"We're glad you're our neighbor" signs in Arabic, Somali and other languages going up in Hampton Roads

From SW VA-

A group of faith leaders and community organizers are hoping to spread some neighborly compassion through colorful yard signs that will soon pop up around Hampton Roads.

The signs read "no matter where you are from, we're glad you're our neighbor" in six different languages: English, Spanish, Hebrew, Arabic, French and Somali.

The campaign started with the Immanuel Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, which made the signs in three languages. But leaders here took it one step further and adapted it to be more reflective of the Hampton Roads community.

"The idea is to lead to people having dialogues and build understanding," said Teresa Stanley of the Interspiritual Empowerment Project, who has helped with the signs. The nonprofit group works on social justice.

More here-

http://pilotonline.com/news/local/we-re-glad-you-re-our-neighbor-signs-in-arabic/article_a591e46c-61b9-55a5-91e4-20891af75f26.html

Video Shows Judge on Hudson Shore Before Her Death

From The New York Times-

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the judge’s husband, the Rev. Canon Gregory A. Jacobs, an Episcopal priest in Newark, pushed back against the idea that his wife had committed suicide.

“Some media outlets and others have conjectured that Sheila was the victim of a ‘probable suicide,’” the statement said. “These reports have frequently included unsubstantiated comments concerning my wife’s possible mental and emotional state of mind at the time of her death. Those of us who loved Sheila and knew her well do not believe that these unfounded conclusions have any basis in reality.”

In the absence of any conclusive evidence, the statement said, the family believed “such speculations to be unwarranted and irresponsible.”

More here-

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/21/nyregion/appeals-court-judge-death-hudson-river.html?_r=0

Bishops Defend Immigration

From The Living Church-

Fourteen bishops of the Episcopal Church have filed an amici curiae brief that opposes President Trump’s executive order restricting immigration.

Attorneys for the bishops filed the brief April 21 with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth District in San Francisco.

The brief says at the beginning of the argument:

The Bishops earnestly believe the President’s recently revised executive order impedes the ability of Episcopalians to practice their faith and keep their baptismal covenant with God. This executive order has slammed the door on people who have suffered some of the greatest atrocities in recent times, and it does this solely on the basis of their religion. From its earliest inception, America has been a safe haven for victims of religious oppression in part because religious tolerance is a value enshrined in our Constitution through the Establishment Clause.

More here-

http://livingchurch.org/bishops-defend-immigration?platform=hootsuite

Task group developing deeper links and wider understanding

From Anglican News Service-

The Task Group set up by last year’s Primates’ gathering has been meeting in London this week with the emphasis on understanding diversity within the Anglican Communion – and recognising the many areas of unity.

The Archbishop of Armagh, Richard Clarke – who chaired the meeting – said it has been a positive and fruitful discussion.

“We have been developing a greater understanding between us of the diversity within the Communion,” he said. “But, significantly, we have been seeing the many, many areas of commonality.

“It has not been a theological discussion. Instead, we have been examining what differences mean at a practical level. In particular, we looked at marriage practices and relationships in different parts of the Communion. But we also looked at the spiritual dimensions of the idea of walking together.”

More here-

http://www.anglicannews.org/news/2017/04/task-group-developing-deeper-links-and-wider-understanding.aspx

Pope Francis' message faces intensifying criticism

From National Catholic Reporter-

A parish priest in the Italian town of Montesilvano has criticized Pope Francis during Mass. Fr. Edward Pushparaj from India said that Francis has been only bad for the church, referring to Francis washing the feet of a Muslim woman during his 2013 Holy Thursday liturgy. Many angry parishioners walked out of the small church in Montesilvano.

It seems that criticism of Francis is increasing and becoming more overt and intense. What is it about Francis that is making him a more and more controversial figure? One reason, of course is that he has created a more open papacy in which dissent is tolerated and even encouraged. The opportunity to share one’s thoughts, however, should not include being disrespectful.

More here-

https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/pope-francis-message-faces-intensifying-criticism

How do you get an exorcism if there's a ghost in your house?

From Liverpool- (with video)

Granada Studios, the former home of Coronation Street, recently hired an exorcist to put a stop to persistent paranormal activity .

Apparently, performers there have been disturbed by spirits for more than a decade. The TV show Most Haunted visited the set in 2005 but failed to halt the spectral nuisance.

Actors are more given to superstition than most, but many of us believe we’ve been haunted.

So what happens if you start having ghostly happenings in your own home?

Exorcists aren’t something it’s easy to just hire off the web, and most people in need will use their local church as the first port of call.

We spoke to representatives of Liverpool’s Anglican and Catholic churches to ask for their advice.

More here-

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/tv/how-you-exorcism-theres-ghost-12921497

Mysterious death of New York judge was initially called a suicide. Now, police think it's suspicious

From The LA Times-

Gregory Jacobs, an Episcopal priest who become Abdus-Salaam’s third husband when they married last year, also challenged the portrayal of his wife as suicidal.

“Reports have frequently included unsubstantiated comments concerning my wife's possible mental and emotional state of mind at the time of her death. Those of us who loved Sheila and knew her well do not believe that these unfounded conclusions have any basis in reality,” read a statement Jacobs released Wednesday.

What looked like an open-and-shut case has been assigned a special team of investigators by the Police Department, which is now treating Abdus-Salaam’s death as suspicious. The police on Tuesday put out a poster asking for information, accompanied by a picture of the judge, photographed, as always, impeccably dressed, this time in a cream-colored jacket and pearls with wire-rimmed eyeglasses.

More here-

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-new-york-judge-20170420-story.html

Scottish Census finds ‘shoots of growth’ amid decline

From The Church Times-

CHURCH congregations in Scotland are vanishing at a rate equivalent to ten a month, the 2016 Church Census suggests.

It found that 7.2 per cent of the Scottish population — about 390,000 people — attended church regularly, compared with 17 per cent in 1984. If the downward trend continued, the numbers could fall to just under 300,000 by 2025, the report’s lead researcher, Dr Peter Brierley, said.

The decline in numbers covered all denominations except Pentecostals, where attendance has almost doubled since 2002 to 19,000, accounting for five per cent of all Scottish churchgoers in 2016. And in some areas — mainly immigrant and Messy Churches that have started in the past ten years — the figures have improved. Dr Brierley said that his report was not “a pessimistic story of inevitable decline”.

More here-

https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2017/21-april/news/uk/scottish-census-finds-shoots-of-growth-amid-decline

Forgiveness: Muslims Moved as Coptic Christians Do the Unimaginable

From Christianity Today-

Twelve seconds of silence is an awkward eternity on television. Amr Adeeb, perhaps the most prominent talk show host in Egypt, leaned forward as he searched for a response.

“The Copts of Egypt … are made of … steel!” he finally uttered.

Moments earlier, Adeeb was watching a colleague in a simple home in Alexandria speak with the widow of Naseem Faheem, the guard at St. Mark’s Cathedral in the seaside Mediterranean city.

On Palm Sunday, the guard had redirected a suicide bomber through the perimeter metal detector, where the terrorist detonated. Likely the first to die in the blast, Faheem saved the lives of dozens inside the church.

“I’m not angry at the one who did this,” said his wife, children by her side. “I’m telling him, ‘May God forgive you, and we also forgive you. Believe me, we forgive you.’

More here-

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2017/april-web-only/forgiveness-muslims-moved-coptic-christians-egypt-isis.html

New Episcopal chaplain appointed at Harvard

From Massachusetts-

The Board of Trustees of the Episcopal Chaplaincy at Harvard has announced the appointment of the Rev. Margery Kennelly, currently the assistant rector at the Church of the Redeemer in Chestnut Hill, as Harvard's next Episcopal chaplain. She will begin her ministry at Harvard on June 1, and will serve a two-year appointment.

The Board of Trustees of the Episcopal Chaplaincy at Harvard has announced the appointment of the Rev. Margery Kennelly, currently the assistant rector at the Church of the Redeemer in Chestnut Hill, as Harvard's next Episcopal chaplain. She will begin her ministry at Harvard on June 1, and will serve a two-year appointment.

Kennelly succeeds the Rev. Luther Zeigler, who has been the Episcopal chaplain at Harvard for six years. During that time, Zeigler led the Harvard Chaplains as its president for two years and was the founding chair of the university's new Board of Religious, Spiritual and Ethical Life.


More here-

http://www.diomass.org/diocesan-news/new-episcopal-chaplain-appointed-harvard

Fourteen per cent of US Christians left their churches after Trump's election, new research finds

From Christian Today-

Some 14 per cent of Christians abandoned their churches after the election of Donald Trump, according to research by The Washington Post showing that a number of people who went to a church in September last year had left it by mid-November.

The Post surveyed 957 people before and after the 2016 presidential election, in late September and mid-November. Of those who said they had attended a house of worship in September, 14 percent reported that they had left that particular church by mid-November.

Trump secured the support of 81 per cent of white evangelicals in the 2016 election.

But after that election, 'leavers' were distributed across the religious population, and included 10 per cent of evangelicals, 18 per cent of mainline Protestants, and 11 per cent of Catholics, according to the survey.

More here-

https://www.christiantoday.com/article/fourteen.per.cent.of.us.christians.left.their.churches.after.trumps.election.new.research.finds/107241.htm

J. I. Packer on Why Your Church and Family Need Catechesis

From The Gospel Coalition-

Historically, the church’s ministry of grounding new believers in the rudiments of Christianity has been known as catechesis. It is a ministry that has waxed and waned through the centuries. It flourished between the second and fifth centuries in the ancient church. Those who became Christians often moved into the faith from radically different backgrounds and worldviews. The churches rightly took such conversions seriously and sought to ensure that these life-revolutions were processed carefully, prayerfully, and intentionally, with thorough understanding at each stage.

With the tightening of the alignment between church and state in the West, combined with the effect of the Dark Ages, the ministry of catechesis floundered in large measure for much of the next millennium. The line between natural and spiritual birth virtually disappeared. According to the centuries-old practice, infants baptized into the church were, in theory, to be catechized later in the faith. But too often nothing of the sort occurred. As a consequence of such neglect, great numbers of persons who claimed to belong to Christ had little idea of what that might even mean.

More here-

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/packer-why-your-church-family-needs-catechesis

Wales' most senior bishop says the Church in Wales 'absolutely' has a future despite falling attendance

From Wales-

The most senior Anglican bishop in Wales has a one-word answer when asked if there is a future for the institutional church in this nation: “Absolutely.”

The Church in Wales is in a time of transition and challenge but Bishop of Swansea and Brecon John Davies also senses opportunity.

Barry Morgan has stepped down as Archbishop of Wales after leading the church from 2003 to January of this year and a successor has yet to be appointed.

The next Archbishop will have to address the persistent decline in church attendance. The average number of adults at a Sunday service has fallen from 33,783 in 2011 to 29,019 in 2015.

Despite the downward trajectory of the statistics, Bishop Davies does not see himself as in the business of managing decline.

More here-

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/wales-most-senior-bishop-says-12915651

'Meet Your Muslim Neighbor' event breaks down barriers

From Alabama-

Dr. Abu-Alrub grew up in Huntsville as the granddaughter of a Methodist minister. She converted to Islam 27 years ago when she married a man with Palestinian roots. Her work as an oncology nurse -- helping people cope with cancer -- has taught her that people will accept differences in culture and religion when they have a common purpose.

Along with close friend Rev. Dr. Basye Holland-Shuey, Episcopal priest and spiritual director of the Church of the Nativity, Abu-Alrub works to combat Islamophobia, hate crimes, and school bullying. The two have gone to workshops around the country to see how other communities cope.

So it was natural that they helped plan the first annual "Meet Your Muslim Neighbor" event, an open house held at the Huntsville Islamic Center on Sparkman Drive. Dozens of members of the center wanted to host an event that would deal with misconceptions about Islam as well as show the public that Muslims are doctors, professors, students, ordinary people with jobs and families. 

More here-

http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2017/04/meet_your_muslim_neighbor_even.html

Student, researcher reflect on reasons behind rise in religious "nones"

From The Indiana Daily Student-

Every Sunday IU freshman Isaac Thuesen’s parents wake up, put on their Sunday best and attend Mass at their episcopal church in Indianapolis. Sixty miles away, Thuesen is still in bed in his dorm room.

Thuesen grew up going to church regularly. At the age of 9, he became a choir boy who attended weekly rehearsals and sang at two Sunday Masses every week, but now Thuesen identifies as agnostic and hasn’t gone to church since coming to IU.

“I probably would have left the church even before that if it wasn’t such an important tradition in my family,” he said.

More here-

http://www.idsnews.com/article/2017/04/student-researcher-reflect-on-reasons-behind-rise-in-religious-nones

Latest report from Theological Forum published

From Scotland- (with link to the report)-

The Theological Forum has published its latest report on 'An approach to the theology of same-sex marriage.' The report will be considered by Commissioners to the General Assembly in Edinburgh next month.

The document has found its way into the public domain ahead of schedule, before all the General Assembly reports are published in the Blue Book on Thursday.

In light of the report appearing in the national press, the Principal Clerk has authorised its immediate publication to allow Commissioners, members of the church and members of the public to understand fully the content and context.

The General Assembly is being asked to consider two key issues.

More here-

http://www.churchofscotland.org.uk/news_and_events/news/recent/Latest_report_from_Theological_Forum_published

Where Evangelicals Came From

From NYRB-

Every few years, it seems, conservative religious groups, quiescent or unnoticed, come blazing back onto the national scene, and the secular press reacts like the bad guy in the 1971 western Big Jake who says to John Wayne, “I thought you were dead.” Wayne drily answers, “Not hardly.” Now, in The Evangelicals: The Struggle to Shape America, Frances FitzGerald answers the recurrent question, “Where did these people [mainly right-wing zealots] come from?” She says there is no mystery involved. They were always here. We were just not looking at them. What repeatedly makes us look again is what she is here to tell us.

“Evangelicals” is an elastic term, and FitzGerald intermittently shrinks or stretches it. But she does direct us to the right starting point, to the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Great Awakenings, major religious events in our early history when the word “evangelicalism” came into wide American use. Evangelical religion is revival religion, that of emotional contagion. It can best be characterized, for taxonomic purposes, by three things: crowds, drama, and cycles.

More here-


http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2017/04/20/where-evangelicals-came-from/

Is Your Pastor Sexist?

From The New York Times-

The fight among Christians over the status and role of women is usually buried out of view. Anger at continuing inequality is not deemed pious or pretty by the faithful. Disputes usually stay private.

But this pattern was broken recently by a very public uproar when a prominent theological college announced its award of a prestigious prize to a high-profile preacher who does not believe that women or L.G.B.T. people should be ordained.

On most grounds, Princeton Theological Seminary’s decision to give the Kuyper Prize for Excellence in Reformed Theology and Public Witness to the Rev. Tim Keller would seem a safe one. Dr. Keller is the founding pastor of the flourishing Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York, a gifted preacher and a best-selling author of theological works. I attended his church for some years when I lived in New York, largely because of the high caliber of his sermons.

More here-

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/19/opinion/is-your-pastor-sexist.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share&_r=0

The Anglican Communion Has Rejected One Gay Theologian for Bishop 7 Times. Is Unity Possible?

From Sojourners-

A Christian leader, according to the New Testament Book of Titus, must be God’s steward. He must be “blameless — not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good.”

For the past 14 years, when the Church of England and the Church in Wales have been looking to fill the post of bishop, one candidate has come up time and time again who people think fits this bill: Jeffrey John. Yet, over and over again, he has been rebuffed.

It happened first in 2003 when John was chosen to be bishop of Reading, only for the appointment to be revoked. It has happened twice this year, in Sodor and Man, a Church of England diocese, and in Llandaff, in Wales.

More here-

https://sojo.net/articles/anglican-communion-has-rejected-one-gay-theologian-bishop-7-times-unity-possible

The Rt. Rev. Robert Hibbs, retired Diocese of West Texas bishop suffragan

From ENS-

The Rt. Rev. Robert (Bob) Hibbs died peacefully in his home surrounded by family on April 17. He was 84.

Bishop Hibbs was born on April 20, 1932, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was baptized April 30, 1933, confirmed April 9, 1942, ordained deacon on June 24, 1957, ordained priest Dec. 21, 1957, and consecrated bishop on Jan. 6, 1996.

As bishop suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of West Texas, he served alongside then-Diocesan Bishop Jim Folts until Hibbs’ retirement in December 2003.

More here-

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2017/04/18/rip-the-rt-rev-robert-hibbs-retired-diocese-of-west-texas-bishop-suffragan/

Albany Episcopal Bishop David Ball dies at 90

From Albany-

Bishop David Ball, 90, who led the Episcopal Diocese of Albany for 14 years and who was devoted to preserving the historic Cathedral of All Saints, died Tuesday afternoon in his room at the Loudonville Assisted Living Residence, where he had welcomed dozens of friends in recent days as they came to say their goodbyes to a beloved native son and spiritual beacon.

He had been receiving hospice care for a few weeks as his health declined.

"He passed peacefully," said Marlene Elacqua, Ball's retired administrative assistant. "I always called him a shepherd who watched out for his flock. He was beloved by people wherever he went."

More here-

http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Albany-Episcopal-Bishop-David-Ball-dies-at-90-11081791.php

Sermon Content Is What Appeals Most to Churchgoers

From Gallup-

As Easter and Passover help fill churches and synagogues this week, a new Gallup poll suggests the content of the sermons could be the most important factor in how soon worshippers return. Gallup measured a total of seven different reasons why those who attend a place of worship at least monthly say they go. Three in four worshippers noted sermons or talks that either teach about scripture or help people connect religion to their own lives as major factors spurring their attendance.

More here-

http://www.gallup.com/poll/208529/sermon-content-appeals-churchgoers.aspx

President Carter, Am I a Christian?

From The New York Times-

Christians celebrate Easter on Sunday. But wait — do we really think Jesus literally rose from the dead?

I asked questions like that in a Christmas Day column, interviewing the Rev. Tim Keller, a prominent evangelical pastor. In this, the second of an occasional series, I decided to quiz former President Jimmy Carter. He’s a longtime Sunday school teacher and born-again evangelical but of a more liberal bent than Keller. Here’s our email conversation, edited for clarity.

ME How literally do you take the Bible, including miracles like the Resurrection?

PRESIDENT CARTER Having a scientific background, I do not believe in a six-day creation of the world that occurred in 4004 B.C., stars falling on the earth, that kind of thing. I accept the overall message of the Bible as true, and also accept miracles described in the New Testament, including the virgin birth and the Resurrection.

More here-

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/15/opinion/sunday/president-carter-am-i-a-christian.html?_r=0

Walking Jesus’ walk, with a modern twist this Easter season

From The Washington Post-

John Seeley walked down the road, struggling a bit under the weight of the heavy cedar wood cross he bore.

Like so many pilgrims and penitents before him, Seeley traced the route that Jesus walked on the day of his execution. But the stations of the cross bore different names on this Good Friday in Baltimore: 

The first station, the once-segregated church. The third station, the home of the Confederate colonel. The seventh, the site of the blackface minstrel shows. The ninth, the school where white parents refused to let their children attend alongside black children.

“Lord Jesus,” the congregants who followed Seeley in procession prayed. “How can we as a neighborhood and as a parish atone for the past sins of racism?”

The walk through Baltimore on Good Friday, which Memorial Episcopal Church hosted with the theme “Repenting for Racism,” used the stations of the cross as a literal road map for the process of prayer.

More here-

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/04/15/walking-jesus-walk-with-a-modern-twist-this-easter-season/?tid=ss_fb&utm_term=.5b0a770f8827

Episcopal clergy among those arrested in Maundy Thursday protest

From Episcopal Cafe-

The Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles reports that several of its clergy were among 35 people arrested during action to support immigrants.

The LA Times describes the incident this way:

Police arrested 35 demonstrators Thursday in downtown Los Angeles during a protest over recent actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, officials said.

The demonstrators were cited for refusing to comply with police commands after blocking the entry into the Metropolitan Detention Center at 535 Alameda St., said Officer Irma Mota, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department. They were later released. …

More here-

http://www.episcopalcafe.com/episcopal-clergy-among-those-arrested-in-maundy-thursday-protest/

ISIS Gunmen Attack St. Catherine's Monastery in Sinai

From Haaretz-

Gunmen opened fire on an Egyptian police checkpoint near the famed Saint Catherine's Monastery in Sinai late on Tuesday, killing one policeman and wounding four, security and medical officials said.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack via its news agency Amaq.

According to the officials, the gunmen were shooting from an elevated hilltop overlooking the police checkpoint just outside the monastery, which is located in a remote desert and mountainous area in the southern part of the Sinai Peninsula.

After an exchange of gunfire, the attackers fled the scene, the officials said, adding that some of the gunmen were wounded in the shootout. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity under regulations.

read more:

http://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/egypt/1.784140

What Jeffrey John’s rejection says about unity in the Anglican Communion

From Religion News-

A Christian leader, according to the New Testament Book of Titus, must be God’s steward. He must be “blameless — not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good.”

For the past 14 years, when the Church of England and the Church in Wales have been looking to fill the post of bishop, one candidate has come up time and time again who people think fits this bill: Jeffrey John. Yet, over and over again, he has been rebuffed.

It happened first in 2003 when John was chosen to be bishop of Reading, only for the appointment to be revoked. It has happened twice this year, in Sodor and Man, a Church of England diocese, and in Llandaff, in Wales.


More here-

http://religionnews.com/2017/04/17/what-jeffrey-johns-rejection-says-about-unity-in-the-anglican-communion/

Judge postpones bond decision for ex-Virginia Beach youth minister jailed on sex assault charge

From Virginia-

A former youth ministry leader who says his Parkinson’s disease has rapidly grown worse while he awaits trial on a sexual assault charge will have to wait until Thursday to find out whether he can be released on bond.

Circuit Judge James C. Lewis said he wants to hear more about the home electronic monitoring that lawyers for Jeffrey Bondi are recommending before making a decision. He postponed the conclusion of a hearing that began Monday so that a representative of the monitoring company can testify.

Bondi, 47, has been incarcerated since mid-January, when he was indicted on a single charge of felony object penetration. If convicted, he would have to serve a minimum of five years in prison and could get up to a life sentence.

More here-

http://pilotonline.com/news/local/crime/ex-virginia-beach-youth-minister-jailed-on-sex-assault-charge/article_6b6bdeb7-34c3-5e38-bd17-bbff4dcc75c4.html

Preachers ponder their task in divided nation and, perhaps, divided congregations

From ENS-

The 2016 presidential election and the Trump administration have, depending on which pundits you listen to, exposed divides not so keenly seen in the United States since the Civil War or at least since protests wracked the country during the civil rights era and the Vietnam War.

People who generally agree with the direction of the current administration frequently encounter others who decry that direction. The relentless pace of the news cycle with its one scandal or debatable decision after another can feel like a bombardment no matter one’s stance.

Living a faithful life in the midst of such divisions is not easy. On Sunday morning, members of the same congregation come to church for different reasons. Some might seek respite from the debates raging around the country. Others might be seeking guidance or inspiration for their roles in the public square. Others might be bringing more intimate worries and joys to the nave.  What is a preacher to do?

More here-

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2017/04/17/preachers-ponder-their-task-in-divided-nation-and-perhaps-divided-congregations/

How the remains of five 'missing' Archbishops of Canterbury were found by accident

From The Telegraph (followup to earlier story)-

It is a perfect Easter story – except, unlike Jesus’s empty tomb after the Resurrection, this tomb is crammed with the remains of former Archbishops of Canterbury.

Last year, during the refurbishment of the Garden Museum, which is housed in a deconsecrated medieval parish church next to Lambeth Palace, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s official London residence, builders made the chance discovery of a lifetime: a cache of 30 lead coffins that had lain undisturbed for centuries.

Closer inspection revealed metal plates bearing the names of five former Archbishops of Canterbury, going back to the early 1600s.

More here-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/remains-five-missing-archbishops-canterbury-found-accident/

Police Arrest Church Guard Caught with Human Parts in Anambra State

From Nigeria-

The Anambra State Police Command on Sunday arrested a man suspected to be a security guard with the Nnewi Diocese of the Anglican Church, for being in possession of human parts.

Speaking on the arrest, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Sam Okaula, who declined to give the suspect’s name, says he is a ‘cannibal’.

“He is with us. Some human parts were found in his possession; and I think he is just a cannibal,” said Okaula, before adding that there was no concrete evidence the suspect was trading in the parts.

The Anglican Church has moved to disown the security guard, with the Venerable Godwin Agba, the administrative secretary of the Diocese of Nnewi Anglican Communion, claiming the suspect was never their employee.

More here-

https://www.olisa.tv/2017/04/police-say-church-guard-caught-with-human-parts-is-a-cannibal/

Most Reverend Terence Finlay

From Toronto-

Most Reverend Terence Finlay, Anglican archbishop of Toronto and Metropolitan of the ecclesiastical province of Ontario, some years back stopped to talk to a sex worker on a downtown street.

After a moment’s conversation, she said, “Love the colour of your shirt” – gesturing to the archbishop’s purple episcopal shirtfront. “Where can I get one like that?” The archbishop promptly gave directions to the nearby Anglican Book Centre and said, “Tell them Terry sent you.”

Prior to his election in 1989 as Toronto’s 10th bishop – which surprised him – the diocese had a reputation even by Anglican standards as conservative, uptight and strait-laced. But at his installation, helium balloons were set loose in the cathedral, and that same year, when Anglicans assembled in Toronto’s 50,000-seat SkyDome – now known as the Rogers Centre – to mark the 150th anniversary of the diocese, there were church-goers waving placards reading “Yay Terry!”

More here-

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto-archbishop-terence-finlay-was-an-unlikely-player-in-church-uproar/article34717981/

The historic case for the resurrection of Jesus: 'It's the cornerstone of our faith'

From South Carolina-

Millions of Christians around the world are on this day celebrating a miracle.

They believe that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified, died and was buried, and that he came back to life, leaving an empty tomb for his followers to discover on the third day.

Christians also believe that after his Resurrection, Jesus appeared to more than 500 witnesses before ascending to heaven, where he reigns over all creation with God.

Most know the story. It is the linchpin of the Christian faith, which, unlike most other major world religions, either stands or falls based on its claims.

Not everyone believes the Resurrection was a literal, historic event, but there is almost no one who doubts that a man named Jesus lived and died, preaching as he went.  

More here-

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/the-historic-case-for-the-resurrection-of-jesus-it-s/article_9b18acc6-1aee-11e7-97d1-379b6ef94686.html

The Resurrection is No Myth, But It Is Dangerous

From Raven-

The resurrection is often packaged around cute little bunnies and plastic Easter eggs full of candy.

But resurrection isn’t soft and cuddly. Resurrection is dangerous. It is risky. It is not safe.

Resurrection is dangerous because it transforms how we relate to our fellow human beings, specifically to our enemies. And it transforms our understanding of the divine.

Throughout human history we have been caught up in cycles of violence – and we thought the gods were caught up in the same cycles of violence.

For example, the resurrection of Jesus is often compared to myths of resurrected gods throughout the ancient world. One such myth is about an Egyptian god named Horus and his father Osirus. Horus is portrayed as a good god that fought against the forces of evil, namely, an evil god named Set, who killed Horus’s father, a god named Osirus. Fortunately, Horus and his mother were able to resurrect Osirus. But the question remained, what should they to do about Set?

The resurrected Osirus asked Horus a question, “What is the most glorious deed a man can perform?”

Horus answered, “To take revenge upon one who has injured his father or mother.”

https://www.ravenfoundation.org/resurrection-no-myth-dangerous/

The Profound Connection Between Easter and Passover

 From The Wall Street Journal-

Easter stalks Passover. They arrive together every spring, like the daffodils and magnolia blossoms. This year, Easter Sunday falls as the eight-day Jewish festival nears its end. Over the years, I have come to see that Christianity’s most important day recapitulates Passover. Both holidays face head-on the daunting power of death—and both announce God’s greater power of life.

In March, my wife, who is Jewish, was on the phone, herding her parents, uncles, brothers and cousins. “No, it’s not Tuesday. The first night of Passover is on Monday this year.” She made arrangements for the Seder, the festive meal with a traditional liturgy that retells the familiar story of the Exodus. Emails and texts were exchanged to sort out who would bring what, and this past Monday night we sang and recited the age-old prayers and set out a cup for Elijah, the harbinger of the messianic era. We ended, as always, with the declaration: “Next year in Jerusalem!”

More here-

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-profound-connection-between-easter-and-passover-1492173908

Remains of five 'lost' Archbishops of Canterbury found

From The BBC-

The remains of five Archbishops of Canterbury have been found beneath a medieval parish church next to Lambeth Palace, the Archbishop of Canterbury's official London residence.

Builders renovating the Garden Museum, housed at the deconsecrated church of St Mary-at-Lambeth, found a hidden crypt containing 30 lead coffins.

Site manager Karl Patten said: "We discovered numerous coffins - and one of them had a gold crown on top of it".

The remains date back to the 1660s.

Mr Patten, from the building contractors Rooff, said his team were exposing the ground, lifting the flagstones in the church, when they uncovered an entry to what looked like a tomb.

More here-

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-39613462?SThisFB

Why do Christians keep inviting you to church?

From CNN-

"Hey, do you want to come to church with us on Easter?"

You may have heard this or something similar from a friend, co-worker or family member. Depending on where you live, perhaps you've already received a mailer or two about a local church service.

Maybe you've wondered why Christians like me won't just leave you alone. I assure you, it's not because we like imposing ourselves on others. In fact, for many of us, it's just the opposite.

On a recent Sunday, I stood up at Moody Church, an evangelical church in Chicago where I am interim pastor, and encouraged people to invite their friends to our Easter services. I reminded the congregation that Christians should be committed to the task of evangelism, that Jesus commanded it.

But I also know that, to atheists or adherents of other faiths, it can be confusing to know how to respond to such outreach. Understanding our motivation may help.

More here-

http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/14/living/christians-invite-easter/index.html

Save the Mainline

From The New York Times-

OUR intervention in Syria required me to be fully serious last Sunday, but now it’s time to return to this column’s ongoing series of implausible proposals, Easter Sunday edition. Which means I’ll be proposing — yes, I’m that predictable — that many of this newspaper’s secular liberal readers should head en masse to church.

But not by converting to my own religion, Roman Catholicism. Of course that’s what I really want, what the sinister albino monk at my shoulder keeps muttering about, what the mimeographed orders from Catholic central command expect me to eventually achieve. (All those “disagreements” I keep having with Pope Francis are just classic papist trickery.)

For now, though, let’s talk about a smaller leap of faith. A large share of well-educated liberal America is post-Protestant — former Methodists, ex-Lutherans, lapsed Presbyterians, the secularized kids of Congregationalists. Their ancestral churches, the theologically-liberal mainline denominations, are aging and emptying, with the oldest churchgoing population and one of the lowest retention rates of any Christian tradition in the United States.

More here-

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/04/15/opinion/sunday/save-the-mainline.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-left-region&region=opinion-c-col-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region&_r=0&referer

Can a scientist believe in the resurrection? Three hypotheses.

From Veritas-

I’m a professor of nuclear science and engineering at MIT, and this weekend, I’m celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. So are dozens of my colleagues. How can this be?

Hypothesis one: We’re not talking about a literal resurrection. Perhaps it is just an inspiring myth that served to justify the propagation of Jesus’ exalted ethical teachings. A literal resurrection contradicts the known laws of nature. Maybe scientists can celebrate the idea of Jesus’s spirit living on, while his body remained in the grave.

But the first disciples attested to a physical resurrection. How could an untruth logically support high moral character? How could it have sustained the apostles through the extremes of persecution they experienced founding Christianity? And is celebrating a myth consistent with scientific integrity?

More here-

http://www.veritas.org/can-scientist-believe-resurrection-three-hypotheses/

N.T. Wright Explains How Easter Changed Everything

From Relevant-

Whether you’ve been around Christianity for years or are new to faith, you probably know the Easter story. It goes something like this: Humans are sinners; Jesus died as a sacrifice, paying for our sins; and then three days later, Jesus came to life again—the result of which is that His followers can go to heaven when they die. But what if we’re getting it all wrong?

“Many people have grown up assuming that is what the cross is all about,” says world-renowned theologian, scholar and author of The Day the Revolution Began, N.T. Wright. “And the awful thing is that this message about an angry God and an innocent victim has a lot more in common with ancient Pagan thought than with ancient Jewish or Christian thought.”

Wright thinks Christians are missing something important about their most holy day.

https://relevantmagazine.com/feature/this-changes-everything/