Christian NBA Player Jonathan Isaac Features Bible Verses on New Shoe Line

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November 17, 2023

As part of his new faith-based apparel line, NBA player Jonathan Isaac is launching the first basketball sneakers with visible Bible verses. Triumph, the initial JUDAH 1 shoe from the outspoken Christian’s Unitus clothing line, drops Thursday, Nov. 16. It features 2 Corinthians 4:9—“…persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.”

In a video promoting the shoes, Isaac says, “I tried my best to come up with Bible verses that were important to me and spoke to my journey and spoke to who I am as an individual.” The Orlando Magic forward, 26, has made headlines for his opposition to the Black Lives Matter organization and COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Most people see the “Judah 1” as an outlandish endeavor.. shoot, when we first started, so did I 🤷🏾‍♂️

I was afraid that delivering a sneaker that represented our values without compromising style or performance was too tall a task.. ‼️

But here we are!! ☺️👊🏾 The first basketball… pic.twitter.com/ErnMkhMtB5

— Jonathan Judah Isaac (@JJudahIsaac) November 14, 2023

In his 2022 book “Why I Stand,” Isaac described why he didn’t kneel for the national anthem during social justice protests in 2020. The athlete has received praise from conservative religious and political leaders for being “anti-woke.”

Jonathan Isaac on Living Boldly

Jonathan Isaac’s promo video for his new shoes begins, “To live bold means standing up for what you believe in. What would it look like to give people the freedom to wear their values on their feet and just have that freedom to say, ‘This is who I am. This is what I stand for’?” He continued, “Who you are is not defined by what you do, how good you are at something. Who you are is defined by striving to become a better version of yourself.”

The new shoes aren’t just for athletes, Isaac noted: “Whether you are on a basketball court, whether you’re a teacher, whether you are a mailman, you have the opportunity to walk in true greatness by the decisions that you make each and every day.”

Isaac credited Jesus’ presence for empowering him. “Understanding that Christ is with me and I’m never alone gives me the strength to live bold,” he said.

In a social media post, the athlete admitted he initially thought the challenge of “delivering a sneaker that represented our values without compromising style or performance was too tall a task… But here we are!!”

Jonathan Isaac’s Pro-Israel T-Shirts Release Soon

Jonathan Isaac’s shoe announcement earned retweets from high-profile figures including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Lara Trump, and Ben Shapiro. DeSantis, a Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential nomination, posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Proud of Jonathan and his launching of a Florida business. We need more leaders like him who stand strong when others bend the knee to the ‘PC police’. Wishing him success as he adds to Florida’s #1 state economy.”

To Remake Church Power in Francis’ Vision, Synod Calls for Changes to Canon Law

By

Claire Giangrave

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November 17, 2023

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — When the 450 bishops, priests, nuns and lay Catholics who participated in October’s nearly monthlong Synod on Synodality finished their work and made their recommendations in a closing report, they had not called for women to be ordained or the doctrine on homosexuality to be overhauled as many hoped and others feared.

It turned out that the synod was indeed mainly about synodality itself, which under Pope Francis means an openness to dialogue, with a focus on lay involvement and collegiality. As for changes to church governance, the most immediate action item seemed to be for bishops who didn’t already have a council of lay people institute one.

Kim Daniels, director of Georgetown University’s Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, who was on the synod’s communications commission, said the synod made a priority of “co-responsibility and the involvement of lay people,” adding, “in particular of lay women.”

But when a church’s codes revolve so tightly around its hierarchy of popes, cardinals and bishops, inviting lay people into the everyday management of the church is in some cases a matter of church law more than custom. In their report, the synod’s participants called for “a wider revision of the Code of Canon Law” to clear the way for prelates to act with more synodality.

Many proposals put forward in the synod report are already achievable in canon law, according to Sister Sharon Euart, a canon lawyer and executive director of the Center for Religious Studies. “The canons do need to be reviewed and updated if necessary, but they also call for a fuller implementation of what is already included in the canons,” she said.

One example is pastoral councils, which are popular and already present in some three-quarters of dioceses in the United States, according to church data, though their presence varies in other parts of the world.

In canon law, pastoral councils are not required but are “very much recommended,” Euart said.

But for lay advisers to take a bigger role in their local church or diocesan decisions, some further change to canon law may be required. Geraldina Boni, a professor of canon law at the University of Bologna and author of the book ‘Law in the History of the Church’, said in an email interview that while lay people may now “offer a valuable help to bishops,” mentions of pastoral councils in canon law should not be misinterpreted to mean they are a power-wielding entity.

Another forum where lay Catholics might have a bigger voice are bishops’ conferences. In themselves, these meetings of a country’s prelates are examples of local control. But the synod participants requested “further study” of the “doctrinal and juridical nature” of bishops’ conferences, asking whether canons could be revised to allow lay people to participate in these bodies. As an example they pointed to the Plenary Council that took place in Australia with ample participation by lay Catholics.

According to Euart, “the canons are very broad” in their rules about bishops’ conferences, giving each conference latitude to establish its own statutes. While only bishops may vote, there is nothing in canon law preventing lay people from filling administrative roles, such as the general secretary.

“Some decision-making roles in the church that have traditionally been held by clerics, but do not require holy orders, should be open to everyone,” Euart said.

Currently, the rules about lay participation in bishops’ conferences vary widely, from the United States, where the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ statutes say the general secretary should be a priest, even if canon law does not require it, to Germany, where church leaders have created a synodal committee that allows lay people to have a say at the diocesan level in parallel with bishops’ conferences.

What I Would Tell My Younger Self

By

Randy Alcorn

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November 17, 2023

During a Q&A interview earlier this year, I was asked “What would you say to your younger self?” Here was my answer:

And for those who would like to read a summary of what I shared, and want more resources:

1. Learn To Say No to Even Very Good Things so That You Can Be Free To Say Yes to Those Few Wonderful Things God Has Called you to Do.

Years ago I wrote an article on Planned Neglect: Saying No to Good Things So We Can Say Yes to the Best. I said then, and I still believe it to be true: We need to neglect doing the things that countless people want us to do, so that we will be available to do what God wants. Instead of exhausting ourselves doing many secondary things, may we do a few primary things well. And that begins with our daily time with God.

I later wrote a related but not redundant blog: A Lesson Hard Learned: Being Content with Saying No to Truly Good Opportunities. I also wrote on Does It Matter How We Spend Our Free Time? And here’s a short article on understanding the difference between the urgent and the important. Finally, years ago I wrote about Mary and Martha in an article: Can’t You See That I’m Busy?

2. Don’t Listen to Those Voices (Including the Ones Coming Even From the Church) Who Are Saying, ‘Don’t Be Radical for Jesus.’

Jesus Himself expected radical obedience from His followers: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46). To follow Christ is not about being comfortable—it’s about being sold-out to the God with the nailed-scarred hands, being radical for Him, standing up for Him, and speaking the truth in love, with grace.

A day of judgment is coming upon all men. God promises great reward for all who have served him faithfully. He will reward every loyal servant for works done in this life: “At that time each will receive his praise from God” (1 Corinthians 4:5). This is a particularly encouraging passage, suggesting that God will find something to praise and reward each one of us for. Shouldn’t that motivate us to do more for our Father that He will take pleasure in and be proud of?

Let’s follow Jesus wherever He leads, then depend upon Him to give us more courage to take the next step. “If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him” (John 12:26).

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

5 Marks of a Great Christian Leadership

By

Greg Stier

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November 17, 2023

Over the years I have had the privilege of knowing, working with and serving under some great Christian leadership. Christian leadership is not always the flashiest; but those I knew all carried a certain gravitas that everyone could sense.

It was this unmistakable aura that drew me in and made me reflect and dissect just what made these particular leaders so distinctive and effective. After years of watching, listening and reflecting, I think I’ve narrowed their christian leadership down to a handful of very specific characteristics.

5 Marks of Great Christian Leadership.

1. Great leaders lead.

Implicit in the word “leader” is the idea of moving with intentionality toward a clear and compelling objective and inspiring others to move with you. A leader has a mission to accomplish and rallies others to work with him/her to accomplish it.

There is no better example of this in ancient history than Jesus. How could a modest carpenter out of nowhere lead a handful of overlooked, underestimated blue collar followers to “make disciples of all nations”? Answer: Leadership!

Jesus inspired his disciples and moved them toward accomplishing a clear objective. Before he ascended into heaven he reminded them of what this mission was (“you will be my witnesses”), where this mission would be carried out (across the street, across the tracks and across the world) and how this mission would be effectively accomplished (“you will receive power after the Holy Spirit comes on you…” Acts 1:8).

The test of christian leadership effectiveness is what happens to his followers when that leader is gone. The amazing thing about Jesus’ ability to lead is that his followers are still carrying out his mission 2,000 years later!

Jesus was a leader who led. And, if you think about it, he is still leading, but now from heaven. In Matthew 16:18 Jesus told Peter, “I will build my church…” The ultimate leader in human history is still leading the charge from the right hand of the Father.

In my lifetime of studying living legend leaders I can’t help but think of former Senator Bill Armstrong. After serving in the Senate he eventually became the President of Colorado Christian University (my alma mater.) When he took over the helm at CCU it had fallen on dark times theologically. The school that I loved was sliding toward a very squishy, doctrinally liberal viewpoint.

But all that changed when President Armstrong took over. He was a leader who led. He didn’t just talk about it. He exemplified it.

Within a few short years he jerked the steering wheel right and got the school back on the path biblically. Not only that, he put the mission of Jesus in the center of the school. He launched “The Year of Evangelism” at CCU and made sure both students and teachers were fully equipped to share their faith.

He turned the ship in a powerful and spectacular way. Colorado Christian University is the school it is today because of the great christian leadership of President Bill Armstrong.

In the last few years before he went to be with the Lord I met with him as much as I could to learn from his christian leadership excellence. I have known several good leaders over my lifetime but Bill Armstrong was a great leader…because he led CCU to follow Jesus!

Great leaders lead.

2. Great leaders model.

In Luke 6:40 Jesus said, “The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.”

Great leaders live out what they are seeking to teach their followers. They don’t hand out pamphlets to places they’ve never been.

This is especially true of getting teenagers to evangelize. The youth leaders must model it first. As I often tell youth leaders, if your teenagers are not actively share their faith you may need a mirror and not a bullhorn.

One of my best friends on the planet is Dave Gibson. He is a missions pastor at Grace Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. But he is more than a missions pastor, he is a legendary leader of the missions movement across the nation and around the globe. He has great favor with the top missions and church-planting organizations. He has more influence in these arenas than anyone else I know of.

But what makes Dave Gibson a great leader is that he lives out his convictions. Wherever he is he shares the Gospel to whomever he happens to be talking to. Whether you go with him into a restaurant or onto a plane or into a gym you can be sure the Gospel will be shared. One of the reasons he has so much influence in the world of missions is because he is a walking, talking example of what it means to be a missionary wherever you are in the world.

If you want to be a great leader then live out your sermon outline. And live it out with authenticity and humility. When you do others will notice and follow your lead..

3. Great leaders pray.

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16

Jesus was always escaping ministry opportunities to pray. He would get up early and go out to pray. He’d climb a mountain and pray. He’d go into a garden and pray. It was during these times of prayer where he got his marching orders from the Father.

Jesus understood that to be a great leader you had to first be a great follower. And Jesus was following the Father’s lead. In John 5:19 Jesus gives us his secret to great leadership, “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”

Jesus used his prayer times to see and sense what the Father was doing…and then follow his lead. We, too, must make time to escape and pray. Whether it’s going on prayer walks with the Father or finding that quiet space in our houses, we must make time to pray!

The greatest Christian leaders I know are the greatest prayer warriors. They start their days in prayer, they sprinkle prayer throughout their days and, when they lay their heads on their pillows at night, they are often communing with God in prayer.

Christian leadership understand that the ultimate leader is God and, without him leading them, their leadership efforts are futile. Prayer is their pipeline for divine wisdom, power and courage.

As E.M. Bounds once said, “What the church needs today is not machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Spirit can use—men mighty in prayer. The Holy Spirit does not flow through methods, but through men of prayer.” And I might add, through women of prayer.

How a Sanctified Imagination Can Improve Your Preaching

By

Ray Hollenbach

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November 17, 2023

sanctified imagination — Adobestock #237766909

The gospels give us a glimpse of the life of Jesus, but only a glimpse. John the Apostle reminded us “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” (John 21: 25) In John’s final words to us we have been given an invitation to imagine the life of Jesus more fully via a sanctified imagination.

I think pastors need to heed this invitation. A sanctified imangination has the potential to help us connect with the daily lives of our congregation and improve our preaching.

Sanctified Imagination Can Improve Your Preaching

Don’t be afraid, we apply our imagination to the life of Christ in more ways than we realize. For example, the scripture tells us only that Mary “gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2: 7) Our imagination provides the barn: the sights, the sounds, even the scent. Some of the most beautiful paintings in history have depicted the details of that night. And if you have ever suffered through a Sunday-school Christmas pageant you will also acknowledge some of the cheesiest dramas ever written have portrayed the events of the nativity. From transcendent beauty on canvas to children wearing ridiculous paste-on beards, our imaginations accompany the revealed word of God. It’s OK—we are invited to meditate upon, to imagine, his life.

Building a Church Staff? Don’t Hire Yourself

By

Ray Hollenbach

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November 17, 2023

Don't Hire Yourself — Adobestock #219846704

Leaders like to associate with other like-minded leaders. That’s perfectly natural. So, when adding to the team, in my experience, people typically tend to hire someone they can easily get along with, relate to and with whom they will enjoy working. But don’t do it: don’t hire yourself.

The challenge is that often translates into hiring people who think like them, make decisions like them, and even have similar life interests.

Building a Church Staff? Don’t Hire Yourself

While hiring for cultural fit and chemistry on the team is certainly something I agree with and try to practice, I encourage senior leaders not to hire another “of them” for the team.

The challenge:

If we are not careful, simply because of the chemistry between us, we will be attracted towards candidates that are a lot like us. It often translates into hiring clones of the person doing the hiring. Before long, as the organization grows, it is full of people with similar interests attempting to reach the vision.

Again, while a team of “like-minded” people may sound good in principle, it can actually become a very limiting system. Variety on a team is what stretches the team to reach new heights.

You can hire people who can get along, but are still different from you.

The more I have grown as a leader the more I have concentrated on my weaknesses. I know my strengths well. I now need to know what is holding our team back from all we could be. In recent years I have strived to surround myself with people that stretch me and have skills – and even personalities and temperaments – different from me.

Leaders, as you are building your team, I suggest you look for people that are not like you. Don’t hire yourself – hire someone who completes you. Hire people that take you out of your comfort zone, maybe even conflict with your style a little. In the end, it will make your organization better.

Check out my leadership podcast where we discuss leadership nuggetsin a practical way. Plus, check out the other Lifeway Leadership Podcasts.

C.S. Lewis: Art With a Message

By

Glenn Packiam

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November 17, 2023

For all who love the Narnia books, we cannot help but see Lewis’ rich theology coming to life in the characters and conversations of these books. One might be tempted to think that Lewis produced art with a message, that he scripted the message he wanted to communicate in each book — or even in the series as a whole — before he was writing. But this was not the case:

“Some people seem to think that I began by asking myself how I could say something about Christianity to children; then fixed on the fairy tale as an instrument; then collected the information about child psychology and decided what age group I’d write for; then drew up a list of basic Christian truths and hammered out ‘allegories’ to embody them. This is all pure moonshine. I couldn’t write in that way at all.”

Art With a Message

As a songwriter deeply interested in seeing our art reflect a rich view of God — after all: worship shapes believing — I have fallen into the trap many times of beginning first with a concept and trying to shoehorn it into a melody. Sometimes it works; but most of the time, it’s clunky. Lewis, surprisingly, says it’s best not to begin by asking what “moral children need” (or in our case, what the Church needs?)

Love Church? If Not, You Won’t Accomplish Anything in Youth Ministry

By

Andy Lawrenson

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November 16, 2023

Youth pastor, do you love church? Specifically, do you love your church? From what I hear, some youth ministers who are serving in churches don’t love church. Youth pastor, is that you? That would be like working on cars and hating cars. I’d be miserable, and that misery would show in my job performance.

I’m working through 1 Thessalonians and read this: “But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another. Indeed, you already show your love for all the believers throughout Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them even more” (1 Thessalonians 4:9-10).

Paul is expressing how important it is for the church to love church. People who sit in the pew week after week should truly love the church God has placed us in. Not just as members but also as leaders and staff and volunteers. If I love church, the results show in how I do my job in the church, whether I’m a volunteer or staff member.

My thoughts then turned to 1 Corinthians 13. I read the chapter with my church in mind. Pastors and teachers can teach and preach with great eloquence. But if they don’t love church, then it’s just a bunch of noise. It’s like the teacher speaking in the Charlie Brown cartoons: “Wha wha wha wha…”

Without love, what we do in ministry amounts to absolutely nothing. If we give and sacrifice in ministry but don’t have love, we have gained zero.

Why We Need to Love Church

Love must be the motivational force behind what we do in youth ministry and in serving. If love isn’t present, we’re just spinning our wheels. We’re accomplishing nothing for the Kingdom of God.

Love is a powerful motivator. When I fell in love with my wife, Misha, more than 30 years ago, I was motivated to do whatever I could just to spend time with her. I wanted to be around her.

IHOPKC Releases ‘Report on Initial Findings’ Regarding Mike Bickle’s Alleged Abuse

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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November 16, 2023

Mike Bickle IHOPKC — Screengrab via Google Maps

The International House of Prayer of Kansas City (IHOPKC) Executive Leadership Team (ELT) continued to keep the public informed regarding the investigation into sexual and spiritual abuse allegations against the ministry’s founder, Mike Bickle, with an update letter and a Report on Initial Findings.

In the letter, IHOPKC restated its commitment “to investigating any allegations of sexual abuse in our organization and faith community in a way that honors privacy, safety, and due process.”

The ELT shared that it is releasing its report “in an effort to bring clarity in a time of pain and confusion” and is committed “to pursuing the truth of any credible allegations of abuse and obtaining restoration, healing, and justice for the victims of abuse.”

Leadership also explained why IHOPKC is using attorneys to conduct the preliminary examination into the allegations.

The decision has “nothing to do with preparing a legal defense or intimidating potential victims and everything to do with handling these allegations with the utmost seriousness in which they deserved to be treated,” the ELT said.

Since one of the allegations against Bickle “would be considered criminal in nature,” the ELT believes that the local law firm it has chosen is best suited to “thoroughly and legally examining all the facts.”

The ELT also explained why IHOPKC is unable to have GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment), which was founded by former prosecutor Boz Tchividjian in 2004, conduct a third-party review of their initial findings.

Speaking of Tchividjian, who is the current owner at BozLaw PA and a board member for GRACE, the ELT shared that it recently learned that Tchividjian is the private attorney for one of Bickle’s alleged victims. “This represents a clear conflict of interest for G.R.A.C.E. and disqualifies the organization as a candidate to be an objective third party,” they said.

This process has made IHOPKC’s leadership identify areas where IHOPKC can improve, one of which is “a clear and simple process and protocol for people who want to report any form of sexual abuse.”

The ELT’s Report on Initial Findings informed readers that IHOPKC has identified five of the eight alleged victims whose testimony was brought to them on Oct. 24 by a group of men led by a local Kansas City pastor.

A Growing Number of Iranians Are Working Underground To Translate the Bible Into Their Heart Languages

By

Janna Firestone

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November 16, 2023

Iranians — Photo by Aaron Burden (via Unsplash)

Everyone has a “heart language,” often the first language learned and spoken at home. Words read and spoken in a person’s heart language are much more meaningful and more easily understood. That’s why many Iranians are working tirelessly to translate the Bible into dozens of their own heart languages.

“Every person in the world needs the Bible in the language they understand the best,” says unfoldingWord, a non-profit that helps church networks with Bible translation. One Iranian translator, “Miriam,” agrees: “Having the gospel in my heart language makes it much easier to talk to my family about Jesus.”

Iranians Secretly Translating the Bible To Share the Gospel

Christians in closed countries struggle to have access to a Bible and often lack traditional church interaction and community, which are vital to the learning and growing journey. The Christian Post interviewed “Evan Thompson” (a fake name to protect his identity) with unfoldingWord to get a better understanding of what it’s like for Christians in Iran.

“There are 1.45 billion people in the world who speak about 5,500 languages that do not have the whole Bible in their heart languages,” Thompson said. “The Church has expanded exponentially in the last 20 years. And what these folks have learned is that you can lead someone to Christ, but if they don’t have a church, they don’t survive on their own.”

Especially in closed countries such as Iran, governments can forbid or strictly limit any missional activity. Iranian leaders prohibit people in Iran from studying their heart languages in schools. Farsi is the official national language of Iran, but many natives speak other dialects much more fluently.

“All of these oppressive countries, like Sudan, like Iran, and some others we could name, are trying to Islamasize their whole population,” Thompson explained. “And one of the ways that they do that is by forcing them to speak this one national language, and it’s causing their heart languages to die out.”

Thompson drew a parallel to American schools. “It’s very much like anybody that comes to America from someplace else, and we put them in American schools to learn English,” he said. “Unless their family makes it a point to keep their native languages…alive in their families, by the second or third generation, the kids can’t speak their native language anymore.”

The ministry provides a way in Iran—and in other parts of the world—for local Christians to translate the Bible. “We don’t make Bible translations. We help develop Bible translators. Because that’s what the Church really needs all over the world,” Thompson said.

Bible Translation Has Given Iranians Like ‘Miriam’ Hope

“Miriam” (not her real name) also spoke with The Christian Post about how she, along with other Iranian translators, risks her life to translate the Bible in Iran.

“I cannot even imagine leaving this work unfinished. I must complete this work and see the result. I want to see my beloved ones experience salvation in Christ,” Miriam said. “This is my dream: that my people can talk about God and speak his name freely without any hesitation; without any fear they can talk about God.”

Following Theft of Trailer, Houston Church Raising Support for Community Outreach

By

Dale Chamberlain

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November 16, 2023

During the holiday season, churches around the country look for ways to serve the underprivileged in their communities. However, one Texas church was stymied in its efforts to provide resources to those in need last week when a trailer used for outreach events was stolen from its property.

Inspiration Church in Houston had been partnering with DJR Mental Health Clinic for charitable initiatives in the community, including food drives. Now some of those efforts have been placed on hold.

“We’ve got bicycle pickups, we got turkey pickups, we got Christmas gift pickups, that we are unable to do right now,” Carlos Jones II, who pastors the church, told KPRC 2.

While Jones said the church has filed a report with the Houston Police Department, he directed one comment toward the thieves: “Return it; we won’t press charges.”

Jones told Cairns Post that he believes the trailer was stolen during an evening choir practice, as that was the only time the church’s gate would have been open.

“But not sure, there’s no leads on anything right now,” Jones added.

In the days following the theft, Jones established a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds to replace the trailer, as well as the contents therein. The church’s goal is to raise $15,000.

“Our trailer played a crucial role in our mission of providing resources and support to the community. It allowed us to transport vital supplies and materials, enabling us to carry out various outreach programs and initiatives,” Jones wrote. “With its loss, we are now facing significant challenges in continuing our services effectively.”

“Your generous donations will go towards the purchase of a new trailer, one that will enable us to continue bringing essential resources and services to our community,” Jones continued. “Whether it’s distributing food, providing clothing to those in need, or organizing educational programs, our new trailer will be the foundation for our outreach efforts.”

“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your kindness, support, and commitment to our mission,” Jones concluded. “Together, we can overcome this setback and continue serving our community with love and compassion.”

‘Calm in the Chaos’: Rookie C.J. Stroud Credits Prayer and God for Giving Him Peace

By

Stephanie Martin

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November 16, 2023

After rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud led the Houston Texans to another wild victory last weekend, talk emerged of him being not only NFL Rookie of the Year but also a possible MVP candidate. For the second straight week, Stroud engineered a game-winning drive, this time in Cincinnati against the Bengals on Nov. 12.

Stroud, just 22, has emerged as a poised leader who’s earned the trust of his coaches and teammates. “The thing about C.J. is it’s the calm in the chaos,” said Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans. “He doesn’t waver. He’s confident that he’s going to make plays, and the moment isn’t too big for him.”

C.J. Stroud: God Gives Me Only What I Can Handle

After Sunday’s victory, C.J. Stroud was asked about that calm demeanor. “How do you find that?” a reporter asked at the QB’s post-game press conference. “Or how do you come up with that?”

That gave Stroud, an outspoken Christian, another opportunity to talk about his faith—and how God has been with him through life’s challenges. “For me, it’s a lot of prayer,” the QB began. “A lot of just knowing that God wouldn’t put anything on me that I can’t handle.” He continued, “I don’t deserve (God’s) grace and his mercy, but he still gives it to me, and I love him for that.”

Deflecting any personal credit, Stroud said, “It’s about (God) and his glory…I think God made me like that. I’ve been through a lot, not only in football but things that made me just kind of chill when everything is going crazy.” He added, “I thank God for putting that…in me, because that’s something that you need playing in this position, in this league.”

As ChurchLeaders has reported, Stroud’s father, a former pastor, began serving a 38-year prison sentence while Stroud, the youngest of four siblings, was in middle school. The family experienced financial hardships and housing insecurity as a result.

Rookie QB C.J. Stroud Trusts and Garners Trust

Next, C.J. Stroud praised his teammates and coaches, saying how “amazing” it is to trust them—and to have their trust in return. Defensive end Jonathan Greenard said of Stroud, “I never get down in the dumps because I know we have a quarterback like that.”

Stroud, a California native who played college football at Ohio State, said it was “a blessing to be back in Ohio,” calling it his “second home.” He also spoke highly of Sunday’s opponent, saying it was “an honor” to play against Bengals QB Joe Burrow.

Fired Prelate Appears Near—But Not at—Bishops Gathering

By

Jack Jenkins

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November 16, 2023

BALTIMORE (RNS) — A Texas bishop recently removed from his post by Pope Francis made an appearance near the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ annual gathering this week but avoided entering the building, telling reporters on Wednesday (Nov. 15) that he was respecting a request from the Vatican’s ambassador to the United States.

Until Saturday (Nov. 11), Joseph Strickland was the bishop of Tyler, Texas, a post he had held since 2012, when he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI. But Strickland became a source of perpetual controversy, praying at a Jericho March event in the lead-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and voicing support during the COVID-19 pandemic for priests who defied their bishops by refusing to be vaccinated. In May, Strickland accused Pope Francis on social media of “undermining the Deposit of Faith,” the body of Catholic belief.

Strickland’s actions earned him a private dressing-down by then-Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the Vatican’s ambassador to the U.S. (and now newly minted cardinal), at a 2021 meeting of the USCCB, followed this summer by a visit from Vatican investigators to his diocese. When rumors circulated that the Holy See was preparing to force Strickland’s retirement, he told Religion News Service that he would not resign voluntarily.

Strickland’s removal did not technically bar him from attending USCCB’s meetings, but he did not appear in the hotel ballroom in Baltimore’s Marriott Waterfront where bishops gathered this week for their annual fall meeting. Instead, he appeared around the gathering’s edges, his whereabouts becoming a source of intrigue: He was spotted by reporters walking and praying with a small group of men on Monday, in a nearby hotel on Tuesday and at an anti-abortion event just feet away from the hotel door on Wednesday afternoon.

After the anti-abortion event, which Strickland has visited in past years, he stopped to speak with a group of journalists. Standing near supporters who held signs that read “We stand with Bishop Strickland,” he expressed bemusement about his situation and his future.

“I really don’t know,” he said. “My next step, after this week: I’m going to Thanksgiving dinner at my sister’s house — that’s all I know.”

He added: “I’m a bishop without a diocese, which is a strange place to be. But that’s where I am.”

He said some of his fellow bishops had reached out to him, and at least one said they were “afraid” to take public positions similar to those Strickland has. The Texas native declined to single out any prelate by name, however.

Strickland has spent years building a following online, particularly among conservative Catholics. Some of them stood nearby among the small crowd that had gathered for the anti-abortion event.

Becky Ford, who said she had traveled to Baltimore from St. Mary’s County, Maryland, said, “I’ve had the fortune to meet Bishop Strickland twice — I follow him on Twitter. I get the little alerts.”

She added: “He just speaks the truth. And what has happened to him is kind of heartbreaking for a Catholic. When I think of him, I think of hope.”

Bishop TD Jakes Helps Launch Online Hub To Aid Faith Leaders With Mental Health Tools

By

Adelle M Banks

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November 16, 2023

(RNS) — Bishop T.D. Jakes has joined mental health and faith experts to launch a new curriculum to help clergy and lay leaders move beyond sayings like “I’m too blessed to be stressed.”

Such expressions may hide the strains and more serious mental health problems facing some people of faith, including congregational leaders, said the senior pastor of Dallas’ The Potter’s House and the chairman of the T.D. Jakes Foundation.

“We have these colloquialisms that don’t really allow help to come in,” said Jakes, kicking off a 90-minute online forum Tuesday (Nov. 14). “But tonight, we’re taking off the mask.”

The forum introduced the “Faith and Mental Health Hub,” a free online course that includes more than a dozen videos that aim to define mental health, reduce stigma and encourage self-care activities. It includes segments focused particularly on Black and Latino leaders, as research has shown that African American and Hispanic adults with mental illness are far less likely to have used mental health services than their white counterparts (39.4% and 36.1%, respectively, compared with 52.4%, according to data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration).

The course, some of which is offered in Spanish as well as English, also includes a “compassion and refer” section to help clergy shift from personally handling some regular forms of assistance, such as premarital counseling, to recommending someone with professional expertise, especially in an acute mental health situation.

The “mental health e-learning hub” is funded by the Ad Council and the University of Utah’s Huntsman Mental Health Institute as part of a multiyear Mental Health Initiative that includes the “Love, Your Mind” campaign that began in October. It is supported by Jakes’ foundation, leaders of several historically Black denominations and other faith networks, including the National Latino Evangelical Coalition and the National African American Clergy Network.

Overall, a 2023 Ipsos study showed that more than half of Americans — 58% — said they felt stressed to the point that it affected how they lived their daily life. A similar but slightly lower percentage — 53% —said they felt so stressed they could not cope or deal with things.

“There are so many leaders in our faith communities who are trying to be a resource for everyone else,” said Joshua DuBois, founding partner and CEO of Values Partnerships, which helped organize the video-based curriculum. “But frequently, their own mental health gets overlooked.”

In an interview, he said his organization and the Ad Council held listening sessions that helped them develop the course. They realized that even as faith leaders sought to provide some congregants with needed mental health assistance, those in key positions — pastors, head ushers, choir directors, youth pastors — “were often the last ones to get the resources that they need when it comes to mental health.” Some recalled the toll of the increased number of deaths of congregants during the pandemic; others spoke of personal issues such as divorce.

Speakers at the forum said it is important for faith leaders to have confidants, friends and sometimes professional counselors with whom they can talk.

“The worst kind of loneliness is to be surrounded by people with whom you cannot speak,” said Jakes during the forum.

Added the Rev. Danté Quick, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in Somerset, New Jersey: “We have to begin to think of ourselves not just as men and women of God, but as creatures needing the aid of each other. So, for me, God aids me through a good therapist.”

Church of England Synod Moves Forward With a Test of Prayers for Same-Sex Couples

By

Catherine Pepinster

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November 16, 2023

Church-of-England-synod-moves-forward-with-a-test-of-prayers-for-same-sex- — Church of England General Synod attendees vote on a motion for closure on an item, Nov. 15, 2023, in London. (Video screen grab)

LONDON (RNS) — The Church of England will test-run stand-alone services for blessing same-sex couples after its ruling body, the General Synod, voted to move ahead with implementing special prayers of thanks and dedication for gay couples. The vote to go ahead with the pilot program followed hours of emotionally charged debate about the church’s pastoral responsibilities toward gay people.

The synod’s vote on Wednesday (Nov. 15) follows the House of Bishops’ agreement last month to commend “Prayers of Love and Faith,” a collection of prayers and readings for same-sex couples, for use in existing church services. The bishops also approved the prayers as the basis for stand-alone services.

Two days of debate began with synod members — bishops, clergy and lay representatives — considering a motion put forward by the bishop of London, the Rt. Rev. Dame Sarah Mullally, the third most senior bishop in the Church of England, in which she highlighted the uncertainty and tensions in the church over the issue and especially over the content of prayers for same-sex blessings.

Thirteen amendments were offered to her motion, from those who wanted to recognize further the distress the issue had caused to gay people to those who wanted to abandon the work on same-sex blessings altogether.

On Wednesday, the synod voted to accept an amendment from Steven Croft, the bishop of Oxford, to test stand-alone services, a significant move that some synod members pointed out might affect the “optics” surrounding the blessings, suggesting that they are weddings in all but name.

The Croft amendment passed the House of Laity by just one vote.

Support for the prayers for same-sex blessings came from the Church of England’s leaders, the archbishops of Canterbury and York, at the start of the special session of General Synod.

But tensions remain so strong that the archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, told the synod on Tuesday that the disagreements “appeared to be stretching us to breaking point.” But he also said that “there should be no place for homophobia in our church.”

Those who opposed the experiment with the prayers for same-sex blessings pointed out that once they had been tried, they would be hard to retract. “Trial services could never be withdrawn,” said the bishop of Chichester, the Rt. Rev. Martin Warner. That would be too divisive, he said, while saying the idea of accommodating same-sex couples needed more study.

“Like all doctrine, the doctrine of marriage is practical, but it is more than that,” he said. “It shows that what we do now is linked to eternal reality. How we use our bodies matters — they are temples of the Holy Spirit. This is more than devotion. The rationale for using these prayers needs far more elucidation.”

The vote is not binding across the rest of the Anglican Communion but it will be noted with interest, especially among those who have been highly critical of Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby for being too tolerant of gay believers.

Meanwhile, it was received with relief by Church of England members who back reform, many of whom feared that other amendments to Mullally’s motion would delay or even halt progress on the decision made by a synod in February to press ahead with prayers of blessing. Continuing conflict between conservative and liberal groups had already kept that decision from being implemented.

In New Political Document, Catholic Bishops Emphasize Abortion Over Climate Change

By

Jack Jenkins

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November 16, 2023

climate change — In New Political Document, Catholic Bishops Emphasize Abortion Over Climate Change

BALTIMORE (RNS) — Bishops at this year’s annual fall gathering of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops struck a more even tone than at past gatherings, with prelates overseeing a less dramatic affair despite perceived tensions with Pope Francis and controversies involving the recent removal of a Texas bishop.

The four-day conference includes two days of public sessions, bookended by private meetings and worship services. The public portion kicked off Tuesday (Nov. 14) with customary remarks from Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Vatican’s U.S. ambassador, who called on bishops to offer a unified front to the American people amid political polarization.

“While many secular leaders seem almost incapable of listening to each other and discerning a better way forward, we as Catholic bishops have something better to offer people: the hope and trust that come from being the sons and daughters of God,” Pierre said.

He was followed by USCCB President Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese of the Military Services, who drew attention to plights facing Catholics and others around the world — including the ongoing violence in the Middle East.

“Our thoughts turn readily to the Holy Land, sacred to all three monotheistic religions,” Broglio said. “We recognize and defend the right of Israel to exist and to enjoy a place among the nations. At the same time we know that the Palestinians, who represent the majority of Christians in the Holy Land — while still being a minority — have a right to a land that is their own. The Holy See has long advocated for that right and we also plead for them.”

USCCB President Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, center, presides over the annual fall gathering of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023, in Baltimore. (RNS photo/Jack Jenkins)

USCCB President Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, center, presides over the annual fall gathering of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Nov. 15, 2023, in Baltimore. (RNS photo/Jack Jenkins)

What followed was a conference filled with straightforward procedural votes, such as appointing bishops to various committees, voicing support for an effort to make John Henry Newman — who was canonized as a saint in 2019 — a Doctor of the Church and shifting the regional classifications of the Archdiocese of Las Vegas and the Diocese of Reno.

It was a largely subdued affair compared with recent years, when bishops wrangled with hot-button issues such as a Eucharistic document that was seen as a proxy debate over whether to grant Communion to Catholic politicians who support abortion rights.

The lack of drama belied the weekend’s controversy that preceded the gathering. On Saturday, Pope Francis removed Bishop Joseph Strickland, a firebrand conservative cleric, from his post as head of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas. His departure followed a private dressing-down of Strickland by Pierre at the 2021 bishops’ gathering and a formal Vatican investigation of the Texas bishop’s diocese earlier this summer.

While Strickland was technically able to attend the conference, he appeared only at events conducted outside the Baltimore hotel, telling reporters Pierre had asked him to stay away.

“Maybe it was the right decision. … I respected it,” Strickland said of his absence.

Inside, there were hints of political fights to come. The bishops approved a measure involving the USCCB’s “Faithful Citizenship” document, an issue-based voting guideline distributed during election years. Prelates overwhelmingly voted to include bulletin inserts and a new introductory letter for the document, which, among other things, declares that the “threat of abortion remains our pre-eminent priority.”

Nothing Compares to the Church

By

James Emery White

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November 16, 2023

Many years ago, I read of a pastor who boarded a plane in a pair of old blue jeans and a T-shirt, looking anything but ministerial. He sat down next to a well-dressed business guy who was reading a copy of the Wall Street Journal.

They exchanged the usual pleasantries, and then the pastor asked the man what he did for a living. With obvious pride, he said, “Oh, I’m in the figure salon business. We can change a woman’s self-concept by changing her body. It’s really a very profound, powerful thing.”

He was a fairly young guy, so the pastor asked him if he had been doing it for very long.

“No,” he said, “I just graduated from the University of Michigan’s School of Business, but they’ve already given me so much responsibility I hope to eventually manage the western part of the operation.”

“So you’re a national organization?”

And he said: “Oh, yes. We are the fastest growing company of our kind in the nation. It’s really good to be a part of an organization like that, don’t you think?”

The pastor nodded in approval.

Then came the inevitable question: “And what do you do?”

“It’s interesting,” the pastor said. “We actually have similar business interests. You’re in the body-changing business, and I’m in the personality-changing business. In my field, we apply basic theocratic principles to accomplish indigenous personality modification.”

The younger man had no idea what that meant, but he said, “You know, I’ve heard about that. Do you have an office here in the city?”

“Oh yes. We have many offices, up and down the state,” the minister replied. “In fact, we’re national; we have at least one office in every state of the union including Alaska and Hawaii.”

By this time, the guy was racking his brain trying to identify this huge company that he must have heard about or read about somewhere.

When God’s People Do Not Live in the Word, Bad Things Happen

By

Joe McKeever

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November 16, 2023

“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in that law doth he meditate day and night” (Psalm 1:2). The Lord never intended for His Word to collect dust on a table in your back bedroom. When God’s people do not live in the Word, bad things happen. People paid for your right to own a Bible in your own language with their very lives. What are you doing about that?

Christians who own numerous Bibles that they rarely open are thumbing their noses at the saints of old who paid the ultimate price. This hard-won treasure lies buried under the dust and detritus of your life.

The Lord’s plan calls for His people to live the Word and breathe His word, to read it and receive it inwardly, and to think about it regularly and practice it. He intended it to become part of the very marrow of their bones. Digest it. Assimilate it. Live it. And meditate upon it continually. He even told people to “eat this book.”

Several times throughout biblical history, God told His faithful prophet to consume the book containing His words (Jeremiah 15:16; Ezekiel 2:3; 3:1-3; Revelation 10:9). The idea was to get His Word inside, to digest it as surely as one takes in meat and vegetables for nourishment and sustenance, and to grow thereby.

3 Places Your Pastoral Skills Must Be at Least Average

By

Eric Geiger

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November 16, 2023

Over the last decade, the predominant and popular answer to the common question “Should I focus on leveraging my strengths or developing my weaknesses?” has been to place significantly more energy on strength development. Marcus Buckingham wasn’t the only one to advocate to focus on your strengths instead of spending time and energy correcting your weaknesses, but he helped popularize the idea in his best-selling and excellent book Now, Discover Your Strengths. For the most part, I agree. But there is one big caveat. You must be at least average in these important pastoral skills or those weaknesses will overshadow your strengths.

The longer I lead, the more leery I am of bringing people to the team who dismissively shrug off their weaknesses because their strengths are so pronounced. For example, the person who says, “I am a big picture guy, an idea guy, but that means I am not really good at the details” still needs to be able to answer email and knock out some tasks. The person who says, “I am a task-oriented leader; just load my plate with work and I knock it out, but people can get in my way at times” needs to be able to connect with the team relationally. One doesn’t have to be stellar in everything, but there is a bare minimum of pastoral skills in all of the critical things or one just cannot function on the team.

3 Places Your Pastoral Skills Must Be at Least Average

1. Relationships

You don’t have to be the one who “owns the room” or “woos people with your personality.” In fact, many great leaders are introverts. You can do your best thinking alone and prefer the clarity you find in solitude, but you must be able to relate to people. If you cannot converse with people, offer encouragement, and connect relationally, all of your other skills can be muted by poor emotional intelligence.

2. Communication

You don’t have to be an excellent speaker or writer. You can even hate public speaking. A highly effective leader on my team hates speaking from a stage and delegates that opportunity to others. But to lead others one of your pastoral skills must be to formulate thoughts and communicate them clearly to others. You must be at least average in this or it doesn’t matter how intelligent you are, how much experience you have, or how skilled you are in your discipline.

3. Organization

You don’t have to be an organizational guru, time management phenom, or administrative ninja. You can surely rely on people around you who excel in administration, but you must be able to execute what you say you will do. At minimum, you must be able to respond to emails and meet deadlines on assignments or you will slow everyone else down. A disorganized and unresponsive leader slows down the whole team.

Depending on the context, there are obviously other skills where leaders must be at least average. You won’t be deeply skilled in every aspect of your leadership, but if you don’t get relationships, communication, and organization to at least minimum, the skills you are strong in will be overshadowed.

This article appeared here.

Does God Have Favorites?

By

Chet Gladkowski

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November 16, 2023

does God have favorites — Adobestock #87176603

We all have our favorites. Our favorite vacation. Our favorite fishing spots. Our favorite restaurant. Our favorite meal. Our favorite holiday. Our favorite ride at Disney World. Our favorite friend. Our favorite boss. Our favorite aunts and uncles. Our favorite cousin. Our favorite child. Does God have favorites?

As for those who were held in high esteem—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism—they added nothing to my message. ~ Galatians 2:6

I can’t think of anyone that sits down with a piece of paper, or even a spreadsheet, and figures out what or who’s going to be their favorite. It doesn’t appear at the end of an experiment. It doesn’t just pop up at the end of a long calculation or formula.

Does God Have Favorites?

No, favorites are not from our minds, but from our hearts. We might think that they’re logical, but they’re not. We might be able to give lots of reasons why they are favorites. But at the end of the day, they are choices based on feelings and experiences.

For example, my favorite sandwich of all time is a shrimp salad sandwich on white bread with potato chips and a Pepsi. Now, I really like Italian subs (hoagies.) I like hot roast turkey sandwiches with lots of gravy. I also like hot corned beef on seeded rye with mustard too. The list could go on and on.

So, what makes a shrimp salad sandwich my favorite? Is it because I was born and raised in Baltimore? Is it because I read the recipe in a book? Did I win a contest for making the best shrimp salad sandwich?

It’s because a shrimp salad sandwich was the first meal Mary Ann and I had together as husband and wife. We left our wedding reception and stopped at a local joint for a shrimp salad sandwiches together. We sat across from one another in brand-new clothes, with a brand-new marriage license, and a brand-new life ahead of us. As we nibbled at our sandwiches, we looked into each other’s eyes, and we couldn’t stop smiling.

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