Crushed, but Not That Way

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July 15, 2022

An angel, we’ll call him Clarence because that’s what you’re supposed to name angels, descends from heaven and lets you know that in your future you will be crushed to death. But you are being given an option as to how you’d like to be crushed.

Option A: You will be crushed in a way similar to how the Beatles were crushed by a mob of adoring and rather delusional fans. You are meeting a need in them and they cannot contain their excitement and you end up squashed.

Option B: You will be crushed because people hate you and think that you are a fraud. They will dream up an excruciating means of a slow and torturous death, beat you to an inch of your life and then use this brutal instrument to squeeze your body to the point of death.

Which one do you pick?

If I’m going to be crushed, then I’d rather be crushed because people love me. I don’t think I’d pick option B. That sounds horrendous.

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him…

he was crushed for our iniquities…

And how would Jesus, the Suffering Servant, be crushed? It would be through the brutality of a bloody cross. But there was a point when he could have been crushed by popularity.

And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him… (Mark 3:9)

Crushed, but not that way. Jesus will not pick the path of celebrity. He will avoid this type of crushing death. It does not please the LORD for his son to be crushed by popularity, and so he makes plans to avoid this dangerous devotion of fickle followers. Instead he will be crucified as a criminal.

There is a lesson for us in this path which Jesus chose. There is a type of celebratory martyrdom. Popularity can be crushing even in our day. And those of us who know that the path of Jesus is marked by suffering can be tempted to pick this type of suffering as if this is somehow what it means to die to self.

It’s not just any kind of cruciform life which Christ calls us to embrace. We aren’t called to be crushed by our own adoring platforms but rather our blood to be quietly spilled outside the city gates, among the vulnerable and for even our enemies.

Crushed, but not that way.

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

25 Christian Celebrities Who Have Been Outspoken About Their Faith

By

Jessica Lea

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July 14, 2022

Fame comes with all kinds of pressure, but there are Christian celebrities living out their convictions in the public eye, even when doing so makes their lives more difficult. What follows is a list of celebrities whose faith has shaped their actions.

We want to acknowledge that only God truly knows what is going on in someone’s heart—and you might not agree with everyone on our list. But we hope you find it encouraging to discover some people you might not have been aware of who are living out their beliefs in the limelight.

25 Notable Christian Celebrities

1 & 2. Justin and Hailey Bieber

Pop star Justin Bieber is outspoken about his Christian faith and has at times led people in praise and worship. “The way I look at my relationship with God and with Jesus is I’m not trying to earn God’s love by doing good things,” said Bieber in an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. “God has already loved me for who I am before I ever did anything to earn and deserve it. It’s a free gift…The forgiveness is the thing that we look at and we go, you know, I’m going to worship you, God, because you gave me something so good.” Bieber said he did not think he would be alive today if it were not for his faith since before he committed to following Jesus, he was on a self-destructive path.

On Easter of 2021, Bieber released a faith-centered album titled, “Freedom,” that featured collaborations with other Christian singers and church leaders—and also contained explicit language. In June of this year, Bieber shared on Instagram but he is dealing with a health condition called Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which can cause paralysis in the face. He asked his followers for prayer and said that he was trusting God.

Justin’s wife, model Hailey Bieber, is also outspoken about her faith and has said that without it, she and Justin would not even be in a relationship. She has spoken about her struggles with “super-judgmental” Christians, particularly those who criticize her for wearing revealing clothing as part of her job. “Your relationship with God is not going to be the same as mine,” she says. “I believe that [Jesus] was about love and acceptance.”

Hailey Bieber suffered her own health scare earlier this year when she had a stroke due to a small blood clot in her brain.

Bethel Church’s Senior Leader Beni Johnson, Wife of Bill Johnson, Dies at 67

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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July 14, 2022

Beni Johnson, senior leader of the 11,000 member Bethel Church in Redding, California, and wife of Bill Johnson, died on Wednesday (July 13) at the age of 67 after a long battle with cancer.

Beni was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2018, and although the cancer was found early and successfully removed, doctors discovered she had a mutation of her BRCA 2 gene that made her more vulnerable to developing other types of cancer.

Bill Johnson posted an image of his wife on Facebook after her passing with the words, “Healthy and Free,” followed by a smiling faced heart-eyed emoji, a loudly crying face emoji, and another smiling faced heart-eyed emoji. The post has received over 42,000 reactions and over 10,000 comments.

One of their three children, Brian Johnson, who leads Bethel Music, posted the news about his mother on Instagram, writing, “My mom went home tonight. Love you mom.” Bethel Music posted the song “Goodness of God” and captioned the lyric, “Your goodness is running after me,” followed by an emoji of a dove.

The couple’s only daughter, Leah Valenzuela, said, “Momma I love you beyond words! You have been the best mom anyone could ever hope for but not only that, you have been my best friend. It is such an honor being your daughter. You are my hero (well and daddy). This last year you have fought so hard, thanks for giving us more time with you! I’m so glad I got to be with you so much. I cherish every single moment, and every show we got to watch together. I love that anytime I watch those shows now I will remember you and this special time we got to spend together. I love you! See you in heaven!”

Eric Johnson, Bill and Beni’s son who once served at Bethel Church as senior leader alongside his wife Candace, posted, “I love you mom. See you on the other side.”

Earlier this year, Bethel Church posted a call to prayer for Beni’s full physical healing, asking people to sign up for 15-minute prayer slots to cover Beni in prayer 24 hours a day.

On Wednesday, the church announced to the “hundreds of thousands” who had been praying for Beni that she had entered hospice care and asked everyone to urgently pray on her behalf.

“We continue to stand with the Johnsons for Beni’s complete healing. Medicine is a blessing and a great help, but in this moment we need a miracle from the Lord. Please continue to pray for a total deliverance from all cancer, and for Beni’s strength to be renewed,” the message read.

Bethel Church announced a five-day prayer event, which started last night in their sanctuary.

Former Youth Leader Charged With Child Rape, Allegedly Assaulted Victim From Age 5 to 12

By

Dale Chamberlain

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July 14, 2022

Jeffrey A. Pringle, a New Philadelphia, Ohio, DJ and former church youth ministry volunteer, was charged on Tuesday (July 12) with two counts of child rape. The alleged sexual assaults span eight years from October 15, 2014 to July 11 of this year, involving a child age five to 12.

According to Pringle’s Facebook page, he had been attending Colorado Christian University in pursuit of a BA in biblical studies. Colorado Christian University confirmed that Pringle was an online student but stated that he has not been enrolled at the school in over two years.

Under the name “Jukebox Jeff,” Pringle provided DJ services for weddings, parties, and dances.

In addition to the two child rape charges, Pringle has also been charged with two counts of gross sexual imposition for allegedly having sexual contact with a child younger than 13 years old by force, according to Times Reporter. Those assaults allegedly happened between May 6, 2018 and June 11 of this year.

Leadership of LifeWay Church in New Philadelphia, where Pringle served as a volunteer youth leader for roughly a decade, has notified parents who had children who attended the ministry, according to Travis Wright, who pastors the church with his wife, Leslie.

“So far, there has been no one who has come forth and accused Jeff of anything or felt uncomfortable or that their children had been targeted,” Wright told Times Reporter. “We have all been blindsided by this. It was not, in any way, something that we expected or anticipated. We love Jeff and Jeff has been a part of our family for years. And so we are heartbroken by this, for sure.”

Pringle is being held in the Tuscarawas County jail, and his bail has been set at $750,000.

Should Pringle post bond, he would be prohibited from having contact with any individual under the age of 18 for the duration of his trial and would be required to adhere to a protection order barring him from contact with the alleged victim and other protected individuals. He would also be prohibited from going to bars or taverns, and would be required to abstain from alcohol or recreational drugs. His permit to carry a concealed weapon has been revoked.

Pringle is scheduled to appear in court on July 20.

This article has been updated for clarity.

Conservative Commentator Jordan Peterson’s ‘Completely Presumptuous’ Message to the Church

By

Dale Chamberlain

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July 14, 2022

Canadian clinical psychologist, author, and political personality Jordan Peterson recently delivered a “Message to the Christian Churches” via his YouTube channel, urging churches to invite young men into their midst.

Peterson, who has not been active on Twitter since receiving a suspension for a transphobic tweet late last month, recently joined the lineup of conservative news and media company The Daily Wire, providing content for their premium subscription service.

In the address, Peterson articulated his belief that the primary function of the church is to instill a sense of fighting purpose in people, especially young men.

Peterson’s Message to the Christian Churches

“It is, of course, completely presumptuous of me to dare to write and broadcast a video entitled ‘Message to the Christian Churches,’” Peterson said. “But I’m going to do it anyway, because I have something to say and because that something needs to be said.”

Peterson went on to say that he has noticed that most of his listeners are young men.

“That is not a phenomenon that can be easily accounted for,” Peterson remarked. “But let me try.”

“Now, in the West, because of the weight of historical guilt that is upon us, a variant of the sense of original sin in a very real sense, and because of a very real attempt by those possessed by what might be described as unhelpful ideas to weaponize that guilt, our young people face a demoralization that is perhaps unparalleled,” Peterson said. “This is particularly true of young men.”

Peterson went on to criticize broader cultural movements to address toxic masculinity, patriarchy, and environmental degradation. Peterson said that male ambition is characterized in western culture as “competitive and dominating power-mad, selfish, exploitative, raping and pillaging.”

“You might think that I am overstating the case,” Peterson said. “Think again, sunshine. We in the West are facing an all-out assault, at the deepest levels.”

Peterson identified deconstructionism and Marxism as chief foes against masculinity, discouraging young men from wanting adventure in life. Peterson characterized these ideologies as demonic and hellish in nature.

Peterson then offered what he believes to be the solution for Christian churches.

“The Christian church is there to remind people, young men included and perhaps even first and foremost, that they have a woman to find, a garden to walk in, a family to nurture, an ark to build, a land to conquer, a ladder to heaven to build, and the utter, terrible catastrophe of life to face stalwartly in truth, devoted to love and without fear,” Peterson said.

“Invite the young men back. Say, literally, to those young men: You are welcome here. If no one else wants what you have to offer, we do. We want to call you to the highest purpose of your life. We want your time and energy, and your effort, and your will, and your goodwill. We want to work with you to make things better, to produce life more abundant for you and for your wife and children, and for your community and your country and the world,” Peterson urged.

“And we have our problems in the Christian church. We are more abundant, sometimes, far too often, corrupt, and sometimes deeply so. We’re outdated, as are all institutions with their roots in the dead but still often wise past,” Peterson continued. “So join us. We’ll help fix you up, and you can help fix us up. And together, we’ll aim up.”

“And here is a message to those young men skeptical about such things,” Peterson said. “What else do you have? You can abandon the churches in your cynicism and disbelief. You can say to yourself, narcissistically and solipsistically, ‘The church does not express what I believe properly.’”

“Who cares what you believe? Why is this about you,” Peterson questioned. “What if it was incumbent upon you and vital to your health and willingness even to live to rescue your dead father from the belly of the beast, where he has always resided, and to restore him to life?”

Texas Pastors Relief Fund Depleted in One Day Amid Record Living Costs

By

Diana Chandler

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July 14, 2022

DALLAS (BP) – A $100,000 inflation relief fund for Baptist General Convention of Texas pastors was depleted within 24 hours of its availability, the BGCT announced July 13 as inflation reached its highest point in decades at 9.1 percent.

Two hundred pastors received grants averaging $500 each in the program announced July 11 and financed through a Lilly Endowment fund not available in other states, said Tammy Tervooren, a contracted grant administrator with the financial health team of the Texas Baptists Center for Ministerial Health.

“I don’t think we were surprised. It did go really quickly,” she said. “We’ve been working several years now with pastors and we kind of had seen this coming. If you lay out a map, you see it’s been a struggle for pastors already.

“Pastors aren’t in it for the money. They do it because they’re called. They were already stretched pretty thin, a lot of them. (Inflation) is not helping. It’s kind of exacerbated.”

BGCT Treasurer and CFO Ward Hayes announced the grants July 11, and they were all gone by the 12th.

“Helping our pastors stay strong spiritually, emotionally, financially and in all ways remains a high priority for Texas Baptists,” Hayes said in announcing the grant. “That we are able to offer this grant at this time is a tremendous blessing.”

Pastors are impacted by the Consumer Price Index that increased 9.1 percent in June, exceeding the 8.8 percent increase Dow Jones estimated, CNBC reported July 13.

Grants were awarded to pastors from a broad range of churches demographically, Tervooren said, including pastors leading large and small churches in urban and rural areas. Grant recipients were not available for comment, but Tervooren said pastors most commonly said they had trouble buying groceries and affording gas, especially to make hospital visits that can be 30 miles or more away in rural areas.

Pastors have been compensating by working part-time jobs in addition to fulltime pastorates, increasing household income by wives working, minimizing travel and hospital visits, reducing grocery purchases and even donating plasma twice weekly for compensation.

“These pastors, … they’re giving everything they have, their whole lives to the church,” Tervooren said. “And I think we should be generous to our pastors, as generous as we can. If the church can do more, then they should do everything they can for the pastor, everything possible.”

BGCT has participated in the Lilly Endowment grant program since 2018. While the grant expires in 2022, Tervooren said the BCGT hopes to receive a grant extension, especially to continue its financial education program helping pastors and churches manage budgets and compensation packages.

New Looks Into Deep Space Bring New Assurances of God’s Presence, Astronomers Say

By

Scott Barkley

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July 14, 2022

Deep-Space-NASA-telescope — Photo from NASA.gov courtesy of Baptist Press.

NASHVILLE (BP) – Within images released by the James Webb telescope, Christians can not only get previously unseen views of the cosmos, but resounding confirmation of God’s creative design and man’s perspective in it.

David Block, emeritus professor at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Danny Faulkner, who taught for 26 years at the University of South Carolina-Lancaster before joining Answers in Genesis, spoke with Baptist Press about the magnitude of the Webb telescope’s findings and how those discoveries are challenging Christians and non-Christians alike.

Both astronomers joined peers in recognizing the magnitude of the recent pictures presented by NASA while also pointing to how the images impact them as believers.

“My initial response was complete awe,” said Block, who also spoke about it on South African TV. “We are seeing extraordinarily rich, technical detail. It’s a marriage of science and art.”

For Faulkner, the images also confirm God’s handiwork in the universe. And while seeing billions of galaxies containing innumerable planets tempts scientists with questions of life among the stars, Faulkner doesn’t think any will be discovered.

“I predicted [July 11] before they presented the first photo that they would show something saying they had found an Earthlike planet,” he said. “I was wrong, and surprised, because that would have been huge.

“They’re hoping at some point to detect an exoplanet that’s comparable to the Earth in size and might have the same kind of environment we have. … I don’t think they’re going to find it, but that’s their motivation.”

The James Webb Space Telescope was developed to utilize infrared technology to extend and complement discoveries brought by the Hubble Space telescope. Launched on Christmas Day last year, its mission duration is to be an estimated 5-10 years.

The telescope uses 18 mirrors coated with gold that, upon reaching a point 1 million miles from Earth toward the sun, opened up very much like a flower to gather in light. The first full image from the telescope was released July 11 during a public event at the White House with President Joe Biden.

The Webb telescope is capable of looking 13.6 billion light years away. For perspective, the Milky Way Galaxy is approximately 100,000 light years across.

The Webb telescope gathers nearly 12,000 times as much light as the common 60 mm brand most amateur astronomers start with in the backyard, said Faulkner. It also is nearly three times larger and collects seven times as much light as the Hubble.

Those dimensions and infrared imaging are bringing pictures of the most distant galaxies. And, the discussion is something to which Christians should pay close attention.

“We should listen to what’s being said and found,” Faulkner said. “And we should always interpret what we find in terms of God’s Word. That’s what Answers in Genesis is all about. We view God’s Word as the foundation for everything and it’s the standard by which everything is compared.”

In Block’s career, he has been a visiting research astronomer at the Australian National University, European Southern Observatory in Germany, California Institute and Harvard University. He’s returning to Harvard for another visit in January.

3 Charged in Connection With Fire at Historic WVa Church

By

AP News

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July 14, 2022

SHADY SPRING, W.Va. (AP) — Three people have been arrested in connection with a fire that destroyed a historic church in West Virginia, state police said.

Braxton Allan Miller, 18, of Charleston; James Dean Elmore, 19, of Beckley; and a juvenile boy were charged in connection with the fire at St. Colman Catholic Church in the Shady Spring area of Raleigh County, police said Wednesday.

The fire was reported Sunday morning but had started the night before, police said.

Miller and the juvenile were charged with arson and conspiracy, while Elmore was charged with accessory after the fact and conspiracy. All were being held. It wasn’t clear whether they had attorneys who could comment on their cases.

“We are deeply saddened to learn that the fire was considered an act of arson and was intended destroy this historic structure so important to the lives of many in the area,” Bishop Mark Brennan of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston said in a statement.

The historic church was built in 1878 on Irish Mountain and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, WCHS-TV reported.

This article originally appeared on APNews.com.

ERLC Head: State Conventions Can Be ‘Pivotal’ in Pro-Life Policies

By

Tom Strode

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July 14, 2022

NASHVILLE (BP)— The work of Southern Baptist state conventions can be vital in the adoption of pro-life laws after the reversal of Roe v. Wade, the acting head of the SBC’s ethics entity said Wednesday (July 13) in a BP Live webcast.

The online event, hosted by Baptist Press, focused on decisions regarding abortion and religious freedom issued by the U.S. Supreme Court in its recently completed term. Much of the conversation addressed Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a June 24 opinion that upheld a Mississippi ban on abortion after 15 weeks’ gestation. More significantly, the decision overruled the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide and the 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey opinion that affirmed it.

The high court’s watershed judgment returned the regulation of abortion to the states, where it had rested before Roe.

“I think in this new post-Roe moment that we find ourselves in our state conventions play a pivotal role in making sure that policies to protect preborn lives are advanced,” said Brent Leatherwood, acting president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC).

“[O]ne of the best conduits for action” by Southern Baptists is through their state conventions, said Leatherwood, who encouraged communication by pastors with their Baptist state leaders.

The ERLC wants to partner with Baptist state conventions to make certain” they have the resources and the equipping that they need to be effective advocates in front of state legislators,” Leatherwood told moderator Jonathan Howe, the SBC Executive Committee’s vice president for communications.

Nearly half of the 50 states already have laws prohibiting abortion either throughout pregnancy or at some stage of pregnancy, but some state legislatures will continue to debate policies.

“[F]irst and foremost, [Southern Baptists] need to keep praying, and we need to keep being a voice for the sanctity of life in every state, because as more states take these measures and put in place policies to protect life, other states will see and feel that pressure to do the same and recognize the inherent dignity of preborn lives,” Leatherwood said.

The Dobbs decision “is actually setting aright things in terms of the question of abortion,” but the ERLC is “not content with where we are,” he told viewers. “We want to continue pressing the case for life in each of the individual states, as well as at the federal level, because we do believe that there is actually an inherent right to life and it’s contained” in the U.S. Constitution.

“We obviously celebrate this milestone, but our work is far from over,” Leatherwood said. “The Dobbs decision is essentially opening a new chapter in the pro-life movement, and we’re committed to doing that alongside our Southern Baptist churches.”

The ERLC’s pro-life work will focus increasingly on the state level, but the entity will also maintain its advocacy with the federal government in Washington, D.C., he said.

In addition to seeking pro-life protections in state laws, Southern Baptists and their churches can continue to minister to women who are abortion-minded, Leatherwood told Howe. Churches are partnering with the Psalm 139 Project, the ERLC’s ministry to place ultrasound machines in pregnancy resource centers (PRCs), and providing for the needs of pregnant women, he said. Some churches are now adopting or starting PRCs, and some small groups are basically adopting pregnant women to meet their physical, spiritual and community needs, he added.

Pope Tells Religious Orders to Report Abuse, Protect Others

By

AP News

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July 14, 2022

pope francis religious orders — FILE - Pope Francis arrives for a meeting with members of the Neocatechumenal Way community, in the Pope Paul VI hall at the Vatican, on June 27, 2022. On Thursday, July 14, 2022, Pope Francis told members of three religious orders that they must have “zero tolerance” for sexual abusers in their ranks and that they must report them to protect others. Francis begged them not to cover up the reality of clergy sexual abuse since their obligations were to protect others. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis told members of three religious orders Thursday that they must have “zero tolerance” for sexual abusers in their ranks and that they must report them to protect others.

Francis pleaded with them not to cover up the “reality” of clergy sexual abuse by transferring rapists to other countries.

“We are priests to bring people to Jesus, not to devour people with our lust,” Francis said. “And the abuser destroys, devours the abused with his lust. Zero tolerance,” Francis said.

Francis in 2019 passed a new church law requiring priests and nuns to report abuse to church authorities, though not to police. It was his latest effort to address a problem that has afflicted the church for decades and undermined its credibility.

Religious orders have had some of the worst records, in part because their diffuse structure outside the diocesan hierarchy has enabled abusers to easily move to different countries rather than face justice at home.

Francis called out the practice, telling the superiors: “You don’t resolve this with a transfer, ‘Ah from this continent I’ll send him to another.’ No,” Francis said.

Francis was meeting with representatives of the Order of the Mother of God, the Basilians of San Giosafat and the Congregation of Mission.

This article originally appeared here.

Parent Sues Australian Cardinal Over Child Sex Abuse Charge

By

AP News

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July 14, 2022

The father of a deceased former choirboy filed a lawsuit against Cardinal George Pell and the Catholic Church in an Australian court on Thursday claiming the parent suffered psychological injury over an accusation that the once-senior Vatican official sexually abused the son.

Neither the father nor the son can be named under Australian laws that conceal the identities of victims of sexual abuse.

The father said in 2019 he was considering legal action seeking damages when Pell, Pope Francis’ former finance minister, was sentenced to six years in prison on jury convictions for abusing the son and another choirboy in a Melbourne cathedral in the 1990s. Both boys were 13 years old at the time.

Pell, now 81, had his convictions overturned by the High Court in 2020 after he had spent 13 months in prison. He has since been based in Sydney and holds no Vatican position.

The father’s civil case was brought before the Victoria state Supreme Court for the first time on Thursday. Justice Michael McDonald adjourned the case until Aug. 4 when questions over legal defenses will be resolved.

Pell has always maintained his innocence.

The father’s lawyer, Lisa Flynn, said the unanimous decision of the High Court’s seven judges to acquit Pell only related to the criminal law, not civil law.

A criminal case must be proved beyond reasonable doubt while a civil case needs to be proved to a lower standard on the balance of probabilities.

“There are different paths to justice and different avenues that survivors of abuse have,” Flynn told reporters.

The father claims to have suffered nervous shock arising from his son’s alleged assault by Pell, then the 55-year-old Melbourne archbishop.

The father also suffered from chronic adjustment disorder and persistent complex bereavement disorder, with mixed anxiety and a depressed mood, court documents show.

First Known Depictions of Biblical Heroines Jael and Deborah Uncovered in Israel

By

Kathryn Post

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July 14, 2022

(RNS) — The earliest known depiction of biblical heroines Jael and Deborah was discovered at an ancient synagogue in Israel, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced last week. A rendering of one figure driving a stake through the head of a military general was the initial clue that led the team to identify the figures, according to project director Jodi Magness.

“This is extremely rare,” Magness, an archaeologist and religion professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, told Religion News Service. “I don’t know of any other ancient depictions of these heroines.”

The nearly 1,600-year-old mosaics were uncovered by a team of students and specialists as part of The Huqoq Excavation Project, which resumed its 10^th season of excavations this summer at a synagogue in the ancient Jewish village of Huqoq in Lower Galilee. Mosaics were first discovered at the site in 2012, and Magness said the synagogue, which dates to the late fourth or early fifth century, is “unusually large and richly decorated.” In addition to its extensive, relatively well-preserved mosaics, the site is adorned with wall paintings and carved architecture.

The fourth chapter of the Book of Judges tells the story of Deborah, a judge and prophet who conquered the Canaanite army alongside Israelite general Barak. After the victory, the passage says, the Canaanite commander Sisera fled to the tent of Jael, where she drove a tent peg into his temple and killed him.

The newly discovered mosaic panels depicting the heroines are made of local cut stone from Galilee and were found on the floor on the south end of the synagogue’s west aisle. The mosaic is divided into three sections, one with Deborah seated under a palm tree looking at Barak, a second with what appears to be Sisera seated and a third with Jael hammering a peg into a bleeding Sisera.

Magness said it’s impossible to know why this rare image was included but noted that additional mosaics depicting events from the Book of Judges, including renderings of Sampson, are on the south end of the synagogue’s east aisle. According to the UNC-Chapel Hill press release, the events surrounding Jael and Deborah might have taken place in the same geographical region as Huqoq, providing at least one possible reason for the mosaic.

“The value of our discoveries, the value of archaeology, is that it helps fill in the gaps in our information about, in this case, Jews and Judaism in this particular period,” explained Magness. “It shows that there was a very rich and diverse range of views among Jews.”

Magness said rabbinic literature doesn’t include descriptions about figure decoration in synagogues — so the world would never know about these visual embellishments without archaeology.

“Judaism was dynamic through late antiquity. Never was Judaism monolithic,” said Magness. “There’s always been a wide range of Jewish practices, and I think that’s partly what we see.”

These groundbreaking mosaics have been removed from the synagogue for conservation, but Magness hopes to return soon to make additional discoveries. The Huqoq Excavation Project, sponsored by UNC-Chapel Hill, Austin College, Baylor University, Brigham Young University and the University of Toronto, paused in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic and is scheduled to resume next summer.

This article originally appeared here.

Life in Lviv: Ukrainian Priest on Funerals, Food Aid and Prayers for Victory

By

Marika Proctor

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July 14, 2022

(RNS) — The war in Ukraine has raged on for nearly five months, and the Rev. Oleksiy Zavada, a Greek Catholic priest in Lviv, has had hardly a moment’s rest.

Zavada is quick to point out the city of Lviv has been spared the brunt of violence that’s ripped through many other parts of the country, especially in the east. But still, life in western Ukraine carries constant reminders of the realities of war on the front lines.

“Many, many, many soldiers in our armies are from the western part of Ukraine,” Zavada, the notary of the Curia at the Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Lviv, told Religion News Service on Saturday (July 9).

The Greek Catholic tradition is a long-standing, historic strand of Catholicism in Ukraine, whose name comes from the resemblance of its worship services, priestly vestments and use of icons to those of the Greek or Byzantine rites found throughout Orthodox churches worldwide. Similarly, Greek Catholic priests are permitted to marry and have children. However, the Greek Catholic Church is and has long been under the authority of the pope.

Zavada, a priest of 13 years, also ministers as assistant priest at the Parish of the Ascension of our Lord in the northeast part of the city. He spoke over the phone about the many funerals he’s presided over, how the life of the church has changed — and stayed the same — since the war started, and why he plans to stay, no matter how tired he is.

The following conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

We see many priests serving together in images of funerals from Ukraine. Has this always been common in Ukraine, or did it begin during the war?

Fr. Oleksiy Zavada in Lviv, Ukraine. Courtesy photo

The Rev. Oleksiy Zavada in Lviv, Ukraine. Courtesy photo

Normally in Ukraine when a person dies, one priest is present for the funeral service. But when a person dies that played an important role in society, it’s normal that many priests come for the funeral. Even priests from different denominations come. As you know, the religious situation in Ukraine is that we have a couple of Orthodox Churches, we have the Roman Catholic Church, we have the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which I belong to.

This tradition, to gather many priests together at a funeral, seems to me to come from (the pro-European protests) in Maidan, in 2014, when many heroes that we call nebesna sotnya (the heavenly hundred) were killed.

The war with Russia began in 2014. Not 2022. It seems to me that from that period in 2014, it became a tradition for people to meet the body of a fallen soldier: They go out on the street and they bow down on their knees and they make a live chain.

It’s a pity that we have such a tradition, but there it is.

So these funeral practices both among clergy and laypeople are not new —they date from earlier national events — the Maidan uprising, Revolution of Dignity, and Russia’s invasion of Crimea and the Donbas in 2014?

Yes, yes. But of course, now, since Feb. 24 (2022), we have many, many more deaths of our soldiers. So this practice is almost everywhere and ongoing.

We have many, many funerals in Lviv. We have one church (Sts. Peter and Paul Garrison Church) — it’s a chaplaincy church for soldiers. In this church there are funerals of fallen soldiers very often.

We have videos, photos, these sorts of social networks. So in this way, we can hear sermons during the funerals. You feel that you participate in these funerals, even if you are not present in the building.

Of course some soldiers who are killed, we know (personally). For example, one priest I know, his son was killed a couple of weeks ago: Father Mykhaylo Dymyd, his son, Artem Dymyd, was killed.

You say there are often clergy from many different Christian traditions at funerals. Are there Ukrainian priests from the Moscow Patriarchate who attend these funerals?

I don’t know of any such cases — that priests from the Moscow Patriarchate come for funerals. You know, the position of people, of our faithful, of Ukrainians in relation to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Moscow Patriarchate, is quite, quite negative. In different regions of Ukraine, the local regional administrations have made decisions to forbid these parishes (under the Moscow Patriarchate) in their regions.

Why the Search for a Church That Meets Your Needs Is Futile

By

Carey Nieuwhof

-

July 14, 2022

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Any church leader who’s been in ministry for more than a few months has heard different variations of it: I’m looking for a church that meets my needs.

What are you going to do to better meet my needs?

I’m leaving this church to find one that better suits my needs.

The longer a Christian has been in church, the more likely it is that they’ve uttered a phrase or two like this from time to time.

I’m not against changing churches. I think everyone has one or maybe two church changes in them. Leaders change. The effectiveness of churches can vary in different seasons. And occasionally a church is downright toxic. I get that.

One or two church changes (when living in the same community) is understandable. And it’s completely different from serial church shopping, which for reasons I outline in this post is a colossally bad phenomenon.

The problem is deeper, though, than changing churches (as big a decision as that is). It’s about the purpose of the quest. Should the criteria of a church meeting your needs be the reason you change churches? Well, what if the church was never intended to meet your needs? What if the furthest thing from God’s mind when he created the church was to meet your needs?

Here are five reasons why I believe trying to find a church that meets your needs is futile.

1. A Church That Meets All of Your Needs Is Probably Off-Mission

If a church ever meets all of your needs as a Christian, it’s probably off-mission. Because the church was never designed to meet all of your needs. It was designed for glorifying God and showing his love to the world.

A church that is only about meeting your needs is a church that’s focused on insiders while the world is quite literally going to hell.

The attitude that the church exists to meet the needs of members is one more remnant of consumer-Christianity, which is a strand of Western Christianity that continues to die. I outline why here (along with five other church trends to watch in 2017).

2. You’ll Uproot All Your Non-Christian Friends

If you’re drifting from church to church to satisfy your needs, what happens to all the non-Christian friends you’re building into? Oh wait…that almost never comes up in conversations with Christians who demand their needs be met. Because they usually have zero non-Christian friends. Their idea of church isn’t about the mission. It’s about them.

Think about it. If you’re living out your faith and sincerely praying for friends who aren’t in a relationship with Christ, theoretically there are at least a handful of non-Christians who will be impacted by your move.

But usually, that’s not even on the radar screen of Christians who move to satisfy their needs. Because there are zero non-Christians involved.

3. Christianity Was Never About Satisfying Yourself

The heart of the Christian faith isn’t about satisfying yourself, it’s about dying to yourself. If Christians stopped indulging their preferences and started focusing on Christ and on helping others, the church would be so much healthier.

It’s strange, but the happiest and healthiest people aren’t those who are focused on meeting their own needs. As this Harvard Business School study shows, there is a demonstrated correlation between giving away time and money and experiencing a feeling of happiness.

Perhaps it’s because that’s exactly how God designed us. Because when we give, we get.

The Mighty Oak Tree Proverb: Helping Children Grow in Faith

By

Greg Baird

-

July 13, 2022

The mighty oak tree proverb is a great example of faith growth. And in children’s ministry, our most important goal is to help kids and families develop spiritually. So let’s take a look at the mighty oak tree proverb.

In the forest, a small acorn falls to the ground. Four to six weeks later, the acorn sprouts into a small oak sapling. Throughout the next 20 to 30 years, it will grow into a mighty oak tree. Some live to be 500 or even 600 years old.

I recently came across this Bible verse:

“They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.” Isaiah 61:3

That verse reminds me that God calls children’s ministry workers for an important purpose. We are to help children and families grow in their faith so that spiritually they’re like a mighty oak tree.

The Mighty Oak Tree Proverb: How Can This Happen?

For children’s workers, teachers, and parents, here are two key components of faith growth.

1. We can help children and families develop strong spiritual roots.

At the beginning of its life, the oak spends most of its energy on root development. An initial root is called the taproot. It grows deep underground, looking for a dependable supply of moisture.

So to grow spiritually strong children and families, like the mighty oak tree proverb suggests, that’s the first step. We must help them develop a deep connection with Christ. This is the most important factor.

A deep faith can withstand the winds of doubt, spiritual droughts, and life’s storms. This faith has, first and foremost, a deep connection with Christ. This deep faith comes from remaining rooted and grounded in Jesus.

Our faith and relationship with Jesus grow deeper and stronger by spending time with Him. As we spend time with Him, our faith roots grow deeper.

3. We can help children connect with other Christians.

Another important aspect of developing a strong “oak tree” kind of faith is helping kids and families connect with other believers. As the tree’s main root grows deeper, it also begins growing horizontal roots.

These horizontal roots bring moisture and nutrients for the tree’s lifetime. And when other oak trees are nearby, the trees grow their root systems together. That way, they can share nutrients, moisture and minerals. Together they grow side by side.

The mighty oak tree proverb reveals how faith develops through relationships. Growth comes from and is sustained by being connected to other believers who send spiritual nutrients, prayers and encouragement your way.

Consider the kids and families in your ministry. Are you giving them opportunities to connect with other Christians and grow in their faith through those relationships? A deep faith comes through deep connections with other believers.

Youth Ministry Goals and Objectives: What’s Your Main Purpose?

By

Andy Blanks

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July 13, 2022

How would you describe your youth ministry goals and objectives? Read on to discover some thoughts about keeping the main thing the main thing.

Few books in Scripture move me quite like Paul’s letter to the Colossians. It’s beautifully written. In its introduction to Colossians, the ESV Study Bible notes that “Paul writes with stylistic flair and aphoristic brilliance.” I have no idea what “aphoristic” means. But it sounds awesome. And it seems to support my contention that Colossians is a great book!

Recently, I’ve been listening to Colossians as I drive to work. (If I press play on the Bible Experience when I leave my daughter’s school, I can finish the whole book by the time I arrive at work.) Over and over, I am moved by the power of Colossians 1:9-10:

9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Bible-Based Youth Ministry Goals and Objectives

I believe the calling God has put on my life is to make His Word known. Pretty simple, huh? I live out this call in a variety of ways. The primary way this manifests itself is by working with teenagers. I’m passionate about seeing kids encounter God and grow in their faith.

For years, I’ve dedicated my life to communicating Scripture’s power and truth to teenagers. And I try to equip others to do the same. I do this by teaching youth at my church. I speak at retreats and Disciple Now weekends. Plus, I design Bible study curriculum through Student Life.

Colossians 1:9-10 is an incredibly succinct way to summarize the goal of my calling. In fact, these verses summarize the general purpose of all youth ministries.

If you’re a youth worker, isn’t Colossians 1:9-10 at the heart of your youth ministry goals and objectives? Isn’t this your main goal for all students?

The desire of every youth minister should be simple. It’s to see students “be filled with the knowledge of [God’s] will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding (vs. 9).”

AGT Singer Focused on Sharing the Gospel Over Winning Leaves Judge in Tears

By

Jesse T. Jackson

-

July 13, 2022

Southern Gospel singer Ben Waites stole the show during the audition round of the popular talent show competition America’s Got Talent (AGT), leaving judge Sofia Vergara in tears after his powerful performance.

The 32-year-old vocal coach from Nashville, Tennessee, was born with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita. According to John Hopkins Medicine, “arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC), is a term used to describe a variety of conditions involving multiple joint contractures (or stiffness). A contracture is a condition where the range of motion of a joint is limited. It may be unable to fully or partially extend or bend.”

Waites’ condition leaves him bound to a wheelchair, but he shared that his family has always been a huge encouragement in not letting his disability limit him.

“Growing up, my parents and grandparents kept that same mentality in how they raised me,” Waites told Baptist Press. “They would encourage me that if I wanted to do something then do it, and do it to the best of my ability. There were no excuses, and you would just figure out how to do what you wanted to do.”

The singer shared on his website that he was inspired at a young age by his grandfather, Jim Waites, who founded the Gospel Tones Quartet. It was his grandfather’s desire to spread the Gospel that inspired Ben to begin his musical training.

“Music is my language, but I can’t say it’s the most important thing in my life,” Waites’ bio reads on his website. “When I do a concert, it’s never about the music. God is my pilot, I’m just the co-pilot. I’ll sing as many songs as I can, but if I can’t communicate the message then I don’t need to be singing anyway. It’s just the tool, and I have the rest of my life to study and train. I do have the goals that I’d like to achieve, but they’re not mandatory or a necessity.”

Waites’ appeared on the latest episode of AGT on Tuesday, continuing his grandfather’s legacy by singing his version of Cyndi Lauper’s “True Colors.” When asked why he chose to sing that song, Waites said, “The message of the song, I feel, is able to speak to people no matter their age, their race, their background. It’s able to communicate a message of hope.”

The husband and father of three had the complete attention of all three judges throughout the song. (Judge Howie Mandel was not in attendance due to an undisclosed illness.)

During Waites’ audition, Vergara was visibly moved and cried throughout the song. After Waites finished, judge Simon Cowell told the singer, “Sofia does not cry.”

“I loved it, because, you know, it’s a beautiful song, but you made it yours and it was special. It was different,” Vergara said as she wiped away tears.

Should Church Security Teams Carry Weapons? Ed Stetzer Asks and the Responses Might Surprise You

By

Jesse T. Jackson

-

July 13, 2022

Outreach Magazine editor-in-chief Ed Stetzer recently asked his 260,000 Twitter followers to share if their church has a security team and whether those teams carry weapons.

Amid multiple mass shootings in America this year, including those inside churches, Stetzer’s question ignited emotional responses from some, and a number of responders openly shared the reasons why congregants and pastors are armed in their worship services.

One commenter, who is not a resident of the United States, explained that Stetzer’s question sounded truly bizarre to him, saying, “I’m visiting the US for the first time in my life. And will attend church next Sunday. This question sounds like something from a parallel universe. There are societies where only police forces are allowed to carry guns. People feel safe and no security in church is needed.”

“If you need weapons, your faith in Jesus is nonexistent. Take that however you like,” another said.

Nevertheless, most responses indicated that the security teams at their churches carried concealed weapons or that the commenters would be comfortable if they did.

One person explained that because of the mass shooting at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, which took place on November 5, 2017 and killed 26 people, injuring 20 others, there are congregants who carry guns for protection at their church.

“Yep. It started as a result of the shooting at the church in Texas several years ago. There are members who are conceal carry, and unknown to the church at large,” the commenter said.

If Your Church Has a Security Team, Does the Security Team at Your Church Carry Weapons? Why or Why Not?

The following are more responses Stetzer received. (Responses do not necessarily reflect the positions of Ed Stetzer or ChurchLeaders.)

“Ed we have a security team at our church and several of those serving on that team work in law enforcement. Several of them carry firearms. Our church is on a major artery near a few major highways. The team is trained for active shooters.”

“Yes…key members of our security team use open-carry weapons during the week and concealed weapons on Sunday at @calvarychapelcm …why? Wisdom and preparedness.”

“We have licensed law enforcement officers that we hire and they are armed. Our security team members who work in parking lots and are our eyes and ears on our campuses could be armed. However, our primary security is handled by off-duty police officers.”

MercyMe’s Bart Millard Posts Moving Tribute to His Mother, Who’s Now ‘With Jesus’

By

Stephanie Martin

-

July 13, 2022

MercyMe lead singer Bart Millard, whose tumultuous family life was documented in the hit film “I Can Only Imagine,” recently shared that his mom, Adele Millard, has died.

On Instagram last week, the musician posted a portrait of him and his mother, writing, “My sweet mom went to be with Jesus this morning.” He continued: “Thankful my brother and I were with her. Even more thankful she’s now with so many that have been cheering her on from Heaven. She’s now a bigger part of my future than of my past. I love you mom.”

The announcement came just days after MercyMe shared details of its upcoming “Live 2022” tour.

Bart Millard’s Relationship With His Mom Had Been Restored

As documented in the Erwin Brothers‘ 2018 movie “I Can Only Imagine,” Bart Millard grew up in Texas with an abusive father. When Millard was 8, his mom moved away with her third husband, straining the mother-son relationship for many years.

While speaking to The Christian Post about the biopic, Millard indicated he’d reconciled with his mom after realizing “how much of a victim she really was.” He added, “She feared for her life, and she had to get out.” Millard watched the movie with his mom, which made him nervous at first. But she agreed it was factual, though heartbreaking. “I’m so glad that we have each other now,” she told her son.

As revealed in the movie, Millard also reconciled with his father, who became a Christian. “If the Gospel can change that dude, the Gospel can change anybody,” the musician says. Millard’s parents also forgave one another and became friends before his father died.

In a memoir he wrote after the movie came out, Millard added more details, including his relationship with his brother. He described the writing process as exhausting but therapeutic, saying he learned important information about himself and his family members.

A Story of Redemption and Forgiveness

During a 2018 interview with Parade magazine, Millard elaborated on ways the movie is a “redemption story” of both his father and himself. “I lived most of my life thinking that I was unlovable, that I was broken goods,” admits Millard, now 49.

When asked what he wants viewers to take from the film, Millard responded: “I think everybody’s got someone in their life that they think is out of the reach of God, or unchangeable, unreachable, if you will, and maybe we think that way of ourselves sometimes. I want people to walk away realizing that as long as there’s breath in our lungs, our story’s still being written. Who are we to assume that something’s going to end one way or the other?”

SBC Evangelist Calls Out Church Division: ‘The American Church Is Spoiled, Rich, and Privileged’

By

Jesse T. Jackson

-

July 13, 2022

church-division — Adobestock #121995916, #72979172

Earlier this week, Shane Pruitt shared his thoughts regarding division in the American church, arguing that splitting over secondary issues exposes how “privileged” we are.

Pruitt serves as the National Next Gen Director for the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). He is a husband, father, evangelist, Bible teacher, and author.

The evangelist, who was featured at the popular Winter Jam tour earlier this year, began his Facebook post with a bold headline: “CHURCH DIVISION IS A PRIVILEGE.”

“Let me explain,” Pruitt wrote. “When the Church in America has the ability to fight and split over secondary issues and preferences—it reveals how spoiled, rich, and privileged we really are.”

Pruitt went on to explain that churches in other parts of the world don’t have what he described as the privilege to divide over preferences, something he said might be a curse more than a privilege.

Some churches around the world are “in the minority, under-resourced, and are sometimes even persecuted,” Pruitt said. Therefore, “they lay down their secondary issues and preferences to rally around the core essentials of the faith and band together as the family of God. They don’t have the privilege of dividing, because unity is a necessity.”

“When the church is pushed on, it often thrives,” Pruitt pointed out. He then warned that “when the church is lazy and comfortable, it often turns in on itself.”

Pruitt believes that the “true church” in America will soon be forced to reveal itself, because “many of our privileges as the Church in America are possibly going away in our lifetime.” This will result in the “true church” uniting for the only purpose for which it exists—”as the family of God for the glory of our King.”

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Peterson’s Message to the Christian Churches

We see many priests serving together in images of funerals from Ukraine. Has this always been common in Ukraine, or did it begin during the war?

So these funeral practices both among clergy and laypeople are not new —they date from earlier national events — the Maidan uprising, Revolution of Dignity, and Russia’s invasion of Crimea and the Donbas in 2014?

You say there are often clergy from many different Christian traditions at funerals. Are there Ukrainian priests from the Moscow Patriarchate who attend these funerals?

1. A Church That Meets All of Your Needs Is Probably Off-Mission

2. You’ll Uproot All Your Non-Christian Friends

3. Christianity Was Never About Satisfying Yourself

The Mighty Oak Tree Proverb: How Can This Happen?

1. We can help children and families develop strong spiritual roots.

3. We can help children connect with other Christians.

Bible-Based Youth Ministry Goals and Objectives

If Your Church Has a Security Team, Does the Security Team at Your Church Carry Weapons? Why or Why Not?

Bart Millard’s Relationship With His Mom Had Been Restored

A Story of Redemption and Forgiveness

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