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The median church size in the U.S. is 75 members: there are lots of little congregations, and a few very large ones. That in turn leads to this fun figure: asking a 75-member church to absorb $50,000 in increased ministry costs works out to about $666 per person each year, a 44 percent surcharge on the average worshiper's contribution.

New today from the Century: Tammerie Day on George Zimmerman and the history of colonial Florida, Kathryn Reklis on Joss Whedon's Much Ado About Nothing, more.

Joss Whedon's adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing is an enchanting modern take on the 16th-century romance and a nearly perfect movie.

The answer that comes out of a tornado is not the kind of answer we want.

My grandmother died in 2005, on the eve of the feast of Saints Mary and Martha of Bethany. The next day I went to the weekday eucharist at St. James Cathedral in Chicago, and the story of Martha and her sister brought me instantly to tears. Like so many women of her generation (and not only hers), my grandmother was deeply identified with her hospitality and service. She was a lot like Martha, and I loved her for it. I am more troubled now than I was then at the way this story is gendered in our reading.

New today from the Century: Crystal St. Marie Lewis on the Zimmerman verdict and the desire to escape, Rodney Clapp on prayer amid a whirlwind, more.

When I heard the words “not guilty" on Saturday, I closed my eyes and wished that I could escape the system we’ve built here in America.

For my money, John’s is the only Gospel in which Jesus seems really lonely.

New today from the Century: Kat Banakis on being alone among friends, Tyler Day on Andy Murray and what's changed, more.

I asked an older English woman who left the church long ago why she now wants to come back. Her response made the color drain from my face.

New today from the Century: Sam Wells on what's really killing the church, Martha-Lynn Corner on what's seen and what's unseen, more.

Last week Pew released some more data from its spring survey on the rise of the nones. They asked people if they thought the growing number of "people who are not religious" is good, bad or neutral for American society. One interesting finding: while most of the nones said neutral, nearly as many said "bad" as "good." Almost a fifth of the nones think the growth of the nones—of their own group—is bad for society. Lots of people seem surprised by this finding.