Author: Gordon Govier

MADISON — With the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade approaching on January 22, there is good news to share. Most Americans are pro-life and many younger people, raised with abortion on demand, reject abortion as a solution. Across the nation, there will be marches, prayer vigils, and calls to action. And in a new twist on commemorating this day, on Saturday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m., the movie October Baby will be shown at St. Christopher Parish in Verona.

Last July, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Elmbrook School District violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment when it held its high school graduations in the event center of a local evangelical church. But now that ruling is headed to the United States Supreme Court.

MADISON WI (ANS) — Each year several dozen institutional archaeological excavations and multiple more salvage excavations take place in the lands of the Bible. Some excavations draw attention because of the exciting dimensions of their discoveries. Many more compile important information from less dynamic discoveries that help us better understand the biblical world in its social context.Following are some of the most exciting discoveries announced in the past year, taken from the news digests of ARTIFAX magazine, and reported on The Book & The Spade radio program.

A year ago I wrote on the return of the well-known Perspectives class to Madison. This year the Perspectives class is back but under new leadership.

College students attending a weekend missions conference sponsored by Madison’s InterVarsity Christian Fellowship assembled 32,000 kits Saturday that will help in the care of AIDS victims in Africa. About 16,000 people are attending the conference in St. Louis, which ends today.

Almost 16,000 people are gathered in St. Louis for Urbana 12, InterVarsity’s triennial student missions conference where the theme is The Great Invitation. In his opening remarks, Urbana Director (and Madison resident) Tom Lin called on the overwhelmingly college student audience to “surrender your plans and let God surprise you. God’s invitation extends further than we can every imagine. Don’t limit God.”

(Madison, WI) — Students who attend college to find meaning and purpose in life will sharpen their focus by attending InterVarsity’s Urbana Student Missions Conference, which is held every three years between Christmas and New Years Day. Urbana 12, sponsored by Madison-based InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, will be held December 27-31 at the America’s Center and Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.

VERONA — With the dishes cleared from the evening meal, Steve and Maria Hudson turned off the house lights one night last week and gathered their son and daughter around five candles on the kitchen table. Only the large white one in the middle was lit. “What’s the middle candle called?” asked Steve Hudson. “Christ,” said Eliza, 5. “That’s right, the Christ candle,” her father said.

OCONOMOWOC — There is not always quiet here, but there is peacefulness. Little natural light penetrates the gallery at Oakbrook Esser Studios in this city’s downtown. Instead, the stained glass with images of Jesus Christ, his mother Mary, a number of saints, and even Noah and his ark are artificially backlit.

Last January, about 2,500 parishioners at Blackhawk Church in Madison signed on to a bold challenge: read the entire Bible in one year. The undertaking, called “Eat This Book,” is coming to a close. How did the participants do? I checked back in with the three I interviewed at the beginning of the year.