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How long a papal honeymoon? News analysis
Since the moment of his election on March 13, Pope Francis has been warmly embraced by his own flock and even by the media and the wider public in a way that his bookish predecessor, Benedict XVI, ...
Delayed marriage leading to increased number of out-of-wedlock births
First comes baby, then comes marriage? That is the new norm for many middle-class young Americans—and they and their children are paying a price, says a new report....
Syrian refugee crisis hits neighboring countries
After two years of civil war, the Syrian refugee crisis is reaching a boiling point....
Gordon Cosby, 95, pioneer in missional thinking
Gordon Cosby, the founder of the Church of the Saviour in Washington, D.C., and a pioneering Christian activist whose ministry foreshadowed both the missional and emergent church movements, died Ma...
New bells to ring out at Notre Dame Cathedral
For generations, France’s best-known cathedral has been ringing in masses and Christian holidays with what some people unkindly called the most discordant bells in Europe....
GOP senator changes his view on gay marriage
Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio has reversed his longtime opposition to same-sex marriage after reconsidering the issue because his 21-year-old son, Will, is gay....
Convicted criminals
My dad’s been a church musician for years. I cut my musical teeth filling in where needed: whichever instrument, whichever voice part....
Wired together: How our brains are connected
Our brains are wired to allow us to read each other's minds, to feel each other's person.
FDR Labor Secretary Frances Perkins wins'Lent Madness' tournament
c. 2013 Religion News Service...
The HRC red equals sign: Share & tell
Not since Kony 2012 has my Facebook feed been awash in such a prolific meme: red Human Rights Campaign equal signs. I’m not exaggerating when I say more than half my Facebook friends (with recent updates) either have changed their Facebook profile pic or shared and/or liked the image. We discussed the fad in my Faith and Leadership class yesterday. After that conversation, I’m somehow both less cynical about social media and more convicted about the power for meaningful conversations face-to-face.
New Commandment and footwashing Thursday
Apparently the term “Maundy Thursday” comes from the Latin phrase “mandatum novum” meaning “new commandment.” The reference is to John 13, which features the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet, followed by his statement about a new commandment he has given them, to love one another.
We actually reached this passage in my class on the Gospel of John yesterday, and had an interesting discussion about whether this commandment is “new,” and if so, in what sense.
Two songs for three days
My Songs for the Church Year project is a season-by-season thing, without additional music for Holy Week. This week I did, however, also post this older song of mine about the New Commandment.
Thursday digest
New today from the Century: Andrew Root on brain science, LaVonne Neff reviews Richard Lischer, more.
Laughter Is Sacred Space, by Ted Swartz
Ted and Lee (Lee Eshleman and Ted Swartz) were a creative and funny acting team....
Cross-shaped story
On April 13, 2005, Richard Lischer's 33-year-old son, Adam, phoned his dad. The cancer had spread throughout Adam's body.
Cutting the military
The sequester cut defense spending—to 2006 levels. The U.S. will continue to spend as much on defense as the next 13 countries combined.