Christianity

'Border Church' and 'Border Mosque' team up for prayer service

October 24, 2019
For more than a decade, the Rev. John Fanestil, a United Methodist minister, has held a Sunday service at Friendship Park, a historic meeting place on the U.S.-Mexico border overlooking the Pacific Ocean between San Diego and Tijuana. While Communion is celebrated each week, Fanestil began the nonsectarian Christian ministry to help preserve the park as a public space where family members separated by their immigration status can interact, even if their interaction takes place through border fencing. But in recent months, Border Church, or La Iglesia Fronteriza, has blossomed into a... Read more about 'Border Church' and 'Border Mosque' team up for prayer service

Powerlifter nearly disqualified from Chicago competition over skirt worn for religious reasons

October 21, 2019
A female power lifter is heading to Chicago tomorrow for a major national competition, but it almost didn’t happen. Javon O’kray lifts 468 pounds on a regular day, and did everything she could to prepare for the competition. But what she was not ready for was a notice saying she could not compete if she wore the attire she normally wears. Source: Powerlifter nearly disqualified from Chicago competition over skirt worn for religious reasons | WGN-TV... Read more about Powerlifter nearly disqualified from Chicago competition over skirt worn for religious reasons

As fewer refugees enter the US, one Chicago group decides to go to them

October 15, 2019
“I didn’t used to live like this.” The words resonated with Elizabeth Shuman. The speaker — a woman dressed in beautifully designed fabrics, a scarf covering her hair — had invited Shuman and other volunteers into her home in Lebanon and taken great care to show them hospitality. But the home was a tent made from tarps, insulated against the crisp air as best as possible. The woman and her family were refugees from Syria and the tent housed all the belongings they had remaining. Source: ... Read more about As fewer refugees enter the US, one Chicago group decides to go to them

Christian leaders call for Day of Prayer in support of impeachment inquiry - Religion News Service

October 10, 2019
More than 90 Christian leaders are calling for a National Day of Prayer this Sunday (Oct. 13) “for the truth to be revealed through the impeachment inquiry” into whether President Donald Trump solicited help from a foreign government for his 2020 reelection campaign. That call comes from leaders affiliated with Red Letter Christians, a justice-focused Christian movement that held a revival over the weekend in Goldsboro, North Carolina. It also includes praying for members of Congress and... Read more about Christian leaders call for Day of Prayer in support of impeachment inquiry - Religion News Service

Pulpits vs. pews: Thinking about choices that mainline Protestants make on Election Day

October 7, 2019
Anyone listing turning points in American politics would have to include that day in 1980 when candidate Ronald Reagan went to Dallas and faced a crowd of 15,000 evangelical, Pentecostal and fundamentalist Christian leaders. Reagan told them, “I know you can’t endorse me. But ... I want you to kn

Source: Pulpits vs. pews: Thinking about choices that mainline Protestants make on Election Day — GetReligion

As he walks neighborhoods, candidate documents his city's Virgin Mary shrines

October 3, 2019
Manny Escamilla nearly missed it. As he canvassed his neighborhood to talk to residents about his campaign for City Council this summer, the Santa Ana historian and archivist stumbled upon a Virgin of Guadalupe shrine tucked inside a hollow portion of a tree. Flowers and rocks surrounded the small statue. “I almost didn’t see it,” said Escamilla, 33. “To me, it’s one of the most beautiful shrines because it uses its natural alcove.” Source: As he walks... Read more about As he walks neighborhoods, candidate documents his city's Virgin Mary shrines

Christmas

Christmas is the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Since the 4th century this observance has been held on December 25 in the Western church.

icon

An icon is a painted or mosaic image of Jesus, the Virgin Mary, the Trinity, or the saints which is used in the liturgy, prayer, and theology of the Eastern Orthodox churches. The icon is understood to be a window opening upon the divine reality.

nun

A nun is a woman who renounces worldly life and is ordinarily a member of a monastic order or community, thereby undertaking a special commitment to study, service, asceticism, prayer, or disciplined spiritual practice. In the Buddhist tradition, fully ordained nuns are called bhikkhunis, those who beg alms, depending upon the laity for their food and support. The early lineage of bhikkhunis died out long ago in the Theravada traditions of South Asia, but was preserved in the Mahayana traditions of East Asia where nuns outnumber monks today in Hong Kong and Taiwan. In the Jain tradition,... Read more about nun

Unification Church

The Unification Church was established in 1954 by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, a Korean religious leader whose followers believe him to be the Messiah and whose writings, The Divine Principle, are accepted as a new revelation.

cardinal

A cardinal is a high-ranking office in the Roman Catholic Church, conferred by the Pope and involving both ecclesiastical and administrative duties on behalf of the church. The College of Cardinals is charged with the responsibility of electing a new pope when the office becomes vacant.

Gospel

Gospel means “Good News” and refers to the central message of the Christian tradition: the good news of Christ’s life and message of redemption. Gospel refers more specifically to the four books that tell the story of the Christ event and became part of the New Testament. There are other gospel accounts that were not included in the canon of the New Testament.

Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church, often referred to as the Catholic Church, is the largest of the major streams of Christianity. It claims the authority of Christian tradition dating to the time of the apostles. Its representative and interpreter is the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, whose center of authority is the Vatican in Rome. The church is organized worldwide into parishes and dioceses.

Bible

The Greek term biblia means the “books.” Bible is used in both the Jewish and Christian traditions to refer to the book which gathers together their sacred writings. The Hebrew Bible includes the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings—a collection referred to as Tanakh. The Christian Bible includes the Hebrew Bible as well as the four Gospels, the Book of Acts, the apocalyptic Book of Revelation, and the letters of the apostle Paul and others.

Franciscan

The Christian Franciscan religious order, distinctive for its adherence to a vow of poverty, was founded by St. Francis of Assisi in 1209.

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