(OPINION) And so, friends, we find ourselves again amid the season when we’re called to give thanks, to celebrate joy unspeakable and full of glory, to count our blessings. Of course we might give thanks and be filled with joy the whole year. But we forget. We get distracted. We grow tired, cross and hard-bitten. Irritations grind us down.
Read MoreA 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(ANALYSIS) For Indigenous activists, walking the land can take on powerful spiritual and political significance. It has been, and continues to be, an important way Indigenous nations pursue healing, environmental stewardship and diplomacy across Turtle Island, the name many Indigenous groups use to refer to North America.
Read MoreThe tragedy that struck Appalachia has stirred up a profound emotional response within the local communities and throughout the country. Digging out mud, cleaning debris and donating are just a few contributions volunteers have made. In response, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association deployed chaplains from their Rapid Response Team to minister to homeowners.
Read MoreHeading into the busiest shopping season of the year, many Americans may find meaning and purpose while they’re picking up gifts for others and themselves. A Lifeway Research study asked 1,200 U.S. adults their level of agreement with 10 statements related to issues of consumerism and contentment.
Read More(REVIEW) Christmas may not be a Jewish holiday and “Hot Frosty” is entirely devoid of even the slightest hint of Hanukkah happening in the background. What I’m saying is this: Jews are way better at holiday magic. And since Christians get so many holiday movies, we are the ones who deserve the hot snowman golem movie.
Read More(OPINION) Choosing a life of thanksgiving doesn’t mean living in denial or developing toxic positivity. Just venture online to watch a few minutes of the gruesome images coming out of Israel and Gaza. You’ll quickly be disabused of the idea that this is the best of all possible worlds.
Read More(REVIEW) Books about Christianity, morality and community are nothing new. While the world, especially the West like the United States and Europe, become more secular, there seems to be a cottage industry that continues to churn out books aimed at religious people. Three new titles out in time for the holidays aim to satisfy that audience and convince non-believers why faith should also matter to them.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Despite the First Amendment, the United States' federal policy toward Native Americans and native religions has been inconsistent. In 1978, Congress passed and President Jimmy Carter signed the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. It recognized that government policy had inhibited the practice of Native American religions, including access to sacred sites.
Read More(OPINION) All of us have been through a lot the past few years: a pandemic, insane political upheavals, inflation, general economic uncertainty. The problems we face are real, no question about that. But it’s also easy for us to overblow them, to obsess over the negatives and fail to recognize the positives.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Behind the history and legend of the first Thanksgiving lies a rich story that illuminates the medieval Christian roots of the holiday.
Read More(TRAVEL) Bibles used to be ubiquitous in hotel rooms. But a 2017 survey by STR revealed that 79% of hotels had religious materials in their rooms, down from 95% of hotels in 2006. Indeed, as America becomes more secular and Wi-Fi more common, the need for a physical Bible inside your nightstand drawer has grown more obsolete.
Read MoreThe holiday season is the best time to explore your streaming services. Don’t know where to start? Check out these faith-based movies you can watch with your family this holiday.
Read MoreUp to a third of all produce never leaves the farm. That's why “gleaning” societies pick left behind fruits and vegetables to feed families in need— an estimated 50 million Americans this year, up 13% from 2018. It is one of the most ancient forms of faith-based charity. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all mandate gleaning as a way to live out the divine commandment to care for the poor, the widowed and the orphaned.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Thanksgiving has endured over the centuries through waves of immigration and wokeness, even though the way the holiday is taught in American classrooms has changed in recent years. The reason may be that this uniquely American tradition has a universal meaning to everyone, regardless of one’s faith or lack of it.
Read More(OPINION) Gratitude is often regarded as the parent of all virtues, but it can be difficult to cultivate in day-to-day life. Even the holiday of Thanksgiving tends to lean more toward gluttony than gratitude. A look into the historical and Biblical roots of the practice of thanksgiving shines light on the heart of the holiday.
Read More(OPINION) The Thanksgiving meal in 1621 between the Pilgrims and Native Americans in Massachusetts may not have been the first of its kind. Some historians say the first meal has a connection to Catholicism and that it took place more than 50 years earlier in Florida.
Read More(OPINION) President Donald Trump sees his big tax-bill win on Capitol Hill was a giant – maybe even huuuuge – Christmas present for America. But many people think of Christmas as a cultural season built on gifts, travel, fun, food, and festivities more than a religious holiday.
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