotions. Written and compiled by Philip F. Reinders, this book includes an entire year of daily prayers and Scripture readings to enrich your prayer and devotional life. Each day of prayer includes an invitation into God’s presence, readings from a psalm and other Scriptures, prayer suggestions, and a closing blessing. This Advent season, consider using Seeking God’s Face as a church-wide daily devotional guide, at home or with small groups!** “ We have found that using Seeking God’s Face as a congregation has led us into a deeper understanding NEW Large Print Edition of the rhythms of the church year, and has given us a of Seeking God’s Face beautiful sense of God’s presence through Scripture.” releases December 18! —Jodi Cole Meyer, Director of Arts and Outreach, Go to our website to learn more and pre-order at a discounted price! EverGreen Ministries, Hudsonville, Michigan Individual copies are 30% off, and case quantities are 50% off until December 16, 2013. Great for holiday gift giving, church fund-raising, or team building! Regular Edition (Imitation leather with ribbon marker)—NOW $20.99/$CAN*each or $359.88 per case (24 copies) Compact Edition (Imitation leather with ribbon marker)—NOW $17.49/$CAN* each or $299.88 per case (24 copies) Order 2 or more cases of 24 and get free standard shipping! Order 12 cases, and the 13th case is free. eBook edition available online only for $14.99/$CAN* each. **This Advent sampler (available at FaithAliveResources.org/SGF) can be posted on your church’s website, or included as a link in your church bulletin, e-newsletter, or Facebook page. This sampler is not to be sold or printed without the consent of Faith Alive. To order individual copies, visit our website. To order case quantities, please call 800-333-8300. *CDN price at current exchange rate. FaithAliveResources.org • 800-333-8300 kingsu.ca David, Bachelor of Music 2012 WHAT CAN A PASSION FOR MUSIC GET YOU? HOW ABOUT HIRED. The little university with big degrees. King’s small classes, faith-based education and dedicated professors will guide and challenge you to expand your world – and your role in it – while you work towards a career that a Bachelor of Music can lead to. From a concert pianist or arts administrator, to an opera singer or music therapist. Same degree, better education. BACHELOR OF BACHELOR OF BACHELOR OF BACHELOR OF BACHELOR OF Education Arts Science Music Commerce EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA • 1.800.661.8582 Volume 148 | Number 12 | 2013 FEATURES Belonging at the Manger STUDY QUESTIONS ONLINE 22 Would we follow the magi to find the child? by Leonard Kuyvenhoven Living Well, Dying Well 40 Where do we go with our fears and uncertainties about death and dying? by Erika Dekker DEPARTMENTS Editorial: Presents by Bob De Moor 8 Christmas really is all about presents—the kind you can’t order online. Catch Your Breath: The Mom Club by Erin Vandenberg 9 A year ago, I didn’t fully appreciate that children are a gift, not a given. IMHO: Live Free from the Grip of Porn Jim Terpstra 10 It’s time for the church to speak up against pornography. Letters to the Editor 10 News: Walking to Bethlehem 12 Discipleship: Numbering Our Days by Ben Hulst 20 What does it mean to number our days? Frequently Asked Questions 21 Celebrating Christmas in a counter-cultural way. On the Journey: How Is God Being Glorified? by Jennifer Altena 25 In three days volunteers renovated our home and our lives. Just for Kids: Name That Tune by Christin Baker 34 A closer look at some of the world’s favorite Christmas carols. Relating: A Beautiful Gift by Sallie Ann Borrink 36 A newcomer’s perspective on women in the Christian Reformed Church. Tuned In: Neil Gaiman’s Thin Barriers Between Life and Death by Otto Selles 38 Popular author Neil Gaiman explores unusual territory.