(RNS) — The day Franklin Graham was born, he received a telegram. “Welcome to this sin-sick world,” the Western Union message said, “and to the challenge you have to walk in your daddy’s footsteps.” It didn’t take long for Graham,…
Still obsessed with End Times
Just because Jesus told his disciples God alone knows when he will return, that hasn’t prevented 2,000 years of Christian speculation. “Some have said: ‘Jesus just said we can’t know the day or the hour. But that doesn’t mean we…
Former ‘Jesus freak’ traces evolution of Christian rock
(RNS) — Bob Gersztyn owned a fine collection of 300 rock ‘n’ roll albums in 1971, the year he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. Among them were some choice 1960s vinyl from Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles,…
Modern hymn writers revive a lost musical art, with success
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) — Most songwriters in Nashville want to get their songs on the radio. Keith and Kristyn Getty hope their songs end up in dusty old hymnbooks. The Gettys, originally from Belfast, Ireland, hope to revive the art…
‘God’s Smart Aleck’ is rising Hollywood star
(ABP) — Nowadays, comedian Michael Joiner is billed as “God’s Smart Aleck” to gently remind audiences that his clean humor comes from a Christian perspective. But there was a time when the Indiana native, raised a Baptist, was anything but…
British faith groups reclaim St. George as symbol of inclusivity
(ABP) — The Baptist Union of Great Britain joined other faith groups in a letter reclaiming St. George’s Day, celebrated April 23, from right-wing group’s using England’s patron saint to promote Islamophobia and hatred. “We want to promote a new,…
Spiritual journeys show similarities, differences
Abraham Sarker, executive director of Gospel for Muslims, was brought up in a devout Muslim home but became a follower of Jesus Christ. Abdullah Smith, an imam in Houston, grew up in a nominal Christian home but eventually embraced Islam….
Small is big for Millennials
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — “The gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many,” Matthew’s Gospel quotes Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount. “The gate is narrow and the…
Americans love Bible but don’t read it much
(RNS) — More than half of Americans think the Bible has too little influence on a culture they see in moral decline, yet only one in five Americans read the Bible on a regular basis, according to a new survey….