ISTANBUL (AP) — Fulfilling a dream of his Islamic-oriented youth, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined hundreds of worshipers Friday for the first Muslim prayers in 86 years inside Hagia Sophia, the Istanbul landmark that served as one of Christendom’s most significant cathedrals, ...
Not long into the coronavirus pandemic, the Rev. Sandra Maria Van Opstal, a pastor at Grace and Peace Church on the West Side of Chicago, began to hear from congregants who lost their jobs and were struggling financially as the city closed nonessential businesses to slow the spread of the ...
During this challenging year, I have found it encouraging and helpful to write out my prayers. For me, this is practicing the verse, “Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7 KJV). By writing out these concerns, I am transferring those troubling issues to the ...
The inability to attend church each week has been one of the most affecting consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to social distancing guidelines, it’s been nearly impossible for congregations around the country to gather in ways they were accustomed to prior to the COVID-19 ...
Throughout the Bible, we are reminded by God that, no matter what we face in this life, He will be with us. It seems in the past several months that I have leaned on this truth more than I ever have before. The list of adjectives that we could use to describe the past several months is ...
In unsettling times like these, where does one turn? What can one do to help? My favorite scripture gives me guidance. Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” (John 13:34 NAB). Instead of the Golden Rule ...
