📰 Surprise! Spiritual Revival Is Big News, From New York Times to Christianity Today 🔌

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Weekend Plug-in 🔌

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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) Good morning, Weekend Plug-in readers!

It’s the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

This week’s roundup features former President Jimmy Carter’s faith and Saddleback Church’s removal from the Southern Baptist Convention.

But we start with a story Plug-in already covered last week.

I explain why in 3, 2, 1 …

What To Know: The Big Story

Asbury revival, again: When the New York Times, Christianity Today and Terry Mattingly (IYKYK) all jump on the same story, it must be a big deal.

Such is the case with the spiritual phenomenon that drew thousands to a small Christian college in Kentucky.

The spontaneous, 16-day gathering that ended Thursday was like “‘Woodstock’ for Christians.” So declares Times religion writer Ruth Graham’s front-page story today.

Over two weeks, more than 50,000 people descended on a small campus chapel in Kentucky to experience the nation’s first major spiritual revival in decades — one driven by Gen Z. https://t.co/m7LceDqT0V

— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 24, 2023

Behind the scenes: “Chocolate chip cookies. ‘All the Chick-fil-A.’ Meetings in a storage closet. Flow charts.”

Christianity Today’s Daniel Silliman goes in depth to explore how Asbury University officials tried to “honor what is happening.”

From CT: The most comprehensive behind-the-scenes look so far at how Asbury managed, protected, and supported the revival that broke out on its campus.

Reported by @danielsilliman: https://t.co/Gzp3IDCjzz

— kate shellnutt (@kateshellnutt) February 23, 2023

‘Like deja vu all over again’: In his “On Religion” column for the Universal Syndicate, Mattingly delves into the history of past Asbury revivals.

They go all the way back to 1908, as alumnus and professor Stephen A. Seamands notes in Mattingly’s column:

“The wildness of these events is that they’re actually un-wild. The atmosphere is serene, deep and at times rather quiet,” he said. “It’s like a veil is pulled back and students see Jesus for the first time — Jesus manifested in a new and powerful way.”

Here at ReligionUnplugged.com, contributor Deborah Laker interviews two Asbury students — including her sister — about what the revival means for Gen Z’s faith.

Power Up: The Week’s Best Reads

1. Jimmy Carter’s pastor: Faith is such a major part of the story when talking about the 98-year-old former president, who has begun end-of-life care at home.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Greg Bluestein visits with Carter’s pastor, Tony Lowden, about why he won’t say “goodbye” to the most famous member of Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia:

Instead, Lowden tells the former president three things: I love you, I’ll see you again — and there’s nothing you can do about it.

“People who try to define him by politics miss the boat completely. I’ve had the opportunity to meet with presidents and governors and religious leaders across the nation. But I’ve never met anyone like Jimmy Carter.” #gapol

https://t.co/h15DW9fLtH

— Greg Bluestein (@bluestein) February 22, 2023

See more reflections from Carter’s church, via the Wall Street Journal’s Cameron McWhirter, The Associated Press’ Jeff Martin and Maysoon Khan and CNN’s Holly Yan.

2. Saddleback disfellowshipped: The Southern Baptist Convention has ousted the megachurch made famous by founding pastor Rick Warren (now retired) for naming a woman pastor.

This week’s decision, which the Southern California church is expected to appeal, drew coverage by a who’s who list of top religion writers.

Among them: The Tennessean’s Liam Adams, The Associated Press’ Peter Smith, the New York Times’ Ruth Graham, Christianity Today’s Kate Shellnutt, Religion News Service’s Adelle M. Banks and the Washington Times’ Mark A. Kellner.

NEW STORY: Southern Baptist Convention leadership disfellowshipped Saddleback Church from the convention on Tuesday, concluding a long running debate about one of the largest and most well-known churches in the denomination. https://t.co/LR5jP574R2 #SBC

— Liam Adams (@liamsadams) February 21, 2023

3. Beloved Catholic nun: Just in time for March Madness, The Associated Press’ Luis Andres Henao and Religion News Service’s Emily McFarlan Miller profile Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt.

The 103-year-old nun has a new book, “Wake Up With Purpose!: What I’ve Learned in My First Hundred Years.”

Sister Jean “captured the sports world’s imagination and became something of a folk hero as the chaplain for the Loyola Chicago men’s basketball team that reached the NCAA Final Four in 2018,” the AP story notes.

Really nice story on one heck of a nun. By ⁦@LuisAndresHenao⁩ https://t.co/raovtoO3Vq

— Peter Prengaman (@peterprengaman) February 18, 2023

More Top Reads

Here are five prayers for Ukraine, via The Christian Chronicle’s Erik Tryggestad. … Big Christian nationalism has come courting in North Idaho, as Religion News Service’s Jack Jenkins details in an in-depth piece. … “Jesus Revolution,” whose stars include Kelsey Grammar, tells the true story of Christian hippies and a Southern California church, the Orange County Register’s Peter Larsen writes. … Israelis fear their democracy is crumbling — and the U.S. isn’t coming to help, Mya Guarnieri Jaradat reports for Politico from Tel Aviv. … Unrelated shootings of a Roman Catholic bishop and two Jewish men near synagogues stunned Los Angeles, as RNS’ Alejandra Molina explains. … This is not a Q&A, it’s a Q&AI, as Lifeway Research’s Aaron Earls reviews how artificial intelligence says it can help pastors. … The Rev. Doug Donley uses his church’s sign to telegraph his mission and humor, the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Erica Pearson writes. … Beth Moore tries to untangle her “all knotted-up life” in a new memoir, according to RNS’ Bob Smietana. … And at The Associated Press, religion writer Deepa Bharath covers Seattle becoming the first U.S. city to ban caste discrimination (Bharath’s advance story was insightful, too).

Seattle could become the first U.S. city to outlaw caste discrimination. The proposed addition to an anti-discrimination law has sparked debate in the South Asian diaspora, with some arguing that it unfairly targets Indian and Hindu Americans. https://t.co/42QF9mGNP1

— The Associated Press (@AP) February 20, 2023

Inside The Godbeat

“Covering LDS has a Kremlin-like aspect” — that’s how one veteran religion writer described Peggy Fletcher Stack’s challenge reporting on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the Salt Lake Tribune.

That Godbeat pro celebrated the news that Fletcher Stack, who has covered religion for the Tribune for three decades, will receive the Religion News Association’s William A. Reed Lifetime Achievement Award. The honor will be presented at RNA’s annual conference next month in the Washington, D.C., area.

Congratulations, Peggy!

Congratulations to @religiongal, who will be honored with the 2023 William A. Reed Lifetime Achievement Award at #RNA2023, March18. https://t.co/t5YTPk5Tll

Join us as we honor Peggy and the Chandler Award for student religion reporting winners!https://t.co/F2vu2WPoIp pic.twitter.com/qthF44WsOe

— Religion News Association (@ReligionReport) February 23, 2023

Charging Station: ICYMI

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

Rev up your engines for a mix of NASCAR and religion.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has never been shy about discussing his faith, Murray Evans writes in a profile of the Daytona 500 winner.

.@StenhouseJr had been tested more than once during his often-difficult first decade on the @NASCAR Cup Series circuit, but now the Christian stock car driver is the winner of NASCAR’s biggest race, the @DAYTONA 500.https://t.co/ReiT7Bv1Te

— Religion Unplugged (@ReligionMag) February 21, 2023

The Final Plug

I enjoyed seeing my former Oklahoman colleagues Joe Hight and Carla Hinton at the University of Central Oklahoma this week.

I appreciate Hight inviting Hinton, the Oklahoma City newspaper’s longtime faith editor, and me to speak in his media ethics classes. The students were kind and asked really interesting questions about religion reporting.

Enjoyed seeing @JoeHight and @OKRelig and Carla Hinton today. Appreciate Joe inviting Carla and me to talk about religion, loyalty and journalism in his media ethics classes at the University of Central Oklahoma. pic.twitter.com/QoucjSIYOT

— Bobby Ross Jr. (@bobbyross) February 23, 2023

Happy Friday, everyone! Enjoy the weekend.

Bobby Ross Jr. writes the Weekend Plug-in column for ReligionUnplugged.com and serves as 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 18 nations. He has covered religion since 1999.