Tours of new vegetable garden beds were part of the festivities marking the outreach mission’s anniversary.

CHR Comment: This soup kitchen service to the homeless at First Presbyterian in Dallas is still developing new programs after 40 years.

Source: Stewpot still growing to help homeless after 40 years | Dallas Morning News

Pastor D.E. Paulk reveals for the first time the inside story behind the public humiliation that became his salvation.

CHR Comment: This massive expose article describes what had been the fourth largest church in America at one time. The story illustrates the dangers of personality and inheritance-based leadership in churches.

Source: How the ‘ultimate scandal’ saved one pastor – CNN.com

“It is an understatement to say we live in a deeply complex and difficult time in the life of the world,” Bishop Michael Curry said.

CHR Comment: The article notes the divisions in the Episcopal church due to decisions about ordaining homosexuals. There is also an interesting environmental comment from Curry, who refers to saving “Mother Earth.” The second link below is to the service bulletin for the installation, which shows that the service was not just ecumenical (including other Christians) but also interfaith (including other religions).

Source: Episcopal Church Installs Michael Curry, First Presiding African-American Bishop Of The National Christian Denomination

http://www.cathedral.org/pdfs/20151101PBCurryInstallation.pdf

Francis said Romero, who was shot while celebrating Mass, had been lapidated after his death by “the hardest stone that exists in the world: the tongue.”

CHR Comment: The issues were his advocacy for the poor and involvement in Liberation theology, a Marxist-influenced theological movement that put church and state in conflict with one another. I suppose that one can be a martyr on account of God’s Law as well as on account of the Gospel. The case of Romero could be a test of that view.

Source: Pope Denounces Clergy Who Criticized Slain Bishop Romero

The Bremerton School District in Washington State put football coach Joe Kennedy on paid administrative leave after he failed to comply with directives to stop overt public displays of religion on the field.

CHR Comment: So much depends on local leaders and how they view the activity. A young man died during a gym class while I was serving as a parish pastor. The principal invited me and the local Methodist pastor to be at the school and available to speak with student who wished to speak with a pastor. Lots of kids came to us and we had great discussions about life, death, and eternal life in Christ. All of this happened on public school property.

This story also illustrates the value of having faith-based schools, which do such a great job educating children without federal dollars. Allowing families to put their money into the school of their choice could revitalize education in our nation.

Source: In one Washington school, religious freedom hits the 50-yard line – CSMonitor.com

Former boxer bought the mansion in the 1980s, but it sat abandoned for 10 years.

CHR Comment: Only in America. I hope the congregation hasn’t bought more property than they can manage.

Source: Church making progress on former Mike Tyson estate

Church attendance is down, but those who go are more devout. Here’s what draws them.

Source: Why religion still matters – CSMonitor.com

The article broadly surveys religion in America, noting that attendance is down but steady while commitment is actually up. The situation is comparable to the boom in church attendance that came after WWII. A major question for Christians is whether the younger generation, which has put off having children, will return with commitment as they do have children and feel the need to pass on the faith and practice of the Christian life to the next generation.

The Voice of the Martyrs.

Persecution of Christians is one of the major news stories of 2015. Here is an account I meant to post some months ago though I never got it out of my draft file.

Source: » Arminius’s Declaration of Sentiments

Debates about predestination, which ultimately divided Reformed Protestantism late in the Reformation, surrounded Jacob Arminius. John Aloisi of Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary comments on the recent translation of Arminius’s Declaration of Sentiments.