Beloved Pastor Stabbed, Set on Fire While Ministering, Say Atlanta Police

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May 23, 2022

Family, friends, and congregants are mourning the tragic death of the Rev. Marita Harrell, a 57-year-old senior pastor at Atlanta’s Connections at Metropolitan United Methodist Church. Christopher Griggs, 27, has been charged with murder and arson. Arrest warrants indicate the suspect allegedly stabbed and burned Harrell on May 18, then left her body on a roadside.

According to DeKalb County police, Pastor Harrell was mentoring and counseling Griggs at his home, where the alleged murder occurred. Griggs, who has a criminal record, is being held in jail without bond.

Marita Harrell Was a ‘Shining Light’

Colleagues say they’re shocked and devastated by Harrell’s murder but not surprised she was ministering to someone to the very end. The Rev. Michael McQueen, the UMC’s local district superintendent, says, “She was passionate about what she did, which was helping those who are lost and left out. She was doing what she loved to do. That’s what makes this so tragic.”

Of Harrell’s death, longtime friend Vincente Scott says, “At a spiritual level you’re asking ‘God, Why? What? Why her? She was doing your work,’” He adds, “If you knew her, she was offering advice, offering encouragement. The world has missed a great contributor to the civilizing process. If anything else, Marita was about improving individuals and improving society.”

On Facebook, Connections at Metropolitan encourages people to “Spread kindness in her memory!”

In a statement, Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson of the UMC’s North Georgia Conference calls Harrell “a friend and a shining light among us.” She adds, “I am grateful that the Lord she represented so well was with her in all things and accompanied her to her eternal home. May His Spirit comfort those of us who remain.”

Marita Harrell Answered a Midlife Call to Ministry

Harrell, a lifelong Methodist, worked at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper for 22 years before obtaining a Master of Divinity degree in 2014. Before coming to Connections in July 2020, she served in several other UMC churches and organizations. McQueen describes the pastor as “strong, smart, and just tremendously loved by all of her peers.”

The Rev. Christopher Szarke, who befriended Harrell at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, recalls her “immense compassion” and dedication to her family and studies. “She was very engaged in her classes,” he says, “always wanting to learn the deeper truth and to listen to viewpoints beyond her own.”

Johnny Hunt Resigns as NAMB VP of Evangelism; Guidepost Report Alleges He Sexually Abused a Pastor’s Wife

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Jesse T. Jackson

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May 23, 2022

On Sunday (May 22), Johnny Hunt announced his resignation as the Senior Vice President of Evangelism and Leadership at the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) North American Mission Board (NAMB). According to NAMB’s President Kevin Ezell’s statement, Hunt stepped down on May 13, 2022.

Hunt served as the senior pastor of First Baptist Church Woodstock in Georgia for over 30 years, was the president of the SBC Pastors’ Conference in 1996, and was the president of the SBC from 2008 to 2010. Hunt has been serving as NAMB’s Senior Vice President of Evangelism and Leadership since 2018.

The news comes after the 69-year-old Hunt was mentioned in the Guidepost Solutions report, which was released on Sunday afternoon and detailed a forced sexual encounter with a pastor’s wife at the end of Hunt’s SBC presidency in 2010.

The 288-page Guidepost Solutions report compiled 330 interviews in the investigation as to how the SBC had responded to allegations of sexual abuse within the denomination since 2000. SBC messengers called for the investigation at the denomination’s 2021 annual meeting.

According to the report (pg. 149), Hunt allegedly groomed and sexually assaulted the wife of a longtime SBC pastor who had looked up to Hunt as a mentor.

The pastor and his wife, who are two decades younger than Hunt, recalled the first time Hunt acted inappropriately toward the younger woman. It was while spending time together during a vacation that Hunt made inappropriate comments about the pastor’s wife’s figure and kissed her on the forehead.

Some time after the vacation, the pastor asked Hunt for a recommendation regarding where his wife could stay while traveling to hear college football coach Bobby Bowden speak at Highland Park Baptist Church in Panama City Beach, Florida. Hunt shared a number for the owner of his condo complex. The pastor called and booked the unit on VRBO at the request of the owner. At the time of booking the unit, the pastor was unaware that it was next door to Hunt’s condo unit.

Trusting Hunt, the pastor asked his mentor to look after his wife while she was in town, because he was not traveling with her. Hunt replied that “he would take care of her and that his family will keep an eye out.”

When the pastor’s wife arrived at the condo, she notified her husband and Hunt via text by sending them a picture of the ocean.

The report states that the pastor’s wife “was surprised that the condo her husband had rented was right next door to the Hunts’ condo,” something she found out after Hunt texted her to come out and talk on their adjacent balconies.

Add 988 to Your Contacts–The New 911 for Suicide Prevention

By

Jeremiah Johnston

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May 23, 2022

Suicide Prevention — Photo via Unsplash.com @epicantus

(BP) When my wife and I moved to Oxford, England, for my doctoral studies, we realized we had no idea how to call emergency personnel if there was a problem with our infant baby girl, Lily. As a new dad, not knowing who or how to call for help in a moment of crisis in a foreign country startled me. I called a local hotel, and the concierge kindly shared with me the 911 of England is “Triple 9 – 999.” Phew! Though I never had to dial the number, it gave us peace in knowing what to do in a time of crisis.

Here’s the key question: If you have a mental health crisis or someone you know is struggling with mental pain, do you know who or how to call for immediate help and intervention? Did you know May is Mental Health Awareness month? Every Christian must be aware of a significant and helpful tool soon to be available – dialing 988. It is my experience many Christians are not prepared for immediate steps in a moment of mental pain and mental crisis. Here’s a vital intervention step that could save the life of someone you love.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline was only recently established in 2005 and has received more than 20 million calls. Available 24 hours per day, seven days a week, for any age, including non-English speakers, calls are routed to the nearest crisis center based on the caller’s location. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can reach Lifeline via TTY by dialing 1-800-799-4889 or using the Lifeline Live Chat service online. Download the 988 fact sheet.

What do we need to know? On July 16, 2022, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-8255 transitions to a number that will be easy to remember in an emergency – 988. Please save this in your contacts and encourage everyone in your community to do the same. Similar to dialing 911, a person will be able to simply dial 988 to get immediate help from the suicide prevention hotline. Sometimes, it is hard to recall even the most basic facts in a moment of crisis, such as your address or date of birth. If you encounter a son or daughter or a friend in crisis, it is tough to remember a 10-digit number. What if you or someone you know is in a place they are not comfortable talking? An alternative to the Lifeline is the Crisis Text Line (741-741), which offers confidential support 24/7 via text message. Your number will not appear, and if you do not want to share your identity, you do not have to. Veterans and service members may reach the Veterans Crisis Line by pressing 1 after dialing, chatting online at www.veteranscrisisline.net, or texting 838255.

When will 988 be available nationwide? Beginning July 16 of this year, 988 will be the new three-digit dialing code connecting people to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, where compassionate, accessible care and support are available for anyone experiencing mental health-related distress. People can also dial 988 if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.

We are the people who bring hope. Rates of depression and suicide are increasing in every age demographic, especially our young people. Why is 988 so important? The average wait time to see a therapist for an adult is currently 48 days – for an appointment. What’s worse, a child psychologist can take up to a year for an appointment. Our churches must be present in this crisis. As believers, we must be conversant on the tough issues facing culture, and mental pain is at the top of the list. Research shows individuals experiencing psychological distress are more likely to seek help from clergy before any other professional group, including mental health experts. This reveals what you may already know: The church is central in the healing equation for the multitudes who are seeking peace and joy but struggling with anxiety. Here is an opportunity for Christian leaders and the global church to minister to the afflicted.

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or suicidal crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline1-800-273-TALK (8255). A list of international suicide hotlines can be found here.

This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.

Roberto Miranda, Pastor of Lion of Judah, Prominent Boston Church, Has Died

By

Bob Smietana

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May 23, 2022

(RNS) — A prominent Boston Hispanic Pentecostal pastor, known for his church’s social programs and conservative teaching, has died, according to his church.

Pastor Roberto Miranda’s death was announced Sunday (May 22) during services at Congregation Lion of Judah in Boston, which was streamed online.

“So many of those of you who are joining us watching this and hearing this for the very first time, we’re just simply letting them know that our senior pastor, beloved of all of us, Roberto Miranda, has graduated,” said Brandt Gillespie, who was leading the service at Lion of Judah.

“He has gone. He is in the presence of the Lord.”

The announcement came after the congregation at Lion of Judah, a bilingual church also known as Congregación Leon de Judá, sang “It Is Well With My Soul,” a popular hymn with lyrics written by Horatio Spafford in the 1870s, after his children died in a shipwreck. The story of the song’s writing had been told during a sermon at the church the previous week.

Gillespie led the congregation in singing a refrain of the hymn and told them it was alright to grieve their beloved pastor.

“It’s going to take a long journey to come to grips with this,” said Gillespie.

Miranda, who was born in 1955, became pastor of what was a modest Hispanic congregation of about 60 people after earning a doctorate from Harvard. He had hoped to become a professor of Romance languages but gave up his dreams of teaching for the pastorate.

He served the church for nearly 40 years before his death on Saturday (May 21), according to a follow-up announcement on the Congregation Lion of Judah Facebook page.

The announcement said Miranda’s was unexpected but did not list a cause of death.

“When he gave himself into the arms of our Lord, he was accompanied by whoever was his faithful companion for 38 years, our dear pastor Mercedes Lopez-Miranda ‘Meche,'” according to the announcement.

Under his leadership, Lion of Judah grew to a congregation of about 1,000 people, which draws people from 30 countries. The congregation runs social programs to minister to immigrants, serve the poor and help people overcome “anything that prevents people from becoming what God intended them to be,” Miranda told Religion News Service in 2019.

Los Angeles Archdiocese Requests Sheriff’s Campaign Ad Filmed in Church Be Taken Down

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Alejandra Molina

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May 23, 2022

LOS ANGELES (RNS) — In his latest campaign ad, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who is up for re-election, walks inside a dimly lit Catholic church, kneels and prays for strength and compassion to do his job.

“Lord, give me the strength to protect the public from violent crime … give me the humility and patience to not let the naysayers discourage our brave women and men from serving with honor,” Villanueva says in the ad.

Images of stained-glass windows, religious statues and pews are shown amid the background noise of police sirens.

On Friday afternoon, the ad was removed from the alex4sheriff Instagram after the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which covers nearly 300 parishes and more than 4 million Catholics, requested it be taken down. The archdiocese, in a statement, said it became aware of the ad through “concerned inquiries and media reports portraying the ad as a possible endorsement.” FOX 11 reported about the ad on Tuesday.

The archdiocese said it was not properly informed prior to the filming, adding that it does not endorse political candidates.

“Archdiocesan policy states that Archdiocesan property cannot be used for candidates’ political campaigns. The Archdiocese requested that the ad be taken down and was assured that it would be removed,” the archdiocese said in a statement.

Villanueva’s campaign said it received permission to film from St. Alphonsus Church in East Los Angeles, a bilingual parish that offers Mass in English and Spanish under the Los Angeles archdiocese. The pastor of the church was on set during filming, according to the campaign’s statement.

A still from a campaign ad video for Alex Villanueva filmed in St. Alphonsus Church in East Los Angeles. Video screen grab

“Sheriff Villanueva and his wife are both devout Catholics and have been longtime members of that church. The campaign was not made aware that any further permissions were required at the time of filming. We have since been in touch directly with The Archdiocese of Los Angeles to remedy any concerns,” the statement read.

Under the Johnson Amendment, tax-exempt charitable organizations such as houses of worship are prohibited from participating directly or indirectly in any political campaign to support or oppose a candidate. Such organizations cannot donate to a candidate’s campaign or make public statements on behalf of or against a candidate.

Villanueva, who was recently estranged from the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, has recently come under fire for his treatment of the press.

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and dozens of news media organizations sent a letter to the sheriff in late April condemning his threat to investigate a Los Angeles Times journalist who reported on a video showing a sheriff’s deputy kneeling on the head of a handcuffed inmate. The journalist, Alene Tchekmedyian, reported on internal documents showing that the sheriff attempted to cover it up.

This article originally appeared here.

Rethinking the ‘Communications Director’ Role in a Post-Pandemic World

By

Phil Cooke

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May 23, 2022

Since the church shutdown began in March of 2020 I started telling pastors that while outreaches like missions, education, and children’s ministry are all important, during the pandemic it was the communication and media team that was keeping your church in business. If there’s been a remotely positive outcome of the virus, it’s been that church leaders are finally realizing that their online congregation matters, and communicating and connecting with that congregation is more important than ever.

As a result, churches around the world have been re-thinking their communication strategy, and particularly the lead role of “Communication Director.” Our team at Cooke Media Group has been deeply involved in these conversations, so I asked our Lead Strategist, Dawn Nicole Baldwin to share a little about how she sees this transition happening and what church leaders need to consider:

Dawn: “Communications” wasn’t always considered important in most churches. Actually, there was a time when it was not considered at all— church secretaries updated bulletins and even websites in their free time using whatever clipart they could find.

As ministries evolved, most created a dedicated Communications Director position and built departments with supporting roles as needs required. But these roles were still primarily designed to serve the needs of ministries, and typically were not allowed to say “no” to requests. A drive-thru mentality became the standard operating procedure, with many ministry leaders filling out an order form of sorts, listing all of the ways they wanted to promote their event. (Do you want fries with that?)

This led to ministries inevitably competing with each other for the congregation’s attention, and “success” was determined by how many people showed up at an event.

COVID-19 changed all of that. Without live events many ministries were forced to reconsider their end games, and the role of communications has shifted once again to become more strategic than ever. People still need to feel connected and belong, even if you’re not meeting in person. They need to know how the church’s vision may have adjusted to meet immediate needs, and what role they have to play in all of this moving forward.

This is more than just deciding who gets logos and what the next sermon series graphic should look like. This is about communicating vision & keeping people connected.

Ultimately the senior/lead pastor is responsible for communicating that vision, but typically he isn’t involved with the nuts and bolts of all the different tools and channels available to make this happen. Or how this fits with everything else that’s going on at the church. Or how the assimilation process is communicated along the way to ensure people aren’t falling through the cracks (or slipping out the back door).

A communications director is usually responsible for the social media, digital, and print touch points to reach your congregation, the community at large, as well as the staff. This is a lot to put on one person’s plate, especially if this same person is also responsible for executing everything. You need someone who isn’t drowning in the day-to-day to help communicate where the ship is headed.

So if you think your church may have outgrown its previous communications structure, here are a few key characteristics to consider for a great Communications Director moving forward:

• Strategic thinker — Able to see the big picture, this person typically is on the executive team or working closely with senior leadership

The Benefits of Having a Parent and Child Dedication Class

By

Dale Hudson

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May 23, 2022

One of the ways you can make a big impact in the lives of parents and their children is to offer a Parent and Child Dedication class.

Here are some of the benefits that come with hosting a class.

You can help young parents see that they are the biggest influence in their child’s life. Most Christian parents don’t think about this. They feel a sense of duty to raise their child in church, but don’t fully grasp just how big their role is.

At each Parent and Dedication class, I remind the parents of this one simple, but powerful truth.

No one has more influence in a child’s life than his or her parents.

You can help parents see that the dedication is just as much about them as it is their children. That’s why it’s important to call it PARENT and Child Dedication class.

You can give parents a blueprint for discipling their children. Deuteronomy 6 shares 4 ways you can disciple your children in the course of an ordinary day.

> Morning time

> Home time (when you are at home just hanging out)

> Drive time

> Bedtime

You can help parents see what the dedication is not. It is not part of their salvation. It is not baptism. It is not a ritual or show.

You can help parents see what the dedication is. It is a time to dedicate their children to Jesus. It is a time to pray a blessing over their children. It is a time of asking the congregation to support the parents in the discipleship of their child by praying for them, serving in key roles in children’s ministry and encouraging them along the way.

It is a time to share the Gospel with parents and their extended family and friends. Parent and child dedication is a great opportunity to share the Gospel with parents and family, friends, co-workers, etc. that are invited to attend the dedication.

It helps parents see what matters most. Parents with young children are still forming their child’s schedule, activities, events, etc. Parent and Child dedication is a great time to help parents see what matters most.

It is a great time to help parents see the importance of attending church faithfully. There are many options that tug for families’ time and resources. One of the biggest pulls is sports. Sports are a good thing, but not when it causes families to miss church for weeks on end. It is crucial that you help young families see that attending church should be their top priority on weekends.

It’s a great time to connect with families in your church. When families go through the class with you, it creates a bond with them. This will pay off now and in the years ahead. Have everything set up a head of time so you can spend time talking with the parents before and after the dedication.

It’s a great time to go over the logistics of the dedication if it is held during a church service or in another venue. Where they should sit. When they should come up front. Where they should stand. What will happen during the dedication.

It’s a great time to give families a gift to remember the day by. Some ideas are a Bible. A devotion book. A parenting book. A framed portrait.

This past weekend, I had the privilege of teaching this class at my home church. This Sunday we will have the honor of dedicating the children and their parents to Jesus. Can’t wait. It’s going to be awesome.

Why Church Attendance Is Important (Still!)

By

Matt Brown

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May 23, 2022

With all the changes facing churches recently, these past few years demonstrate why church attendance is important (still). An online post from a major ministry struck a nerve when it stated the necessity of church attendance for your growth as a believer in Christ.

It’s surprising to me how many Christians struggle with why church attendance is important. We are at a crossroads in our nation on the importance of going to church. According to research, church attendance has remained virtually the same percent of our national population for the past 70 years, however, this still means there are a huge number of American Christians who are not active in a local church—in the tens of millions.

Of course, this isn’t a new problem. Since the beginning of Christianity, the early leaders had to challenge this mindset, saying, “Do not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

Why Church Attendance Is Important (Still!)

A popular Christian social media catch-phrase is, “You don’t go to church, you are the church.” While I get the sentiment in some ways, this is an unhealthy view, pitting “being the church” and “going to church” against each other. If we are truly “the church,” then we will surely get together with other believers regularly. We cannot “be” the church if we don’t “go” to church. Not fully, anyway.

Here’s one reason why church attendance is important: the word “church” never connotes a single, individual, lone ranger Christian just going about his Christian duties and never gathering together to worship with other believers. The “church” by its very nature means multiple believers: “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matthew 18:20).

This is both the biblical and historical pattern set forth for us by the first followers of Jesus. They would get together weekly to worship God together, and at times even daily. They would also share community together in each other’s homes. Paul and the other Apostle’s letters were actually sent to these church communities that gathered in various cities to be read aloud together. Church means getting together with other believers to worship Jesus Christ, and hear the Scriptures together, and encourage one another in the faith.

Craig Groeschel shared recently, “There is something better. To worship God together and be committed to worship Him together, to hear His Word together. Do not reduce church to listening to a podcast. It’s so much more than that. It’s community. It’s worshiping with other, praying for others, hurting with others, serving others, being involved in the lives of others.”

The Storm Has a Bit in Its Mouth

By

Randy Alcorn

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May 21, 2022

I’ve mentioned that Nanci’s journal she kept over the last four years of her cancer contains many Charles Haddon Spurgeon quotes. A few months ago she wrote down some profound sentences from this sermon by Spurgeon, titled “Safe Shelter.” It seemed right to share more of it with you.

I don’t know if Nanci has met him yet, but CHS is on her shortlist of people she is eager to thank! Mine too. God has reached countless millions through Spurgeon’s sermons and books, but if the only one who ever read him was my wife, the impact on her life alone, and on mine and many others through her, would have been worth it. (I don’t know whether she’ll break the news to him that he and I are co-authors of the book We Shall See God!)

Preaching on Psalm 91:4, “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings shall you trust,” Spurgeon says this:

The Lord here compares Himself to a hen covering her brood—and He speaks not only of the wings, which give shelter, but He enters into detail and speaks of the feathers which give warmth and comfort and repose. “He shall cover you with His feathers and under His wings shall you trust.”

Using thus the maternal instinct as an emblem of His own parental tenderness, God compares Himself to the mother bird which fosters, cherishes and protects her little ones. You have stood, sometimes, in the farmyard and there you have noticed the little chicks as they cowered down under the hen. She has given some note of warning that betokened danger—perhaps your very presence discomposed her and made her betray some little fluttering of fear. She called her little ones by her peculiar cry. They came to her and then, stooping down and spreading out her wings, she covered them and they were safe.

You would have noticed that after they were safely nestled there, the warmth of her feathers made them seem peculiarly happy and at ease. You could hear them clucking to one another and playfully pushing one another sometimes out of their places, but evidently cheerful, contented and peaceful. It was something more than the protection which a soldier would give to a comrade—it was the protection of a mother of her young. There was love in it. There was homeliness, relationship, kindliness, heart-working in it all. It was not merely the relief that might supply a little cold comfort, but the breast feathers came down upon the little ones and there they rested cozily and comfortably, serene and unmolested.

…Not only is protection from danger vouchsafed, but a sense of comfort and happiness is communicated, making the child of God feel that he is at home under the shadow of the Almighty. He feels he has all the comforts that he can need when he has once come to cower down under a blessed sense of the Divine Presence and to feel the warm flowing out of the very heart of God, as He reveals Himself in the most tender relationship towards His weak and needy servants.

Carrying this picture in your mind’s eye, may it often cheer and encourage you. Though I have nothing new, no bewitching novelty to introduce to you, I want to bring this old, old Truth of God vividly before your minds, to examine it in detail and press it home to your souls.

Made in God’s Image: What Does That Mean for Teens?

By

Youth Ministrycom

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May 20, 2022

Do teens in your youth ministry know they are made in God’s image? Read on to discover how you can help young people with issues of self-esteem and body image.

For the third week in a row, I watched a junior higher struggle to complete the conditioning course before track practice. I don’t know why I hadn’t noticed before, but his clothes were three times too big. The baggy wardrobe was slowing him down. After talking to him about wearing clothes that fit and even calling his home, nothing changed.

One day I asked the boy why he was still wearing such large clothes. I suspected it wasn’t a fashion choice. After getting only a shrug in response, I changed tactics. I asked if he knew my son. Yes, he nodded.

“In fifth and sixth grade, my son was a little chubby,” I said. “Even though he lost a bunch of weight in seventh grade, he wore clothes that were too big. He wanted to hide his body because he wished it was different. Tell me if I’m wrong, but I think you might be feeling that way.”

The junior higher’s eyes widened as I hit the painful spot on the nose. “But your son is a beast,” he said, referring my sophomore’s workout routine.

“Let me tell you something,” I said. “He does that to help him feel in control of how his body looks. It took him until this year before he stopped wearing huge clothes. You’re athletic and work hard in track. I want to see you succeed. And as silly as it sounds, the baggy clothes are holding you back.”

The next day, the boy wore the same attire. One conversation wouldn’t undo his poor self-image.

Made in God’s Image Yet Struggling With Self-Esteem

The struggle started for me in junior high, too. My body changed, and a mouth full of braces marred my smile. Each morning in front of the mirror, I mentally dissected everything I wished I could change. Unfortunately, that habit lasted into adulthood.

I worked hard to keep my insecurity to myself. But my daughters and son started doing the same thing. They told me everything they didn’t like about their appearance and then tried hard to hide.

Greg Locke Says Christians Can’t Vote Democrat, Speaks of Insurrection—Overshadowing Generosity to Single Moms on Mother’s Day

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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May 20, 2022

This past Sunday, Global Vision Church pastor Greg Locke made social media headlines after he told his congregation, “You cannot be a Christian and vote Democrat in this nation.”

Locke’s comments overshadowed the generosity Global Vision Church displayed the Sunday before, when they blessed 202 single mothers during their Mother’s Day service.

Preaching from Matthew 6:9-13, Locke’s sermon was titled “The Kingdom Life.” While Locke explained Jesus’ words, “Give us this day our daily bread,” he shared that he believes in wise day-by-day provision—trusting God for your daily bread.

Difficult days are near, Locke said, pointing out that “if you can’t see the writing on the wall, you’re not using even half your brain, and you’re not reading any of your Bible.”

Locke then turned his focus to the government, which he said is going to “bankrupt this economy.”

“A bunch of creeps stole an election that everybody knows they stole, and they’re trying to do as much damage as they possibly can,” Locke said, citing high gas prices and the baby formula shortage. “It’s purposeful.”

Locke said he believes “leftist” government officials are purposely starving babies due to the challenge to abortion rights presented by the SCOTUS draft opinion leak earlier this month. “If they can’t kill your baby in the womb, they’ll starve them to death later on after they’ve been born,” he said.

Similar to Southern Baptist pastor Tom Buck‘s recent suggestion that church discipline might be necessary for church members who vote Democrat, Locke said, “You know, the Bible talks about church discipline, right—by kicking folks out if they cause trouble.”

“I’m to the place right now [that] if you vote Democrat, I don’t even want you around this church. You can get out,” Locke yelled. Taking things a step further than Buck’s comments, Locke continued, “You get out, you demon. You get out, you baby butchering election thief.”

“You get pissed off, if you want to. You cannot be a Christian and vote Democrat in this nation,” Locke said.

Democrats “are God denying demons that butcher babies and hate this nation,” Locke shouted. This Tuesday, Locke joined Sean Feucht and Todd White at the steps of the Supreme Court for a pro-life protest. Foreshadowing his presence there, Locke promised in his sermon to “raise hell for the life of them babies.”

Locke said that he’s sick of people talking about the insurrection, which took place on January 6, 2021 at the nation’s Capitol, saying, “Let me tell you something. You ain’t seen the insurrection yet! You keep on pushing our buttons, you low-down-sorry-compromisers, you God-hating communists. You’ll find out what the insurrection is, because we ain’t playing your garbage. We ain’t playing your mess. My Bible says that the church of the living God is an institution that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Citing Abortion Rights, San Francisco Archbishop Bars Pelosi From Communion

By

Jack Jenkins

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May 20, 2022

Nancy Pelosi — Left: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; Right: Steubenville Conferences, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

(RNS) — Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone, who oversees the Archdiocese of San Francisco, announced on Friday (May 20) he is barring House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from taking Communion in churches he oversees, citing her support for abortion rights.

“After numerous attempts to speak with her to help her understand the grave evil she is perpetrating, the scandal she is causing, and the danger to her own soul she is risking, I have determined that the point has come in which I must make a public declaration that she is not to be admitted to Holy Communion unless and until she publicly repudiate her support for abortion ‘rights’ and confess and receive absolution for her cooperation in this evil in the sacrament of Penance,” Cordileone wrote in a letter sent to churchgoers in his archdiocese.

In his letter and a separate interview with America Magazine, Cordileone accused Pelosi of “scandal” — a term used in Catholic theological parlance to signify actions that can lead believers to sin.

Representatives for Pelosi did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In his letter, Cordileone insisted he still considers Pelosi, who speaks often of her Catholic faith, to be a “sister in Christ.” Her “advocacy for the care of the poor and vulnerable,” he said, “elicits my admiration.”

“I assure you that my action here is purely pastoral, not political,” he added.

But recent debates over the issue of Communion and abortion cast doubt as to whether Catholics and non-Catholics alike will see Cordileone’s actions — the censure of one of the highest-ranking politicians in the country amid a national debate over abortion — as something apolitical. While crafting a document on the Eucharist in 2021, Catholic bishops openly feuded over whether to deny Communion to President Joe Biden — a Catholic who, like Pelosi, has voiced support for abortion rights. Amid back-and-forth over the issue, Cordileone was one of the most strident voices challenging politicians who support abortion rights.

Other bishops, however, expressed opposition to the idea. Cardinal Wilton Gregory, who oversees the Archdiocese of Washington, told Religion News Service in December 2020 that he did not support denying Communion to Biden over abortion, saying, “I don’t want to go to the table with a gun on the table first.”

As the debate raged, a group of 60 Catholic House Democrats, led by Rep. Rosa DeLauro and including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, released a “statement of principles” in June urging U.S. Catholic bishops to avoid “weaponizing” the Eucharist.

“No elected officials have been threatened with being denied the Eucharist as they support and have supported policies contrary to the Church teachings, including supporting the death penalty, separating migrant children from their parents, denying asylum to those seeking safety in the United States, limiting assistance for the hungry and food insecure, and denying rights and dignity to immigrants,” read the lawmakers’ letter to the bishops.

Officials at the Vatican cautioned bishops against the debate in the first place, and bishops ultimately created a document that barely mentioned political figures.

Cordileone’s strident rebuke of Pelosi stands in contrast to Pope Francis, who welcomed President Joe Biden to the Vatican in October and did not bar him from receiving Communion in Rome, which the pontiff oversees.

Ruling Opens Door for United Methodist Bishop Elections in 2022

By

Heather Hahn

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May 20, 2022

umc bishops — The Holston Conference’s Bishop Mary Virginia Taylor embraces the Rev. David Graves following his election as United Methodist bishop at the 2016 Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference. Taylor is among the 11 U.S. bishops who retired last year, and Graves is among the bishops now taking on extra work because of the retirements. The Judicial Council issued a decision May 20, addressing the question of whether jurisdictional conference can meet to elect new bishops. File photo by Annette Spence, Holston Conference.

The United Methodist Council of Bishops has the authority to call jurisdictional conferences this year to elect and assign new episcopal leaders in the U.S.

However, that authority does not extend to changing the Sept. 1 date when church law says newly elected U.S. bishops officially take office, the denomination’s top court ruled in Decision 1445.

Usually jurisdictional conferences meet to elect bishops in mid-July every four years following General Conference, the denomination’s top lawmaking assembly.

But amid General Conference’s continued pandemic-caused delay, the Judicial Council said the bishops can call jurisdictional conferences “for the limited purpose of effectuating the continuance of an episcopacy in The United Methodist Church” as required by the denomination’s constitution.

Put another way, the Judicial Council says new bishop elections can occur off their usual schedule to fulfill the United Methodist constitutional mandate that bishops provide continuing supervision.

The Council of Bishops tentatively had set Nov. 2-5 for jurisdictional conferences if the Judicial Council ruled in favor of holding the regional meetings.

To comply with the requirement that new bishops take office on Sept. 1, the Judicial Council decision said the Council of Bishops must either reschedule the jurisdictional conferences so they occur before Sept. 1 this year or assign the newly elected bishops on an interim basis until they officially begin their assignments on Sept. 1, 2023.

The Judicial Council released Decision 1445 on May 20, just as U.S. annual conferences — church regional bodies — begin their spring and summer meetings. Annual conferences frequently nominate one of their clergy members to be a bishop candidate at jurisdictional conferences.

Judicial Council member Beth Capen issued a separate opinion that concurs in part and dissents in part.

Capen concurred with the ultimate holding but dissented that newly elected bishops must assume office on Sept. 1 “because it serves no purpose in these circumstances.”

“Rather, I would suggest that it is much more logical, for the limited purpose of this current situation and for Jurisdictional Conferences held in 2022 only, that just as we had done prior to 1976, we permit the newly-elected bishops to begin their duties immediately following their assignment,” she wrote.

Decision 1445 responded to questions raised by the Council of Bishops following the third postponement of General Conference, originally scheduled in 2020 and now set for 2024.

Abuse Survivor: SBC Needs Offender Database, Pastoral Code of Conduct

By

Stephanie Martin

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May 20, 2022

On Sunday, May 22, the Southern Baptist Convention’s Sexual Abuse Task Force (SATF) plans to release a highly anticipated report from Guidepost Solutions. The 300-page document will detail an extensive investigation into alleged mishandling of sexual abuse claims by the SBC’s Executive Committee since the year 2000.

Ahead of the report’s release, abuse survivor Tiffany Thigpen took to Twitter to suggest next steps for the denomination at “this historic moment.” Those include the need for a database of sexual offenders, especially due to the SBC’s autonomous structure, plus a leadership code of conduct that is spelled out rather than “assumed.”

Abuse Survivor Tiffany Thigpen: Next Steps Are Key

Thigpen tweets excerpts from a recent Houston Chronicle article that describes how the SBC is “bracing” for the report. That newspaper played a key role in uncovering alleged sexual crimes—and their mishandling—via its 2019 investigation “Abuse of Faith.” Thigpen thanks the outlet and its reporters “for the thorough coverage & cost of reporting our stories.”

Then she writes: “The need for a database is step #1 as we’ve always asked for. The next point I feel strongly about is the need for a ‘Code of Conduct’ for [ministers]. Written, spelled out, Biblical, not assumed. By not assumed, meaning we all ‘should’ know what is required Biblically, but having it spelled out in your BFM [Baptist Faith & Message faith statement] & ‘in good standing’ policies/expectations. There is none currently and it is VITAL. These things shouldn’t be left to interpretation nor assumed. #Standards”

Implementing safeguards is essential, Thigpen says, because “abuse by a minister lasts a lifetime, twists scriptures as weapons, damages your soul, body, spirit. Makes ugly what God meant to be beautiful.”

Tiffany Thigpen Pens Letter to Task Force Members

With her tweet thread, Thigpen includes a letter she wrote to the SATF members. It details her “personal thoughts” behind recommending a database and code of conduct. “There is a code of conduct for most jobs, why not more so for Pastors?” she writes before posting her letter.

“There is an overwhelming need for a ‘Code of Conduct’ for ministerial duties and requirements that is scripturally based and thorough,” Thigpen states. “It is not enough to point to the Bible, to quote scriptures at random which apply to given situations, as it is far too easy to skirt the issues by this form of cherry picking and using grace.”

Without agreement about following certain principles, she adds, “when things go awry…the church is poorly equipped to call out the sins as Matthew 18 further requires.” The tendency, she says, is for church leaders “to assume ‘God will handle them and it isn’t our place.’” Yet that’s “problematic” because “these same Pastors have no problem calling out sin they see in others, often publicly.”

Thigpen writes that though most Southern Baptists likely “would agree that there is a higher calling on sin and discipline of ministerial people than on a lay person,” in actuality “what is witnessed and meted out…looks completely different from what is right, approved, and instructed by God.”

Merely issuing “a new resolution stating the obvious knowledge of what is required and resolved” is insufficient, she says, indicating that it merits “zero change or accountability.” Resolutions among to “a lot of pretty words, though scripturally sound, with very little action or bite. Hypocrisy in print.”

The Bible, writes Thigpen, is clear about disciplinary matters for religious people. And because Southern Baptists “pride themselves on the inerrancy of scriptures,” she asks, “shouldn’t we also use the scriptures that apply to leadership and service, especially concerning our own Pastors?”

‘Make Women Great Again’ Event To Feature ‘Dear Brian’ Pastor

By

Dale Chamberlain

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May 20, 2022

make women great again brian suavé — Screengrabs of 21Summit trailer via YouTube.

Utah pastor Brian Sauvé of “Dear Brian” fame is set to be a featured speaker in what is being billed as “the world’s ultimate event for women.” 21 Studios’ “Make Women Great Again” conference will be held in Orlando, Florida, from October 14 to 17 and promises to help attendees become “the ultimate alpha female.”

Standard tickets for the event are $1,299, with VIP access costing $2,299.

In February, Sauvé became the subject of controversy after tweeting: “Dear Ladies, There is no reason whatsoever for you to post pictures of yourself in low cut shirts, bikinis, bra and underwear, or anything similar—ever. Not to show your weight loss journey. Not to show your newborn baby. Not to document your birth story. -Your Brothers.”

Soon after, “Dear Brian” became a trending topic on Twitter, with Sauvé drawing sharp criticism.

“Oh my gosh I didn’t realize me lying on a hospital bed…holding [my] baby with a makeup + tear streaked face and frizzy hair from the sweat of 2+ hours of pushing, all while marveling at the miracle of new life was so sexy,” responded one woman.

“Dear Brian, Learn self-control,” said one man. “Seek help if you can’t see a woman without sexualizing her into some tawdry self-fulfilling scenario. Your Brother Twice Removed.”

Many other women responded by commenting or retweeting Sauvé’s statement with profanity-laced rebukes and/or provocative images of themselves.

Despite the criticism, Sauvé doubled down.

“Brothers, you have no choice but to live in a world where even some of your professed Christian sisters parade their bottoms and breasts in front of you,” he later tweeted. “I know this is the world we have no choice but to live in, because every time I give commonsense exhortation to Christian sisters concerning modesty—things that would have been uncontroversially obvious to most Christians living prior to the 20th century—the response is absurd.”

While many found fault with Sauvé’s original statement, others lauded him, including “Grace to You” Dean of Social Media Darrell B. Harrison, who said, “I appreciate your saying this, Brian. You’ll catch some flak for it, but so be it. For whatever it’s worth, in my humble opinion, it needed to be said. Instagram, in particular, has essentially become a soft porn web site.”

As Roe’s Potential Fall Nears, Abortion Abolitionists Turn on ‘Pro-Life Elites’

By

Bob Smietana

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May 20, 2022

abolitionists — Anti-abortion protesters holding a cross demonstrate in front of the Supreme Court building in December 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

(RNS) — The way Florida Southern Baptist pastor Tom Ascol sees it, there is little difference between a woman who chooses to end her pregnancy and a hit man.

Both pay someone to end a human life, his argument goes, and so both should face criminal charges. “It’s like saying if I don’t murder someone, but I just contracted a murderer to murder someone I’m not culpable,” he told Christian radio host Jeff Schreve on Tuesday (May 17).

The analogy is not uncommon — Pope Francis has made similar “hit man” comments — Ascol also believes that women who have abortions should be charged with homicide and face potential jail time. And Ascol criticizes “pro-life industry elites,” who, he says, get in the way of ending abortion in America.

Ascol, a leading candidate for president of the Southern Baptist Convention, is part of a small but growing movement of abortion abolitionists who reject the idea that abortion should be allowed if a mother’s life is endangered or in cases of rape or incest.

The movement prompted a bill, now pulled by lawmakers in Louisiana, that would have treated abortion as a homicide.

Tom Ascol of Founders Ministries. Video screen grab

Tom Ascol of Founders Ministries. Video screengrab

Abolitionists recently accused the National Right to Life Committee, Americans United for Life, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of betraying the anti-abortion cause after the groups drafted an open letter opposing criminal penalties for women who have the procedure.

“We state unequivocally that we do not support any measure seeking to criminalize or punish women and we stand firmly opposed to including such penalties in legislation,” the letter read.

Ascol, who declined a request for an interview, called for Brent Leatherwood, acting ERLC president, to be fired for signing the letter. In an article for Founders Ministries, a conservative organization headed by Ascol, the pastor laid out his conviction that abortion should be treated as a homicide, and this week he repeated his points on Twitter.

To back his claim, Ascol pointed to a resolution passed at the SBC’s 2021 annual meeting calling for abortion to be abolished and for it to be treated as murder.

“Criminalization of mothers” is newspeak. Don’t be misled. Only actions can be crimes, not people. And the act of murder is a crime regardless of how old the murdered is or how sympathetic the murderer is. https://t.co/E1Re0B4DSU

— Tom @tomascol (@tomascol) May 13, 2022

Cardinal: Pope Ordered Auditor to Resign Over Spying Charge

By

Nicole Winfield

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May 20, 2022

Cardinal: Pope Ordered Auditor to Resign Over Spying Charge — FILE - Cardinal Angelo Becciu talks to journalists during press conference in Rome, Sept. 25, 2020. A Vatican cardinal testified Wednesday, May 18, 2022 that Pope Francis himself ordered the ouster of the Holy See’s auditor general, shedding light on a scandal that had sparked questions about the Vatican’s commitment to financial transparency and accountability. Cardinal Angelo Becciu opened a second day of questioning in the Vatican’s big financial fraud trial by saying Francis had recently authorized him to reveal the details of Milone’s 2017 departure as the Vatican’s first auditor-general. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File)

VATICAN CITY (AP) — A Vatican cardinal testified Wednesday that Pope Francis himself ordered the ouster of the Holy See’s auditor-general, turning the tables on a scandal that had sparked questions about the Vatican’s commitment to financial transparency and accountability.

Cardinal Angelo Becciu opened a second day of questioning in the Vatican’s big financial fraud trial by saying Francis had recently authorized him to reveal the details of Libero Milone’s 2017 departure as the Vatican’s first auditor-general. He did so to clarify his previous testimony, during which he declined to respond to questions about Milone “out of love for the Holy Father.”

The Vatican announced June 20, 2017 that Milone had resigned two years into his mandate, without providing details. His ouster, as well as the removal of PriceWaterHouseCoopers as Vatican auditors, had long been cited by Cardinal George Pell, the Vatican’s former financial czar, and others as evidence of possible shady dealings by Becciu and the secretariat of state and a step back in the Vatican’s efforts at financial transparency and reform.

Three months after he left, Milone claimed in media interviews that he had been forced out after he uncovered evidence of possible illegal activity in the Vatican.

Becciu made clear Wednesday that it was Francis who ordered Milone out, because Milone had hired an outside investigative firm to spy on Vatican hierarchs like himself. He said Francis summoned him June 7, 2017 and asked him to tell Milone “that as of today he no longer had the trust of the Holy Father” and to ask him to submit his resignation.

“I have no responsibility concerning the resignation of Dr. Milone,” Becciu said. “I merely followed an order received by the Holy Father, that was taken in full autonomy without any involvement.”

It was the latest incidence in the Vatican‘s sprawling financial trial of defendants asserting that Francis had approved every major undertaking related to the Vatican’s financial decisions and the scandal concerning the secretariat of state’s 350-million-euro ($367 million) investment in a London property, which is at the center of the trial.

Reassess, Be Vigilant, Church Security Experts Advise Following Latest Shooting

By

Scott Barkley

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May 20, 2022

Church Security — Photo via Unsplash.com @Flex Point Security

NASHVILLE (BP) – Churches are taking another look at their security plans after a weekend when 10 died in a shooting at a Buffalo, N.Y., grocery store and another the next day at a California church.

While variables can exist from church to church in establishing or modifying those plans, the concerns and preparation are largely consistent, one expert said.

“It’s a matter of scope, of scale,” said Mike Everett, director of security services for Bellevue Baptist Church near Memphis. “With churches it’s the same way. We all face the same issues, whether it’s budgetary or congregation size or the number of people you have to serve on your security ministry.”

Everett was working with a company that had given a security assessment at Bellevue before the church approached him with a job offer that he accepted in September 2021. Prior to that, he had served 23 years in law enforcement in southern Illinois as a patrolman and three-term sheriff.

Bellevue already had an established security team before Everett’s arrival. In 2016 that team took action in subduing a heavily armed man who entered the sanctuary during the church’s 11 a.m. Easter service. An alert greeter had noticed a pistol sticking out of the man’s jacket. Upon being interrogated by Bellevue’s then-director of security Andy Willis, a reserve officer with the Memphis Police Department, an automatic rifle and “lots of ammo” were found in the man’s backpack.

Both Everett and Ben O’Neal, who leads seminars and training for church security and safety through the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, point to the 2017 shooting at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, as a turning point of consciousness on the discussion.

“It taught us some things about layering security,” O’Neal said of the shooting that left 26 dead, including an unborn child. It’s important, he said, to have security in the parking lot as well as at the door to provide as many eyes as possible looking out.

“You need to identify potential threats as they pass through various levels,” said O’Neal, who had 23 years of active duty in the Army before retiring with the rank of major. Degrees in criminal justice and security management have helped him in security training for more than 600 Georgia Baptist churches. He also speaks to more than 200 groups a year through regional seminars.

Layering is only one part of beginning a security plan. Two of those killed at Sutherland Springs were outside the building, but most died when the shooter entered the building. Therefore, it’s important to limit the number of accessible doors going into the building, O’Neal said.

The concept applies to churches of all sizes. A small church could have a couple of volunteers in the parking lot and two more at the main entrance. Many churches have started locking those front doors once the service starts. But that doesn’t mean they have to be unwelcoming.

“Always have someone at the door ready to open it for those who are late,” O’Neal said.

Such measures don’t make a church cold, just cautious. And, it protects the ministry in the long term.

“If someone gets inside and causes a crisis, it’s going to hurt your ministry and outreach,” he said.

An intrusion doesn’t have to involve a gun. Recently, pro-abortion protestors disrupted the services of a Catholic church in Colorado over the leaked Supreme Court opinion pointing to the possible overturn of Roe vs. Wade.

Insurers Suddenly Raise Stakes on German Churches’ Sex Abuse Response

By

Tom Heneghan

-

May 20, 2022

sex abuse germany — A carnival float depicting a sleeping cardinal, reading “11 years of relentless processing of cases of abuse,” is set in front of the Cologne Cathedral to protest against the Catholic Church in Cologne, Germany, March 18, 2021. Faced with accusations of trying to cover up sexual violence in Germany’s most powerful Roman Catholic diocese, the archbishop of Cologne, Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, ordered an independent investigation. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

(RNS) — Germany’s Catholic and Protestant churches have been criticized for their handling of clergy sexual abuse for years now by victims, believers and the media. Now they face new pressure from an unexpected corner: the insurance industry.

VBG, a national association of accident insurance providers, recently complained to the two predominant church bodies in the country that they had not been notified of the thousands of sexual abuse cases that have been found in the church groups’ ranks.

According to German law, sexual abuse cases can fall under the rules governing the churches’ insurance policies. Policyholders must inform the company of known cases and help insurers determine how much compensation they should pay.

Church insurance policies, the VBG lawyers have determined, cover both paid employees and volunteers at church-run activities such as liturgies, youth groups or outings.

“If an altar boy is abused during work, that is a work accident,” VBG spokesman Pierre Stage told Die Zeit, the weekly that broke the story. “Those affected in the context of church volunteer work have our fullest sympathy.”

The surprised churches have responded to the VGB’s letter with an almost audible gulp. “It is undergoing careful scrutiny, which is still ongoing,” the spokesman for the Catholic bishops conference said.

The Evangelical Church in Germany, a federation of 20 Lutheran, Reformed and United regional churches, indicated it was “in contact with the VBG about this.”

The churches have good reason to tread carefully. In the dozen years since the abuse scandal broke in a Berlin Catholic school, Germany has mostly left it to them to investigate the problem and indemnify the victims.

They have issued several headline-grabbing reports, apologized profusely and offered compensation up to 50,000 euros per person.

But victims complain that this procedure is too slow, compensation is sometimes not enough, decisions on cases are made in secret and they cannot be contested in court.

A participant of a rally of the initiative Maria 2.0 holds a poster with the inscription 'No offices for cover-ups' in front of the cathedral in Cologne, Germany, Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021 before the beginning of a penitential service of the archdiocese of Cologne in the course of coming to terms with sexual violence. (Henning Kaiser/dpa via AP)

A participant of a rally of the initiative Maria 2.0 holds a poster with the inscription “No offices for cover-ups” in front of the cathedral in Cologne, Germany, Nov. 18, 2021, before the beginning of a penitential service of the Archdiocese of Cologne in the course of coming to terms with sexual violence. (Henning Kaiser/dpa via AP)

In VBG, one of Germany’s biggest trade associations, with 1.5 million member companies — from banks to railways to architectural firms, as well as the churches — and representing 10 million insured people, the churches suddenly have a powerful critic with deep pockets and highly paid lawyers.

Its letter, sent in late April, clearly outlined what those lawyers thought victims deserved. “The earlier the accidents are reported, the earlier we can care for victims and try to lessen their psychic pain through therapy,” it said.

Pressure and Shame From the Increasing Paradox Surrounding Our Bodies

By

Eric Geiger

-

May 20, 2022

Joey Chestnut is the most dominant person in his field. People marvel at his ability and his dedication. He is consistently the national champion in the Nathan’s Annual Hotdog Eating Contest. He won again last year by downing 71 hotdogs (with buns) in ten minutes. 25 years ago, it took 20 hotdogs to win the hotdog eating competition. You can watch the competition on ESPN. Also, on ESPN, but very different, is the CrossFit Games – where athletes compete against one another. Hotdog eating and CrossFit competitions, broadcast on the same sports channel, illustrate the paradox we find ourselves in.

On one hand, we are eating more and eating less healthy as a culture. Doctors agree that this is a serious health problem but researches debate the root of the problem. Some point to how we can eat so much, so cheaply in comparison to other nations and believe that raising prices or taxes on food is the solution. Others point to longer work hours and less time for exercise. Some point to convenience as the culprit. Others point to our increasing portion sizes. There is more to eat and it is easier to eat more than ever before.

But on the other side of the paradox the fitness industry is steadily growing. According to the International Health, Racquet, and Sportsclub Association, Americans with gym memberships have increased from 19.5M to 62.5M in the last thirty years. There are CrossFit boxes, boot camps, fitness centers that provide massages and smoothies, boutique fitness centers, streaming services, and equipment that virtually connects to others around the world as you exercise.

We can feel this personally with our own bodies. It is easier than ever to bounce back and forth between the two sides of the paradox. We are constantly tempted to not take care of the one body the Lord has given us or to make our body the focus of our lives. We live in a world where it is easier to both abuse and adore our bodies. The result is a lot of pressure and a lot of shame. Both body abuse and body adoration fail us for these two reasons:

1. Both Body Abuse and Body Adoration Make Gods out of Good Gifts.

Food is a good gift from God. He gave us taste buds to savor and enjoy the food and He is pleased when we enjoy each other and enjoy a great meal together. Jesus is the only person in the New Testament accused of being a glutton because the religious leaders saw him enjoying meals “those sinners and tax collectors.” Food is a good gift but we abuse food when our stomach bosses us around as our god. Our bodies are a good gift too, and any movement we can make is a gift. But our body is a terrible god. When we make food or our bodies our gods, they fail to satisfy us. There will always be another “must have meal” and another goal for our bodies. We will never look in the mirror and declare, “it is finished.” Whether our stomach or our bodies, when we glory in something other than Christ, our glory is always our disappointment and shame (Philippians 3:18).

2. Both Body Abuse and Body Adoration Focus on the Temporary.

When we abuse our bodies with food or drink, we are focused on temporary pleasure and not considering the long-term implications to our bodies. But when we adore our bodies, we are also focused on the temporary. Our earthly bodies are not going to last us forever. We can exercise and eat clean, but we are fighting the inevitable. Our bodies will fail us.

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1. Both Body Abuse and Body Adoration Make Gods out of Good Gifts.

2. Both Body Abuse and Body Adoration Focus on the Temporary.

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