Posts tagged Bobby Ross Jr.
😷 COVID Miracle: At The Pandemic’s 5-Year Anniversary, It’s Time To Tell The Story 🔌

At the five-year anniversary of COVID-19, our columnist reflects on his brother-in-law’s near-death battle with the contagious virus.

Read More
🔥 Faith, Hope And LA: The Positive Side Of Reporting On Way Too Many Disasters 🔌

Our columnist witnesses a whole lot of despair, but he always looks for a measure of hope. He explains why — and how — as he reports from the scene of Southern California’s deadly wildfires.

Read More
LA Christians Keep The Faith As They Begin Post-Wildfires Recovery

The pain is still raw. The sobs are still hard to control. A month after wildfires broke out that killed at least 29 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the Los Angeles area, Christians are still grappling with their losses.

Read More
🏈 ‘Like A Religion’: Why Super Bowl Sunday Means So Much To The Football Faithful 🔌

For the most fervent of the football faithful, the Super Bowl — which last year drew a record 123.7 million U.S. viewers — brings rituals and traditions with a quasi-religious feel. But at least one Christian scholar has concerns.

Read More
🤣 A Preacher And A Stand-Up Comedian Walk Into A Christian Youth Conference … 🔌

Hoss Ridgeway mixes preaching and stand-up comedy. The Indiana minister says he knows when it’s appropriate to be funny — and when the situation calls for a serious approach.

Read More
🇺🇸 God And Trump: 5 Revealing Quotes From Inaugural Week 🔌

President Donald Trump’s latest inaugural speech was notable not for its inclusion of God but for the specific personal nature of what he said.

Read More
Houses Of Worship Tackle ‘The Challenge Of The Empty Church’

Shrinking church attendance. Closing congregations. Minister shortages. Post-COVID upheaval. All those factors contributed to the strong interest in the dialogue organized by Heritage21, which partners with churches to — as the ministry puts it — “renew, repurpose and replant God’s kingdom in these challenging times.”

Read More
James O. Maxwell, Influential Preacher And Advocate For Racial Unity, Dies At 86

In the late 1950s, a young man named James O. Maxwell enrolled at Southwestern Christian College in Terrell, Texas. Maxwell’s time at Southwestern — the only historically Black higher education institution associated with Churches of Christ — changed his life, and he became one of the fellowship’s most influential ministers.

Read More
🐶 Doggone It, But A Few Readers Bark Over Idea Of Pets In Heaven 🔌

Our recent column on whether all dogs go to heaven generated some precious responses and a few emails that reminded us why dogs — and not some grumpy humans — are considered man’s best friend.

Read More
In Presidential Election, Many Christian Voters Split Along Racial Lines

President-elect Donald Trump doesn’t have many fans, if any, at the Metropolitan Church of Christ in this urban community south of Los Angeles. No one interviewed at the predominantly Black congregation on a recent Lord’s Day voted for the Republican candidate.

Read More
🚔 Family, Faith And A Finale: Why Fans Loved The TV Series ‘Blue Bloods’ 🔌

For the popular CBS drama “Blue Bloods,” the “End of Tour” — as the final episode is dubbed — brings an emotional farewell. People of faith who love the show lament its conclusion.

Read More
⚖️ Transgender Rights Debate Moves From The Voting Booth To SCOTUS 🔌

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in U.S. v. Skrmetti — “the most high-profile case of its term.” The case concerns a Tennessee law blocking gender-affirming medical treatment for minors.

Read More
Refugees Prepare Special Thanksgiving Feast For Texas Christians

A year ago, Memorial Church of Christ volunteers served Ukrainian refugee families a traditional Thanksgiving meal from Pappas Bar-B-Q, a popular Houston restaurant chain. But this November, the refugees prepared a special feast — featuring Ukrainian favorites such as stuffed dumplings known as varenyky — to show their extreme gratitude to their English-speaking brothers and sisters.

Read More
🇺🇸 Trump’s Comeback: What It Means For Immigrants, People Of Faith And The Press 🔌

This week’s Weekend Plug-in explores three key storylines after the election — again — of Donald Trump as president.

Read More
An Ordinary Christian Couple Left Behind A Little Farm And A Giant Legacy

The story of the late Bob and Helen Bland is as ordinary as it is extraordinary, right down to their last name. Yet on a blue-sky Sunday afternoon, a crowd of friends, family and fellow Christians gathered amid 100-foot cottonwood trees with a slight whiff of nature in the breeze to celebrate the couple’s legacy.

Read More