Rochelle Walensky, director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, revealed more than a statistical update during a briefing last Monday, sharing her concern about the uptick of new coronavirus cases even as more than 2 million Americans are…
Second Easter during pandemic brings greater sense of hope nationwide
Easter 2021 was filled with tears for many Christian worshipers across America, but this year they often were tears of joy as congregations met in-person for the first time in a year. Even if those services were held outdoors, they…
The habits of churches that need resurrection
In the 13th century, the Muslim poet Rumi had an interesting way of describing our need for resurrection: “The mystics are gathering in the street. Come out!” “Leave me alone. I’m sick.” “I don’t care if you’re dead! Jesus is…
Why I’ll remember 2021 as ‘The Year with Two Easters’
I may refer to 2020 as “The Year Without an Easter.” That is certainly how it felt to me, at least. I had been serving as pastor of Ardmore Baptist Church for less than seven months before the global pandemic…
This Holy Week, let us ‘go in peace’
Sam Baker did not start writing music until after he nearly died. In 1986, he was on a train in Peru headed to Machu Picchu. He was 31. A bomb planted by the Peruvian terrorist group the Shining Path exploded…
New data on COVID vaccine efficacy is good news for faith leaders seeking to be influencers
As faith leaders continue to preach the public health benefits of the COVID-19 vaccines, they now have additional support to make the case. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on March 29 reported results of a real-world study…
New devotional book asks what it means to follow God in a time of global pandemic
Greg Funderburk’s first book followed the survivors of the Great Storm that killed 8,000 people in Galveston, Texas, in 1900. His second book, released this month, is a devotional born from the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed nearly 3 million…
‘Give us this day our daily bread’: Lessons from the sourdough starter
By its sacred nature, bread is rich in symbolism. “I am the bread of life,” Jesus said. Made from the earth’s ingredients, this food represents bodily nourishment, hospitality and a spiritual relationship. “Breaking bread” originated when Jesus would break loaves…
Americans slowly returning to in-person church but many still cautious about Easter
Americans are cautiously returning to in-person religious services as vaccination rates rise and COVID-19 deaths decline, according to a survey conducted this month. But the Pew Research Center study also found that attendance at weekly services remains lower than pre-pandemic…