Table Of Contents
December 2018
Volume 62, Number 10
December
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About This Issue
Explore four Advent-themed essays that call us to rediscover the gifts of stillness and reflection offered by this stretch of the church calendar. CT's hope is that this issue would serve as a reminder, perhaps only briefly, that the crises of the moment can only be viewed in light of the greatest crisis mankind ever faced: the one that has already been resolved by the life, death, and resurrection of the child whose arrival we re-anticipate every December.
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Features

Fleming Rutledge: John the Baptist Points to the Real Hope of Advent
We’re not awaiting a helpless baby, but a righteous and powerful judge.
My Swaddled Savior
Jesus' life began and ended in earthly fetters. Who better to understand ours?
Giving Until It Hurts
God sent his only Son. Why couldn’t I let my husband donate a kidney?
A Carol for the Despairing
Penned during the Civil War, Longfellow's "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" is a carol for our age.
When the Word Becomes Words
Ann Voskamp and photographer Esther Havens document the moment a new Bible translation arrives in a rural Kenyan community.
He Led Churches in the World’s Largest Refugee Camp. Now He Waxes Floors.
But in his spare time, a leading refugee pastor is mentoring immigrant ministry leaders across the country.

Views

Where We Got It Wrong
CT’s greatest essays of old still speak today. But on civil rights, we failed our readers.
The Gospel Work of Song
Why we need to remember the God-given language of music.
How to Tell the Difference Between a Prophet and a Crank
Truly biblical prophecy strengthens the church—without adding anything to the Bible.

Reviews

The Culture Wars Are Ancient History
Today’s fights over the religion in the public square are replays of fights from two thousand years ago.
Eugene Peterson Wanted to Know Your Name
How, the late pastor asked, can you shepherd a flock you don't know?
New & Noteworthy Books
Compiled by Matt Reynolds.
Paul Got a Personal Preview of the Judgment Day
Which is one reason “the day of the Lord” figured so prominently in his letters.
Missionaries Live in Difficult Places, and They Need Your Prayers
We're familiar with the idea of culture shock, but we often overlook the impact of culture stress.

News

If You Give a Tsunami Survivor a Crayon
Ministries in Sulawesi, Indonesia, engage kids in a crucial first step in trauma healing: play.
Gleanings: December 2018
Important developments in the church and the world (as they appeared in our December issue).
Reading The Jesus Storybook Bible in Iceland
In the world’s most bookish country, evangelicals are taking up the ministry of translation.

More from this Issue

Our December Issue: Peace on Earth
We could all use a little this Advent season.
Renewing Christian Minds
Reminding a generation that a better way is still possible.
Reply All
Responses to our October issue.
I Was a Comedian First and an Atheist Second
Until God showed me that there’s more to life than making people laugh.