Weekend Plug-in 🔌

Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Subscribe now to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com.

(ANALYSIS) In a previous Plug-in, we highlighted the importance of Queen Elizabeth II’s Christian faith in her life.

The 96-year-old monarch’s funeral this week certainly reflected that.

The Guardian’s Harriet Sherwood explains:

The powerful liturgy and rituals of the Church of England – the established church since the 16th century but increasingly marginalised in everyday life – were at the heart of a ceremony watched by billions around the world.

The Queen’s funeral took place under the magnificent gothic arches of Westminster Abbey, the setting for every coronation since 1066, home to the tombs of kings and queens, and the church where the then Princess Elizabeth was married in 1947.

The service was taken from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, the C of E’s official prayerbook, noted for its beautiful and archaic language but largely displaced in recent decades by those seeking a more modern style of worship.

The Queen was said to be devoted to the Book of Common Prayer, along with the hymns and readings chosen personally by the monarch for her funeral.

The Washington Times’ Mark A. Kellner offers additional details:

“Few leaders have received the outpouring of love we have seen,” Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said during the state funeral. “Her Late Majesty’s example was not set through her position or her ambition, but through whom she followed.”

Archbishop Welby said the queen, who reigned for 70 years and celebrated her Platinum Jubilee in June, modeled the servant leadership expressed in the life of Jesus, her savior.

“People of loving service are rare in any walk of life,” he said. “Leaders of loving service are still rarer. But in all cases, those who serve will be loved and remembered when those who cling to power and privileges are long forgotten.”

At the National Catholic Register, Father Raymond J. de Souza characterizes the queen’s funeral this way:

It was the grandest state funeral in history for history’s longest-serving monarch. 

First and last, though, it was a Christian funeral. 

The Church of England rendered a signal service to all Christians in providing a model for how funerals ought to be conducted, in a time when both sacred and civic funeral liturgies have become rather emaciated. 

The music at Elizabeth’s funeral “was inspired by her ‘unwavering Christian faith,’” according to ABC News’ Jon Haworth.

Here at ReligionUnplugged.com, Universal syndicate columnist Terry Mattingly provides more theological insight on “The last rites for Elizabeth II.”

While not directly related to the funeral, a story by the BBC’s Aleem Maqbool notes that the queen’s Christian faith went beyond duty:

Almost every aspect of official ceremony surrounding the death of the Queen has been steeped in religious significance.

But accounts from those close to Elizabeth II emphatically suggest that to her, faith went far beyond protocol and duty.

It shaped and guided her throughout her life in a way the public only started to appreciate later in her reign.

"I think there have been only two Sundays since I've been here - apart from Covid times - that she didn't come to church," says Kenneth MacKenzie, who for 15 years was domestic chaplain to the Queen when she was at Balmoral.

In the months each year the late Queen was in Scotland, she would attend the little parish church of Crathie Kirk where she would sit in a pew to one side, upholstered in purple velvet.

While one of her constitutional titles was Supreme Governor of the Church of England, this church she attended so regularly was Presbyterian.

Finally, check out these related stories:

• U.S. leaders honor queen in D.C. as official mourning moves stateside (by Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post)

• King Charles is interpreting ‘Defender of the Faith’ for a new Britain (by Catherine Pepinster, Religion News Service)

• The queen and the King of Kings (by Erik Tryggestad, Christian Chronicle)

• Westminster Abbey has witnessed nearly a millennium of British history — but many rituals, like those at royal funerals, aren’t so old (by Paul Hammer, The Conversation)

• Elizabeth II mourned in England amid decline of church (by Frank E. Lockwood, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

If you missed it, our earlier Plug-in detailed “5 facts about religion in the life of Queen Elizabeth II, who served Jesus her king.”

Power Up: The Week’s Best Reads

1. At Gracepoint Ministries, ‘whole-life discipleship’ took its toll: “As the predominantly Asian American church network expands to dozens of college towns, former members come forward with claims of spiritual abuse,” Curtis Yee reports for Christianity Today.

In a statement issued in response to the CT story, senior pastor Ed Kang said, “The incidents reported are not characteristic of our ministry and do not represent approved practices by our church.”

Coincidentally, Thursday brought a different negative story about Gracepoint from Wired’s Dhruv Mehrotra. The headline: “The ungodly surveillance of anti-porn ‘shameware’ apps.”

2. Little churches still matter, says Martha’s Vineyard pastor of church that took in migrants: “Houses of worship on Martha’s Vineyard have long worked together to meet the needs of their neighbors,” Religion News Service’s Bob Smietana reports. “So they were ready to spring into action when refugees arrived unexpectedly.”

At The Associated Press, a story by Peter Smith asks, “Cruel or harmless? Pastors mixed on GOP migrant transports.”

A piece by the National Catholic Reporter’s Brian Fraga notes that “Catholic agencies near Martha's Vineyard are caring for transported migrants.”

3. Scripture engagement, in-person church key to solving evangelicals’ belief crisis, experts say: “Reversing the spiritual confusion evident among many evangelicals in the United States will require greater engagement with Scripture, more attention to discipleship and a commitment to attend church in person, leading pastors and scholars say.”

That’s according to a front-page report by the Washington Times’ Mark A. Kellner, who has had a busy week reporting on everything from the queen’s funeral to HGTV stars Ben and Erin Napier giving a makeover to a Salvation Army homeless shelter.

BONUS: “The death on Friday of a 22-year-old woman in Iran after she was detained by the morality police has fanned new outrage over the government’s stringent efforts to enforce its hijab law, which mandates covered hair and loosefitting robes for women,” the New York Times’ Farnaz Fassihi reports.

On Thursday, the U.S. government imposed sanctions over Mahsa Amini’s death, according to The Associated Press’ Fatima Hussein. At least nine people have been killed in clashes between Iranian security forces and protesters angry over Amini’s death, AP notes.

AP’s Joseph Krauss and the Washington Post’s Rachel Pannett and Miriam Berger delve deeper into the deadly conflict.

More Top Reads

• Catholics outnumber Protestants in Northern Ireland for first time (by Rory Carroll, The Guardian)

• Amid Myanmar’s civil war, unity emerges (by Angela Lu Fulton, Christianity Today)

• Minnesota Ojibwe harvest sacred, climate-imperiled wild rice (by Giovanna Dell'Orto, Associated Press)

• Nashville Christian Institute’s final reunion pays tribute to Fred Gray (by Ted Parks, Christian Chronicle)

• Is Pope Francis’ diplomacy of dialogue failing? (by Claire Giangravé, Religion News Service)

• ‘Now we can start to live’: Southern Baptist committee looks ahead after tumultuous year (by Liam Adams, The Tennessean)

• Tensions simmer over Islamic Center plans in New Jersey town (by Hannan Adely, NorthJersey.com)

• Clergy take sides in Brazil’s presidential election (by Eduardo Campos Lima, Crux)

• They put their faith in a God-fearing man selling them tiny homes. Now they’re suing him for fraud. (by Deon J. Hampton, NBC News)

• Mexican faith leader jailed for sex abuse; flock stays loyal (by María Teresa Hernández, AP)

• Native religious leaders say legalizing peyote use for all would threaten their practices (by Arlyssa D. Becenti, Arizona Republic)

• ‘I think all the Christians get slaughtered’: Inside the MAGA road show barnstorming America (by Sam Kestenbaum, Rolling Stone)

• Black church to National Park Service: Give us stones of remembrance (by Emily Belz, Christianity Today)

• University of Oregon apologizes for ‘offensive and disgraceful’ anti-Mormon chant during BYU football game (by Gina Martinez, CBS News)

• New museum exhibit seeks to show Samaritans are more than a biblical parable (by Menachem Wecker, RNS)

• The Supreme Court ruled for the praying football coach. But the fight isn’t over (by Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)

• ‘Restoring the river’: why Kenyans are returning to precolonial spirituality (by Caroline Kimeu, The Guardian)

• How Doug Mastriano uses faith to fend off criticism — even from other Christians (by Jack Jenkins, RNS)

• Strategy questions divide pro-life politics after ‘Dobbs’ (by Daniel Silliman, Christianity Today)

• Nearly two years after election, Episcopal Diocese of Chicago’s first Black female bishop takes office (by Emily McFarlan Miller, RNS)

• Think piece: What Shiva taught me about covering tragedy (by Emma Goldberg, New York Times)

Inside The Godbeat: Behind The Bylines

The Deseret News’ Kelsey Dallas reports:

People around the world crave better coverage of religious issues and events, but many obstacles stand in the way of journalists who are trying to provide it, according to a new, first-of-its-kind global study on the media’s relationship to religion.

The Global Faith and Media Index, released Tuesday, found that newsrooms lack the resources, connections and, in some cases, the confidence to report on key faith-related developments in a thoughtful, nuanced way.

“The journalists with whom we spoke believe that faith and religious coverage are becoming increasingly marginalized due to everything from newsroom economics to fears of ‘getting it wrong,’” said Dritan Nesho, CEO of HarrisX, the global research consultancy that conducted the survey, in a statement.

It’s definitely an interesting study. Check out the full report.

Charging Station: In Case You Missed It

Here is where you can catch up on recent news and opinions from ReligionUnplugged.com.

• Uniquely religious and uniquely human: David LaChapelle’s ‘Make Believe’ (by Jillian Cheney)

• C.S. Lewis’ ‘post-Christian age’ as it relates to Jane Austen’s ‘Persuasion’ (by Michael Metzger)

• Serbian Church endures knife attack — and media attacks (by Erik Tryggestad)

• Giorgia Meloni’s politics and faith: Meet the woman who could be Italy's next leader (by Clemente Lisi)

• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis: is he a ‘culture warrior' or a wannabe theocrat? (by Clemente Lisi)

• Cardinal Joseph Zen set to go on trial in Hong Kong on charges tied to pro-democracy fund (by Clemente Lisi)

• Glenn Beck's fund won’t say how it spent $35 million raised for Afghan evacuations (by Steve Rabey)

• Why survey data of religious nones, decline of Christianity differs (By Ryan Burge)

• A literary mystery: who wrote the erotic novel that grapples with fundamentalist beliefs? (by Jillian Cheney)

The Final Plug

“Which Bible verses are printed on In-N-Out’s burgers, fries and milkshakes?”

That’s the question answered by a recent feature by Nexstar Media Wire’s Alix Martichoux.

Just to be clear, the Scriptures are printed on the paper packaging — not the actual food!

Happy Friday, everyone! Enjoy the weekend.

Bobby Ross Jr. is a columnist for ReligionUnplugged.com and editor-in-chief of The Christian Chronicle. A former religion writer for The Associated Press and The Oklahoman, Ross has reported from all 50 states and 15 nations. He has covered religion since 1999.